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Electrical Engineering

Holmes 483
2540 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822

Tel: (808) 956-7586
Fax: (808) 956-3427
Email: eeoffice@hawaii.edu
Web: www.ee.hawaii.edu

Faculty

*Graduate Faculty

*W. A. Shiroma, PhD (Chair)—electromagnetic theory, microwaves
*G. Arslan, PhD—distributed systems, Markov decision problems, nonlinear and robust control, game theory, learning and adaptive control
*O. Boric-Lubecke, PhD—RFICs for wireless communications, millimeter-wave and microwave devices, circuits and systems and biomedical applications
*D. Carlson, PhD—cyber-physical systems, internet of things, ubiquitous computing, mobile computing and interactive media systems
*T. P. Dobry, PhD—digital systems, computers
*Y. Dong, PhD—cyber security and privacy, network systems and internet applications (such as drones and internet of things)
*M. Fripp, PhD—power systems, smart grids, renewable energy
*D. Garmire, PhD—M/NEMS, CAD for M/NEMS, computer vision, computational biology
*A. Host-Madsen, PhD—communications signal processing, CDMA communications, multi-user communications, equalization
*M. Iskander, PhD (Director of HCAC)—computational electromagnetics, antennas, radar, and wireless communications
*A. Kuh, PhD—signal processing, machine learning, energy
*V. M. Lubecke, PhD—MEMS, microwave/terahertz radio, remote sensing technology and biomedical applications
*V. Malhotra, PhD—physical electronics, solid-state devices
*A. Ohta, PhD—devices, MEMS, biomedical microdevices, microfluidics
*N. Santhanam, PhD—statistical learning, information theory, signal processing and communications
*G. H. Sasaki, PhD—computer communication networks, performance evaluation, optimization algorithms
*V. L. Syrmos, PhD—linear system theory, control theory
*J. Weldon, PhD—nanoscale device design, heterogeneous integration with CMOS for data-intensive applications, applications of nanotechnology to biomedical devices
*Y. Xiao, PhD (HCAC)—optimization, reinforcement learning, and game theory, wireless communications, power systems, signal processing
*J. R. Yee, PhD—computer communications networks, network optimization, stochastic models
*Z. Yun, PhD (HCAC)—wireless channel modeling, antennas and propagation
*J. Zhang, PhD— signal processing, complex networks and network science, bioinformatics, stochastic models
*Y. Zheng, PhD—information (data) privacy, cybersecurity

Emeritus Faculty

N. Abramson, PhD—wireless data networks
*N. T. Gaarder, PhD—communication theory, information theory
B. Kinariwala, PhD—computer engineering
F. Koide, PhD—biomedical engineering, operational amplifiers, electronic circuits
S. Lin, PhD—coding theory, coded modulation, multi-user communications and error coding techniques
E. J. Weldon, PhD—computer networks
D. Y. Y. Yun, PhD—computational intelligence, biomedical informatics, parallel and networked computing

Cooperating Graduate Faculty

R. Ghorbani, PhD—renewable energy, dynamics, controls, design
D. Pavlovic, PhD—pure mathematics, quantum info theory, theoretical computer science and software engineering
R. Rocheleau, PhD—photovoltaics, sensors, thin films
L. R. Roose, JD—integration and analysis of energy technologies and power systems
S. K. Sharma, PhD—thin films, amorphous materials and ceramics, instrumentation development
V. A. Stenger, PhD—neuroscience, MRI research
G. Varner, PhD—experimental particle physics, instrumentation electronics

Degrees Offered: BS in electrical engineering, BS in computer engineering, MS in electrical engineering, PhD in electrical engineering

The Academic Program

Electrical engineering and computer engineering are concerned with the exciting fields of electronics, computers, information technology, and the basic forms of energy that run our world. Electronics continue to bring forth new breakthroughs in solid-state technology (transistors, integrated circuits, VLSI chips, microprocessors, lasers, optical fibers), which in turn fuel the unprecedented revolution in telecommunications (internet, wireless, and digital signal processing), computers (software, security, and networking), instrumentation (biomedical, intelligent), and many other areas.

