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2012-2013 Graduate Catalog 
    
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2012-2013 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Dual M.S. in Electrical Engineering & Mathematical Sciences

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Electrical Engineering M.S.E.E.

Applications are considered on an individual basis. Candidates can be admitted on a regular or provisional status. Qualified applicants who are not admitted on either status can take graduate courses as a non-degree student but not completing all of the M.S.E.E. degree requirements. Only 15 credits taken as a UNLV non degree student will count for an M.S.E.E. degree.

To be considered for admission to the M.S.E.E. program, an applicant must:

  1.  Have a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering or a closely related discipline.
    1. Applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree in a closely related discipline, such as physics or mathematics, may be admitted on provisional status. These students will be required to complete certain undergraduate courses before they can attain regular status. The graduate committee determines these courses on an individual basis.
    2. Graduates with degrees in engineering technology ordinarily have an inadequate background to be admitted to the graduate program.
  2. Have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (A=4.00) for their bachelor’s degree.
    1.  Applicants who have an overall GPA below 3.00 must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores to the department. These applicants may be admitted subject to the discretion of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Committee.
  3. Submit GRE scores if:
    1. The applicant did not obtain his bachelor’s degree from an ABET accredited institution. (An applicant possessing a bachelor’s degree from an ABET accredited institution is not required to submit GRE scores.)
    2. The applicant wants to be considered for an assistantship, or
    3. The applicant feels that their GRE scores will enhance their chances for admission.
  4. Submit a completed application prior to the department’s admission deadline which may be found on UNLV’s admissions web page; http://web.unlv.edu/admissions/ . If applying for a Teaching Assistantship, applications deadlines are February 1st for admission in the fall of the same year and October 1st for admission in the spring of the subsequent year.
    1. Completed application form
    2. Submit official transcripts of all college-level work to the Graduate College.
    3. Submit an additional set of transcripts of all college-level work directly to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
    4. Submit a one page written statement of purpose indicating the applicant’s research interests, motivations and objectives
    5. Submit three dated letters of recommendation concerning the applicant’s potential for succeeding in the graduate program

Additional Admission Requirements for International Applicants

To be considered for admission to the M.S.E.E. program, an international applicant

  1.  Must submit exam scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Graduate College a minimum score of 80 on the internet based examination.
  2.  May be required to take the English as a Second Language Placement Test upon arrival at UNLV If the international applicant’s first language is not English,
    1. If necessary, the student will be required to take English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at UNLV. These courses will not count towards their graduate degree.
       

 

Degree Requirements

All M.S.E.E. candidates must maintain an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (B) and a minimum GPA of 3.00 (B) each semester. Students who do not maintain an overall GPA of 3.00 (B) and a GPA of 3.00 (B) each semester will either be placed on probation or expelled from the program. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Committee and/or the Graduate College will determine the terms of the student’s probation in accordance with the rules of the Graduate College.


All regular status admitted graduate students must file an approved program before the completion of their second semester. The student’s advisor and the graduate coordinator must approve this program. All regular and provisional status graduate students must show satisfactory progress towards completion of their degree by completing at least six credits of their approved program per calendar year. If progress towards their degree program is not satisfactory, students will either be placed on probation or expelled from the program.


Specific Requirements for the M.S.E.E. degree are:

