Computer Engineering

Description and Requirements

The UH Catalog maintains the latest degree description and requirements.

The Computer Engineering (CENG) BS degree program is a jointly offered program with the Department of Information and Computer Sciences. It requires a minimum of 125 credit hours which includes:

  • College of Engineering Requirements (51 credit hours)
  • Department Requirements (74 credit hours)

The curriculum is graphically represented in the most recent flow chart, and is presented in a table in the Computer Engineering Check Sheet, the Manoa Computer Engineering Program Sheet (doc)  and Plan Template (xls) and the COE Advising Form.  There are also design credit requirements.


Important Notes

  • Enrollment in ECE courses requires a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses.
  • As a part of the college requirements, students must complete the General Education Core courses for engineering (see the description of the "Undergraduate Programs" for the College of Engineering in the University of Hawaii at Manoa Course Catalog).
  • Students follow the curriculum based on when they entered the ECE program, as shown by their curriculum check sheets.  Students may petition to switch to a later (but not earlier) curriculum, or use features of the later curriculum, but it is not automatic. 

Click on a category to reveal more information.

  • Written Communication (FW) is satisfied by ENG 100 Composition I (3)
  • Arts, Humanities, and Literature (DA, DH/DL) is satisfied by COMG 251 Principles of Effective Speaking (3), and one additional elective (3)
  • Social Sciences (DS) is satisfied by ECON 120 Introduction to Economics (3), ECON 130 Principles of Microeconomics (3), or ECON 131 Principles of Macroeconomics (3), and one other elective (3)
  • Global and Multicultural Perspectives (FG A/B/C) is satisfied by two approved electives (6)
  • One course each required for Hawaiian, Asian & Pacific Issues (H), Oral Communication (O) and Contemporary Ethical Issues (E)
  • Writing Intensive (W) required in five courses (minimum of 2 in upper division)
  • ECE 495 Ethics satisfies the Ethics (E) focus requirement for UH Manoa.
  • ECE 496 Senior Capstone Design satisfies both one W and O

  • Math 241 (4), Math 242 (4), Math 243 (3), Math 244 (3): Calculus I (basic concepts; differentiation with applications; integration) through IV (multiple integrals; line integrals and Green’s Theorem; surface integrals, Stokes’ and Gauss’s Theorems).
  • Substitution: Math 251A/252A/253A (the accelerated calculus sequence) may be substituted for Math 241-244 sequence
    • MATH 251A Accelerated Calculus I (4)
    • MATH 252A Accelerated Calculus II (4)
    • MATH 253A Accelerated Calculus III (4)
  • Math 307 (3): Linear algebra and differential equations
  • Substitution: ECE 345 (4): Linear Algebra & Machine Learning, may be substituted for Math 307.

  • CHEM 161 (3) and Chem 162 (3): General Chemistry I and II cover the basic principles of chemistry, including stoichiometry; introduction to solution phase chemistry; gas phase chemistry; thermodynamics, including enthalpies of formation and reaction, entropy and free energy; atomic structure, periodic trends, chemical bonding, molecular structure; liquids and solids; solutions and colligative properties; principles and applications of chemical equilibrium, including acid-base chemistry (titrations, buffers); kinetics; redox reactions and electrochemistry.
  • Chem 161L (1): Laboratory for Chem 161.
  • Substitution: Chem 171/171L (Principles of Chemistry) or Chem 181/181L (Honors General Chemistry) may be substituted for Chem 161/161L and Chem 162
    • CHEM 171 Principles of Chemistry (4)
    • CHEM 171L Principles of Chemistry Lab (1)
    • CHEM 181A Honors General Chemistry (4)
    • CHEM 181L Honors General Chemistry Laboratory (1)
  • Phys 170 (4), Phys 272 (3), and Phys 274 (3): General Physics I through III which includes mechanics of particles and rigid bodies, wave motion, thermodynamics and kinetic theory; electricity and magnetism; relativity, introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, geometrical and physical optics.
  • Phys 170L (1) and Phys 272L (1): Laboratories for Phys 170 and Phys 272, respectively.

