Qualifying Examination and Degree Candidacy

The PhD qualifying examination is the examination for admission to the Doctoral programs in electrical engineering and in computer engineering. It is a written exam in the student’s major area. The exam has the dual purpose of serving as an indicator of the student’s capability for successful completion of the PhD in electrical engineering or in computer engineering, and of serving as a guide to the student’s adviser in developing a suitable plan of study, tailored to the individual needs of the student. Students are tested on graduate course material as specified by the faculty in the chosen area.

A student who has received approval to take the qualifying exam is considered a Pre-Doctoral Student until such time as s/he passes the exam. Upon successful completion of the qualifying exam the student is designated a PhD candidate.

All Pre-Doctoral Students who hold a Master’s degree or its equivalent must take this exam in the spring semester of their first academic year of study. A student who fails the qualifying exam will be permitted to re-take the exam only once.

Residence Requirement

One year of full-time graduate work or two consecutive years of part-time graduate work satisfy the residence requirement. In the latter case the student’s adviser must approve a detailed schedule in order to ensure that the student devotes at least half of the time to the requirements of the Graduate School of Engineering.

Dissertation

Within one semester after passing the PhD qualifying examination, the ECE PhD Candidates must form a Dissertation Committee and petition the ECE Graduate Committee for approval of this Committee. A Dissertation Committee comprises the adviser and two full-time faculty members with background relevant to the Dissertation topic. The chair of the Dissertation Committee must be a faculty member in the ECE Department. The Committee may also include a person from industry or from another university.

The Dissertation Committee must design an appropriate program of study that prepares the student to be a successful Doctoral-level engineer as well as direct the Candidate’s Dissertation research. The Dissertation Adviser/Committee will approve the Dissertation in final form.

Dissertation and Dissertation Continuation Registration

Upon successful completion of the PhD qualifying examination and the majority of required course work, the PhD Candidate must register in two consecutive semesters for ECE G890 Dissertation. Upon completion of this sequence, the student must then register for ECE G899 Dissertation Continuation in every semester until the Dissertation is completed. A student may not register for continuation until s/he fulfills the two-semester sequence.

Registration Requirements for Pre-Doctoral and PhD Candidate Graduate Assistants

The ECE Department requires that Pre-Doctoral Students and PhD Candidates who hold Research, Teaching, or Tuition Assistantships register for eight semester hours of course work per semester, including summer mini-semesters. PhD candidates may register for ECE G864 PhD Research (4SH) or ECE G868 PhD Research (8SH) to fulfill the registration requirement if they have passed the PhD qualifying exam.

PhD Candidates may use PhD Research to meet the eight-semester hour registration requirement; however, these credits will not count towards any minimum semester hour requirement for the PhD degree.

Grades of ‘S’ or ‘U’ will be assigned for ECE G864 and ECE G868 upon completion of the PhD Dissertation. In the interim, an ‘IP’ (In Progress) is assigned.

Comprehensive Examination

Within three years of the establishment of degree candidacy, each PhD Candidate must demonstrate, by means of a comprehensive examination, subject matter knowledge satisfactory for the award of the degree.

The comprehensive exam is an oral exam open to ECE faculty (Assistant Professor and above in rank) and administered by the student’s Dissertation Adviser/Committee. Normally, the examination will be given at the time the student submits his or her Dissertation Proposal to the Dissertation Adviser/Committee for approval. As part of this examination the Dissertation Adviser/Committee will review the student’s Doctoral program and his or her performance in graduate courses, as well as examine the student on subject matter related to his or her graduate coursework and Dissertation subject area.

Final Oral Examination

The final oral examination will include the subject matter of the Dissertation and significant developments in the field of the Dissertation work. Other related fields may be included if recommended by the examining faculty.

Electrical Engineering Course Requirements

The student and his or her Dissertation Committee determine the program of study. A typical program comprises twenty-four semester hours of coursework beyond the Master of Science degree. However, as a minimum, the PhD program must include at least sixteen semester hours of coursework. The exact nature of the program will vary among candidates depending on the Dissertation subject area and the Candidate’s preparation. The program must include one minor area of study comprising at least eight semester hours of coursework beyond the Master of Science degree in an area other than that in which the Candidate is concentrating. The minor may be in another discipline within electrical and computer engineering or the minor area may be in another relevant technical or scientific discipline. All students must achieve a minimum cumulative QPA of 3.000 as well as a 3.000 minimum QPA in the minor area.

Computer Engineering Course Requirements

The student and his or her Dissertation Adviser determine the program of study. A typical program comprises twenty-four semester hours of coursework beyond the Master of Science degree. However, as a minimum, the PhD program must comprise at least sixteen semester hours of coursework. The exact nature of the program will vary among candidates depending on the Dissertation subject area and the candidate’s preparation. The program must include a minimum of eight semester hours of non-computer engineering coursework beyond the Master of Science degree. Students must achieve an overall minimum cumulative QPA of 3.000 as well as a 3.000 minimum QPA in the non-computer engineering area.

Advanced Seminar

All ECE PhD Candidates must register for, and pass, ECE G399 Advanced Seminar, in the area of their PhD Dissertation as part of their PhD program of study. The seminar coordinator and the student’s Dissertation Adviser/Committee will jointly design the seminar assignment for each student. The grade assigned for ECE G399 Advanced Seminar is either ‘S’ (Satisfactory) or ‘U’ (Unsatisfactory).