  1. Satisfy the M.S.E.E. degree program admission requirements and be admitted to the M.S.E.E. program on a regular full graduate standing status.
  2. Complete a minimum of 30 to 33 credits of graduate level courses with an overall minimum GPA of 3.00 (B) and a minimum grade of 2.70 (B-) in each class applied towards the 30 to 33 credits. Grades below B- are not counted towards the M.S.E.E. degree and must be repeated or replaced. Continued enrollment of a student who earns more than one grade below B- is contingent upon the approval of the committee.
    1. Thesis Option: A total of 30 credits are required for the Thesis Option. Of the 30 required credits,
      1. a minimum of 18 credits must be in electrical engineering courses,
      2. a minimum of 15 credits must be in 700-level electrical engineering courses excluding ECG 796 and ECG 797,
      3. no more than 3 credits may be from ECG 791 Graduate Independent Study.
      4. a minimum of six credits must be ECG 797 Electrical Engineering Thesis. Although ECG 797 Electrical Engineering Thesis can be taken repeatedly, no more than 6 credits can be applied towards the M.S.E.E. degree.
    2. Course Only Option: The Course Only Option is considered a terminal degree; in that, students who complete the Course Only option and do not write a thesis will not be considered eligible for the Department’s Ph.D. program. A total of 33 credits are required for the Course Only Option. Of the 33 required credits,
      1. a minimum of 21 credits must be in electrical engineering courses,
      2. a minimum of 18 credits must be in 700-level electrical engineering courses
      3. no more than 3 credits may be from EEG 791. Graduate Independent Study.
  3. Successfully complete a minimum of three credits in at least three of the following areas:
    1. Computer Engineering
    2. Communications
    3. Control Systems
    4. Electromagnetics and Optics
    5. Electronics
    6. Power Systems
    7. Signal Processing
    8. Solid State Electronics, Materials and Devices
  4. Thesis Option Only. Complete a thesis. Before beginning a thesis, students must have their thesis topic approved by their advisor, and the necessary paper work must be filed with the Graduate College. The student must complete a thesis containing original research and defend it before his/her advisory committee at the Thesis Exam. The student can receive no more than 6 credits of ECG 797 Electrical Engineering Thesis for the work associated with the thesis. Students who plan to continue their studies beyond the M.S.E.E. degree program are strongly encouraged to select this option.


Thesis Exam
Prior to the student’s defense of the thesis before his/her advisory committee, the student must submit a complete copy of the thesis to each member of his/her advisory committee. This submission must occur at least two weeks prior to the date of the oral defense. The
student must also notify each member of his/her advisory committee of the date, time and location of the oral defense of the thesis or project at least two weeks in advance.


Time Limits
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires that the M.S.E.E. degree be finished within a period of six years. Courses taken more than six years prior to graduation may not be applied toward the M.S.E.E. degree.

Fast Track M.S. in Electrical Engineering Program

The Fast Track M.S. program allows select UNLV undergraduates majoring in either electrical or computer engineering to pursue the Department’s M.S. in Electrical Engineering (M.S.E.E.) degree while completing their B.S. degrees. This program allows undergraduates who have completed at least 6 credits of graduate-level electrical and computer engineering courses as an electrical or computer engineering undergraduate students to complete the M.S.E.E. Thesis Option with a total of 24 credits instead of 30 credits which are required for the conventional M.S.E.E. Thesis Option. Students admitted to the M.S.E.E. Fast Track program cannot switch to the Course Only option, and are therefore required to write a thesis.


Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to the Fast Track M.S.E.E. Program Option, an applicant must:

  1. Have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 (A = 4.00) for their B.S. degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering or the closely related field.
  2. Have completed at least 6 credits of electrical or computer engineering graduate level courses which were applied towards the student’s B.S. degree. The graduate level coursework must have been completing with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A = 4.00).


Degree Requirements

  1.  Students who have been admitted into the Fast Track M.S.E.E. Program Option must complete a minimum of 24 credits.
  2.  Of the 24 credits required for the M.S.E.E. Program Option and the 6 credits of graduate level courses applied toward the B.S. degree:
    1.  a minimum of 18 credits must be in electrical engineering courses,
    2.  a minimum of 15 credits must be in 700-level electrical engineering courses excluding ECG 796 and ECG 797
    3.  no more than 3 credits may be from ECG 791 - Independent Study in Electrical Engineering
    4. Students must complete at least six credits of ECG 797 - Electrical Engineering Thesis. Although ECG 797 Electrical Engineering Thesis can be taken repeatedly, no more than 6 credits can be applied towards the 24-27 credits required for the M.S.E.E. degree.
  3. Students must complete a thesis and pass a thesis exam.

Time Limits
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires that the M.S.E.E. degree be finished within a period of six years. Courses taken more than six years prior to graduation may not be applied toward the M.S.E.E. degree.

Dual M.S. in Electrical Engineering & Mathematical Sciences

The dual M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Mathematical Sciences program is designed for those who want to pursue the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering or a career in Electrical Engineering with emphasis in applied Mathematics. The program prepares graduate students with complementing educational components covering electrical engineering and mathematics, which is the basis of all engineering. The students graduating from this program will be well-prepared with a well-rounded background.

Admission Requirements

Admissions to the Dual M.S. program need to satisfy the admission requirements for both M.S.E.E. and M. S. Mathematical Sciences.

