IDP Info and Application
IDP Info and Application
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 in the last year of their undergraduate career. 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. Note that students are NOT allowed to count courses toward both degrees (no "double dipping"). Once admitted to the IDP, students will designate their upper division technical courses as either undergraduate or graduate.
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 additioanl 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 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.
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 are not required.
Letters of recommendation are not required.
There is no fee to apply. However, once a student is admitted to the IDP, then they will need to pay the graduate school application fee to confirm their IDP student status. (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 spring 2025 application form is now available 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 withinin 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.