PhD in Electrical Engineering

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering supports a PhD program with a Concentration in Electrical Engineering as part of the PhD in Engineering degree. The Doctor of Philosophy is a degree that is conferred on a student who has demonstrated proficiency in some broad area of learning, and who has proven that he or she has the capability to evaluate work in the field critically. In addition, the student must have demonstrated the ability to work independently and make original contributions to the field. No single prescribed set of courses can be established that, when completed, guarantee that the student has attained this high level. Rather, the degree is conferred after the student has satisfied both a course work and an independent study requirement under the supervision of a committee. Minimum course work and independent study requirements and the composition of the advisory committee for the Ph.D. program are described below.

• The candidate must have a broad knowledge of science, math and engineering
• The candidate must have in-depth knowledge of the specific area in which the thesis research will be conducted
• The candidate must be able to read, understand, and evaluate professional literature on advanced topics in engineering and applied science.
• The candidate must be able to write technical reports and project documentation.
• The candidate must be able to make oral presentations of technical information.
• The candidate must demonstrate the capability to make fundamental and significant contributions in the area of engineering and applied science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines, along with the tools of research, to perform analysis and synthesis and to visualize potential areas of application.

The PhD degree is awarded to students who have satisfied the requirements of duration of program, who have submitted an acceptable dissertation, and who have passed all prescribed examinations.

Requirements for students entering with a master's degree:

• Complete 12 semester hours of course work
• At least 6 semester hours must be ECE courses
• At most 6 semester hours may be independent study courses
• All 12 semester hours must be numbered 5000 and above.

Requirements for students entering without a master's degree:

Must complete 36 semester hours of course work - at least 24 semester hours must be ECE courses. At most 12 semester hours may be independent study courses. All 36 semester hours must be numbered 5000 and above. Cross-listed courses which are offered at the 5000/6000 levels must be taken at the 6000 level.

Requirements for all students:

• Complete 30 semester hours of dissertation research in addition to course work.
• Have an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 in order to graduate
• Have a grade of B- or better in all courses applied toward the PhD degree
• Pass the Preliminary Examination, the Comprehensive Examination, and the final Defense of Dissertation
• No foreign language is required.

Two requirements must be met after entering the Ph.D. program and before attempting the comprehensive examination. The first requirement is that the student passes the preliminary examination, and the second requirement is that the student demonstrates excellence in coursework.

For details on degree requirements, please visit the Academic Catalog.

For details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog.

• Regular admission to the PhD program requires the following: A 3.3 grade-point-average (GPA) on all previous college work, including both graduate and undergraduate. Applicants whose highest degree is held from an international university or from a non-ABET-accredited undergraduate programs are required to take the verbal-reasoning and quantitative-reasoning portions of the Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) unless this requirement is waived by special petition to the Department Graduate Studies Committee. The GRE may be required by the Department Graduate Studies Committee if the applicant's GPA on all previous college work falls below 3.3.
• Students with an MSEE through graduate course work only: 12 credits of graduate course work and 18 credits transferred from MSEE to meet 30 credit hours required by the graduate school.
• Students with an MSEE through 24 hours of graduate course work and 6 hours of thesis: 12 credits of graduate course work and 18 credits transferred from MSEE.
• Students with an MSEE/BSEE concurrent program: 12 credits of graduate course work and 18 hours transferred from MSEE.
• Students with a BSEE degree: 36 hours of graduate course work.
• Applicants earning an undergraduate or graduate degrees from non-English institutions are required to show proof of English proficiency. Please view the ECE’s requirements.
• Students not admitted on a regular basis may be admitted on a provisional basis depending on their over-all application file, including GPA, GRE, letters of recommendation, etc. Students admitted on a provisional basis are often required to take remedial courses (these are specified in the letter of acceptance). Registration for such remedial courses must commence with the first semester of a student's program with at least three credits completed per semester until all remedial requirements are satisfied.

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

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