The purpose of the Preliminary Written Exam is twofold: (i) to assess the student's breadth of knowledge pertaining to Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and (ii) to assess the student's potential and ability to perform research toward obtaining the Ph.D. degree while working in an area of specialization in ECE and to communicate their research.
The PWE exam consists of two components: (I) a breadth of knowledge requirement, and (II) a depth exam that involves a written report and an oral presentation. Both are elaborated below:
For the purposes of specifying the breadth of knowledge requirement, the ECE topical areas are grouped into three main categories:
Applied Science and Devices (ASD): Electronics (analog electronics and power electronics), Semiconductor (semiconductor materials and devices), Fields and Optics (optics, fields and transmission lines), Magnetics, Power Systems.
Systems: Communications, Signal Processing, Controls.
Computer Engineering (CE): Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Architecture, Digital Design.
A student will claim one of the above three categories as the area of specialization. The breadth course has to be a class on this list, we can not use a transfer course to complete this requirement.
The other two categories will be considered breadth areas. To satisfy the breadth requirement, a student must take at least one core course in one of the breadth areas and receive a grade of B+ or above.
5xxx level:
5121 Transistor Device Modeling for Circuit Simulation
5141 Introduction to Microsystem Technology
5163 Semiconductor Properties and Devices
5164 Semiconductor Properties and Devices II
5171 Microelectronic Fabrication
5181 Micro and Nanotechnology by Self Assembly
5333 Analog Integrated Circuit Design
5601 Introduction to RF/Microwave Engineering
5602 RF/Microwave Circuit Design
5616 Antenna Theory and Design
5621 Physical Optics
5624 Optical Electronics
5627 Optical Fiber Communication
5653 Physical Principles of Magnetic Materials
5655 Magnetic Recording
5657 Physical Principles of Thin Film Technology
5705 Electric Drives in Sustainable Energy Systems
5721 Power Generation Operation and Control (cannot be used for Systems breadth area)
5725 Power Systems Engineering
5741 Advanced Power Electronics
4xxx level:
4111 Advanced Analog Electronics Design
4161W Energy Conversion and Storage
4701 Electric Drives
4721 Introduction to Power System Analysis
4741 Power Electronics
5xxx level:
5231 Linear Systems and Optimal Control
5235 Robust Control System Design
5239 Introduction to Nonlinear Optimization
5251 Optimal Filtering and Estimation
5381 Telecommunications Networks
5389 Introduction to Predictive Learning
5391 Computing With Neural Networks (cannot be used for Computer Engineering breadth area)
5501 Digital Communication
5505 Wireless Communication
5531 Probability and Stochastic Processes
5542 Adaptive Digital Signal Processing
5545 Digital Signal Processing Design
5549 Digital Signal Processing Structures for VLSI
5551 Multiscale and Multirate Signal Processing
5561 Image Processing and Applications
5581 Information Theory and Coding
5583 Error Control Coding
5585 Data Compression
5607 Wireless Hardware Sys Des
5721 Power Generation Operation and Control (cannot be used for ASD breadth area)
4xxx level:
4231 Linear Control Systems: Designed by Input/Output Methods
4233 State Space Control System Design
4389W Introduction to Predictive Learning
4501 Communications Systems
4541 Digital Signal Processing
4607 Wireless Hardware System Design
5xxx level:
5301 VLSI Design Automation I
5302 VLSI Design Automation II
5323 VLSI Design I
5324 VLSI Design II
5327 VLSI Design Laboratory
5329 VLSI Digital Signal Processing Systems
5340 Introduction Quantum Computing
5351 Applied Parallel Programming
5355 Algorithmic Techniques for Scalable Many-core Computing
5364 Advanced Computer Architecture
5371 Computer Systems Performance Measurement and Evaluation
5391 Computing With Neural Networks (cannot be used for Systems breadth area)
5393 Circuits, Computation, and Biology
4xxx level:
4301 Digital Design With Programmable Logic
4341 Embedded System Design
4363 Computer Architecture and Machine Organization
IMPORTANT: Some courses are listed in more than one area. Any course listed in your specialization that is also listed another breadth area cannot be counted toward meeting the breadth requirement.
