Mar 29, 2024  
2016-2017 Graduate Catalog 
    
2016-2017 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Electrical Engineering, Ph.D.


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate Programs

Each field of specialty sets its course requirements for doctoral students in that field. The department’s minimum requirement is eleven (11) courses (beyond the bachelor’s degree). The doctoral student must spend the equivalent of at least three years of full-time residency, with at least one year on the UMBC campus. The doctoral dissertation must be an original and substantive contribution to knowledge in the student’s major field. It must demonstrate the student’s ability to carry out a program of research and to report the results in accordance with standards observed in the recognized scientific journals related to that field.

Doctoral students must: (a) submit their PhD Comprehensive Portfolio and receive a pass grade (P) within four (4) semesters of entrance to the program (six (6) semesters for part-time students); (b) develop and defend a doctoral dissertation proposal and be admitted to doctoral candidacy within four (4) years of entrance to the program; and (c) complete all Ph.D. requirements for their field of specialty within four (4) years of admission to doctoral candidacy.

Course Requirements


Students must satisfy the minimum course requirements for their field of specialty (typically 11 courses totaling 33 credits) excluding the EE graduate seminar (ENEE 608 ), graduate research credits prior to Ph.D. candidacy, and doctoral dissertation research credits. Four (4) of the eleven (11) courses must be chosen from the eight (8) core courses and the fifth (5th) course is Digital Signal Processing (ENEE 610 ). Students may take ENEE 898  for research credits before being admitted to Ph.D. candidacy and must take twelve (12) credits of ENEE 899  for doctoral dissertation research after admittance to Ph.D. candidacy. Specifically:

Four-of-eight (4 of 8) core courses required for all students (12 credits):

Required core course (3 credits)


Electives


Four (4) EE electives (12 credits): two (2) or more at 700-level. Check the ENEE Graduate Program website for the current list of approved ENEE 700-level choices for the chosen track.

Three (3) additional electives (9 credits): advisor-approved 600/700 level, which can include a maximum of three (3) credits of ENEE 698 /ENEE 699 .

EE Dissertation Research


EE Graduate Seminar


Ph.D. students are required to take EE Graduate Seminar (ENEE 608 ) for two (2) semesters, preferably in the first year.

Grade Requirements


A grade of ‘B’ (3.0 GPA) or better is required in all courses and a 3.33 GPA minimum overall (including the transfer courses). Grades with + and - are possible for graduate courses.

PhD Comprehensive Portfolio


The ENEE PhD Comprehensive Portfolio consists of three (3) components: (a) GPA performance on the four (4) core plus ENEE 610  courses, (b) the Research Activity Report (RAR), and (c) two (2) faculty support letters. Students will be dismissed from the doctoral program if they fail to pass the comprehensive portfolio evaluation within the specified time frame. See the ENEE Graduate Program website at www.csee.umbc.edu or www.cs.umbc.edu/programs/graduate/electrical-engineering-ms-phd/ for details on the ENEE PhD Comprehensive Portfolio policy.

Preliminary Examination (Prelim)


Students must select a dissertation advisor and a dissertation preliminary examination committee, and they must pass a two-part preliminary examination. Students will present and defend their dissertation proposal to the preliminary committee. The committee examines the students orally on their proposal and research area(s) to assess their ability to complete the proposed research. Each full-time student must pass the preliminary exam within one-and-a-half (1.5) years after passing the comps to remain in the Ph.D. program, and part-time students will be given two-and-a-half (2.5) years to pass the preliminary examination. Check the ENEE Graduate Program website for updates to this requirement.

Ph.D. Candidacy


After passing the preliminary exam and completing the course requirements, the Graduate Program Committee recommends to the Graduate School that the student be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.

Dissertation Research


The student conducts and reports (dissertation) on a significant original research topic under the guidance of their dissertation advisor. The doctoral dissertation must be an original and substantive contribution to knowledge in the student’s major field. It must demonstrate the student’s ability to: (a) conduct a program of research and (b) report the results in accordance with standards observed in the recognized scientific journals related to that field. This research must be completed and defended within four (4) years of admission to candidacy. Students must be admitted to candidacy at least two full sequential semesters before the date on which the doctoral degree is to be conferred. Doctoral candidates take at least eighteen (18) dissertation credits (ENEE 899 ). The Ph.D. dissertation committee must include four (4) graduate faculty members from the CSEE department and one external member.

Residency Requirements


A minimum of three (3) years of full-time graduate study or its equivalent is required. At least one year of full-time study must be completed at UMBC.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate Programs