Masters of Science: Electrical & Computer Engineering

Students who enroll in the Department’s M.S. program may choose an all-coursework option or a thesis option. All M.S. students must take a final examination (oral and/or written) administered by their advisory committee.

Each Master’s candidate may also include a minor area in the degree program. The addition of a minor requires two courses (six hours) in an area outside of the major, such as math, physics, computer science, or industrial engineering, as approved by the Department’s advisory committee.

All-Coursework Option

The student’s plan of study must include a minimum of 33 credit hours, at least 18 of which must be at the 800 level.

The non-thesis candidate’s final examination consists of an oral review. The candidate must also submit a written summary of a published paper that has been approved by the student’s advisory committee.

Thesis Option

The thesis-option student must write a thesis that is approved by the advisory committee and the Graduate School. The thesis-option student must take a minimum of 30 credit hours, including 12 credit hours at the 800 level and an additional six hours of ECE 891 (Master’s Thesis Research). Students supported as research assistants are almost always required by their advisors to choose the thesis option. Those students anticipating continued studies toward the Ph.D. should strongly consider the thesis option.

The thesis-option student must pass a final examination exam consisting of an oral defense of the student’s thesis or report.