Mar 29, 2024  
Graduate Record 2021-2022 
    
Graduate Record 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Electrical Engineering


Return to: School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science  


Electrical Engineering (ece.virginia.edu) is an exciting field involving the design, fabrication, and measurement of devices and systems for applications ranging from information sciences to healthcare. Careers in Electrical Engineering are diverse, including the design of devices and circuits, the automation and adaptive control of complex systems, and the manipulation and processing of images and signals for a variety of applications within information sciences, homeland defense, health-care and environmental monitoring systems. Areas of study and research opportunities are available in the areas of automatic controls, digital systems, VLSI circuit design, design automation, solid state devices, microsystems, microfabrication, nanotechnology, communications, microwave systems, signal processing, and reliable system design and analysis. 

Required credits, degree requirements and course requirements

The Electrical Engineering program offers the Master of Engineering (ME), Master of Science (MS), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in electrical engineering. The selection of a degree program depends upon the interest and background of each individual.

The department also offers a part-time degree program toward a master of engineering degree in electrical engineering through the Virginia Engineering Online (VEO) program.  Students can complete all their coursework remotely through courses offered by any of the schools within the Cardinal Education consortium. These courses are also available to those who wish to increase their knowledge of electrical engineering but do not wish to enroll in a formal degree program.

The M.E. degree requires:


  • 1 credit of ECE 6505: ECE Seminar (only offered in the Fall semester)
  • 30 credits of graded coursework
    • May include 3-6 credits of ECE 6995/ECE 7995 Master’s Project
    • A minimum of 18 credits must carry ECE designation
    • 3 credits of mathematics at, or above, 5000-­level  are required and may be taken from APMA, MATH, ECE 6711, ECE 7438, MAE 6410 and SYS 6005
  • No more than 9 credits of 5000-­level courses are permitted
  • No more than 6 credits of 5000-­level courses may be in the ECE Dept
  • No more than 3 credits of Independent Study (e.g. ECE 6993, ECE 7993) are permitted
  • Assessment forms (http://www.seas.virginia.edu/graduate/assessment.php)

The M.S. degree requires:


  • 1 credit of ECE 6505: ECE Seminar (only offered in the Fall semester)
  • 24 credits of graded coursework -­ A minimum of 12 credits must carry ECE designation -­ 3 credits of mathematics at, or above, 5000-­level are required and may be taken from APMA, MATH, ECE 6711, ECE 7438, MAE 6410 and SYS 6005
  • 6 credits of ECE 8999 - Thesis  
  • No more than 9 credits of 5000-­‐level courses are permitted
  • No more than 6 credits of 5000-­‐level courses may be in the ECE Dept
  • No more than 3 credits of Independent Study (e.g. ECE 6993, ECE 7993) are permitted
  • Thesis defense (final examiniation)

The Ph.D. degree requires:


A) Students entering without a Master’s degree:

  • 36 hours of graded coursework
    • Graded coursework must include 3 credits of mathematics at, or above, 5000- level taken from APMA, MATH, ECE 6711, ECE 7438, MAE 6410and SYS 6005
    • No more than 9 credits of 5000-level courses are permitted
    • No more than 6 credits of 5000-level courses may be in the ECE Dept
    • No more than 3 credits of Independent Study (e.g. ECE 6993, ECE 7993) are permitted
  • 24 hours Dissertation Research ECE 9999
  • 9 additional hours of coursework and/or research
  • 3 hours Supervised Teaching Experience ECE 6996 or 1 semester as a paid teaching assistant
  • 1 hour of ECE 6505: ECE Seminar
  • Qualifying Examination
  • Dissertation Proposal
  • Dissertation Defense   

B) Students entering with a Master’s degree:

  • 36 hours of graded coursework (up to 24 of these credits may be transferred from the Master’s, based on department approval)
    • No more than 6 credits of 5000-level courses may be in the ECE Dept
    • No more than 3 credits of Independent Study (e.g. ECE 6993, ECE 7993) are permitted
    •  No more than 9 credits of 5000-level courses are permitted
  • 24 hours Dissertation Research ECE 9999
  • 9 additional hours of coursework and/or research
  • 3 hours Supervised Teaching Experience ECE 6996 or 1 semester as a paid teaching assistant
  • 1 hour of ECE 6505: ECE Seminar 
  • Qualifying Examination
  • Dissertation Proposal
  • Dissertation Defense