Dual Degree Track with MS MAT

Degree Requirements


All M.S.E.E. candidates must maintain an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (B) and a minimum GPA of 3.00 (B) each semester. Students who do not maintain an overall GPA of 3.00 (B) and a GPA of 3.00 (B) each semester will either be placed on probation or expelled from the program. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Committee and/or the Graduate College will determine the terms of the student’s probation in accordance with the rules of the Graduate College.


All regular status admitted graduate students must file an approved program before the completion of their second semester. The student’s advisor and the graduate coordinator must approve this program. All regular and provisional status graduate students must show satisfactory progress towards completion of their degree by completing at least six credits of their approved program per calendar year. If progress towards their degree program is not satisfactory, students will either be placed on probation or expelled from the program.


Specific requirements for the MSEE and MS MAT degrees are:

  1.  Satisfy the M.S.E.E. degree program admission requirements and be admitted to the M.S.E.E. program on a regular full graduate standing status.
  2.  Complete a minimum of 30 to 33 credits of graduate level courses with an overall minimum GPA of 3.00 (B) and a minimum GPA of 2.70 (B-) in each class applied towards the 30 to 33 credits. Grades below B- are not counted towards the M.S.E.E. degree and must be repeated or replaced. Continued enrollment of a student who earns more than one grade below B- is contingent upon the approval of the committee.
    1.  Two of the courses included in the degree program can be double counted between MSEE and MS MAT degrees.
    2. Thesis Option: A total of 30 credits are required for the Thesis Option. Of the 30 required credits,
      1. a minimum of 18 credits must be in electrical engineering courses,
      2. a minimum of 15 credits must be in 700-level electrical engineering courses excluding ECG 796 and ECG 797,
      3. no more than 3 credits may be from ECG 791 Graduate Independent Study.
      4. A minimum of six credits must be ECG 797 Electrical Engineering Thesis. Although ECG 797 Electrical Engineering Thesis can be taken repeatedly, no more than 6 credits can be applied towards the M.S.E.E. degree.
    3. Course Only Option: A total of 33 credits are required for the Course Only Option. Of the 33 required credits, a minimum of 21 credits must be in electrical engineering courses, a minimum of 18 credits must be in 700-level electrical engineering courses and no more than 3 credits may be from EEG 791. Graduate Independent Study.
    4. Students in the The dDual Degree program can also be admitted into the Electrical Engineering Fast Track program; however, the 6 graduate level credits taken as an undergraduate, students can only be applied to the M.S.E.E. degree and not the M.S. MAT Degree.
  3.  Successfully complete a minimum of three credits in at least three of the following areas:
    1.  Computer Engineering
    2.  Communications
    3.  Control Systems
    4.  Electromagnetics and Optics
    5.  Electronics
    6. Power Systems
    7. Signal Processing
    8. Solid State Electronics, Materials and Devices
  4. Thesis Option Only. Complete a thesis. Before beginning a thesis, students must have their thesis topic approved by their advisor, and the necessary paper work must be filed with the Graduate College. The student must complete a thesis containing original research and defend it before his/her advisory committee at the Thesis Exam. The student can receive no more than 6 credits of ECG 797 Electrical Engineering Thesis for the work associated with the thesis. Students who plan to continue their studies beyond the M.S.E.E. degree program are strongly encouraged to select this option.
    1. Thesis Exam: Prior to the student’s defense of the thesis before his/her advisory committee, the student must submit a complete copy of the thesis to each member of his/her advisory committee. This submission must occur at least two weeks prior to the date of the oral defense. The student must also notify each member of his/her advisory committee of the date, time and location of the oral defense of the thesis or project at least two weeks in advance.

Time Limits: 

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires that the M.S.E.E. degree be finished within a period of six years. Courses taken more than six years prior to graduation may not be applied toward the M.S.E.E. degree.


No Risk Ph.D. Pre-Qualifying Exams

A full graduate standing master’s degree candidate who is interested in pursuing a doctoral degree may be allowed to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam without penalty during the candidate’s period as an M.S. student. The exam may be taken as many times as desired but no more than once per semester. If the student successfully passes the qualifying exam, the exam requirement will be deemed satisfied upon entering the Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. program at UNLV. The candidate must complete an M.S. degree and a thesis in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UNLV. Once the student receives an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, the student must abide by the requirements outlined in the Ph.D. program. This option is not available to non-degree-seeking students.
 

 

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