M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering
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The MS degree will substantially advance your knowledge and skill in a focused area in electrical and computer engineering. The relatively small time investment in an MS degree will dramatically increase your technical knowledge base and skillset, leading to increased professional opportunities and significantly higher salaries than a BS degree. Our MS degree program is offered in two modalities: Thesis Program and Non-Thesis Program. The MS Thesis Program is designed for students who want to broaden their electrical and computer engineering foundation knowledge while also conducting an in-depth research project. The MS Non-Thesis Program is intended to satisfy the professional development needs of working engineers and recent graduates who want to increase the breadth and depth of their electrical and computer engineering foundation.
Application to the MS Program
Applications for the Fall semester must be received by August 1, while the application deadline for the Spring semester is January 1. February 1 is the deadline to be considered for departmental funding, Admission to the ECE MS program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
MSECE Thesis Option
Program Requirements (Thesis Program)
The thesis master’s program requires 30 credit hours including at least 24 graduate course credits (8 courses) and at least 6 credits for master’s thesis. A student in the thesis master’s program typically takes 9-12 credits per semester.
The 24-credit course program of each student must include:
- Six credits of electrical and computer engineering Foundation courses.
- Eighteen credits of advanced technical courses (level 600 or above) related to the student’s area of interest. At most twelve of these credits can bear non-ELEG/CPEG numbers and at least three credits must be of 800 level electrical and computer engineering courses.
All students in the thesis master’s degree program will carry out original publishable research in collaboration with their advisor and, possibly, other collaborators. Master’s candidates must write a thesis describing their contributions to this research. Theses must follow the University’s rules and those accepted in the profession for the presentation of original work.
MSECE non-Thesis Option
Program Requirements (Non-Thesis Program)
The non-thesis master’s program requires 30 credit hours of course work. A student in the thesis master’s program typically takes 9-12 credits per semester.
The 30-credit course program of each student must include:
- Six credits of electrical and computer engineering Foundation courses.
- Twenty-four credits of advanced technical courses (level 600 or above) related to the student’s area of interest. At least six of these credits must be 800 level electrical and computer engineering courses and at most twelve credits can bear non-ELEG/CPEG number.
Concentrations
Students in the MS program may elect to choose a concentration area of study. Concentrations are available in Computer Systems & Networking, Signal Processing, Communications and Controls, Materials and Devices, Electromagnetics and Photonics, and Biomedical Engineering. Students selecting a concentration must meet the concentration requirements in addition to meeting their general degree requirements. Concentrations are voluntary, and students selecting multidisciplinary or other specialized studies need not declare a concentration.