Graduate Degrees

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) is one of the highest-ranking EECS departments in the country, and many of its faculty are recognized as leaders in their field. The department offers three graduate degree programs: Computer Science and Engineering (CSE); Electrical Engineering (EE); and Electrical Engineering Systems (EE:S). The department's size and scope mean that students may choose from a variety of research areas and participate in integrated research projects. This system provides for multidisciplinary studies, allows students to tailor a program to their needs, and is responsive to changes in rapidly emerging fields. Also, students may have an opportunity to take advantage of other excellent programs at the University of Michigan. Faculty members in EECS have joint projects in other engineering departments and in a wide range of non-engineering programs including medicine, music, physics, information and library science, education, and others.

Computer Science and Engineering:

• Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Computer Science and Engineering
• Master of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science and Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computer Science and Engineering

Electrical Engineering:

• Master of Science (M.S.) in Electrical Engineering
• Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Electrical Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering: Systems:

• Master of Science (M.S.) in Electrical Engineering: Systems
• Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Electrical Engineering: Systems
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Electrical Engineering: Systems 

Master of Science
Master of Science in Engineering

Generally, the M.S.E. and M.S. degree programs in a given area are identical except for admission requirements. Application procedures and individual degree requirements for the M.S. and M.S.E. degree programs are available on the EECS Web site listed below. The principal requirements for the specific M.S.E. and M.S. degrees are listed below. (A more complete statement on master's degree requirements is available on the Web: http://www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/graduate/).

M.S. and M.S.E. in Computer Science and Engineering

The graduate program in CSE is organized into five broad areas: (1) hardware systems, (2) intelligent systems, (3) software and programming languages, (4) theory of computation, and (5) VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration.)

A student must satisfy the regulations of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, the College of Engineering, and the regulations as specified by the program brochure(s) and the program office.

A student must earn at least 30 credit hours of graduate level coursework, of which at least 24 hours must be technical courses, at least 15 hours must be CSE coursework at the 500 level or higher (excluding credit hours earned in individual study, research or seminar courses). The student must also satisfy course requirements in "kernel" areas of software, hardware, artificial intelligence and theory. A maximum of six credit hours of individual study, research and seminar courses will be accepted toward the master's degree. The VLSI concentration has slightly different course requirements; please refer to the CSE Brochure available on the Web for details.
The program requires that the grade point average received in CSE coursework must be at least 5.0 (based on Rackham's 9.0 scale). An individual course grade of B- or better (4.0 or better on Rackham's 9.0 scale) is required for the credit hours received in any course to be counted towards any master's degree requirement. A master's thesis is optional. Credit hours transferred may be applied to meet any master's degree requirement except the 15 credit hours of 500 level CSE coursework required. (Rackham specifies limitations to the circumstances under which credits may be transferred. See the Rackham Student Handbook.) Courses of an insufficiently advanced level, or which substantially duplicate in level and/or content courses already completed by the student, may not be counted as meeting any master's degree requirements.

M.S. and M.S.E. in Electrical Engineering

The Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering covers topics such as circuits and microsystems, electronics, VLSI, applied electromagnetics and RF circuits, optics and photonics, solid state materials, devices, and integrated circuits. A student must earn at least 30 credit hours of graduate-level coursework, of which at least 24 credit hours must be in technical courses, at least 12 credit hours must be EECS coursework at the 500-level or higher (excluding credit hours earned in individual study, research, or seminar courses), and at least 3 credit hours must be in mathematics. The student must also choose a major area and satisfy the requirement in circuits and microsystems, applied electromagnetics and RF circuits, optics and photonics, solid state, or VSLI.

For each designated major area there is a set of courses called the "kernel." The major requirements are to be satisfied by taking courses from the respective kernels. Specifically, at least nine credit hours must be earned from the kernel of the major area, with at least six of these at the 500-level or higher. A grade point average of "B" or higher is required overall and also in EECS coursework. Course grades must be "B-" or higher to earn credit toward the master's degree.

