PhD Degree Requirements
PhD Total Credits for the Degree = 64
PhD Thesis Credits (EE 8888) = 24
A minimum of 12 course credits and 24 Ph.D. thesis credits must be taken at the University of Minnesota.
The PhD Graduate Degree Plan must be filed before you begin your fifth semester of study.
EE Major Field Coursework Requirement = 14
• All major coursework must be taken A-F.
• All major course work must be numbered EE 5XXX or EE 8XXX.
• No seminars, special investigation or directed study coursework may be applied toward meeting the major field requirements.
Other or Minor Coursework Requirement = 12
• All coursework must be taken A-F.
• Only non-EE coursework from the approved list applies towards this requirement.
• Non-EE coursework must be from the approved Non-Electrical Engineering 4XXX and 5xxx Level Approved List (Effective fall 2015) or be Non-EE 8XXX (in College of Science and Engineering)
• Non-EE 4XXX coursework is subject to the 4XXX Rule.
• Non-EE cross-listed courses do not count towards this credit requirement.
• Seminars, special investigation or directed study coursework cannot be counted toward this requirement.
• To designate a minor, please talk with the minor department to learn their requirements.
Additional Credits = 14
Can include:
• Can include EE and Non-EE coursework 5XXX or 8XXX
• EE 5000 level or EE 8000 level courses, regular coursework.
• Non-EE 8XXX courses (no approved list), regular coursework.
• Approved non-EE 5XXX and approved non-EE 4XXX courses (subject to the 4XXX Rule). EE 4XXX courses are subject to the 4XXX Rule.
• 8 MS thesis credits.
Limited to 2 credits (seminars, special investigation, EE 5041):
MOT 4001 - Leadership, Professionalism and Business Basics for Engineers (MOT 4001 counts only toward additional coursework credits, seminar/directed study 2 credit rule)
EE 5041 Industrial Assignment (International Students only)
EE 8190 Electronics Seminar
EE 8210 System Theory Seminar
EE 8230 Control Theory Seminar
EE 8360 Computer Systems Seminar
EE 8370 Computer-Aided Design Seminar
EE 8500 Communications Seminar
EE 8610 Electronics, Fields, and Photonics Seminar
EE 8660 Magnetics Seminar
EE 8920 Teaching Experience in Electrical and Computer Engineering
EE 8925 Ethics in Electrical and Computer Engineering
EE 8940 Special Investigations
Does not count toward degree requirements:
• EE 8965 Plan C Project.
• EE 8970 or EE 8980
• EE 5990 CPT
A maximum of nine 4000-level course credits may be used to satisfy doctoral degree requirements.
• Of these, only six credits may be EE 4000-level (regular coursework, no seminars, projects, directed study courses).
• Non-EE 4XXX courses, must be from the approved non-EE 4000 level course List.
• Partial credits from a course are not accepted. If your 4XXX courses add up to 10 you will need to remove one course from your degree plan.
6 Credit 8XXX Requirement
Your program must include 6 credits at the 8000 level. Courses can be EE or Non-EE (College of Science and Engineering). Coursework must be regular coursework. Seminars, directed study/special investigations may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
Transfer Credit Policy
All transfer credits need to be approved by both your advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Murti Salapaka. After you have completed your Graduate Degree Plan and your advisor has signed it, students should make an appointment with Murti Salapaka, Director of Graduate Studies by emailing him at murtis@umn.edu. Please include a copy of the transcript for the courses you want to transfer along with the syllabus for each class.
Performance Standards and Progress
• Students are required to register every fall and spring term from the time of matriculation to degree conferral.
• Coursework must be taken A-F unless only offered S-N.
• Minimum Graduate Degree Plan GPA for graduation is 3.3 GPA.
• Lowest grade accepted on the degree program form is 2.0 (grade C).
• Students whose GPA falls below 3.3 will have an OL registration hold placed on their account preventing further registration. To have the hold removed they will need to meet with the Director of Graduate Studies.
• With justification Grad 999 can be used once to satisfy academic year Graduate School registration requirements. Submit your request to Sarah Dohm (sdohm@umn.edu).
• Students admitted to our program before spring 2013 must complete their Ph.D. degree within 5 calendar years after passing the Ph.D. Preliminary Oral exam.
• Students entering the program after January 2013, must complete their degree within eight calendar years after initial enrollment in the Graduate School.
• Students unable to complete the degree within the time limits described may petition the department and the college for one extension up to 24 months. Students must obtain the approval of their advisor(s) and the Director of Graduate studies and submit a petition for an a time extension at least six months prior to the end of the time limit. See Doctoral Degree: Performance Standards and Progress.