Master's Program
Master of Science Degree in Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering
Requirements for admission
General requirements for admission are described in the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Specific admission requirements for the Master’s Program in Electrical Engineering are described below.
- Undergraduate or graduate degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering or a related field from an ABET accredited institution in the United States, or proof of equivalent education from an international institution.
- Demonstration of academic achievement and potential as indicated by the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and upper-level undergraduate and graduate coursework. The GRE requirement is waived for students from UTEP.
- Three letters of recommendation and any other evidence of background, knowledge, research, or work experience in Electrical and Computer Engineering that may be available.
- A written statement of intent, describing his/her career goals and describing his/her vision of the path to those goals (including a summary of previous preparation and of his/her expectations from the graduate program).
- Submission of a CV/resume summarizing, professional and academic experience and any other evidence of background, knowledge, research, or work experience in Electrical or Computer Engineering that may be available.
Depending upon selected areas of concentration and academic background, students may need to complete leveraging undergraduate course work. Conditional admission may be offered to students who do not meet all of the specific criteria for admission but who show promise of success in graduate studies.
The Department will recommend to the Graduate School acceptance, conditional acceptance, or rejection of the application after all required documents have been received and reviewed by the Graduate School.
General Degree Requirements
Two options are available for students: Thesis and Non-Thesis (Project or Course Only). Master of Science students are normally admitted into the Non-Thesis Option, but can transfer to the Thesis Option if approved by the student's Thesis Advisor and Graduate Advisor. All students must take at least 21 hours in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering courses of which twelve credit hours must be in a concentration area. In addition, the degree plan can include at most, six (6) credit hours of approved senior-level undergraduate coursework, six (6) credit hours of approved coursework in areas outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and at most, three (3) credit hours of Individual Studies. Credits in graduate research cannot be used to satisfy course requirements for the Master degree.
Specific Requirements for Thesis Students
Students in the Thesis Option must take 30 credit hours that include EE 5398 Thesis and EE 5399 Thesis. EE 5399 must be repeated until the thesis is defended and submitted to the Graduate School for approval. The thesis courses cannot be counted toward requirements in the Non-Thesis Option.
Specific Requirements for Non-Thesis Students
Students in the Non-Thesis Project Option must take a 33 credit hours approved by the Graduate Advisor, which include EE 5396 Graduate Projects and, if approved by the project instructor, EE 5397 Graduate Projects. A written report must be submitted to the supervising project instructor. The project courses cannot be counted toward requirements in the Thesis Option.
Students in the Non-Thesis Course-Only Option must take 36 credit hours of course work approved by the Graduate Advisor.
Degree Requirements Summary
|
Types of Credit Hours |
Thesis Option |
Non-Thesis Option Project |
Non-Thesis Option |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Core |
12 |
12 |
12 |
|
Graduate ECE Electives* |
9 |
12 |
18 |
|
Thesis |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
Project |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
Graduate Electives** |
3 |
6 |
6 |
*At most, six (6) credit hours of approved senior-level undergraduate coursework, and, at most, three (3) credit hours of individual Studies can be included in the degree plan.
**At most six (6) hours of approved coursework in areas outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, depending on the option, can be included in the degree plan. ECE Department courses can be used to satisfy the Graduate Electives requirement.
All courses listed in the degree plan require a grade of C or better for successful completion. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.
Degree Plans available in Computer Engineering
- MS in Computer Engineering Thesis Degree Plan
- MS in Computer Engineering Non-Thesis Project Degree Plan
- MS in Computer Engineering Non-Thesis Coursework only Degree Plan
Degree Plans available in Electrical Engineering
- MS in Electrical Engineering Thesis Degree Plan
- MS in Electrical Engineering Non-Thesis Project Degree Plan
- MS in Electrical Engineering Non-Thesis Coursework only Degree Plan
