MSECE IDP Info and Application

Fall 2026 MSECE IDP application can be found here.

Are you interested in pursuing an MSECE degree?  The 5-year integrated degree program (IDP) allows ECE students to earn both an undergraduate degree (BEE or BCompE) and an MSECE degree in 5 years instead of the usual 6 years that would typically be required!

The IDP allows students to begin taking graduate-level MS classes alongside their undergraduate classes. The program works best for students who are a little bit ahead of their four-year graduation plan and who have room in their four-year plan to add in extra MS courses.  Once admitted to the IDP, students will designate their upper division technical courses as either undergraduate or graduate, or that they wish to double dip courses. Note that double dipping can only be 5xxx-level EE courses, and you cannot have more than 6 credits total.

The ECE Undergraduate Academic Advisor can help students determine whether they are eligible to apply to the IDP and have room in their undergraduate program to add MS coursework.

Eligibility:

Current ECE majors who are at least in their junior year and who meet the following criteria:

• EE students must have completed EE 3015, EE 3101, EE 3115, and one additional 3-credit EE upper-division course such as EE 3161 or EE 3601.

• CompE students must have completed EE 3015, EE 3101, EE 3115,  and one additional 3- or 4-credit upper-division CompE course such as EE 4363 or CSCI 4041.

• Must have a 3.4 technical GPA or better.

• Students whose technical GPA falls between 3.2 and 3.4 may be considered on a case-by-case basis, but admission is not guaranteed.

• All students must have room to take at least one graduate-level MSECE course while still an undergraduate.

• Students are not allowed to extend their BEE or BCompE graduation beyond four years to participate in the IDP.  Students who do not have room to take MSECE courses during their four years as an undergraduate are encouraged to apply through the regular MSECE admission process.

• Students who anticipate their undergraduate degree will take more than 8 semesters (4 years) are ineligible. For transfer students, that is 6 semesters (3 years). 

Note: CompE students are eligible to apply to the 5-year integrated degree program in ECE or Computer Science, but the IDP in CompSci has different eligibility requirements.

Application Process:

• Students apply to the IDP directly in the ECE Department using a simplified application process:

  • GRE test scores and letters of recommendation are not required.

  • There is no fee to apply.  However, once a student is admitted to the IDP, they will need to pay the graduate school application fee to confirm their IDP student status.  (The fee is $75 for domestic students and $95 for international students.)

• Deadlines:

  • October 15th for admission the following spring

  • March 15th for admission to the following summer or fall

  • If these deadlines fall over a weekend, then the application will be due at midnight on that Sunday evening.

• 5 Year Integrated Degree Program Application Form: the application has moved to an online Google form, and the fall 2026 application form can be found here. The application is accessible only to students with current UMN email addresses. Most information is simple to fill out, but students should prepare the following before filling out the application:

  • • Review the list of ECE Faculty and their research areas. You will need to select two faculty members as potential MSECE advisors. Note that you can change advisors later if you would like to do so.

    • Write your statement of purpose. Describe your area(s) of interest within electrical and computer engineering (e.g., signal processing). If you have more than one area of interest, please feel free to elaborate. The statement should be no longer than one paragraph.  See here for a sample Statement of Purpose.

Benefits of Enrolling:

• Students can take up to 16 credits of the required 30 MSECE credits while still an undergraduate.  This saves money because students pay undergraduate tuition rates for MS courses taken while still an undergraduate.

• Undergraduate scholarships and financial aid apply toward MS graduate classes taken while an undergraduate.

• Students can potentially complete their master's degree in 5 years instead of 6 years.

• IDP students can apply for research or teaching assistantships once they transition to graduate student status.

• Compete for jobs with a higher level of confidence.

Additional Info:

• ECE Graduate Student Handbook: The most up-to-date information about all graduate policies including 4xxx level rule (see bottom of this webpage) and the approved list of non-EE coursework that students can apply toward their MSECE degree. It is the IDP student's responsibility to learn about and understand which courses can count toward the MSECE, but students are welcome to consult with the ECE graduate advisor Ann Rausch (arausch@umn.edu) if they have questions.