The Master of Science may be obtained by following one of two degree plans, each of which requires a total of 30 credit hours: Plan I, which includes 24-26 credit hours of course work plus four to six hours of Masters' thesis credit; and Plan II, which does not include a thesis. The flowchart graphically describes the sequence of events involved in completing the degree requirements within the required time.
Plan I Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
- A minimum of 30 credit hours.
- At least 18 hours in ECEN courses.
- All ECEN courses must be at the 5000 level or above.
- No more than 12 credit hours of non-ECEN courses in science, mathematics, or engineering. All of these may be at the 5000 level or above, or a maximum of 6 of these credit hours may be at the 4000 level with the remainder at the 5000 level and above.
- At least 6 credit hours outside of the student's specialty in ECEN courses as approved by the faculty advisor.
- Four to six credit hours of Master's Thesis. The total number of combined hours of independent study and thesis research shall not exceed 9 hours.
Students must maintain a 3.0 or better grade point average. Because the MSEE degree is scientifically and technically based, courses having course content in communication skills, humanities, writing, social sciences, fine arts, business, law, or education cannot be used towards the degree. In cases of any doubt about a particular course, the students should contact their advisors and the Director of Graduate Studies for approval prior to taking the course.
All courses must be taught by members of the graduate faculty. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the instructors are members of the graduate faculty.
Two technical TLEN courses at the 5000 level or above, and one EMEN or non-technical TLEN course can be used toward the 30 credit hour course work requirement for the MS degree (with the exclusion of TLEN 5300 and TLEN 5310), subject to a new degree plan approval by the student's advisor.
Thesis
The master's thesis should be written on a subject of substantial import in the student's field of interest and will be under the supervision of a graduate faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. It must conform to the format specifications as set forth by the Graduate School. The student should find a faculty member who is willing to supervise the thesis as early as possible in the program. One bound copy of each thesis is required in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Office for the permanent file in addition to the two unbound copies required by the Graduate School.Thesis Defense
A final examination for a student enrolled under Plan I will consist of a defense of the student's thesis before the Final Examination Committee at least three weeks before commencement. The examining committee will consist of three members of the graduate faculty, including the student's thesis advisor and a second reader, both of whom shall have been appointed at least one month prior to the examination date. Appointment of this committee (one of which may be from outside the ECE Department) and the setting of the examination time will be done by the student and the thesis advisor. This information must be reported to the departmental Graduate Office at least two weeks before the examination.Students must be registered during the semester of the final examination.
Plan II Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
The 30 minimum required hours are to be distributed as follows:- All ECEN courses must be at the 5000 level and above.
- A minimum of 18 hours must be in ECEN. Courses offered by other departments but cross-listed with ECEN count as ECEN courses.
- The remaining 12 (or fewer) credit hours must be in science, mathematics, or engineering.
- A maximum of 6 credit hours may be taken at 4000 and above in science, mathematics or non-ECEN engineering.
All courses must be taught by members of the graduate faculty. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the instructors are members of the graduate faculty.
Two technical TLEN courses at the 5000 level or above, and one EMEN or non-technical TLEN course can be used toward the 30 credit hour course work requirement for the MS degree (with the exclusion of TLEN 5300 and TLEN 5310), subject to a new degree plan approval by the student's advisor.
A maximum of 6 hours of independent study can be used towards the 30 hour requirement.
Validated Completion of Required Course Work
There is no longer a cumulative examination for the Plan II Masters' program in CU Boulder's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. However, the student's academic advisor and the Department Graduate Director must validate the successful completion of the required course work. The required form is available in ECEE 1B63.MS Degree by Distance Learning
General Requirements
Academic Advisor
An academic advisor will be appointed for each student during their first semester in the program according to the provisions of Section 3.2. The academic advisor is assigned on the basis of the student's specialty interests as noted in their application and may be changed upon request by the student and approval by the Director of Graduate Studies and the requested advisor. The academic advisor is not necessarily the thesis advisor.
Quality of Work
An M.S. student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all course work taken regardless of the level of course work or the reason it was taken. Grades earned in transfer courses or courses taken as a special student are not calculated into the GPA. Courses taken may not count towards the Master of Science degree, but are calculated into the GPA. A student cannot be admitted to candidacy or graduate with a cumulative GPA below 3.0.Application for Candidacy
Admission to the Graduate School is not equivalent to approval of candidacy for an advanced degree. A student who wishes to become a candidate for a degree must make special application at the time and in the manner prescribed for the degree sought.Application for admission to candidacy must be made by each student on forms obtained from the Electrical Engineering Graduate Office (ECEE 1B22) not later than 10 weeks prior to completion of the requirements for the degree.
A student regularly admitted to the Graduate School and later accepted as a candidate for the Master of Science degree will be recommended for the degree only after the requirements have been met under either Plan I or Plan II.
Residence Requirement
In general, the residence requirement may be met only by residence at this university for at least two regular semesters, or by three ten-week summer terms. For full residence a student must be registered within the time designated at the beginning of the semester and must carry the equivalent of- not fewer than 5 semester hours of work in courses numbered 5000 or above,
- at least 8 semester hours of combined graduate and undergraduate coursework,
- any number of thesis hours, or
- registration as Masters Candidate for Degree (ECEN 6940).
Time Limit
All work, including the thesis for Plan I, must be completed within four years. Work done earlier will not be accepted for the degree unless validated by a special examination. A student is expected to complete the work with reasonable continuity.Credit by Transfer
Resident graduate work of high quality done in a recognized graduate school elsewhere or at the University of Colorado before being admitted to the graduate program and coming within the four-year limit may be accepted up to a maximum of 9 semester hours, provided it is recommended by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Such credits will be transferred to the Graduate School only after the student has established a satisfactory record in residence here for at least one semester. Provisional students must be transferred to regular degree status before transfer credits can be approved.Work completed at CU as a special student or at another CU campus falls under the 9-hour rule. Work already applied toward another degree cannot be accepted, nor can extension work completed at another institution, nor can correspondence work, except to make up deficiencies. Transfer courses must have a grade of "B-" or better but are not calculated into the GPA.
No graduate credit will be accepted that was earned as an undergraduate student elsewhere, even though the courses may be of graduate standing and may exceed the work required for a bachelor's degree.
Transferred credit will not reduce the residence requirement at this University but may reduce the amount of work to be done in formal courses. Request for transfer of credit must be initiated by the student after one semester of residency but prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student expects to receive the degree.
Withdrawing from School
M.S. students may participate in the Time Out Program (details available from the Office of Registrations). Any semester (s) on Time Out are included in the time limit to complete the degree. Students who are not on Time Out and do not register during a given fall or spring semester will be automatically withdrawn from the University and must fill out an application for re-admission in order to return. Students who withdraw from school permanently must do so formally with the Admissions Office.
