HELP 2009-2010 University Catalog Electrical and Computer Engineering, PhD Print-Friendly Page

Banner Code: VS-PHD-ECE

School: The Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering 

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering 

This program, offered by ECE, is the only combined electrical engineering and computer engineering doctoral program in Virginia. The program prepares students for leadership positions in research and development in industrial, government, and academic settings. It includes course requirements; a qualifying exam testing fundamental concepts and the ability to think creatively; a teaching requirement; a research competency exam; and dissertation proposal defense, dissertation research, and dissertation defense. Students may choose an emphasis such as communications, networking, computer engineering, control and robotics, signal processing, microelectronics or nanoelectronics. These emphasis areas may include biological or medical applications. Mason’s general doctoral requirements apply to this program.

Admission Requirements

All general Mason and specific Volgenau School admission requirements apply. In addition, all applicants, including Mason undergraduates, must submit official transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) and official results of the GRE General Test. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official TOEFL results showing a minimum score of 575 for the paper-based exam or 230 for the computer- based exam. A minimum score of 600 for the paper based exam or 250 for the computer-based exam is required for applicants who wish to be considered for a graduate teaching assistantship. Students typically admitted to the program hold MS degrees in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and other related areas. Students holding European (or equivalent) diploma degrees may also be considered for admission. The application material for each student is reviewed by the department doctoral  committee, which makes a recommendation to the department chair.

Advisor and Dissertation Director

On admission to the program, each student is assigned a faculty member as advisor. On passing the qualifying exam, the advisor is replaced by or becomes the dissertation director. All decisions concerning the student’s course requirements and selections must be approved by the PhD advisor with the consent of the ECE Department chair.

A dissertation committee is formed within a year after the student has passed the qualifying exam. The committee is headed by the dissertation director and includes two more graduate faculty members from ECE Department and one from outside the department. One more member, from outside the university, may be added to the dissertation committee if justified by the subject of the dissertation. The composition of the dissertation committee must be approved by the ECE Department chair.

Course Requirements

After the BS degree, 72 credits are required; dissertation research is usually 24 credits. Students entering with an MS degree may use up to 30 credits of course work from their MS program, subject to approval. Students entering with European diploma degrees may use some course credit, subject to individual consideration, but not more than 30 credits.

Of the required course work, a maximum of 6 credits may be at the 500 level and at least 9 credits must be at the 700 level or higher. For courses taken elsewhere, the equivalent levels are to be determined by the PhD advisor, subject to approval by the ECE Department chair. Individualized reading courses at any level cannot account for more than 6 credits.

ECE 798 Research Project is primarily an MS course and is not intended to be part of the PhD course work. Research in the PhD program should be included in ECE 998 and ECE 999 courses.

Students are required to take one graduate course (3 credits) at the 600 level outside the department in a subject considered foundational for their area of emphasis. Typical examples are advanced mathematics or statistics courses for those pursuing an emphasis in signal processing or control, physics courses for those desiring an emphasis in electronics, and computer science courses for those pursuing the computer engineering emphasis. Because such courses are usually not taken for MS degrees, this requirement can rarely be satisfied with a course taken previously.

Students are required to take two courses (6 credits) within the department but outside their area of emphasis. This requirement may be satisfied with courses taken during previous studies, subject to approval. Candidates must complete a minimum of 12 credits of doctoral proposal (ECE 998) and doctoral dissertation research (ECE 999). A maximum of 24 credits of ECE 998 and ECE 999 may be applied to the degree. At least half of the total of ECE 998 and ECE 999 credits must come from ECE 999. Students who choose to take fewer than 24 credits of ECE 998 and ECE 999 may earn the remaining credits from approved course work. Students cannot enroll in ECE 999 before their research proposal is accepted and approved by the dissertation committee.

Qualifying Exam

The department offers a doctoral qualifying exam once each year. The exam is primarily for testing the student’s familiarity with fundamental concepts and the ability to think creatively. Students must take the exam within the first year after they have entered the program with an MS degree, typically in late August, prior to the start of the Fall semester.

Students who enter with a BS degree must take the exam within the first year after they have completed 24 credits beyond the BS degree. The qualifier consists of a written in-class exam and an oral interview. Students must select one area from the list below for their qualifying exam. The qualifying exam may be repeated once. A student failing the exam twice is removed from the program. The qualifying exam is not tied to any particular course. It is offered in the following areas, and each area consists of four subjects:

• Area A: Communications, Controls, and Signal Processing
• Area B: Computer Engineering
• Area C: Electronics and Devices

The written exam consists of two problems in each subject. Students must solve five problems from no more than three subjects in their selected area. Subject to ECE Department approval, students with a non-ECE background may substitute one subject compatible with their background and relevant to their planned research in the ECE PhD program. Information technology PhD transfer students are required to take the ECE qualifying exam.

Teaching Requirement

To acquire lecturing and teaching experience, each doctoral student is required to participate in the department’s teaching activity. This typically takes the form of working as a recitation instructor. The minimum requirement is one full semester of such activity in one course or equivalent arrangements approved by the doctoral coordinator.

Research Competency Exam, Dissertation Proposal, Advancement to Candidacy

On completing all course work requirements, students take an oral research competency exam to demonstrate their preparation for dissertation research. The exam comprises a presentation of the research dissertation proposal and competency in the knowledge derived from higher-level courses relevant to the student’s research and familiarity with technical literature. The exam is administered by the student’s dissertation committee.

The student prepares a written dissertation proposal outlining the contents of the dissertation and the research activities leading up to it. The dissertation proposal is submitted to the dissertation committee for approval. The proposal is orally presented as part of the research competency exam. Upon passing this exam, the student is advanced to candidacy.

Dissertation Research and Defense

Students conduct dissertation research under the guidance of their dissertation director, with regular consultation with other members of the dissertation committee. During this period, students must present  research results at least once in the form of a department seminar. The dissertation must represent an achievement in research, must be a significant contribution to its field, and should be deemed publishable
in refereed journals or at highly selective conferences. On completion of the dissertation, a public defense is administered by the dissertation committee, which may be preceded by a predefense in the presence of the committee members only at the committee’s discretion. A copy of the dissertation must be placed in the University Libraries four weeks prior to the public defense. After a successful public defense and completion of the final form of the dissertation, the dissertation committee recommends the candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy.