April 18, 2018 PROFESSOR TRUONG NGUYEN, Chair Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering PROFESSOR ALON ORLITSKY Departme
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ACADEMIC SENATE: SAN DIEGO DIVISION, 0002 UCSD, LA JOLLA, CA 92093-0002 (858) 534-3640 FAX (858) 534-4528 April 18, 2018 PROFESSOR TRUONG NGUYEN, Chair Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering PROFESSOR ALON ORLITSKY Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering SUBJECT: Proposed MS and PhD Research Program Area in Machine Learning and Data Science At its April 9, 2018 meeting, the Graduate Council approved the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s proposal to add a new research program area in Machine Learning and Data Science to its MS and PhD degree programs. Thank you for providing the Council with additional information about the proposed curriculum and the letters of support from departments with overlapping content. The Council will forward the Department’s request to establish new MS and PhD degree titles in Electrical Engineering (Machine Learning and Data Science) for placement on the June 5, 2018 Representative Assembly agenda for final approval. If approved, the new degree title will be available to students in Fall Quarter 2018. The catalog copy describing the Machine Learning and Data Science Research Program was approved and will be included in the fall update of the 2018-19 General Catalog. Sincerely, Sorin Lerner, Chair Graduate Council cc: F. Ackerman M. Allen R. Horwitz C. Lyons K. Pogliano R. Rodriguez S. Yadegari Title A proposal to add a new major field of study in Machine Learning and Data Science to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees available within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, effective Fall 2018. Date of Preparation October 6, 2017 Contact Information Professor Alon Orlitsky Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept. 9500 Gilman Drive #0407 La Jolla, CA, 92093 [email protected] 858-822-0228 Executive Summary We propose to establish a graduate program of study in Machine Learning and Data Science to the M.S. and Ph.D. degree offerings within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in the Jacobs School of Engineering, with an effective date of Fall 2018. Students who complete the program will receive the M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Machine Learning and Data Science). Designed for graduate students with diverse undergraduate degrees, the program will span the spectrum from fundamental theory to practical applications. It will quickly bring students up to speed with the field’s mathematical and computational foundations, continue with state of the art machine-learning and algorithmic tools that undergird today’s big-data analytics, and offer specialized courses that bridge the field with important branches of science and engineering. Several courses in the proposed program are already being taught in the department. A number of new courses have been proposed and are currently in the eCourse review process, while others are currently being offered as one-time special-topic courses that will be proposed as new courses in the near future. The proposed program will increase the strength and visibility of our department’s existing efforts in data analytics and computation. It will attract new students interested in the rapidly growing data-science field, and will add to our research and fund raising capabilities in this important field. Section 1. Introduction 1. Aims and objectives of the program. Data has become central to our daily lives and there is growing demand for professionals with data analysis skills. The goal of this program is to give students background and preparation for employment and research in areas related to Machine Learning and Data Science. Core coursework in this program will place an emphasis on building strong mathematical and computational foundations (linear algebra, statistics and programming), and students will be able to delve into both theory and practical applications. Computing and data play an ever-growing role in all areas of human knowledge. There are potential career paths in a wide variety of businesses looking to use data effectively, as well as in government agencies, academia and health care. In recognition of this strong and imminent need, the ECE Department is proposing this new graduate program to create a talent pool that is trained in Machine Learning and Data Science. We anticipate that the student population in Machine Learning and Data Science will closely follow that of the broader Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, including many out of state and international students. While many incoming students will have a BS in electrical engineering, graduates of other engineering majors are expected as well. Prior work experience is not required, although a few students may return from industry to pursue a higher degree in this area. 2. Historical development of the field and historical development of departmental strength in the field. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department already has significant strength in Machine Learning and Data Science. A recent survey, included in section 3.5, shows 21 ECE faculty actively working in these areas. However, the lack of an official program in these topics substantially diminishes the awareness of these efforts among both current and prospective students. Creating the program will raise our visibility and likely increase both the quality and quantity of applicants to the department. We would like prospective students to be able to specifically select Machine Learning and Data Science as their major when they apply to the ECE Department, and subsequent to their arrival here, take courses centering around and designed specifically for this field. 3. Timetable for development of the program, including enrollment projections. The program is ready to go now. A group of professors within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is already working in this area, and many of the necessary classes are already being taught. Other classes are currently being taught as Special Topics courses and we are in the process of submitting proposals for them to become new courses. We would like to make Machine Learning and Data Science an official program within the department to which students can apply, and allow them to focus specifically in this area. Students already enrolled in another ECE major will have the option of petitioning to transfer into this new major. The new program will not reduce the overall enrollment within the department, and will likely increase enrollment due to increased visibility and the high demand for a formal program in this area of study. This demand can be