Graduate Education

The mission of the electrical and computer engineering graduate program is to provide quality student learning at an advanced level and to disseminate new knowledge in electrical engineering, while at the same time working to increase resources in support of these objectives. The graduate program in electrical engineering consists of research and study leading to the master of science degree in electrical engineering (MS EE) and multidisciplinary PhD degrees in materials engineering and science, nanoscience and nanoengineering, and biomedical engineering. In special cases, with the consent of the graduate committee of the electrical and computer engineering department, students may elect to do research in association with another engineering or science department.

Graduate Degrees (MSc, PhD)
MSc in electrical engineering (EE)
MSc in robotics & intelligent autonomous systems (RIAS)

PhD Programs related to ECE:
PhD in materials engineering & science
PhD in nano-science & nano-engineering

The prospective student should have completed a baccalaureate degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering. Applicants from universities that are not accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) are generally required to submit Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores from the General Test with their application. Depending on the student's undergraduate background, and at the discretion of the electrical and computer engineering graduate committee, graduates of other institutions may also be required to take one or more courses of preparatory undergraduate work in addition to their graduate program of study. The MS EE degree is available with thesis and non-thesis tracks. The course requirements for these tracks are as follows:

Thesis option

The thesis MS EE degree consists of a program of graduate coursework and thesis research. Candidature for the MS EE degree with Thesis is contingent on an aptitude to do research. A limited number of students are accepted into the MS EE thesis option, on the recommendation of a major professor. The requirements for the MS EE thesis degree are as follows:

• A program of at least 30 credit hours of coursework and research
• At least 15 credit hours of graduate coursework (500 level courses and above)
• At least 6 credit hours of thesis research (No more than 9 credit hours of thesis research will count toward degree requirements.)
• A satisfactory thesis based upon individual research
• Meeting or exceeding prescribed academic standards
• Passing an examination on general knowledge and successfully defending the thesis

Non-Thesis Option

The non-thesis MSEE degree consists of a program of graduate coursework. A project is not required, and normally not encouraged, for the MS EE non-thesis option. The requirements for the MS EE non-thesis degree are as follows:

• A program of at least 32 credit hours of coursework
• At least 20 credit hours of graduate coursework (500 level courses and above)
• Meeting or exceeding prescribed academic standards
• Passing an examination on general knowledge in the field

Language Requirements

• Students whose native language is not English are generally required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language Test (TOEFL)
• Graduate students with a TOEFL score below 560 are required to attend a remedial course in English
• Meeting or exceeding prescribed academic standards
• Passing an examination on general knowledge in the field

Graduate Credit Taken as an Undergraduate

Undergraduate students taking 600-level graduate courses and petitioning these courses for graduate credit should realize that application of these credits to the program of study is subject to the approval of the student's graduate committee. A student's graduate program will come under the control of the graduate committee at the time the student is accepted into the graduate program.

Graduate Committee and Program of Study

The ECE graduate committee is the graduate committee for all MS EE non-thesis degree students, with the ECE graduate coordinator serving as the advisor. MS EE thesis students form a graduate committee with a major professor who has agreed to supervise the research of the student. In both cases, the student must arrange to have a faculty member external to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering on his or her committee. Each student must submit a program of study to the candidate's graduate committee by the end of the first semester of study. Approval of the program of study is necessary in order to register for the second and subsequent semesters. The student's graduate committee has the right to disallow any course proposed in the student's program of study that they feel is not appropriate for the graduate degree in electrical engineering. A student accepted into the PhD program in materials engineering and science, nanoscience and nanoengineering, or biomedical engineering must have his or her program approved by the graduate committee responsible for that respective program.