Mathematical Science and Electrical Engineering Dual M.S./M.S.E.E.

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Program Admission Requirements

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 special student but not completing all of the MS EE degree requirements. Only 15 credits taken as a graduate special student will count for a MSEE degree.

To be considered for admission to the MS EE program, an applicant must:

1. Have a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering or a closely related discipline. (Applicants who possess a bachelor degree in a closely related discipline, such as physics or mathematics, may be admitted on a 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. 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 degree. (Applicants who have an overall GPA below 3.00 must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and may be admitted subject to the discretion and possible further requirements of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Committee. Applicants who want to be considered for an assistantship or who feel that their GRE scores will enhance their chances for admission are strongly encouraged to submit GRE scores.)
3. Submit GRE scores to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering if the applicant did not obtain his Bachelor degree from an ABET accredited institution. Interpretation of the scores is at the discretion of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Committee. (An applicant possessing a Bachelor degree from an ABET accredited institution is not required to submit GRE scores.) [NOTE: Five-Year Limit - GRE scores will be considered valid if taken within five years prior to the time of admission AND is recognized by the GRE examination board (official scores must be obtained from GRE). If the applicant comes from a university that is not ABET accredited and the applicant’s GPA is below 3.00, then the applicant must satisfy the higher minimum requirements as listed in item (2.) above in order to be considered to the Masters program.]
4. Submit a completed application form and official abstracts of all college level work to the Graduate College. In addition, submit a one page written statement of purpose indicating the applicant’s interests, motivations, and objectives and three letters of recommendation (signed and dated) concerning the applicant’s potential for succeeding in the graduate program directly to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. If the applicant has attended a university or is currently enrolled in a program beyond the bachelor degree, then the letters of recommendation should be solicited from that university or program. If the applicant has been out of school for an extended period of time, then letters should be solicited from the professional community that can comment on the applicant’s technical background and/or from the applicant’s most recent academic institution. Letters of recommendation written beyond a six-month period prior to applying for admission to our graduate program will not be accepted. Strong letters of recommendation illustrate technical talent and professional accomplishments beyond the grade point average or course grade. We are interested in your technical, conceptual, verbal, ethical and social skills and your potential to perform research, with evidence to substantiate claims made. Note that letters from professors that casually know you will not help you in the admission process. Applicants are required to account for all time beyond the Bachelor degree indicating how they have developed professionally. Applicants transferring from other graduate programs must justify why they are leaving that program to join our program. Applicants receiving grades less than B in a graduate course elsewhere may not be admitted to the graduate program without a well justified explanation. Poor performance in course work in the program that the student is transferring from can be a cause for denial of admission. It will be the graduate committee’s discretion whether to allow or deny admission.

International Applicants

For international applicants to be considered for admission, the Graduate College requires that they take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and obtain a minimum score of 550 or 85 on the Michigan Test. Students whose first language is not English may be required to take the English as a Second Language Placement Test upon arrival at UNLV. If necessary, they will be required to take English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at UNLV. These courses will not count towards their graduate degree.
 

Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences Admission Requirements

Admission to the M.S. Program in Mathematical Sciences requires that an applicant has a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a minimum GPA of 3.00 for the last two years of undergraduate work, and completed at least 18 credits of upper-division mathematics or statistics courses beyond calculus. If applicable, international applicants must submit an official TOEFL score (minimum score of 80 for the IBT, 213 for the computer test, or 550 for the paper test).

To apply for admission to the M.S. Program, applicants must submit application materials to both the Graduate College and the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Firstly, applicants must submit to the Graduate College the following materials:

1. A complete application form;
2. The official transcripts from all college and universities the student has attended;
3. The official TOEFL score if applicable.

Secondly, applicants must submit to the Department the following materials:

1. Copies of all official transcripts sent to the Graduate College.
2. At least two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic record and potential for advanced study in mathematical sciences.
3. A completed application form for Graduate Assistantship, if interested.
4. A statement of purpose describing the aim in applying for graduate study, the particular area of specialization within the mathematical sciences (if known), and any additional information that may aid the selection committee in evaluating preparation and aptitude for graduate study.

Details of the admission procedure for the M.S. Program can be found on the Departments web site: http://sciences.unlv.edu/Mathematics/study_grad.html

For details regarding application material for the Graduate College refer to: http://graduatecollege.unlv.edu/admissions/

Deadlines. The Graduate College and the Department of Mathematical Sciences must receive all application materials from applicants by February 1 for fall admission, and October 1 for spring admission.
 

MS EE Degree Requirements

All MS EE 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 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 MS EE degree are:

1. Satisfy the MS EE degree program admission requirements and be admitted to the MS EE program on a regular or provisional status.
2. Complete a minimum of 27 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 27 credits. Grades below B- are not counted towards the MS EE 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, 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 ECG 796 and ECG 797, and no more than 3 credits may be from ECG 791 Graduate Independent Study. Students opting for the Thesis Option 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 MS EE degree.
   2. Course Only Option: A total of 27 credits are required for the Course Only Option. Of the 27 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.
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 MS EE 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 MS EE degree be finished within a period of six years. Courses taken more than six years prior to graduation may not be applied toward the MS EE degree.

Refer to the graduate catalog for the courses in the Electrical Engineering department at:
http://ece.unlv.edu/docs/GradProgram.pdf
 

Requirements for the MS MAT Program

A minimum of 27 credits of graduate work is required for the M.S. in Mathematical Sciences, including at least 21 credits at the 700 level. The following specific requirements must be met:

1. 1. Core requirement: two of the following three courses, 6 credits:
   1. MAT 707 - Real Analysis I 
   2. MAT 709 - Complex Function Theory I 
   3. MAT 765 - Advanced Numerical Analysis 
2. There are two options for the remaining 21 credits:
   1. Thesis option: 15 credits of MAT/STA courses (with at least 9 credits at the 700 level), plus 6 credits of thesis, MAT 791 
   2. Exam option: 21 credits of MAT/STA courses (with at least 15 credits at the 700 level).
3. All MAT/STA courses at the 600 and 700 level are allowed except for MAT 711  , MAT 712  , and MAT 714  .
4. The student is required to have at least two MAT/STA 700 level year-long sequences in her/his program. The sequences may include courses from the core requirement.
5.  Final Examination: This will be either an examination to defend the thesis, or a written comprehensive examination. The written exam will have two parts. The student must choose two of the following options: MAT 703-04, MAT 707-08, MAT 709-10, MAT 765-766, or MAT 771-772.