M.S. Program Requirements

The Master of Science Program Requirements and description of the expected milestones are described below. A flowchart showing the program steps and requirements is provided at the bottom of the page in order to elucidate this process.

Program Requirements

Students must complete at least 30 graduate credits distributed as shown in the degree requirements table. All courses must be approved by the advisor and supervisory committee. A written thesis proposal with oral presentation to the supervisory committee is required prior to the completion of 15 credits applicable to the degree requirements. Work on the thesis can only be undertaken after approval of the thesis proposal by the supervisory committee. The thesis must constitute an original contribution to knowledge in electrical engineering and must be successfully defended at a final oral examination. All work directly related to the thesis must be represented by at least 6 credits of ECE 593.

Supervisory Committee

The committee consists of your Major Advisor, who serves as committee chair, plus at least two, but no more than four, additional members. The Major Advisor is your primary mentor and must be a member of the graduate faculty within the ECE program. The ECE program includes participating faculty from the Micron School of Materials Science & Engineering and Mechanical and Biomolecular Engineering. At least two members of the committee must be from the ECE program. Although you will interact with members of your Supervisory Committee individually and informally on a daily or weekly basis in classes or working on your research, the entire Supervisory Committee should formally meet with you at least once each year to receive a progress report, provide feedback, and discuss future plans.

You should form a committee through consultation with your Major Advisor and submit an Appointment of Supervisory Committee form to the Graduate College (with a copy to the Academic Programs Assistant) once research toward your thesis/dissertation has commenced. A change in the membership of the supervisory committee can be made after initial appointment by submitting an updated Appointment of Supervisory Committee form.

Admission to Candidacy

After completion of the core coursework and approval of the Supervisory Committee, students can be admitted to Candidacy. The Application for Admission to Candidacy is submitted through the Graduate College. Once approved, a student becomes a masters candidate. This must be completed by the term prior to the final oral exam and intended graduation.

Thesis Proposal

The thesis proposal presents the background, objectives, scope, methods, and timelines of anticipated research. As such, the thesis proposal defense cannot occur in the same semester as the final oral examination. Students are encouraged to prepare and defend the thesis proposal as soon as possible. The thesis proposal is graded pass/fail. Upon satisfactory completion of the thesis proposal, a student becomes a masters candidate. If a student fails the proposal, they are eligible to repeat it once. Failing the thesis proposal a second time will result in dismissal from the masters program.

A masters thesis documents research carried out by you while enrolled in the graduate program. A successful thesis entails research conducted by the student in a manner that meets rigorous peer-reviewed standards and makes significant contributions to the discipline. Format and style of the document shall adhere to standards established by the Graduate College. The Graduate College offers a thesis template that contains all required content and formatting.

Final Oral Examination/Thesis Defense

Final Oral Examination Masters students in ECE must pass a final oral examination that probes their ability to describe and defend all aspects of the thesis in both a public setting and a private conference with experts. A public defense of the thesis is scheduled after the supervisory committee has reviewed a draft that is considered to be nearly a final version. The date of the defense is determined jointly by the supervisory committee and the student and must be consistent with any guidelines provided by the Graduate College. A defense committee is formed that consists of the supervisory committee. The chair of the defense committee conducts the defense according to the procedure established by the ECE doctoral program committee.

Final Approval of Thesis

If the defense is completed with a result of pass, the supervisory committee prepares a statement describing final requirements such as additions or modifications to the thesis and any additional requirements such as archival of data. When these requirements have been met to the satisfaction of the supervisory committee, the approval page of the thesis is signed by the chair of the supervisory committee.