ECE Masters and Doctorate Degree Requirements
Master of Engineering
Master of Science
Doctoral Degree
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering
A total of 45 graduate credits* are required. In addition to the University’s degree requirements, a candidate for the M.E. degree must have 32 graduate-level credits in electrical and computer engineering, including at least one graduate ECE course sequence and excluding all omnibus numbered courses (ECE 501/601, 503/603, 504/604, 505/605, 506/606, 507/607, 510/610) and transfer courses. Additionally, 10 credits of approved electives that may include transfer credits and credits from other allied disciplines, and 3 credits of ECE 507 Graduate Seminar taken at 1 credit per term are required.
Up to 12 credits of graduate ECE requirements indicated above (32 core credits) may be replaced by approved graduate courses taken within other programs of affiliated institutions: PSU, OSU and UO. Approved courses are courses that have gone through the full curriculum review and approval processes of their respective institutions and that have also been approved by the student’s advisor. Total transfer credits cannot exceed the university limit of 15.
All students are required to complete a tentative degree study plan that has been approved by the adviser no later than the second quarter of residence at PSU. The M.E. degree study plan form for this purpose is available in the ECE Department Office. Coursework taken without adviser approval may not be accepted as part of the student’s program.
A thesis is not required for an M.E. degree.
Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering
The Master of Science (M.S.) program consists of two options. The first option involves a total
of 45 credits*, including 9 credits of thesis and not less than 24 credits of ECE graduate lecture
coursework (approved by curriculum and technical committees). The second option requires
completion of a total of 45 credits, including not less than 32 credits of ECE graduate lecture
coursework (approved by curriculum and technical committees) and passing a written
examination covering three distinct ECE topic areas. In addition to above, students must also
meet University requirements listed in the "Graduate Studies" section of the PSU Bulletin.
Specific course requirements depend on the student’s area of emphasis, and the student’s
program must be approved by his/her academic advisor. All students are required to complete
tentative degree plan that has been approved by the adviser no later than the second quarter of
residence at PSU. The M.S. degree study plan form for this purpose is available in the ECE
Department Office. Coursework taken without adviser approval may not be accepted as part of
the student’s program.
Thesis option
The candidate’s program must include a minimum of 6 and not more than 9 thesis credits and a
final oral thesis defense. The defense is public, and its schedule must be posted in the Electrical
and Computer Engineering Department at least two weeks in advance. If a student elects not to complete the thesis program, then they may petition the ECE Department to convert ECE 503 Thesis credits to ECE 501 Research credits. Thet conversion is NOT automatic. The conversion will be done if and only if a formal request is made to the ECE Graduate Committee and the request is approved. A student must formally request the conversion in writing. The application for credit conversion must contain the following:
(a) Number of ECE 503 Thesis credits requested for conversion.
(b) Term(s) ECE 503 Thesis credits, requested for conversion, taken.
(c) Provide a detailed description of 1-2 paragraphs describing the work that was done when those ECE 503 Thesis credits were taken (A sentence is not sufficient. A minimum of one paragraph is required).
(d) A signature of endorsement from the student's faculty advisor.
In addition to the above requirements, the conversion request must also comply with the policies
of the Office of Graduate Studies:
1) No credits will be converted unless the change is necessary for graduation.
2) No credits will be converted that are over two years old.
3) A maximum of 12 credits of 503 Thesis can be converted to 501 Research and applied to a master’s program. (Twelve is the maximum number of 501 Research, 502 Independent Study, and 505 Reading & Conference combined which can be applied to a 45 credit degree.)
4) Any 503 Thesis credits not converted will remain on the student’s transcript with a grade of "In Progress" to reflect that a thesis was pursued although not completed. The completed application should be submitted to the ECE office for processing. You will be informed of the final decision in writing. A student either considering or wishing to convert ECE 503 Thesis credits to ECE 501 Research credits should meet with their faculty advisor immediately.
Comprehensive Exam option (program option available beginning Winter 2009)
A student in the M.S. with comprehensive exam option must pass a written examination covering
three distinct ECE topic areas. The comp. exam will be administered by the ECE Department.
Technical Areas of the Comprehensive Exam (student selects three):
1. Communication, Signals & Systems
2. Computer Architecture
3. Computational Intelligence
4. Design Automation
5. Electromagnetics and Acoustics
6. Energy Systems / Power Electronics
7. Device, Circuit Design & Test
8. Robotics and Controls
A student who fails the comprehensive exam the first time is permitted a second attempt.
Students failing the second attempt are immediately dropped from the ECE graduate program. In
particular, students failing the second attempt are prohibited from transferring to the M.S. Thesis
or M.Eng. degree programs. Students in the existing Master of Engineering degree program and the M.S. degree with thesis option can transfer to the M.S. degree with comprehensive exam option. Students transferring from the M.S. thesis program to M.S. degree with exam option program may request to convert ECE 503 (Thesis) credits into ECE 501 (Research) credits if approved by the ECE department and subject to the limitations and conditions imposed by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering
In addition to the University doctoral degree requirements listed in the PSU Bulletin, a candidate for the Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering must complete a minimum of 45 graduate credits* in Electrical and Computer engineering and at least 9 graduate credits in a minor field outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Coursework for the minor field must be supportive of, but distinct from, the major field and must not include transfer courses or the following omnibus numbered courses: 501/601, 503/603, 504/604, 505/605, 506/606, 507/607. Each Ph.D. student is required to present at least one departmental seminar and is expected to have at least one archival publication. Specific course requirements depend on the student’s area of emphasis, and the student’s program must be approved by his/her academic adviser. Students in the Ph.D. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering are required to pass a comprehensive examination (written or oral) after completing their coursework. They are also required to obtain approval of their proposed research plan by their doctoral committee before they can be advanced to candidacy. A dissertation containing a real contribution to knowledge based on the candidate’s own investigation and a final oral dissertation defense are required. The dissertation must show a mastery of the literature of the subject and be written in credible literary form. The defense is public and its schedule must be posted in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at least two weeks in advance.
Students are required to complete a tentative degree plan that has been approved by their advisor not later than the second quarter of their residence at PSU. A Ph.D. Study Plan form for this purpose is available in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Office. Students are also required to obtain their advisors’ approval of their coursework each quarter on a Quarterly Study Plan form. Coursework taken without advisor approval may not be accepted as part of a student's program.
*Please note that Portland State University operates on the quarter-system calendar. Semester credits transferred from other accredited United States schools may be converted to PSU's credits by multiplying by 1.5. For example, 30 credits at another university would equal 45 credits at PSU. The 1.5 multiplication rules apply only to semester credits transferred from U.S. schools. Semester credits transferred from accredited schools outside the U.S. will be converted according to established international transfer credit guidelines and policies.
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