Ph.D. Program

The educational objectives of EE Ph.D. program are twofold:

  1. to prepare Ph.D. graduates to conduct research into new unexplored fields for the discovery of new knowledge principles that can revolutionize the technology sector; and
  2. to educate Ph.D. students on innovation and technology transfer to help them to become tomorrow’s high-tech-job-creating entrepreneurs.
  3. An integrated entrepreneurship component is a unique and innovative feature of this doctoral program. We’re the first program in the nation to feature this requirement at the Ph.D. level, purposely engaging you in entrepreneurship and in the creation and use of intellectual property and patent development.

Degree Requirements

The PhD with a major in electrical engineering requires 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree or 42 credit hours for students entering with a master's degree.

  • Course Selection
    1. Required credit hours for students entering with a master's degree:
      • 6 credit hours of core Electrical Engineering courses
      • 9 credit hours of required Entrepreneurship courses
      • 6 credit hours of prescribed Electrical Engineering core electives
      • 6 credit hours of free electives
      • 12 credit hours of dissertation
      • 3 credit hours of individual research
    2. Required credit hours for students entering with a bachelor's degree:
      • 12 credit hours of core Electrical Engineering courses
      • 9 credit hours of required Entrepreneurship courses
      • 12 credit hours of prescribed Electrical Engineering core electives
      • 18 credit hours of free electives
      • 12 credit hours of dissertation
      • 9 credit hours of individual research
  • Core Courses
    • Communication and Signal Processing
      • EENG 5610 - Digital Signal Processing
      • EENG 5810 - Digital Communications
    • RF and Circuit Designs
      • EENG 5520 - Design and Testing of Digital Systems
      • EENG 5530 - Analog Integrated Circuit Design
    • Systems and Control
      • EENG 5310 - Control Systems Design
      • EENG 5320 - Systems Modeling and Simulation
  • Degree Plan

    The Student should select a major advisor from the EE Department and together develop the Degree Plan before the second semester. The Graduate Program Director will provide general guidance for the course selection and other academic questions in the student's first semester. Failure to submit the degree plan will result in a block on course registration.