The
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers graduate programs in
selected areas leading to the M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Ph.D. in Engineering.
Specialty areas include biomedical engineering, communication and signal processing,
computers, controls, electromagnetics, electronics, and power systems. Student
academic and research programs are tailored to individual needs and interests.
Program Description
Degree Requirements
The
Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 30 semester credits beyond the
B.S. degree. There are two options within the M.S. degree; a thesis option and
a paper option. For the thesis option, 6 hours of the 30 must be assigned to
the thesis. The paper option requires a maximum of 3 credits to be assigned
to the paper. All students must pass a final oral examination covering both
course work and the thesis or paper and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.
Admission Requirements
Students who have graduated
from an accredited electrical and computer engineering program in the United
States are normally admitted if their grade point average is B (3.0) or better.
Students with less than a B average may, under certain circumstances, be admitted
on a conditional basis.
Graduates from programs
other than electrical and computer engineering-such as mathermatics, physics,
and other engineering areas-normally will be admitted if their grade point
average is B or better. However, they must satisfy or prove proficiency in
the electrical and computer engineering undergraduate curriculum in effect
at the time of matriculation. Normally, this means completing some undergraduate
courses before pursuing graduate study. Some students may be able to take
graduate and undergraduate courses at the same time. Students in this category
should contact the department's graduate coordinator for specific details
concerning their individual cases.
International students
are required to take the general test of the Graduate Record Examinations
(GRE) before their application will be considered. This requirement is waived
for those international students who obtained their undergraduate degree in
the U.S. from an ABET accredited institution. The TOEFL exam is required for
applicants whose first language is not English. A minimum score of 525 (paper
test) or 193 (computer test) is required for admission. A minimum score of
600 (paper test) or 247 (computer test) is required for teaching assistantships.
Financial Assistance
The
department has both teaching and research assistantships available. These assistantships
provide a monthly salary during the academic year and a waiver of graduate tuition
during the academic year and summer. Some assistantships do provide summer support.
Such students need pay only a minimal activity fee. Tuition waivers are sometimes
available for outstanding students who wish to study full time. In addition,
there are opportunities, both in the department and on the campus, to perform
part-time work as graders, teachers, tutors, and consultants. Since competition
for all kinds of financial aid is keen students should apply at least six months
prior to the semester in which they plan to begin, although applications are
taken at any time.
Research Facilities and Equipment
The
department is housed in a modern, well-equipped building. Graduate students
have access to laboratories, instrument rooms, and computer services ranging
from the University Computer System to departmental computers. Research facilities
include cardiovascular engineering lab, computer architecture lab, digital systems
lab, EMI shield room, power and power electronics lab, signal processing and
systems lab, and printed circuit lab.
