Degree Requirements

The PhD degree is awarded to students who have satisfied the requirements of duration of program, who have submitted an acceptable dissertation, and who have passed all prescribed examinations.

Requirements for students entering with a master's degree:

• Complete 24 semester hours of course work
• At least 12 semester hours must be ECE courses
• At most 6 semester hours may be independent study courses
• All 24 semester hours must be numbered 5000 and above if ECE, or 500 and above if non-ECE

Requirements for students entering without a master's degree:

Must complete 48 semester hours of course work - at least 24 semester hours must be ECE courses. At most 12 semester hours may be independent study courses. All 48 semester hours must be numbered 5000 and above if ECE, or 500 and above if non-ECE In all cases: Cross-listed courses which are offered at the 500(0)/600(0) levels must be taken at the 600(0) level.

Requirements for all students:

Complete 30 semester hours of dissertation research in addition to course work

Have an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 in order to graduate

Have a grade of B- or better in all courses applied toward the PhD degree

Pass the Preliminary Examination, the Comprehensive Examination, and the final Defense of Dissertation

No foreign language is required.

Two requirements must be met after entering the Ph.D. program and before attempting the comprehensive examination. The first requirement is that the student passes the preliminary examination, and the second requirement is that the student demonstrates excellence in coursework.

For application information: How To Apply

For additional information, please contact the ECE Department.