Master of Science Degree Requirements for Electrical and Computer Engineering Programs
The Master of Science degree programs in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth provide sufficient structure to ensure that each graduate of either program has a firm foundation to go on to further graduate studies or to succeed at the advanced level in industry. However, there is enough program flexibility to allow students to pursue studies of their own particular interest. The MS in Computer Engineering and the MS in Electrical Engineering, although separate degrees, share some common requirements:
1. At least 24 of the required 30 credits must be at the graduate level (500 series or higher); a grade of C or better is required for all graduate courses to be counted towards the degree. As many as six credits of 400 series courses will be allowed to compensate for variations in the student’s background; a grade of B or better is required for them to be counted towards the degree. Undergraduate courses in excess of the 6-credit limit are allowed, but will not count for credit toward the degree.
2. Each candidate for the Master of Science Degree must obtain a minimum of 30 graduate credits with the following constraints: 1) maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 out of a 4.0 grading scale in all courses, 2) obtain no more than two course grades below B-minus, 3) courses with grades of C- or below will not count toward graduation requirements and 4) the credits must be in accordance with a program of study filed by the student and approved by the student’s graduate advisor.
3. Every full-time graduate degree candidate must pass Graduate Seminar (ECE 599). This requires students to attend a minimum of six seminars or other presentations given within the department or technical presentations offered by professional organizations such as IEEE.
4. There are three tracks to the Master of Science degree that a student may choose from:
Master of Science Degree, Thesis Track
In addition to the common requirements listed above, a student pursuing the Thesis Track must successfully complete at least six credits of graduate research (ECE 600) and submit a thesis satisfactory to the student’s committee. In addition to the written thesis, successful oral defense of the thesis work is required prior to completion of the program.
Master of Science Degree, Project Track
In addition to the common requirements, a student pursuing the Project Track must successfully complete at least three credits of graduate research (ECE 600). A written report and an oral defense of the project work are required to satisfy this program track.
Master of Science Degree, All Course Work Track
In addition to the common requirements, a student pursuing the All Course Work Track must pass a MS comprehensive examination at the completion of 30 credits of course work. Students with at least 2 years post-BS work experience as an engineer may request a waiver of the exam requirement if they submit a report documenting work project and/or research experience.
Notes
Students are required to satisfy prerequisite requirements for all graduate courses taken. In particular, Computer Systems (ECE 561) is a prerequisite for ECE 562. For students pursuing the MS in Computer Engineering, ECE 561 will count toward the six-credit limit on 400-level courses.
More specific information about each requirement can be found in the ECE Department Graduate Handbook.
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