Well.

I almost drove myself crazy today. I got this email:

Dear Kathryn,

Congratulations on your acceptance, and welcome to Illinois Institute of Technology! Following is a checklist of items that you will want to review and complete (where applicable) as soon as possible prior to the start of the fall term.

In the meantime, we are here to help you with your preparations in any way we can. If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us!

I was accepted to IIT for an MS in Electrical Engineering.

But I'm already in graduate school.

My thoughts included everything from ignoring it to giving up DePaul and switching directions at IIT to somehow working on both programs at once. Not practical. I examined the evidence.

IIT Courses:

Students, with their adviser, select courses appropriate to their needs and interests. The program of study must include four courses within one of the electrical engineering (EE) areas of concentration listed below and one course from each of the two remaining areas. An M.S.E.E. candidate may, with permission of a thesis adviser, include in his or her program a thesis of six to eight credit hours. The master’s thesis is recommended for pre-doctoral students. The thesis option requires a written thesis and an oral defense of the thesis. Thesis format and deadlines are set by the Graduate College.

EE Areas of Concentration

I. Communications and Signal Processing
ECE 401 Communication Electronics
ECE 403 Communication Systems
ECE 405 Communication Systems with Laboratory
ECE 404 Digital and Data Communications
ECE 406 Digital and Data Communications with Laboratory
ECE 421 Microwave Circuits and Systems
ECE 423 Microwave Circuits and Systems with Laboratory
ECE 436 Digital Signal Processing I with Laboratory
ECE 437 Digital Signal Processing I
ECE 470 Photonics
ECE 481 Image Processing
ECE 504 Wireless Communication System Design
ECE 509 Electromagnetic Field Theory
ECE 511 Analysis of Random Signals
ECE 513 Communication Engineering Fundamentals
ECE 514 Digital Communication Principles
ECE 515 Modern Digital Communications
ECE 519 Coding for Reliable Communications
ECE 522 Electromagnetic Compatibility
ECE 565 Computer Vision and Image Processing
ECE 566 Statistical Pattern Recognition
ECE 567 Statistical Signal Processing
ECE 568 Digital Speech Processing
ECE 569 Digital Signal Processing II
ECE 570 Fiber Optic Communication Systems
ECE 576 Antenna Theory
ECE 578 Microwave Theory

II. Computers and Microelectronics
ECE 407 Introduction to Computer Networks with Laboratory
ECE 408 Introduction to Computer Networks
ECE 415 Solid-State Electronics
ECE 425 Analysis and Design of Integrated Circuits
ECE 429 Introduction to VLSI Design
ECE 441 Microcomputers
ECE 446 Advanced Logic Design
ECE 448 Computer Systems Programming
ECE 449 Object-Oriented Programming and Computer Simulation
ECE 485 Computer Organization and Design
ECE 521 Quantum Electronics
ECE 524 Advanced Electronic Circuit Design
ECE 525 RF Integrated Circuit Design
ECE 526 Active Filter Design
ECE 527 Performance Analysis of RF Integrated Circuits
ECE 529 Advanced VLSI Systems Design
ECE 530 High Performance VLSI/IC Systems
ECE 541 Performance Evaluations of Computer Networks
ECE 542 Design and Optimization of Computer Networks
ECE 543 Computer Network Security
ECE 544 Wireless and Mobile Networks
ECE 545 Advanced Computer Networks
ECE 571 Nanodevices and Technology
ECE 575 Electron Devices
ECE 583 High Speed Computer Arithmetic
ECE 584 VLSI Architectures for Signal Processing and Communications
ECE 585 Advanced Computer Architecture
ECE 586 Fault Detection in Digital Circuits
ECE 587 Hardware/Software Codesign
ECE 588 CAD Techniques for VLSI Design

III. Power and Control
ECE 411 Power Electronics
ECE 412 Electric Motor Drives
ECE 419 Power Systems Analysis
ECE 420 Analytical Methods in Power Systems
ECE 434 Control Systems with Laboratory
ECE 438 Control Systems
ECE 505 Applied Optimization for Engineers
ECE 506 Analysis of Nonlinear Systems
ECE 531 Linear System Theory
ECE 535 Discrete Time Systems
ECE 537 Optimal Feedback Control
ECE 540 Reliability Theory and System Implementation
ECE 548 Energy Harvesting
ECE 549 Motion Control Systems Dynamics
ECE 550 Power Electronic Dynamics and Control
ECE 551 Advanced Power Electronics
ECE 552 Adjustable Speed Drives
ECE 553 Power System Planning
ECE 554 Power Systems Relaying
ECE 555 Power Market Operations
ECE 556 Power Market Economics and Security
ECE 557 Fault-Tolerant Power Systems
ECE 558 Power System Reliability
ECE 559 High-Voltage Power Transmission
ECE 560 Power Systems Dynamics and Stability
ECE 561 Deregulated Power Systems
ECE 562 Power System Transaction Management
ECE 563 Computational Intelligence in Engineering
ECE 564 Control and Operation of Electric Power Systems

I want that. I want to do signal processing. I want to take Digital Communications and Speech Processing and Computer Vision and Photonics. I want to take Quantum Electronics and VLSI design and filter design.

But then I look at this -

IM 336 Interactive Media Scripting for Programmers
IM 270 User-Centered Web Design
HCI 402 Foundations of Digital Design *
HCI 450 Foundations of Human-Computer Interaction
HCI 470 Digital Page Formatting I
HCI 430 Prototyping and Implementation
HCI 445 Inquiry Methods and Use Analysis
HCI 460 Usability Evaluation Methods
HCI 454 Interaction Design
HCI 422 Multimedia
HCI 432 User-Centered Web Development
HCI 511 Designing for Disabilities
HCI 530 Usability Issues for Handheld Devices
HCI 590 Topics in Human-Computer Interaction
CSC 423 Data Analysis and Regression
CSC 424 Advanced Data Analysis
CSC 428 Data Analysis for Experimenters
CSC 449 Database Technologies
CSC 451 Database Design
CSC 587 Cognitive Science
ECT 433 Survey of Web Programming Technologies
ECT 455 E-Commerce Web Site Engineering
ECT 480 Intranets and Portals
ECT 586 Customer Relationship Management Technologies
IS 456 Knowledge Management Systems
IS 511 Social Issues of Computing
IS 570 Enterprise System Implementation.
ITS 427 Learning and Technology
ITS 431 Instructional Delivery and Course Management Systems
ITS 560 Training and User Support
IT 432 Web Architecture for Non-Programmers
PM 430 Fundamentals of IT Project Management
PM 440 Collaborative Technology for Leading Projects
PSY 402 Perceptual Processes
PSY 404 Learning and Cognitive Processes
PSY 473 The Psychology of Judgment and Decision- Making
PSY 557 Seminar in Learning and Cognitive Processes
PSY 680 Industrial and Organizational Psychology
SE 425 Principles and Practices of Software Engineering
SE 477 Software and Systems Project Management
SE 482 Requirements Engineering
SE 430 Object Oriented Modeling
GPH 425 Survey of Computer Graphics
GPH 438 Computer Animation Survey
HCI 594 Human-Computer Interaction Capstone

And I want that too.

There is only one solution.

I am going to get both degrees... eventually.

It'll take like 5 years but I don't care, I love school.

I will keep going to school for as long as I can.

In the meantime I'll pick up some useful degrees.

I don't think there's any rush for me to get done.

Sometimes people want me to think it's a rush but I know it's not.