The undergraduate and graduate programs focus on three major areas: computers (algorithms, security, networking, hardware, and software), electro-physics (solid-state devices and sensors, analog, circuit design, and microwaves and photonics), and systems (telecommunications, automatic controls, and signal processing).

he culmination of the undergraduate programs is the capstone design project; this is a significant project that integrates the design content of previous courses while satisfying realistic constraints.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Electrical Engineering is to provide quality education, research, and service to our constituents. Major goals of the department are to:

  1. Educate a new generation of electrical and computer engineers to meet the challenges of the future;
  2. Create, develop, and disseminate new knowledge;
  3. Promote a sense of scholarship, leadership, and service among our graduates; and
  4. Contribute to the development of diversity within the profession through the education of women, indigenous, and other minority students.

Undergraduate Study

Design Experience Statement

A key aspect of electrical engineering and computer engineering education is a significant and meaningful design experience that is integrated throughout the curriculum. The design experience is necessary to prepare students to become professionals.

At UH Manoa, the electrical engineering and computer engineering curricula assign design credits to each course. A student graduating in electrical engineering or computer engineering is required to have a minimum of 14 design credits with 3 design credits coming from EE 496, Capstone Design Project. Students can check their progress in obtaining design credits by checking with their advisor and looking at design credits and the Curriculum Flow Chart. EE 496 places significant design responsibility on the students as they must plan and execute a major design problem. To prepare students for EE 496, students must take at least 1 credit of EE 296 Sophomore Project, and 2 credits of EE 396 Junior Project. The project courses help students get design experience outside the classroom as they learn engineering concepts in the classroom. The project courses and capstone project give students opportunities to work in teams, develop leadership skills, and work on open-ended design projects similar to industrial experience.

Bachelor of Science Degrees

The bachelor of science degree program in electrical engineering requires a minimum of 122 credit hours, unless Honors courses are taken, in which case the minimum is 120 credit hours. The bachelor of science degree program in computer engineering requires a minimum of 125 credit hours, unless Honors courses are taken, in which case the minimum is 123 credit hours. The departmental requirements consist of 48 credit hours of basic courses. The electrical engineering program requires 24 credit hours of technical electives. The computer engineering program requires an additional 20 credit hours of basic courses, and 6 credit hours of technical electives.

All electives are subject to the approval of an advisor. Enrollment in EE courses requires a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses.

College Requirements

Students must complete the college requirement courses for engineering (see “Undergraduate Programs” within this section).

Departmental Requirements

Electrical engineering and computer engineering students must complete the following 48 credit hours of courses:

  • EE 160, 211, 213, 260, 315, 323/323L, 324, 342, 371, 495, Projects (296, 396, 496), PHYS 274, MATH 307, EB*
  • EE 160 may be substituted with EE 110 for the electrical (but not computer) engineering program, in which case there are 47 credit hours.

*Engineering Breadth (EB) is satisfied by CEE 270, ME 311, or a CEE, ME, OE, or BE course that is at the 300 level or higher. It may also be satisfied by a physical, biological, or computer science course that is at the 300 level or higher and approved by the department's undergraduate curriculum committee. EB for computer engineering may be replaced with a computer engineering technical elective.

Projects

There is a requirement of EE 296, 396, and 496, which is the capstone design experience. A minimum of, respectively, 1, 2, and 3 credits are required of each. ENGR 296 and 396 may be substituted for EE 296 and 396, respectively.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Program Educational Objectives

The expected attainment of graduates are:

  1. Electrical engineering graduates will practice electrical engineering in industry, education, and public service.
  2. Graduates will contribute to the technological and economic development of Hawai‘i, the U.S., and beyond.
  3. Graduates will be prepared for admission to top graduate programs.
  4. Graduates will continue their professional development, through individual effort and advanced professional education.
  5. Graduates will provide technical leadership, with an understanding of the broader ethical and societal impact of technological developments, and the importance of diversity in the workforce.

Outcomes

All graduates of the electrical engineering program are expected to have demonstrated:

  1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
  2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
  3. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
  4. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
  5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
  6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
  7. An ability to communicate effectively.
  8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
  9. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
  10. A knowledge of contemporary issues.
  11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Technical Electives

Electrical engineering students must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of technical electives. A minimum of 17 credits is in one of the major tracks (electro-physics and systems), which includes all courses in Group I and the remaining courses from Group II.

A minimum of 7 additional credits is required from the following list, of which 3 credits must be from outside the major track, and 1 credit must be a laboratory.

