Electrical & Computer Engineering


Interim Department Chair		Dr. Rajendra Katti
Graduate Coordinator		Dr. Rajesh Kavasseri
Department Location		101 Electrical Engineering Building
Telephone Number		(701) 231-7019
Degrees Offered		Ph.D., M.S., M.Engr.
Application Deadline		February 28 for Fall and October 15 for Spring (openings may be very limited for spring)
Test Requirements		GRE
English Proficiency Requirements		TOEFL ibT 71 IELTS 6 To qualify for teaching assistantship TOEFL ibT 100 IELTS 7

Program Description

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers graduate programs in selected specialty areas leading to the M.Engr., M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Current departmental research expertise falls into one of the following areas: Signal Processing Group, Biomedical Engineering, Power/Power Electronics, Integrated Circuit, Electromagnetics, and Computer Engineering. The ECE Department is also a key contributor to NDSU's Research and Technology Park.

Admission Requirements

Admissions to the ECE program is on a competitive basis based upon the student's GRE scores, grade point average, and area of interest. Students who have graduated from an accredited electrical and computer engineering program in the United States with a B or better are encouraged to apply. Students with less than a B average may, under certain circumstances, be admitted on a conditional basis. Graduates from programs other than electrical and computer engineering--such as mathematics, physics, and other engineering areas--may be admitted if their average is B or better. However, they must satisfy or prove proficiency in the electrical and computer engineering undergraduate curriculum in effect at the time of matriculation. Normally, this means completing some undergraduate courses before pursuing graduate study. Some students may be able to take graduate and undergraduate courses at the same time. Students in this category should contact the department's graduate coordinator for specific details concerning their individual cases.

Academic Good Standing

All graduate students must maintain a 3.00 GPA or better and make significant progress towards their degree to remain in good standing. Failing to do either may hinder the student's financial assistance and/or ability to register for courses in the ECE graduate program.

Financial Assistance

The department has a limited number of both teaching and research assistantships available. These assistantships provide a monthly salary during the academic year, a waiver of graduate tuition during the academic year and summer, but do not cover the minimal activity fee. In addition, there are opportunities, both in the department and on the campus, to perform part-time work as graders, teachers, tutors, and consultants. These assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis -- typically at the time of admission for fall semester.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Engineering and the Master of Science degrees require a minimum of 30 semester credits beyond the B.S. degree. The Master of Engineering is a course-work only program requiring a capstone consisting of a portfolio or written exam. For the paper or thesis options, 6 hours of the 30 must be assigned to the thesis while a maximum of 3 credits are assigned to the paper. All students must pass a final oral examination covering both course work, and the thesis or paper. The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a minimum of 90 credits beyond the baccalaureate with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. Of these 90 credits, 30-40 credits may be assigned to the student's dissertation. The remainder must comprise of at least 36 credits in course work as chosen by the student and his/her supervisory committee. These must include two required courses: (ECE 702: Advanced Research Topics, 3 credits; ECE 703: Advanced Teaching and Classroom Topics, 3 credits).

Research Facilities and Equipment

The department is housed in a modern, well-equipped building. Graduate students have access to laboratories, instrument rooms, and computer services ranging from the university computer system to departmental computers. Research facilities include cardiovascular engineering lab, computer architecture lab, digital systems lab, EMI shield room, power and power electronics lab, signal processing and systems lab, and printed circuit lab.

Ph.D. in Engineering Requirements

In addition to the Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, NDSU offers a Ph.D. in Engineering. This Ph.D. program is characterized as an interdisciplinary approach to engineering. A doctoral program for all engineering disciplines provides electrical and computer engineering students with general engineering knowledge and with in-depth understanding of one major specialty area, electrical engineering. The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 90 semester credits beyond the B.S. degree. Of these, 24 to 54 credits are to be in an area of concentration, 12 to 30 credits are from cognate and minor areas, and 30 to 40 credits comprise the doctoral dissertation. Students are required to pass a written qualifying examination on course work and a preliminary oral examination to qualify for Ph.D. candidacy. A final oral examination, primarily concerned with research work, is taken after the candidate has completed all course work and the dissertation.

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North Dakota State University

Graduate School