The depth exam evaluates the student’s depth of knowledge and research capability in the area of specialization, as well as the writing, communication and presentation skills. To take the exam, the student must form an exam committee. The exam can be taken before or after satisfying the breadth course requirement.
The PWE exam committee must consist of three ECE graduate faculty members, with a minimum of two ECE core faculty members. If the student has a research adviser then he/she will be the chair and a member of the committee. The committee members will be selected by the student and the research advisor, if the student has one. If the student does not have a research advisor, he/she needs to confirm one member of the committee to be the chair. The composition of the committee will need to be approved by the DGS.
The depth exam consists of two integral parts: a written report and an oral presentation to the exam committee.
The written exam requires the student to submit a report. The purpose of the written report is to assess a student’s readiness and potential for Ph.D.-caliber research. The report should demonstrate that the student has sufficient depth of knowledge in their intended area of research specialization. The student’s ability to understand and think critically about their research topic will be assessed, as well as their ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written English.
The written report must consist entirely of materials that are independently written by the student. Any materials (figures, tables, etc.) that are not referenced must be prepared by the student. The research advisor or the committee chair will advise the student when selecting the topic of the report and will provide feedback during the writing process.
The written report cannot copy text written for any other existing article.
The written report material cannot be specialized to research article(s) by the student (possibly with co-authors); it needs to cover a wider topical scope.
The scope for the written report will be unanimously approved by the committee.
Format: The written report will be prepared following the format and style guidelines of submissions to IEEE Transactions journals. The length of the report should be 6-10 pages (including figures, but excluding references). The following provide guidance on the IEEE format:
● General IEEE author information and tips for preparing manuscripts (including graphics requirements): https://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/authors/index.html
● The latest template for IEEE transaction articles is available at the IEEE Author Center website.
The written report will be submitted to the exam committee in electronic format in one PDF file, which must contain searchable text such that plagiarism-check software (i.e., TurnItIn) can be used. Printed hard copies may be provided as well at the request of the committee members.
Scope: The written report will be an in-depth review of a key research topic that is relevant to the depth area chosen by the student. The report should include a discussion of the important background information and an assessment of the current state-of-the-art. Seminal works that have shaped this field of research should be highlighted. The student should provide a thorough explanation of the key concepts and trade-offs, and provide insight into promising areas of future work. The report should be written at a level that can be understood by a doctoral student in the same area of specialization.
While the written report is intended to ensure that the student is prepared for Ph.D. research, passing the written preliminary exam does not require a student to have any results from their own research project. The written report cannot be a summary of a research project conducted by the student. Research papers on which the student is a co-author (and are thus not written independently by the student) cannot be submitted as part of the written report, nor can they be included as an appendix.
Assessment and Outcomes: The report will be assessed independently by each of the committee members, and each will select either "Approve," "Conditionally Approve," or "Fail." The report will be graded as "Approved" by the committee only if it is unanimously approved by all members of the exam committee. The report will be graded as a "Conditionally Approved" by the committee if at least one of the committee members selects the "Conditionally Approve" option, while all other committee members select "Approve." The committee will grade the report as a Failed" if any of the committee members select "Fail." In the case of a "Conditionally Approved" report, the student has to, by a deadline specified by the committee, convert this to an "Approved" grade by submitting a revised report in compliance with the conditions stipulated by the committee. If the revisions fail to meet the specified conditions or deadline, the student fails automatically. If a student fails the written exam and would like to attempt it again, a new report, rewritten on the same topic or on a new topic, needs to be submitted to the committee. The student has the option of retaining the same committee or forming a new committee.
The written report that has been approved by the committee will then be made available to all ECE faculty members. The faculty will have the opportunity to review the written report and provide comments to the committee within a week. However, the decision of the outcome is always made by the committee.