Electro-Physics Track:

  • Group I: EE 326/326L, 327, 372/372L
  • Group II: EE 328/328L, 422/422L, 423, 425, 426, 427, 435, 438, 470, 471, 473, 474, 475, 477, 480

Systems Track:

  • Group I: EE 343/343L, 351/351L, 415
  • Group II: EE 344, 416, 417, 435, 442, 445, 446, 449, 452, 453

The following Computer Engineering courses may also be used as technical electives: EE 205, 361/361L, 362, 366, 367/367L, 406, 461, 467, 468, 469. EE 491 can also be used as a technical elective, but the track designation is determined on a case-by-case basis.

A student, along with a faculty member, may propose an alternate track. This alternate track must be (1) equivalent in rigor and breadth to the existing tracks, (2) endorsed by another faculty member, and (3) approved by the department’s undergraduate curriculum committee.

For information on a Bachelor Degree Program Sheet, go to www.manoa.hawaii.edu/ovcaa/programsheets/.

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Program Educational Objectives

The expected attainment of graduates are:

  1. Computer engineering graduates will practice computer engineering in industry, education, and public service.
  2. Graduates will contribute to the technological and economic development of Hawai‘i, the U.S., and beyond.
  3. Graduates will be prepared for admission to top graduate programs.
  4. Graduates will continue their professional development, through individual effort and advanced professional education.
  5. Graduates will provide technical leadership, with an understanding of the broader ethical and societal impact of technological developments, and the importance of diversity in the workforce.

Outcomes

All graduates of the computer engineering program are expected to have demonstrated:

  1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
  2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
  3. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
  4. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
  5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
  6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
  7. An ability to communicate effectively.
  8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
  9. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
  10. A knowledge of contemporary issues.
  11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
  12. A knowledge of discrete mathematics.

Computer engineering students must complete the following 26 credit hours of courses:

  • EE 205, 361/361L, 362 (or ICS 141 and 241), 367/367L (or ICS 311), 467 (or ICS 314), 468, 6 credits of technical electives

The set of courses EE 160 and 205 may be substituted with the set of courses ICS 111, 211, and 212.

Technical Electives

A minimum of 6 credit hours of technical electives is required. Technical electives may be EE courses at the 300 level or higher or ICS courses from the following list:

  • ICS 313, 321, 351, 355, 414, 415, 421, 423, 424, 425, 431, 432, 441, 442, 451, 455, 461, 464, 465, 466, 469, 481

Note that ICS courses from the list may have prerequisite courses that are not part of the computer engineering curriculum. These courses used as technical electives will lead to more credit hours to complete the program.

For information on a Bachelor Degree Program Sheet, go to www.manoa.hawaii.edu/ovcaa/programsheets/.

Graduate Study

(Top)

Degree Requirements

Students pursuing a graduate degree in EE must have a BS degree in EE or its equivalent; otherwise, the minimum course requirements listed in the next subsection must be met. The EE program has three major tracks of specialization: computers, electro-physics, and systems. Graduate students are required to specialize in a major track and have breadth outside the major track in EE. More rigorous courses from the other programs may be used to satisfy major track or breadth requirements subject to prior approval from the graduate chair. Elective courses must be from College of Engineering, College of Natural Sciences, SOEST, or Shidler College of Business. Relevant courses from other programs may be used to satisfy elective course requirements subject to prior approval from the graduate chair. Only one out of multiple courses with significantly overlapping contents (for example, cross-listed courses) can be used to satisfy any course requirement. Only courses with a grade of B or better (not B-minus) can count towards the course requirements.

Minimum Course Requirements for EE Graduate Students Without a BS Degree in EE

Those with an undergraduate degree in engineering or natural sciences are required to take the following courses depending on the major track selected for their graduate work (unless equivalent courses are taken in their undergraduate studies). The students might have to take courses that are prerequisites to these courses.

Systems:

  • EE 213 Basic Circuit Analysis II, and
  • EE 315 Signal and Systems Analysis, and
  • EE 342 Probability and Statistics

Electro-physics:

  • EE 213 Basic Circuit Analysis II, and one of the following:
  • EE 323 Microelectronic Circuits, or
  • EE 327 Theory and Design of IC Devices, or
  • EE 371 Engineering Electromagnetics I

Computers:

  • EE 342 Probability and Statistics (or discrete probability, or discrete math), and
  • EE 205 Object Oriented Programming (in C++), and
  • EE 361 Digital Systems and Computer Design, and
  • EE 361L Digital Systems and Computer Design Lab

Those with an undergraduate degree not in any branch of engineering nor the natural sciences will be required to take a more extensive set of courses. This will be on a case-by-case basis.

Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability Graduate Certificate

The Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability (REIS) graduate certificate provides students an opportunity to get both breadth and depth in energy and sustainability curriculum. Students will take classes in different colleges to get a broad perspective on energy sustainability. In addition to taking courses and attending a REIS seminar class, students will conduct a capstone project to obtain greater depth in an energy research area. For more details please contact Anthony Kuh, kuh@hawaii.edu.

Master’s Degree

Plan A (thesis) and Plan B (non-thesis) options are offered. In addition to the general degree requirements set by Graduate Division, the following requirements must be met by MS students in electrical engineering.

Requirements

Plan A (thesis): This option requires a minimum of 30 credits such that

  • 12 credits must be in 600-level courses in the major track (6 credits must be in Category I courses and 3 credits must be in Category II courses)
  • 6 credits must be in 400 or higher-level EE courses outside the major track
  • 3 credits must be in 400 or higher-level elective courses
  • 9 credits must be in EE 700 Thesis Research (1 credit of EE 700 during the semester of graduation); students can petition to convert their EE 699 credits to EE 700 credits
  • most 6 credits can be in 400-level courses.

The graduate seminar requirement in electrical engineering or a related field must also be fulfilled (see the seminar policy). In addition, MS Plan A students must produce a thesis and pass the final examination. The stages of the MS Plan A program are as follows.

MS Plan A students should find faculty advisors in research areas of mutual interest as early as possible. After the initial advising with the faculty advisor, Master’s Plan A Form I (Pre-Candidacy Progress) is processed by the graduate chair. Under the advisor’s guidance, the student takes courses necessary for background knowledge, and develops a thesis proposal which involves a literature survey and preliminary research on the thesis topic. Subsequently, the student forms the thesis committee, which approves the thesis proposal. The thesis committee must satisfy Graduate Division requirements and be pre-approved by the graduate chair. The graduate chair reports the approval of the thesis proposal to Graduate Division by using Master’s Plan A Form II (Advance to Candidacy).

The candidate then carries out the thesis research and writes a thesis satisfying Graduate Division requirements. In particular, the thesis is expected to be a scholarly presentation of an original contribution to electrical engineering resulting from independent research. The candidate must keep the thesis committee informed of the scope, plan, and progress of the thesis research and manuscript. During this stage, the candidate completes the credit requirements. After completing the thesis research and writing a thesis, the candidate takes the final examination.

The final examination is administered by the thesis committee. The candidate submits the thesis to the committee and the EE office at least two weeks prior to the final examination. The examination starts with a presentation by the candidate on the thesis research, including the problems chosen, the approaches employed, and the results obtained. Throughout the examination, the candidate defends his or her thesis in response to the committee’s questions on the correctness and the significance of the approaches and results.

A majority of the committee must approve of the content of the thesis and the candidate’s ability to defend it in order for the candidate to pass. The committee members indicate their decisions on the final examination by signing Master’s Plan A Form III (Thesis Evaluation). A candidate who passes may still be asked to make various corrections and revisions to the thesis. The candidate must make the requested changes and submit the revised thesis to the entire committee. Master’s Plan A Form IV (Thesis Submission) is to be signed by the chair and a majority of the committee, including any committee members who may have been physically absent at the final examination. All those who sign must have read and approved the manuscript in its entirety. By signing this form, the committee members indicate approval of the content and the form of the finalized manuscript. A candidate who fails the final examination may repeat it only once with approval from both the graduate faculty concerned and Graduate Division. A candidate who fails the final examination twice is dismissed from the program. The graduate chair approves and reports the results of the final examination to the graduate division by using Master’s Plan A Form IV.

Plan B (non-thesis): This option requires a minimum of 30 credits such that

  • 12 credits must be in 600-level courses in the major track (6 credits must be in Category I courses and 3 credits must be in Category II courses), and
  • 6 credits must be in 400 or higher-level EE courses outside the major track.
  • 6 credits must be in 600-level elective courses
  • 6 credits of EE 699 (These 6 credits can be substituted by 6 credits in 600-level courses in EE.)

