Over the past few years we have been shifting to software paradigm in which students can access key software packages anywhere they need to. Three software packages form the cornerstone of our program: MATLAB from The Mathworks, Inc., a MultiSim/LabView package from National Instruments, and a suite of tools available through the Microsoft Developer’s Network Academic Alliance (MSDNAA). As mentioned previously, the university purchased a site license agreement for MATLAB that gives students, faculty and staff unlimited access to the most recent version of MATLAB plus 50 toolboxes (which we select). Our students are able to load this onto their personal machines and use this software in the classroom or the lab. All machines on campus maintained by our central IT group, Computer Services (see http://www.temple.edu/cs) have this software loaded. Those include the Tech Center, a centralized facility on campus that provides students 24 hour access to computing. The Tech Center is the largest facility of its type in the world.

We also require students to purchase a copy of a MultiSim/LabView package in their first circuits course at a nominal cost (currently $60). This gives them a copy of the professional version of MultiSim. They will use this package throughout their undergraduate studies for lectures, labs and homework.

The department also provides students free, unlimited access to a suite of Microsoft tools through our MSDNAA agreement. These are distributed through a third-party (www.e-academy.com). This agreement includes operating system software like Windows 7, software development tools such as .NET and Visual Basic and particular office productivity tools such as Microsoft Project. We use Project in our senior design class. The other tools are often used for senior design projects or in some of our advanced laboratories.