The student can attempt the oral exam only if the written report has reached approval status. The oral exam is in the form of a presentation, using slides to present and explain the contents of the written report, to the exam committee.
Duration: The duration of the presentation is expected to be 30 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of questions and answers.
Format: The oral part is conducted as a closed examination, where, only the student and the examining committee will attend the presentation as well as the Q&A part.
Questions: The committee will evaluate the student on the material in the report as well as those directly related to the report. Questions may include subjects like methodology, alternative methods of research, ideas for extension/generalization of the work, potential problems and obstacles, as well as deriving/proving key analytical results. The committee is encouraged to probe the student's understanding of related material and concepts along with their understanding of the topic.
Outcome of the oral exam: The committee votes anonymously after the oral exam to determine the result based on a simple majority of the votes. The possible outcome of the exam includes Pass, Conditional Pass and Fail. The committee chair will notify the student the result of the exam immediately after the exam, and via an email (copied to DGS and the graduate coordinator).
If the student fails the oral exam, the student has the option of retaining the same committee or forming a new committee. However, the written report should be re-submitted for approval by the committee. The student may submit the same written report for the second time, but the evaluation of the written report, in this case, represents a memory-less procedure. Any students who fail the oral exam after two attempts automatically fail the exam.
The student may conditionally pass the exam if the majority of the committee members approve. In this case, the committee chair will notify the student in writing the conditions that the student has to meet within two weeks from the date of the exam, to convert the "conditional pass" to a "pass". Otherwise, the student fails automatically and has to re-take the exam. The condition may entail technical tasks (such as fixing errors or expanding the scope of the presented work) or enrollment in a suggested course (the committee decides on auditing, pass/fail-based or registration for grade). The committee will review the student’s response and decide the result based on a simple majority of the votes.
Students in the Ph.D. program must satisfy the breadth requirement and pass the depth exam before the end of their second academic year in residence. In special circumstances, a request for exemption from this timing requirement can be submitted to the DGS.
PhD students who enter with the program with a MS degree in Electrical Engineering, should pass the PhD Preliminary Written exam in their first year of study.
PhD student who enter the program with a MS degree, not in Electrical Engineering, i.e., Physics, should pass the PhD Preliminary Written exam by the end of their second year of study.
PhD students who enter the program without a MS degree should pass the PhD Preliminary Written exam by the end of their second year of study.
Students have two chances to pass the depth part of the PWE exam, which entails passing both the written and the oral parts of the depth exam. Enrollment in courses to satisfy the breadth knowledge requirement doesn’t count as attempts. On rare occasions, a student may be permitted a third attempt. Such a request can only be made by the Faculty Adviser (not by the student) and must be approved by a vote of the entire faculty.
NOTE: You must pass the OPE before you can start taking EE 8888 thesis credits. The oral part of the PWE is NOT part of the OPE.
Students must have an average GPA of 3.3 (unless you are a new student to the Graduate Program) to take the exam. If your GPA is below 3.3 and you wish to take the Preliminary Written Exam, file a petition with the Director of Graduate Studies with your adviser's signature and support. Submit your petition to Ann Rausch in 3-166 Keller Hall. The petition will be reviewed by the Graduate Committee. In most cases, this petition will be approved the first time. (This rule was voted in by faculty in November 2008.)
If a student fails the exam, the student can take the exam during the next semester. Any student who wishes to defer the exam to a subsequent semester may file a petition to the Graduate Committee and must include reasons for the petition. This must be supported by the Faculty Adviser.
A student who fails the Preliminary Written Exam two times is removed from the Ph.D. program. Often students graduate with a MSEE degree. On rare occasions, a student may be permitted a third attempt. Such a request can only be made by the Faculty Adviser (and not by the student) and must be approved by voting by the entire faculty.
Expectations for all presentations - the PWE, OPE and Final Defense have to be in person
Student needs to be in person for the oral parts of the exam
The total number of required committee members for each oral presentation need to attend in person for the oral part of the exam. If you have additional members, if needed, they can attend remotely.
Exceptions are only for extenuating circumstances.