May 6, 2022
SVSU adds degree program in computer engineering
A new degree program at Saginaw Valley State University will prepare students for the growing field of computer engineering. The SVSU Board of Control Friday approved adding a new Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering degree during its regular meeting Friday, May 6. Students may begin enrolling in the program, offered through SVSU’s College of Science, Engineering & Technology, for the fall 2022 semester.
“The computer engineering field continues to be stable, and qualified employees are consistently in high demand,” said Rajani Muraleedharan, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an average of roughly 4,500 job openings each year over the next 10 years. Computer engineers work in a variety of fields, including analysis, design, manufacturing, testing, and research and development.
Muraleedharan said employers in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region support the creation of a computer engineering major.
“Our electrical and computer engineering advisory board unanimously supported the program initiative and provided valuable feedback on its design,” she said.
The advisory board includes professionals from a number of regional companies, including Consumers Energy, General Motors, Halla Mechatronics, Hemlock Semiconductor, Magna International, Means Industries, Nexteer Automotive, Savant Group and Wineman Technology Inc.
Muraleedharan added that community need also factored into the decision to offer the new major.
“By adding the new program, we can offer a computer engineering degree to students who prefer the size, proximity and cost of SVSU,” she said. “Increasing demand for computer engineers is driven, in part, by growth in the automotive, electric aviation, Industry 4.0 (the industrial internet of things) and health care sectors, which are well-represented in the region.”
National accreditors also encouraged SVSU to develop the new program.
“During the 2017 accreditation visit by ABET, the chair of the committee recommended that SVSU consider a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering degree program,” said Andrew Chubb, dean of the College of Science, Engineering & Technology. “The ABET committee recognized that SVSU already had the courses and faculty in place – including faculty who perform research in emerging technologies – making this degree program a natural fit. This new program will open up a whole new sector of industry for SVSU graduates.”
The computer engineering curriculum is supported by the departments of Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics and Philosophy. Nearly all of the courses required for a major in computer engineering are already offered at SVSU through the electrical engineering and computer science departments. One new course ― a modification of a course previously offered in the electrical engineering program ― is being added to SVSU’s course offering.
For more information about the computer engineering program at SVSU, visit https://www.svsu.edu/computerengineeringbs/.