ECE Graduate Handbook
Sample Course Sequences for Ph.D. Students
Some guidelines and sample programs are given below that should help students in putting together their Plan of Study. Note that they are mere guidelines: students must put together their Plan of Study in consultation with their advisor, based on their specific interests and needs in connection with their intended research area.
The specifics listed below apply to full-time students entering the graduate program in a Fall semester and intending to obtain a Ph.D. degree (possibly after first obtaining an M.S. degree). They are organized into sample "tracks". The list given below is not meant to be exhaustive. For each track, "major" and "minor" areas are suggested. Ph.D. students must select a major area and a minor area for the purpose of meeting the Ph.D. Qualifying Requirement. The five possible major/minor areas are communications and signal processing (COMM), computer engineering (COMP), controls (CONT), electrophysics (ELEC) and microelectronics (MICR). 400-level courses may not be counted toward the Ph.D. course requirement.
Note that three courses are typically listed per semester. This is a reasonable load for most full-time students, but some may find it heavy in their first semester of enrollment. (This is especially true for students arriving from overseas who have to adapt to a new culture.) Also, three courses per semester is probably excessive for Graduate Teaching Assistants, as well as in many cases for Graduate Research Assistants. (Note that for Graduate Assistants, the minimum course load necessary to maintain full-time status is lower than for students who do not hold an assistantship: see Full-Time Status in the Graduate Handbook.)
Sample Tracks:
Controls
Signal and Image Processing
Communications and Networking
Computer Engineering: Architecture
Computer Engineering: CAD/VLSI
Computer Engineering: Networks/Security
Microelectronics: Circuits
Microelectronics: Devices
Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
Lasers and Optics
Magnetics and Devices
Particle Beams and Microwaves
CONTROLS |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
CONT |
COMM
COMP |
|
AMSC 607 |
AMSC 610/612 |
BMGT 835 |
CMSC 666/667 |
CMSC 760 |
MATH 630/631/632 |
MATH 642/643 |
MATH 673/674 |
STAT 600/601 |
STAT 610/611 |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
620; 663; 630 or 646 or 400 level or non-ENEE |
661; 664; 621 or 627 or 644 or 400 level or non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
762 or 765; 646 or Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
627/647/ Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
Year 3 |
762 or 765; Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
|
SIGNAL and IMAGE PROCESSING |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
COMM |
CONT
COMP |
|
| AMSC 607 |
AMSC 610/612 |
CMSC 666/667 |
CMSC 760 |
MATH 630/631/632 |
MATH 634/636 |
MATH 642/643 |
MATH 673/674 |
STAT 600/601 |
STAT 610/611 |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
620; 630; 663
or 646 or non-ENEE |
621; 631; 632 or 634; or non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
623; 633 or Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
627; 632 or 634; 661 or 664 or 644
or Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
COMMUNICATIONS and NETWORKING |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
COMM |
CONT
COMP |
|
AMSC 607 |
AMSC 610/612 |
CMSC 666/667 |
CMSC 760 |
BMGT 835 |
MATH 630/631/632 |
MATH 634/636 |
MATH 642/643 |
MATH 673/674 |
STAT 600/601 |
STAT 610/611 |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
620; 630 or 663 or 646 or non-ENEE |
621; 625; 627 |
Year 2 |
623; 626; 720 or 723 or 725 or Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
661 or 664 or 644
or Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
COMP |
MICR
|
CMSC 631 (needs prior approval) |
CMSC 710 |
CMSC 713 (needs prior approval) |
CMSC 714 |
CMSC 731 |
CMSC 732 (needs prior approval) |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
641; 646; 610; non-ENEE |
647; 759A or 759C or 759M; 601 or 611; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
750 or 759K; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
640; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
CAD/VLSI |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
COMP |
COMM
|
CMSC 630 |
CMSC 651 |
CMSC 712 |
CMSC 713 (needs prior approval) |
CMSC 751 |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
641; 646; 610; non-ENEE |
644; 640; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
750; 600; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
759E or 759Q or 759T; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
NETWORKS/SECURITY |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
COMP |
COMM
|
CMSC 630 |
CMSC 651 |
CMSC 711 |
CMSC 712 |
CMSC 713 (needs prior approval) |
CMSC 751 |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
641; 646; 620; non-ENEE |
647; 756; 627; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
757 or 759K; Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
Adv. Topics or non-ENEE |
MICROELECTRONICS: CIRCUITS |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
MICR |
COMP
COMM
CONT and ELEC are not uncommon |
Most MATH courses |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
610; 480/600/704/646/
620/425/400 level/non-ENEE |
611; 601/644/647/ 621/non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
600/704/646/630/
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
644/647/621/
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
MICROELECTRONICS: DEVICES |
Typical MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
MICR |
ELEC
COMP
CONT and COMM are not uncommon |
Most PHYS courses |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
600; 610/704/714/680/690/
646/400 level/non-ENEE |
611; 601; 681/ 644/647/non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
600/704/714/680/690/646/
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
681/644/647/
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
MICRO ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS) |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
MICR |
ELEC
CONT
COMM |
AMSC 666/667/604/610 |
ENMA 470/650/651/660/680 |
PHYS 623 |
PHYS 731 |
PHYS 761/762 |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
605; 416/472/480/680/690/600/non-ENEE |
601; 416/611/ Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
Year 2 |
680/690/600/
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
601; 611/Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
LASERS AND OPTICS |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
ELEC |
MICR
COMM |
Most PHYS courses |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
480; 680; 690 |
681; 496; 790 |
Year 2 |
789C or 791; 600 or 620;non-ENEE |
789C; 630/Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
MAGNETICS AND DEVICES |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
ELEC |
MICR
COMP |
ENMA 680 |
Most PHYS courses |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
416; 680; 690 |
681; 790; 601 or 644 or 647 |
Year 2 |
480 or 489M; 789C/Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
691; 611; 644/647/Adv.Topics/non-ENEE |
Year 3 |
600 or 646; 789C/Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
|
PARTICLE BEAMS AND MICROWAVES |
MAJOR |
Typical MINOR(s) |
Typical Non-ENEE |
ELEC |
MICR
COMM |
Most PHYS courses |
Acad\Sem |
Fall |
Spring |
Year 1 |
480; 498B; 690 |
686; 681; 790 |
Year 2 |
789C or 791; 780/
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
611/601/ 620/621;
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
Year 3 |
789C or 791;780/620/630/
Adv. Topics/non-ENEE |
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