ESE 2050
Introduction to Engineering Design
This is a hands-on course in which students, in groups of two or three, will creatively develop projects and solve problems throughout the semester using tools from electrical and systems engineering. Groups will work under the supervision of an academic team consisting of faculty and higher-level students. Project objectives will be set by the academic team in collaboration with each student group. Evaluation will consider completion of these objectives as well as the originality and innovation of the projects. A weekly 90-minute lab with the academic team is required. Prerequisites: CSE 131, Physics 197, or equivalent. Corequisite Course(s): ESE 105, Phy192
Instructors
Reviews
8-10 hrs/week
Another extremely work-heavy ESE class. You can get an A, but it takes a LOT of work to get there.
5/24/2024
6-8 hrs/week
Very informative class with many great real-world applications. Weekly modules get progressively more challenging & very time consuming toward the end (including the final project) but Vaughan is very nice and understanding and will give you generous extensions if he sees that you're proactively coming into lab sessions and putting in the work. Having a good partner is crucial, and so are the TAs. Unfortunately, defective hardware is oftentimes inevitable. Be ready to spend hours on end debugging both software and hardware. However, the grading is mostly pretty chill.
5/21/2024
10+ hrs/week
this class is so difficult and gives no starting point for codes. readings are confusing. professor is new (but very nice) and TAs do most of the work
5/18/2024
6-8 hrs/week
At first this class is very easy and I could complete all the assignments in class, but by the end, around modules 7/8 on, I was spending so so much time in the lab. It became super difficult and everyones hardware was different because of how cheaply manufactured it is, so what works for one group wouldn't work for another group. Also the professor is very sweet and understanding, but isn't great at teaching the course or answering specific questions (which he does acknowledge), so just be prepared to rely heavily on TAs.
5/17/2024
Although ESE205 doesn't involve much lecturing, Professor Vaughan is always there for his students. He is always happy to help and is willing to work side by side with TAs. He would even dedicate extra office hours on weekends, especially toward the end of the semester when everyone's working overtime to finish their final projects.
4/29/2024
Ken is new to teaching ESE205 and things were a bit rocky from a management perspective, but unlike other professors he completely recognizes any issues. Ken cares a lot about students and is never "out to get" anybody. Expect lots of extensions for labs when needed. Ken is the perfect type of professor for a lab style class like ESE205.
12/15/2023
Professor Vaughan is a fantastic teacher and very kind person. Despite significant issues I had unrelated to course content, he was incredibly understanding and made sure accommodations were made to salvage my learning. I am extremely thankful for his support and highly recommend taking a class with him whenever possible.
6/20/2023
He was a great guy. You just have to pull your weight in class and he will be your buddy. He is super approachable and wants you to succeed.
12/16/2018