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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Graduate Bulletin Table of Contents

Electrical Engineering Graduate Program (ECE)Engineering and Computing Center

Offered through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
in the College of Science and Engineering
211 Engineering and Computing Center
Phone: 320.308.3252
Fax: 320.308.5127
E-mail: ecedept@stcloudstate.edu
Web: www.stcloudstate.edu/ece

Department Chairperson: Dr. Sura Lekhakul
Department Secretary: Ms. Mona Daniel

Graduate Director: Dr. Yi Zheng
Graduate Faculty: Deng, George, Glazos, Heneghan, Hou, Lekhakul, Petzold, Thamvichai, Vogt, Yao, Zheng

Accreditation Specific to the Program

  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
  • Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)

The Program

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering program is designed for full- and part-time students desiring advanced study in electrical engineering.  The program emphasizes advanced courses in the areas of computers, communications, signal processing, bio-medical engineering, controls, and computer aided design of integrated circuits. The objectives of the MSEE program are based on the missions of the department, the college and the university, and consistent with ABET criteria:

  • Our graduates will have the ability to apply technical knowledge to analyze and solve practical electrical engineering problems.
  • Our graduates will have the ability to practice engineering in a professional manner with effective communication and teamwork skills.
  • Our graduates will have the ability to pursue post-graduate or continuing education opportunities to acquire the latest knowledge and skills.
  • Our graduates will be able to understand the societal and ethical issues associated with the engineering profession.

Admission Requirements Specfic to the Program

 

Full admission          

  • Admission is competitive.
  • An applicant's undergraduate GPA is also closely reviewed, especially for scholarship in the undergraduate engineering and math core.
  • Students with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 in the last two years of their undergraduate program may be formally admitted to regular status. 
  • The University requires that the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) be taken before admission. The minimum GRE score requirements are: Quantitative: 700, Verbal: 400, Analytical Writing: 4.0. A writing course ENGL 634 is required for students who score below 5.0 in the analytic writing portion of the GRE.
  • Some undergraduate courses may be required for applicants who have BS degrees but need additional undergraduate training in specific areas.
  • The department will review the admission file when all official application materials are received. An admission or denial letter will be sent within a week of the department reviewing the materials.

Conditional admission

  • BSEE graduates with a GPA between 2.75 and 3.0 in their last two years may be conditionally admitted.  Conditionally admitted students will obtain full admission status after they have completed four specified ECE courses that count toward the MSEE degree with a minimum GPA of 3.25 or higher, with no grade below B in any of the four courses.
  • BSEE graduates having GRE scores between 3.5 to 4.0 in the analytical writing portion and 350 to 400 in the verbal portion may be conditionally admitted.  Writing courses such as ENGL 332 or ENGL 634 are required with a minimum grade of B in each course.
  • Students that have undergraduate degrees in technical areas such as mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering may be provisionally admitted, but they will be required to complete the following undergraduate courses to obtain full admission status with a minimum GPA of 3.00 or higher, with no grade below B in any class. Some of the required courses listed below may be transferred depending on the students’ educational background or waived for those who pass a course examination.

Required       
ECE 201. ECE202. Circuit Analysis sequence
ECE 221. Digital Logic Design
ECE 301. Signals and Systems Analysis
ECE 311. Analog Electronics I
ECE 322. Advanced Logic Design

Choose two
ECE 312. Analog Electronics
ECE 323. Digital electronics sequence
ECE 381. Solid State Electrons
ECE 391. Engineering Electromagnetics

Choose one 400-level course.

For SCSU engineering students

Qualified ECE juniors at SCSU can apply to the MSEE program and be allowed to take ECE 500-level courses during their senior year to meet both BS degree and MSEE degree requirements. A maximum of six ECE 500 credits can be double counted for both programs in BSEE and MSEE.

Required course

  • EE 302 Signal and Systems Analysis, 3 credits

Choose one sequence from

  • EE 311 and EE 312 Analog electronics sequence, 8 credits
  • EE 322 and EE 323 Digital electronics sequence, 8 credits

Choose two sequences from

  • ECE 531, ECE 532* Communication sequence, 6 credits
  • ECE 551, ECE 552* Control sequence, 3 credits
  • ECE 521, ECE 522* Computer sequence, 3 credits
  • *ECE 532 or 552 can be replaced by ECE 571 Digital Signal Processing
  • *ECE 522 can be replaced by ECE 523 Computer Network Architecture

Application Deadlines Specific to the Program

  • Fall semester — July 1
  • Spring semester — November 1
  • Summer sessions — May 1

Length of Program — Measured by Semesters

  • Part-time student: eight semesters taking three to six credits per semester.
  • Full-time student: four semesters taking nine credits per semester.

Graduate Assistantship Overview

  • Three to six graduate assistantship positions are generally sponsored each year, and are available both fall and spring semesters.
  • Graduate assistants in Electrical and Computer Engineering provide teaching and research assistance to faculty in a variety of situations.

Degrees and Plans Offered

  • Master of Science in Electrical Engineering: Plan A (Thesis) at 30 credits
  • Master of Science in Electrical Engineering: Plan B I (Starred Paper) at 33 credits
  • Master of Science in Electrical Engineering: Plan B II (Course Work/Comprehensive Exam) at 33 credits

Master of Science — Electrical Engineering

The student must select one of three options: thesis, starred paper or course work only option. The thesis, research paper topic, or the coursework only option must be approved, in advance, by the student's graduate committee. The courses chosen from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and from other departments must form a cohesive package that relates closely to individual student goals.

Graduate (600) level EE course sequences:

  1. ECE 621, 622. Advanced Computer Architecture, Parallel Computing
  2. ECE 631, 632 or 633. Digital Communications, Digital Coding of Waveforms, or Advanced Wireless Applications
  3. ECE 651, 652. Optimal Control, Stochastic Control
  4. ECE 671, 672. Advanced Digital Signal Processing, Random Signal and Noise
  5. ECE 681, 682. Advanced Integrated Circuit, VLSI Design

Plan A, 30 credits (Thesis)

Research courses
6 credits

  • ECE 699. Thesis, 6 credits

Core courses
18 credit minimum in 500- and 600-level ECE courses

  • 1 complete graduate 600-level ECE course sequence.
  • 12 credits minimum from 600-level ECE courses (exclusive of thesis).

Related courses
6 credit maximum

  • Select related graduate courses from outside of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from departments such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, and physics.  

Final oral examination on thesis material.

 

Plan B, Option I, 33 credits (Starred Paper)

Research courses
3 credits

  • ECE 690. Research in Electrical Engineering. 1-3 credits

Core courses
24 credits minimum in 500-and 600-level ECE courses.

  • 2 complete graduate 600-level ECE course sequences.
  • 18 credits minimum from 600-level ECE courses (exclusive of research).

Related courses
6 credit maximum

  • Select related graduate courses from outside of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from departments such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, and physics. 

Final oral examination on starred paper and course work material.

Plan B, Option II, 33 credits (Course Work and Comprehensive Examination)

Core courses
27 credits minimum in 500- and 600-level ECE classes

  • 3 complete 600-level ECE course sequences.
  • 21 minimum credits from 600-level ECE courses

Related courses
6 credit maximum

  • Select related graduate courses from outside of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from departments such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, and physics. 

Final written and oral examination on course work.

Disqualification

Students will be disqualified from the program if their semester GPA, in courses specified for their programs, is below 3.0 for any two semesters. The student's advisory committee and the graduate committee will consider reinstatement requests.