A maximum of four credit hours of individual study, research, and seminar courses (EECS 599 and similar courses) will be accepted toward the master's degree. A master's thesis is optional.

Up to six credit hours may be transferred from other universities if the department grants approval. The student must also satisfy the regulations of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies and the College of Engineering.

Courses of an insufficiently advanced level, or which substantially duplicate in level and content courses already completed by the student, may not be counted as meeting any master's degree requirements.

M.S. and M.S.E. in Electrical Engineering: Systems

The Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering: Systems is identified with the disciplines of communications, control, signal and image processing. Systems theory, stochastic systems, information theory, modulation and coding, estimation and detection, robotics, networks, manufacturing, bioelectrical science, and other disciplines in which the emphasis is on the design and analysis of systems of interacting components or devices, rather than on the physical components or devices themselves, comprise the essential nature of the program.

A student must earn at least 30 credit hours of graduate-level coursework of which at least 24 credit hours must be in technical courses; at least 12 credit hours must be in EECS coursework at the 500-level or higher (excluding credit hours earned in individual study, research or seminar courses). The student must also choose major and minor areas, completing a "kernel" of courses in each. The major area must be in communication, control, or signal processing. The minor area must be different from the major and must be chosen from either (i) the previous list, (ii) the following: biosystems, circuits and microsystems, computers, electromagnetics, manufacturing, optics or solid state, or (iii) an outside area of concentration.

At least nine credit hours must be earned from the kernel of the major area, with at least six of these at the 500-level or higher. At least six credit hours must be earned from the kernel of the minor area, with at least three of these at the 500-level or higher. Course grades must be "B-" or better in order to be counted towards any requirements.  A grade point average of  "B" or higher is required overall.

A maximum of four credit hours of individual study, research and seminar courses will be accepted toward the degree. A master's thesis is optional. Up to six credit hours may be transferred if the department grants approval. The student must also satisfy the regulations of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies and the College of Engineering.

Doctor of Philosophy

Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering: Systems

The doctoral degree is conferred in recognition of marked ability and scholarship in some relatively broad field of knowledge. A part of the work consists of regularly scheduled graduate courses of instruction in the chosen field and in such cognate subjects as may be required by the committee. In addition, the student must pursue independent investigation in a subdivision of the selected field and must present the result of the investigation in the form of a dissertation.

A student becomes an applicant for the doctorate when admitted to the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies and accepted in a field of specialization. Candidacy is achieved when the student demonstrates competence in her/his broad field of knowledge through completion of a prescribed set of courses and passing a comprehensive examination.

Thirty-six hours (18 with a relevant master's degree) must be completed in graduate level coursework. In most areas, a student must pass a comprehensive examination in a major field of specialization and be recommended for candidacy for the doctorate. A special doctoral committee is appointed for each applicant to supervise the work of the student both as to election of courses and in preparation of the dissertation.

Requirements regarding foreign language and nontechnical courses are left to individual departments or programs, and to the Graduate School. A prospective doctoral student should consult the program advisor regarding specific details.

A pamphlet that describes the general procedure leading to the doctorate is available in the Graduate School office, 1004 Rackham Building, upon request.

The 3.4 Program for EECS majors only

Students with at least a 3.4 G.P.A. in their major course work and overall G.P.A. at the time of graduation may be admitted to one of the EECS master's degree programs. See any Program Advisor for details.

Facilities

EECS departmental academic units, faculty members, and most of the research laboratories are housed in the modern EECS Building, the adjacent CSE Building, and in several nearby research buildings. EECS is home to more than a dozen state-of-the-art research laboratories, and it supports other interdepartmental research laboratories. The EECS research environment is strengthened by a university-wide computer network infrastructure. The College of Engineering's CAEN network, one of the largest campus networks, supports both instructional and research computing and has links to research facilities throughout Michigan, the nation, and the world.