Doctor of Philosophy in computer engineering

The Ph.D. program in computer engineering in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is aimed at preparing its graduates to become leaders in research and development in industry, academia, as well as government organizations. Under guidance of faculty members, Ph.D. students do research in areas such as computer systems, computer networks, and artificial intelligence. Students work in research labs in ECE Department equipped with state-of-the-art computing systems, develop and implement new concepts in hardware and software components of advanced computer-based systems. Depth and breadth of studies is further enhanced by research seminars featuring invited speakers who are leading experts in industry and academia.      

Admissions

All applicants for the MS or PhD program in Electrical and Computer Engineering whose BS degree is not from an ABET accredited university are required to submit scores of the general test of Graduate Record Examination (GRE). 

Please complete an online application by February 28th to insure admissions and funding consideration for Fall semester.

• Admission to this program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School.
• All students, who have their degrees from a country where English is not the native language, must provide the TOEFL examination results. 

The TOEFL scores required for admission are as follows:

• 550 or higher for Paper-based TOEFL (pbt)
• 213 or higher for Computer-based TOEFL(cbt)
• 79 or higher for Internet-based TOEFL (ibt)
• All applicants must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
• In addition, applicants must have a graduate (MS) grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 or above and must be have completed an undergraduate major or substantial specialized work in his/her proposed doctoral major field.
• Students with an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or above may apply for direct admission to Ph.D. program.
• Students with less than a 3.5 undergraduate GPA must complete a master's degree program in Electrical and Computer Engineering prior to consideration for admission to a Ph.D. program.

Requirements

Candidates for the doctoral degree must complete ninety credits beyond the bachelor's degree, including thirty credits of dissertation direction. The thirty credit dissertation registration requirement is fulfilled by registering for the courses ECE 9991, ECE 9992, ECE 9993, and ECE 9994 (Doctoral Dissertation Research and Direction I, II, III, and IV, respectively), in consecutive academic year semesters. The division of these credits includes 60 credits of pre-candidacy coursework, and 30 credits of dissertation research.  Students are required to complete a preliminary exam, prospectus exam, and a public defense of a doctoral dissertation, completed with a research advisor.  Students entering the program with an MS degree may transfer up to 30 credits towards pre-candidacy coursework. 

Students may choose from courses in one or more areas of specialization within the ECE graduate curriculum.