The graduate seminar requirement in electrical engineering or a related field must also be fulfilled (see the seminar policy). In addition, MS Plan B students must complete a final project that demonstrates the knowledge and skills acquired in the program. MS Plan B students should find supervising faculty advisors in areas of mutual interest as early as possible. The final project does not need to include original research results. Acceptable forms of final projects include a literature survey, critique of research papers, software implementation of an algorithm, or hardware testing or development, subject to the prior approval of the supervising faculty. The student must write a conference-style report to document the final project activities, and submit this report to the supervising faculty and the EE office at least a week prior to the final examination. The final examination is the evaluation of the final project by the supervising faculty. This evaluation includes an oral presentation by the student to an audience including the supervising faculty. The supervising faculty reports his or her approval of the final project by sending a signed copy of the EE MS Plan B Final Examination Form to the EE office along with the final project report.

Doctoral Degree

Doctoral students are required to achieve a good, broad understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals and a thorough knowledge, up to its present state, in a chosen specialty. Doctoral students must also perform research in their special field under the guidance of a faculty advisor and write a dissertation that is a scholarly presentation of an original contribution to electrical engineering resulting from independent research. Participation in a substantial teaching project to develop competence in teaching is also required. In addition to the general degree requirements set by Graduate Division, the following requirements must be met by doctoral students in electrical engineering.

Requirements

Doctoral students must have an MS degree in EE or its equivalent; otherwise, the MS course requirements must be met (equivalent courses taken elsewhere can be counted toward this requirement subject to prior approval from the graduate chair). In addition, the following 40 credits are required:

  • 9 credits of 600-level courses in the major track
  • 3 credits of 600-level courses outside the major track
  • 3 credits of EE 790 Directed Instruction
  • 24 credits of EE 699 (6 credits can be substituted by 600 level courses in EE)
  • 1 credit of EE 800 Dissertation Research during the semester of graduation.

The graduate seminar requirement in electrical engineering or a related field must also be fulfilled (see the seminar policy). Furthermore, doctoral students must pass the qualifying examination to advance to PhD candidacy, must pass the comprehensive examination for the approval of a dissertation proposal, and must pass the final examination for the approval of the dissertation itself. The stages of the doctoral program are as follows.

Pre-Candidacy Stage

The pre-candidacy stage covers the period from the admission until the qualifying examination is passed. Each doctoral student is assigned a faculty advisor upon entering the program. During the pre-candidacy stage, a doctoral student prepares for the qualifying examination to advance to candidacy by enrolling in a directed reading or research course under the advisor’s direction. This preparation may be in the form of an initial exploration for a dissertation topic or it may be any other research effort on some topic of interest to demonstrate the student’s research potential. As part of this preparation, the student produces a well-written three- to six-page conference-style extended abstract on his or her research efforts. In consultation with the advisor, the student also takes courses as necessary for background knowledge.

Each student completes and submits the EE Qualifying Examination Form to the EE office by the following deadlines: students who enter the program in a fall semester are to submit the form by the following March 1; students who enter the program in a spring semester are to submit the form by the following October 1. Each student must take the qualifying examination by the end of the second semester (spring or fall) in the program. A student starting in a fall semester can petition to take the qualifying examination by the end of the first summer semester. In unusual circumstances (including an advisor change), the student can petition to postpone the qualifying examination by up to a semester.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination is an oral examination administrated by a committee of three graduate faculty members. One member of the committee is the student’s advisor; the graduate committee selects the final two committee members. At least one of the committee members selected by the graduate committee must be from the student’s major track of specialization.

The student submits the extended abstract to the committee and the EE office at least one week prior to the examination. The purpose of the qualifying examination is to determine the student’s research potential and knowledge of pertinent fundamentals. It starts with a presentation where the candidate demonstrates his or her ability to conduct significant research. In particular, the student is expected to demonstrate ability to understand technical concepts of sufficient complexity and to produce and implement new ideas. Throughout the examination, the committee may ask any questions broadly related to the topic of presentation to observe the student’s thought process in approaching a research problem. Any one of the following criteria is sufficient, but not necessary, to demonstrate research potential:

  • producing a research result that could be accepted for presentation in a peer reviewed conference
  • formulating a significant and well-motivated research problem, and proposing a well thought-out approach for solving the problem.

At least two committee members must pass the student; else, the student repeats the examination by the end of the third semester in the program. A student who does not pass the qualifying examination by the end of the third semester is dismissed from the program. The graduate chair reports the results of the qualifying examination to Graduate Division by using Doctorate Form I (Pre-Candidacy Progress).

