Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering

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The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at MSU offers graduate programs of study leading to M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. These programs provide graduates for leadership roles in the constantly changing activities of research, product design, consulting and education.

Program highlights:

Each graduate program is tailored to include course work and research to develop maximum capability in the student's area of special interest.
Online courses are taught by the same faculty that teach in our on-campus settings.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition per credit hour	$558.50
Instructional Support Fee per credit hour	$25.00

Tuition and fees listed are subject to change and do not include all possible charges. Additional fees may apply. Please refer to the master class schedule for individual course charges.

What are some potential careers?

Program Structure

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Course Code/Course Name	Credit Hours
ECE 8XXX Graduate-level coursework	12
ECE XXXX Additional graduate-level coursework ₁	12
ECE 9000 Dissertation Research /Dissertation in Electrical and Computer Engineering	24
Total Hours ₁	48

₁ Students can also take up to 6 hours in ECE 7000, and a minor area outside the department is optional (12 credit hours at the Ph.D. level with a minimum of 3 credit hours at the 8000 level).

A doctoral student is required to orally defend his or her dissertation. The dissertation document (finished, not a draft) must be read and approved by the major professor and presented to the remaining committee readers two weeks before the scheduled oral defense.

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering - Direct-Admit

Course Code/Course Name	Credit Hours
ECE 8XXX Graduate-level coursework	21
ECE XXXX Graduate-level coursework	21
ECE 9000 Dissertation Research /Dissertation in Electrical and Computer Engineering	24
Total Hours ₁	66

₁ Students can also take up to 6 hours in ECE 7000, and a minor area outside the department is optional (12 credit hours at the Ph.D. level with a minimum of 3 credit hours at the 8000 level).

Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (New Policy)

Effective Fall 2021, the ECE coursework-based Ph.D. qualifier requires a Ph.D. student to earn a 3.5 GPA on the first 18 credit hours of ECE graduate coursework (at least 50% of credit hours must be at 8000-level). DIS courses are not considered for Ph.D. qualifier. Full-time students are required to pass the qualifier by the end of the second year of doctoral enrollment.

For Ph.D. students with their doctoral enrollment before Fall 2021, they are considered "qualified" by either passing the written qualifying exam in old policy (see below) or satisfying the new coursework-based policy. Otherwise, they are required to have a minimum of four A's on ECE graduate courses (at least two at the 8000-level, DIS excluded) in their transcript by Spring 2022 for full-time students, or with the consideration of the next 10 credit hours starting Fall 2021 for part-time students.

Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (Old Policy)

All students enrolled in the doctoral program in Electrical and Computer Engineering are required to pass a written qualifying examination. The purpose of this qualifying examination is to assess the student's broad background in ECE and ensure their capabilities for conducting doctoral work. This exam covers undergraduate EE and CPE course work.

Students who are classified as doctoral students must pass the qualifying examination within the first two years of full-time doctoral enrollment. Students enrolled in the doctoral program part-time have two years to pass the qualifying examination after completing 9 credit hours of course work.

The qualifying examination is given twice a year, each fall and spring semester, usually the first Saturday in October and the first Saturday in March, or as scheduled by the department. Students planning to take the qualifying examination must submit to the graduate program director a Qualifying Exam Form by September 15 for the fall semester and by February 15 for the spring semester.

In addition to students enrolled in the doctoral program, the following students may also take the qualifying examination:

students enrolled in the M.S. program within the department
senior undergraduate students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher enrolled in the department

Exam Overview

The ECE qualifying exam consists of a total of 25 problems, 12 problems form core courses in ECE and 13 problems from discipline-specific, upper-level areas. Each student must select a total of 8 problems (a minimum of two problems from upper-level areas) to work within a 4-hour duration for grading. Pass/fail results will be reported.

Sample Exam

ECE Qualifying Sample Exam

Permitted Calculators

A basic calculator is permitted; that is, any calculator permitted to be used on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination may be used. See the NCEES Calculator Policy for more information.