Students must complete a total of 62 credit hours including the following:

  • ECE 160 Programming for Engineers (4)
  • ECE 205 Object-Oriented Programming (3)
  • ECE 211 Basic Circuit Analysis I (4)
  • ECE 213 Basic Circuit Analysis II (4)
  • ECE 260 Introduction to Digital Design (4)
  • ECE 315 Signal and System Analysis (3)
  • ECE 323 Microelectronic Circuits I/Lab (3/1)
  • ECE 324 Physical Electronics (3)
  • ECE 342 EE Probability and Statistics (3)
  • ECE 361/361L Digital Systems and Computer Design/Lab (3/1)
  • ECE 362 Discrete Math for Engineers (3)
  • Substitution: ICS 141/241 may substitute for ECE 362
    • ICS 141 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science I (3)
    • ICS 241 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science II (3)
  • ECE 367/367L Computer Data Structures and Algorithms/Lab (3/1)
  • Substitution: ICS 311 Algorithms (4) may substitute for ECE 367/367L
  • ECE 371 Engineering Electromagnetics I (3)
  • ECE 467 Object-oriented Software Engineering (3) or ICS 314
  • ECE 468 Introduction to Operating Systems (3)
  • ECE 495 Ethics in Electrical Engineering (1)
  • Engineering Breadth (3)
  • ECE 296, 396, and 496 Projects (6). At least one credit of ECE 296 is required for the sophomore year, at least two credits of ECE 396 are required for the junior year, and at least three credits of ECE 496 are required for the senior year. The ECE 496 senior design project is the capstone design course and requires a significant design effort. ENGR 196/296/396 may substitute for ECE 196/296/396.

There is a requirement of a minimum of 9 credit hours of technical electives. They may be any ECE course that is at the 300 level or higher and select ICS courses listed below.

  • ECE: 345, 368, 369, 406, 415, 416, 417, 445, 469, 602, 604, 606, 607, 608, 609, 644, 645, 660, 665, 693B, 693E, 693F
  • ICS: 313, 321, 351, 355, 414, 415, 421, 423, 424, 425, 428, 431, 432, 441, 442, 451, 455, 461, 464, 465, 466, 469, 481

    • Note that undergraduates taking 600-level courses require consent of the instructor. ICS courses from the list may have prerequisite courses that are not part of the computer engineering curriculum. These courses used as technical electives will lead to more credit hours to complete the program.

    One TE may be substituted with an Engineering Breadth (EB) course, which is satisfied by a CEE, ME, OE or BE course at the 300-level or higher, CEE 270; or a physical, biological, or computer science course at the 300-level or higher and approved by the Department's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

    To guide students in selecting technical electives, we have the following of areas of specialization (select a specialization for a description, employment opportunities, and suggested technical electives):

  • Computer Hardware
  • Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things
  • Cyber Security
  • Data Science and Machine Learning
  • Software Engineering

Further information on these CENG Specializations



A minimum of 16 design credits are required. Each course has assigned to it a number of design credits. The Design Credits List shows the design credits per course. The Design Experience Statement explains the design requirements for the BS program.



The curriculum is based on when a student entered the CENG program. The following is a list of changes that were made since August 2010.

Archive of previous changes

  • Since April 2014:
    • Add Substitution option ICS 111/211/212 may substitute for EE 160/205
    • Add Substitution option ICS 311 may substitute for EE 367/367L
    • Move EE 467 from Technical Electives to CENG Core with option for ICS 314 instead
    • Remove ICS 141 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science I (3)
    • Add EE 362 Discrete Math for Engineers (3) and ICS 141/142 substitution
    • Technical Elective minimum increased from 6 to 9 credit hours
    • Increase EE Technical Elective choices from select list to any of 300 or higher
    • Remove ICS 311 Algorithms from Technical Electives
    • Add ICS 351 to Technical Electives
    • Add ICS 355 to Technical Electives
    • Add ICS 423 to Technical Electives
    • Remove ICS 426 Computer System Security from Technical Electives
    • Add ICS 455 to Technical Electives
    • Add ICS 466 to Technical Electives
    • Remove requirement for 3 Speaking Intensive courses
  • April 2020
    • Add EE 345 as optional substitution for MATH 307
  • December 2020
    • Add ICS 428 to Technical Electives
  • August 2024
    • Remove ICS 111/211/212 substitution option for ECE 160/205