Candidacy Stage

After passing the qualifying examination, the student is advanced to PhD candidacy. At this stage, the candidate develops a dissertation proposal and prepares for the comprehensive examination. During the development of the dissertation proposal, the candidate (in consultation with the advisor) acquires the necessary background knowledge through course work and literature survey, and conducts research on the proposed dissertation topic.

Comprehensive Examination

The candidate takes the comprehensive examination within three years of entering the PhD program. Prior to taking the comprehensive examination, the candidate completes the MS course requirements and most of the PhD course work in major track or outside major track EE courses (at least 6 of the required 12 credits), writes a dissertation proposal, and forms the doctoral committee. The doctoral committee must satisfy Graduate Division requirements and be pre-approved by the graduate chair. The comprehensive examination is an oral examination administered by the doctoral committee and is subject to the same rules as those set by Graduate Division for the final examination. .

The candidate submits the dissertation proposal to the doctoral committee and the EE office at least two weeks prior to the comprehensive examination. The dissertation proposal must have a tentative title, a description of the problems considered, preliminary results, and the proposed research for the completion of the dissertation. The comprehensive examination may be preceded, at the discretion of the individual committee members, by additional oral or written examinations.

The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to critically evaluate the merit of the dissertation proposal as well as the candidate’s ability and preparation for conducting the proposed research. It starts with a presentation where the candidate makes the case for the validity of the dissertation proposal. Throughout the examination, the committee questions the candidate on various aspects of the dissertation proposal including its scope, the significance of the problems chosen, and the approach. The committee also evaluates the candidate on the background knowledge necessary for the completion of the dissertation. In addition, the committee can suggest alternative approaches and additional topics for investigation, and can alert the candidate to new developments relevant to the proposed research.

A majority of the committee must approve the dissertation proposal in order for the candidate to pass. The committee members indicate their approval by signing the Advance to Candidacy Form (Form II). A candidate who fails the comprehensive examination may repeat it only once, no sooner than three months after the first examination. The candidate must pass the comprehensive examination within four years of entering the PhD program. A candidate who fails the comprehensive examination twice is dismissed from the program. The graduate chair reports the results of the comprehensive examination to Graduate Division by using Doctorate Form II (Advance to Candidacy).

Dissertation Stage

A candidate who passes the comprehensive examination proceeds with the proposed research and writes a dissertation. The dissertation must satisfy Graduate Division requirements. In particular, the dissertation is expected to be a scholarly presentation of an original contribution to electrical engineering resulting from independent research. The dissertation must be suitable for publication in respected academic journals. The candidate must keep the doctoral committee informed of the scope, plan, and progress of the dissertation research and manuscript. During this stage, the candidate also completes the credit requirements. After completing the dissertation research and writing a dissertation and no sooner than six months after passing the comprehensive examination, the candidate takes the final examination.

Final Examination

The final examination is administered by the doctoral committee. The candidate submits the dissertation to the doctoral committee and the EE office at least two weeks prior to the final examination. The examination starts with a presentation by the candidate on the dissertation research including the problems chosen, the approaches employed, and the results obtained. Throughout the examination, the candidate defends his or her dissertation in response to the committee’s questions on the correctness and the significance of the approaches and the results.

A majority of the committee must approve the content of the dissertation and the student’s ability to defend it in order for the candidate to pass. The committee members indicate their decisions on the final examination by signing Doctorate Form III (Dissertation Evaluation). A candidate who passes may still be asked to make various corrections and revisions to the dissertation. The candidate must make the requested changes and submit the revised dissertation to the entire committee. Doctorate Form IV (Dissertation Submission) is to be signed by the chair and a majority of the committee, including any committee members who may have been physically absent at the final examination. All those who sign must have read and approve the manuscript in its entirety. By signing this form, the committee members indicate approval of the content and the form of the finalized manuscript. A candidate who fails the final examination may repeat it only once with approval from both the graduate faculty concerned and Graduate Division. A candidate who fails the final examination twice is dismissed from the program. The graduate chair approves and reports the results of the final examination to Graduate Division by using Doctorate Form IV.

Seminar Policy

Students must attend at least twelve seminars from the department seminar series, thesis defenses, and/or technical conferences. A student receives a credit of three attended seminars for giving a seminar that is not his or her final public defense, or for giving a conference presentation. Attendance should be taken by the track coordinator for the departmental seminars and by the student’s advisor for thesis defenses. Documentation should be provided by the student’s advisor for conference attendance and conference presentations. Attendance lists and documentation should be submitted to the EE office.

EE Courses