ND-EE Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements for ND-EE Graduate Programs

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree Requirements

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy is conferred only in recognition of proficiency and high attainment in advanced scholastic endeavor and independent research investigation. It is not conferred merely for the completion of a required number of courses, but for demonstrated independence, initiative, and exceptional ability in study and thought.

Coursework Requirement: A minimum of thirty-six (36) semester hours of course credit is required (letter graded courses). No more than six (6) semester hours of courses numbered 40000 to 49999 may count toward degree credit. Students are encouraged to pursue course work outside the department whenever such study supports their program in the major area.
Teaching Assistant (TA) Requirement: A PhD student shall serve the equivalent of two semesters as a full-time teaching assistant (TA) to complete the PhD degree in Electrical Engineering. A full-time TA assignment in the department is an average of 12 hours per week of effort. Typical TA responsibilities include creating solutions to problem sets, grading homework and exams, holding office hours, managing tutorials, and supervising laboratories.
Faculty Advisors and Dissertation Directors: Any student working on a PhD degree in the Electrical Engineering Department must have either a Dissertation Advisor or a Dissertation Co-Advisor who is a regular faculty member in the department. This faculty advisor must be willing to financially support the student's work after the first year. This faculty adviosr must be in place by the middle of the second semester.
Exam Requirements: Each PhD student must pass three examinations to full the department requirements for graduation: the PhD Qualifying Exam, the Oral Candidacy Exam, and the Dissertation Defense
- PhD Qualifying Exam: This exam must be passed by all full time PhD students before the start of the third semester. The exam consists of two parts: a written component called the MS comprehensive exam and an oral component called the oral qualifying exam. These two parts of the exam as well as the students academic record are evaluated by the faculty as a whole on a pass/fail basis. Failure to pass the PhD Qualifying exam will result in the student being asked to leave the program.
- Oral Candidacy Exam: A student seeking the PhD degree must pass the Oral Candidacy Exam to become a PhD candidate. The purpose of this examination is to assess whether the student has depth in their major area, has identified a viable dissertation topic, has performed the appropriate literature search, and has proposed a reasonable set of research goals. Typically this exam is taken during the fifth semester after completion of 36 course credit. It must be taken before the end of the eighth semester for student to continue receiving financial support from the Graduate School.
- Dissertation Defense: The PhD student's dissertation is prepared under the guidance of the student's dissertation advisor. The written dissertation must first be approved by three official readers. The PhD candidate then orally defends the dissertation before the dissertation committee who decides whether or not the defense was successful. The PhD candidate is eligible for the PhD degree upon successfully defending the disseration and submitting the final written dissertation to the Graduate school.
Residency: The minimum residency requirement for the PhD degree is three years in resident study and full-time status for four consecutive semesters.

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) is designed for students seeking mastery of advanced subjects in electrical engineering. There are two versions of this degree: a non-thesis and a thesis version.

Non-thesis MSEE Degree Requirements

Course work Requirement: The MSEE degree requires a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of course credit (letter graded courses, not including seminars). No more than nine (9) semester hours of course credit may be taken from departments other than the Department of Electrical Engineering. The course work should be designed to prepare the student adequately for work in the major area of specialization. Advanced undergraduate courses, numbered 40000 to 49999, may be taken for up to six (6) credit hours.

Master's Comprehensive Examination: A student must pass the MS comprehensive exam to obtain the Master's degree. This exam consists of the final exams of four courses out of a list of CORE courses approved by the department's graduate committee.

Residency: The minimum residency requirement for the MSEE degree is registration in full-time status for one semester during the academic year.

Thesis MSEE Degree Requirements

Course Work Requirement: The MSEE degree requires a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of credit of which a minimum of eighteen (18) hours must be course credits (letter graded courses, not including seminars), and a minimum of six (6) hours must be awarded for research towards an MS thesis. Up to nine (9) semester hours of course credit may be taken from other departments other than the Department of Electrical Engineering, but should be approved by the student's advisor. The course work should be designed to prepare the student adequately for work in the major area of specialization. Advanced undergraduate courses, number 40000 to 49999, may be taken for up to six (6) credit hours.
Master's Comprehensive Examination: A student must pass the MS comprehensive exam to obtain the Master's degree. This exam consists of the final exams of four courses out of a list of CORE courses approved by the department's graduate committee.
Residency: The minimum residency requirement for the MSEE (thesis) degree is registration in full-time status for one semester during the academic year.
Faculty Advisor: Every MSEE thesis student must have a regular EE faculty member willing to supervise their thesis work. This faculty advisor must be in place before the start of the second semester.
Oral Thesis Defense: The student must write a thesis under the guidance of their faculty advisor and complete at least six (6) credit hours of thesis research (EE 68599). The thesis is evaluated by an examining board, after which the student orally defends the thesis before the examining board. The MSEE (thesis) degree is completed upon successfully passing the oral thesis defense and delivering copies of the thesis to the graduate school.