Electrical Engineering M.S.E.E.

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 withon 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 .

Thesis Option: A total of 30 credits are required for the Thesis Option. Of the 30 required credits, a minimum of 18 credits must be in electrical engineering courses, a minimum of 15 credits must be in 700-level electrical engineering courses excluding 

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.  The Course Only Option is a terminal degree. Electrical Engineering Graduate Program Document Revised: Feb. 28, 2007.

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. Program

The Fast Track M.S. program to allows select UNLV undergraduates to pursue the M.S. in Engineering degree at UNLV. The program provides an opportunity for those undergraduates who have taken graduate-level electrical and computer engineering courses toward their undergraduate electrical/computer engineering degrees, to complete the M.S. in Engineering with a total of 24 as opposed to the 30 credits required for the conventional M.S. in Engineering (thesis option). Students admitted to the Fast Track program are required to write a theses.

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 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. and no more than 3 credits may be from
      ECG 791 - Independent Study in Electrical Engineering
       .
3. 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. Students must also 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.

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 his/her period as an M.S. student. The exam may be taken as many times as desired but no more than once a semester. Those areas that the student passes will count towards his/ her qualifying exam requirement upon entering the Ph.D. program. The candidate must complete an M.S. degree in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. 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 nondegree students.