Professional Communication Seminar
(1-0-0-1)
CMPE Degree: This course is Not Applicable for the CMPE degree.
EE Degree: This course is Not Applicable for the EE degree.
Lab Hours: 0 supervised lab hours and 0 unsupervised lab hours.
Technical Interest Group(s) / Course Type(s): Graduate courses not in a domain, Seminars / Special courses
Course Coordinator:
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing
Corequisites: None.
Catalog Description
Seminar presentations on oral and written technical communication skills needed by electrical and computer engineering professionals. Credit for this course may not be used toward the master's degree in ECE.Textbook(s)
Course Outcomes
Not Applicable
Student Outcomes
In the parentheses for each Student Outcome:"P" for primary indicates the outcome is a major focus of the entire course.
“M” for moderate indicates the outcome is the focus of at least one component of the course, but not majority of course material.
“LN” for “little to none” indicates that the course does not contribute significantly to this outcome.
1. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. ( Not Applicable ) An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Strategic Performance Indicators (SPIs)
Not Applicable
Course Objectives
Topical Outline
Week 1.
Overview of written and oral professional communications skills required for Ph.D. level work.
Week 2.
The Georgia Tech ECE Ph.D. Proposal Examination: Expectations for written structure and quality of writing. Requirements for format, structure, and level of technical expertise. Discussion of requirements for the oral presentation
Weeks 3 and 4.
Conference Papers: Discussion of types of conferences, relative values, and expectations for written abstract submission and the nature of presentations. Use of PowerPoint and other techniques for effective presentations.
Weeks 5 and 6.
Journal Papers: Different kinds of journals (peer-reviewed, professional non-reviewed, etc.) Discussion of structure, technical content, writing style, and graphics which are necessary for successful submissions. The peer-review process. Responding to reviewers and editors.
Week 7.
Announcements of research funding opportunities. Discussion of the interpretation and evaluation of announcements for funding opportunities in engineering and science. Comparison of how different government and non-government agencies solicit technical and cost proposals.
Weeks 8 and 9.
Technical Proposals: The structure of successfully written technical proposals for obtaining research support. Justifying support through establishment of strong technical motivations and goals. Differentiation between immediate and long-term goals.
Weeks 10 and 11.
Cost and effort Proposals: Evaluating the level of effort required to conduct a research program. Techniques for identifying technical and schedule risk and presenting such risks in a palatable fashion to a potential sponsor. Examples of cost proposals. Concepts such as overhead, fringe benefits, and the characterization of such costs.
Week 12.
Biosketches, resumes, and curricula vitae. Tailoring of biographical material for different uses.
Weeks 13 and 14.
Intellectual property: Authorship of invention disclosures, trademark and patent applications. Limitations on disclosure of privileged technical information. The patent submission and review process.
Week 15.
Summary and Conclusions.