Ph.D. Program

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Requirements for Admission

  1. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from an accredited institution in the United States or proof of equivalent education in an international institution
  2. Undergraduate or graduate degree in Electrical and/or Computer Engineering, or a related field
  3. Demonstration of academic achievement and potential as indicated by the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and upper level undergraduate and graduate coursework (normally 3.5/4.0 GPA) from all Master’s work or, if applying without a completed MS, a 3.6 GPA from an ABET accredited program)
  4. A TOEFL score of 213/550 or higher for international applicants whose first language is not English or who have not completed a university degree in the U.S.
  5. Other evidence of background, knowledge, research or work experience in Electrical and Computer Engineering that may be available.

While some exceptional students may enter the Ph.D. program immediately upon completion of the bachelor’s degree, more typically students enter the program after the conclusion of the MS degree.

Requirements for Degree

The specific course work required of each student will be determined by his/her Advisory Committee. However, each student must complete at least 84 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree or at least 54 hours beyond the master's degree. The latter includes 24 hours of graduate course work and 30 credit hours of dissertation and research, the primary requirement of the degree.

Committees

For each degree candidate, a Doctoral Advisory Committee will be formed consisting of a dissertation advisor and at least three additional faculty with expertise in areas related to his/her program of study and research. At least one committee member must be from a department other than Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Doctoral Advisory Committee will be appointed in consultation with the candidate after completion of 9-12 hours of course work applicable to the doctoral degree. The appointment must be approved by the Graduate School and the Graduate Advisor of the Department of Electrical and Computer. The Doctoral Advisory Committee will administer the candidate's Comprehensive Examination and, together with an additional faculty member from outside the College of Engineering, approved by and representing the Dean of the Graduate School, will conduct the Final Dissertation Examination.

Examinations

Upon entering the program, each student will be required to complete a Qualifying Examination. To pass this examination, a student must demonstrate competency in the fundamentals of computer engineering. Upon completion of all course work, each student will take a Comprehensive Examination administered by his/her Doctoral Advisory Committee. Upon completion of the dissertation research, each student will be examined with regard to the outcome of the research project.

Dissertation

The dissertation must demonstrate both the ability to do independent research and competence in scholarly exposition. It should present original investigations at an advanced level of a significant problem in electrical and computer engineering and should provide the basis for a publishable contribution to the research literature in the field.
Draft copies of the dissertation must be submitted to the Doctoral Committee at least six days before the defense and any suggested corrections must be made. Two copies of the final bound dissertation, and the unbound original, must be submitted to the Graduate School by the posted deadlines. Two bound copies must also be submitted to the Graduate Advisor.

Time Limits and Catalog Changes

All requirements for the degree must be completed within one eight-year period preceding the awarding of the doctoral degree. Work more than eight years old is lost and can be reinstated only by special permission of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the Departmental Committee on Graduate Studies. Further, all requirements for the doctorate must be completed within five years after passing the Comprehensive Examination.
General and specific requirements for degrees in the Graduate School may be altered in successive catalogs. Provided the requisite course continues to be offered, the student is bound only by the course requirements of the catalog in force at the time of admission or readmission within an eight-year limit, unless, with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, the student elects to be bound by the course requirements of a subsequent catalog. This regulation applies to course requirements only.