THE M.S. IN ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEMS: A STRATEGIC EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Abstract

The 1993–1994 academic year commemorates the tenth anniversary of the M. S. in Electronics and Computer Control Systems (ECCS) program. This program is part of an extraordinary strategic partnership between Ford and Wayne State University which was originally established to deal with a severe shortage of microprocessor control system skills among Ford engine designers. These designers, for the most part holders of a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, faced major challenges in dealing with the pervasive impact of computer control systems to replace mechanical and electro-mechanical systems on gasoline engines. Microprocessor systems were found to be necessary for engine emission control coupled with enhanced performance and fuel economy. The ECCS program was planned to go beyond providing application knowledge for implementation of the EEC chip; the intent was to provide a fundamental knowledge base to provide Ford Engineers with advanced design tools to deal with the pervasive integration of electronic control into virtually every automotive subsystem. The subject material in the course sequence has evolved along with the technology, but the basic structure of the interdisciplinary program, with participation from the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Computer Science at WSU, has not changed from when the program was introduced in 1983. The program is continuously scrutinized for prospective improvements not only by WSU faculty, but by a dedicated group of Ford technical managers who serve on both the ECCS Steering Committee and the Curriculum Subcommittee. Currently, most students in the ECCS program come to it from Computer and Electrical Engineering backgrounds, a change from ten years ago.