Course Coverage

Core Courses

ECE 3443 - Signal and Systems
ECE 3313 - Electromagnetics I
ECE 3323 - Electromagnetics II
ECE 3413 - Intro to Electronic Circuits
ECE 3414 - Energy Systems
ECE 3424 - Intermediate Electronic Circuits
ECE 3434 - Advanced Electronics Circuits
ECE 3714 - Digital Devices
ECE 3724 - Microprocessors
ECE 3213 - Solid State Electronics
CSE 2383 - Data Structures and Analysis of Algorithms
CSE 2813 - Discrete Structures

Discipline Specific

Digital Computing (5 problems)
- ECE 4713 - Computer Architecture
- ECE 4743 - Digital System Design
- ECE 4833 - Data Communications and Computer Networks
- ECE 4723 - Embedded Systems
- CSE 4733 - Operating Systems
Signal Processing (2 problems)
- ECE 4413 - Intro to DSP
Microelectrics (2 problems)
- ECE 4243 - Physical Electronics
- ECE 4263 - Intro to VLSI Design
Power and Controls (2 problems)
- ECE 4613 - Power Transmission Systems
- ECE 4913 - Feedback Control Systems I
Electromagnetics and Telecommunications (2 problems)
- ECE 4813 - Communications Theory
- ECE 4313 - Antennas

Admissions Requirements

Students seeking full admission into this program should apply as a classified student. Non-degree seeking students wishing to take classes offered through the online program should apply as an Unclassified student.

Applications for the degree programs are reviewed three times a year. The application deadlines for those semesters are as follows:

Fall Semester – June 1
Spring Semester – November 1
Summer Semester – May 1

An applicant for admission to graduate study must hold a bachelor's degree from a fully recognized four-year educational institution that has unconditional accreditation with appropriate regional accrediting agencies. They must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Electrical and Computer Engineering program.

Regular admission to graduate study in the program requires a minimum grade point average (last four semesters of undergraduate work) of 3.00/4.00. When a student is deficient in one of the criteria cited, the student's application, nevertheless, may be considered for admission based on the strength of other materials contained in the student's application.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores are NOT required for entry into this program.

Bagley College of Engineering programs may accept transfer work previously completed by the student. Transcript reviews to determine transfer or prerequisite work will be evaluated AFTER students are granted full admission. Once admitted an academic coordinator can review those transcripts for more information.

To meet admission requirements, submit a separate official final transcript from each college or university attended; faxed transcripts will not be accepted. An applicant may not ignore previous college attendance and must list all colleges attended on the application for admission. You must be in good standing at the last college or university attended

Attention International Students

International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and score greater than 550. Detailed information regarding international applications can be found in the Graduate Catalog. Questions regarding international applications can be addressed to the Office of the Graduate School at gradapps@grad.msstate.edu.

ETS is providing home testing for the TOEFL iBT test, and MSU is encouraging students to take advantage of this testing option. For those students applying who have taken the TOEFL within five years of the semester they plan to enroll and are unable to access the TOEFL iBT test from home, we will accept your previous test scores.

Admission Options

Domestic/International Classified Admissions
Domestic Unclassified Admissions
International Unclassified Admissions

Provisional Admissions
Readmission
Transfer Credit

Domestic/International Classified Admissions

Submit online application. You will choose Electrical and Computer Engineering as your Program of Study and Online Education as your campus.
Statement of Purpose
TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international students.
Three letters of recommendation
- You will be asked to submit three names and three email addresses of individuals you are using as references. Once you click submit, these individuals will be sent an email from MSU, which will provide a link to an online form for completing their recommendations.
One official transcript showing bachelor’s degree or progress toward degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
One official transcript showing ALL work after bachelor’s degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
- Electronic transcripts should be sent to: gradapps@grad.msstate.edu Mississippi State University, Graduate School. Only one copy of an electronic transcript is required.
- Paper Transcripts Address (USPS):
  Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  P.O. Box G
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
- Physical Street Address (for DHL, Fed Ex, UPS, DHS, etc.):
  Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  175 President Circle
  116 Allen Hall
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
Payment of $60 non-refundable application processing fee for domestic students.
Payment of $80 non-refundable application processing fee for international students.
Once you are admitted, you will receive an email with complete instructions on registering for classes and contacting your advisor

