M.S. Program
The M.S. degree is offered in Electrical and Computer Engineering in many areas of specialization including: Circuits and Electronics, Communications/Signal Processing, Computer Systems, Computer Networks, Computer Vision/Image Processing/Multimedia, Control, Electromagnetics and Electro-optics, Power, and Solid State Electronics/Photonics. The course work for the Masters program is meant to be very flexible to fit the needs of the student. For both options, students need 45 credits. The Masters program has two options: Thesis and Non-Thesis. The two options produce identical M.S. degrees, but the emphasis of the two options is very different.
Thesis Option
The thesis option allows the student to work on a significant research project during the course of the M.S. program. The thesis option is meant for students who are interested in research or for those students who may want to understand what a career in research will be like. The course requirement for the thesis option includes 15 credits of thesis and 30 credits of coursework. Of the 30 credits, 15 credits must be ECE graded courses, with another 12 being approved electives. Among the 30 credits of coursework, 27 credits must be graded courses and 3 can be independent study. Although the thesis project is worth 15 credits, most students typically spend more time on the research project than 15 credits worth of courses. Currently about 70% of the M.S. students graduate with the thesis option.
Non-Thesis Option
In the non-thesis option, the main emphasis is the coursework. This option is good for students who desire to have a more in-depth understanding of the ECE discipline than what they were able to obtain from just a B.S. degree. The student along with the academic advisor selects a set of courses that fits his/her needs. Students pursuing non-thesis M.S. degree are required to take 45 credits of coursework, of which 33 must be graded credits and 12 can be ECE independent study credits. Of the 33 graded credits, 18 must be ECE graduate courses. Note that including the 12 ECE independent study credits, at least 30 ECE credits are required for graduation.