Domestic Unclassified Admissions

Only NINE (9) hours of course work taken as an "Unclassified Student" can be applied toward a degree program. All Unclassified students should submit a classified application once they have reached the maximum of nine hours. Full admission into the Electrical and Computer Engineering online program will be based upon successful completion of all classified admissions requirements.

If you are applying unclassified, select "Graduate School - Unclassified" as the college.

Submit online application
One official transcript showing bachelor’s degree or progress toward degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
One official transcript showing ALL work after bachelor’s degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
- Electronic transcripts should be sent to: gradapps@grad.msstate.edu Mississippi State University, Graduate School. Only one copy of an electronic transcript is required.
- Paper Transcripts Address (USPS):
  Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  P.O. Box G
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
- Physical Street Address (for DHL, Fed Ex, UPS, DHS, etc.):
  Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  175 President Circle
  116 Allen Hall
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
Pay $60 non-refundable application processing fee

PLEASE NOTE
In general, students who are not admitted into a degree program are not eligible for student financial aid funds. For more information please visit Student Financial Aid to see if you will be eligible or not while taking courses as an Unclassified graduate student.

International Unclassified Admissions

If you are applying unclassified, select "Graduate School - Unclassified" as the college.

Submit online application
TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international students.
One copy of academic records showing degree(s) (in native language along with translated copies if appropriate)
One official transcript showing bachelor’s degree or progress toward degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
One official transcript showing ALL work after bachelor’s degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
- Electronic transcripts should be sent to: gradapps@grad.msstate.edu Mississippi State University, Graduate School. Only one copy of an electronic transcript is required.
- Paper Transcripts Address (USPS):
  Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  P.O. Box G
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
- Physical Street Address (for DHL, Fed Ex, UPS, DHS, etc.):
  Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  175 President Circle
  116 Allen Hall
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
Must obtain application approval from the Dean of the Graduate School
Payment of $80 non-refundable application processing fee for international students.

Provisional Admissions

A student who has not fully met the requirements stipulated by the University and the department for admission to graduate study may be granted admission as a degree-seeking graduate student with provisional status. Such student must have as his/her initial objective advancement to regular status. A provisional student must receive a 3.00 GPA on the first nine hours of graduate level courses on the program of study taken at Mississippi State University (transfer hours or unclassified graduate hours will not apply) in order to achieve regular status. If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student will be dismissed from graduate study.

Readmission

Once enrolled in graduate study, a student who fails to meet the continuous enrollment requirement must complete an Application for Readmission to register for classes. Continuous enrollment is defined as enrollment in two of three semester terms (Fall, Spring, or Summer) with Fall enrollment required. Students who have not been enrolled for a period of three years or longer and are in good academic standing, are eligible to reapply to through the Lapsed Student Program. Readmission is not guaranteed and must be approved by the Department Head, Academic Dean, and Dean of the Graduate School. Interested students or academic departments should contact the Graduate School for more information.

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer up to twelve (12) hours of graduate level credits from regionally accredited institutions. The decision to grant transfer credit is made by the advisor and the student’s graduate committee. If you wish to transfer credits, contact your advisor. You will need to provide an official transcript showing the courses you wish to transfer.

Accessing Online Courses

Accessing Course Videos

Videos recorded during our on campus class sessions are uploaded for online students to view within our online course repository. Online students will have access to course videos within 24 hours of the on campus course completion. Students should visit Engage to access the course videos. Instructions for viewing the recordings and downloading the recordings are offered below.