Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Degree Requirements
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the terminal degree for those seeking an academia or industry career in electrical and computer engineering.
Earning your PhD in electrical engineering can prepare you to start your own research-based company, launch your career as an academic, or access some of the highest-paying industry jobs. We offer a collaborative, supportive environment that allows you to explore interdisciplinary opportunities and find your personal research passion in the field.
Table of Contents
Admission Requirements
See our Graduate Admissions webpage which includes webinar recordings, FAQs & more.
Research Areas
- Computer Engineering
- Electromagnetics, RFand Microwaves; Remote Sensing
- Learning, Information, Network, Communication & Data (LINCD) Sciences
- Photonics & Quantum Engineering:
- Nanostructures and Devices
- Optics and Photonics
- Quantum Engineering
- Power Electronics and Renewable Energy Systems
- Systems and Controls
Learn more about faculty research.
Research (Faculty) Advisor
The faculty advisor directs a student’s research, helps develop the degree plan,and acts as chair of their comprehensive exam and dissertation committee. We believe that the faculty advisor match is the most important element of the PhD.
- A faculty advisor must be a member of 鶹ѰBoulder regular graduate faculty. Students are assigned a faculty advisor in their admissions offer letter.
- Research (dissertation) topic will be determined with the aid of thefaculty advisor and in their direct area of expertise.
Degree Requirements
The following requirements apply to all PhD students in the Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering.
General Requirements
- 60 hours of study
- 30 hours of
- 18 credit hours of ECEN 5000-level or above courses are required.
- The remaining 12 credit hours can be ECEN courses or technical courses in science, mathematics, or engineering. All of these should be at the 5000-level or above.
- This can include taking ECEN 5930 one time for a maximum of 3 credits.
- Non-technical courses will not count toward the degree (i.e. EMEN, CYBR courses). If you are unsure if your course meets technical requirements, contact your advisor.
- Generally, a "technical"courses is one with technical undergraduate or graduate pre-reqs, and is not policy focused, but is math/engineering problem-solving focused.
- 30 thesis/dissertation hours
- No more than 10 thesis hours in a single semester are allowed.
- 30 hours of
Transferring Courses: A maximum of 21 semester hours of acceptable, graduate-level coursework with a grade of “B” or higher may be transferred from another accredited institution. Work already applied toward a graduate degree received from 鶹ѰBoulder or another institution cannot be accepted for transfer toward another graduate degree of the same level at 鶹ѰBoulder. In addition, work completed for a doctoral degree may not be applied toward a subsequent master’s degree. Courses applied toward an undergraduate degree may not be transferred to the 鶹ѰBoulder Graduate School.
- Only the credit hours will transfer—the course grade will not count toward your GPA.
- Quarter system credits will transfer as .67 credit hours per 1 quarter credit hour. The Registrar will NOT round up.
More information on the process is available here.
GPA/Grade Requirements: Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all coursework. Students cannot be admitted to candidacy or graduate if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0.
- Any course grade below "B-" will not be counted toward the 30-credit hour requirement, but it will be included in the overall GPA calculation.
- Students must have no incomplete course work.
Exams
- Preliminary (by end of second year)
- Preliminary exams are required of all ECEE PhD students.
- The primary purpose of preliminary examination is to ensure that students are ready to begin independent research. A broader purpose of the examination is to assess and strengthen the student’s intellectual breadth as well as their abilities in problem solving, creativity, and written and oral communication.
- Students must pass their preliminary exam in order to continue past the coursework stage of the PhD and in order to be eligible for their comprehensive exam.
- Students who do not pass after two attempts will be moved to the MS degree and removed from the PhD program.
- Two attempts is the maximum allowed department wide; i.e. a student cannot take the preliminary exam twice in Computer Engineering and then twice with Power Electronics.
- Comprehensive (thirdor fourth year)
- Before admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree, students must pass a comprehensive examination. At a base level, the comprehensive exam is a presentation of what the student has and will contribute to the field, includinga demonstration of their understanding of the field and where theircontribution fits in;some contribution already made to that field (i.e., theoretical or experimental results that have been submitted/published/presented to the larger field of scientists);and a plan that theyconvince the committee is feasible to complete theircontributions.
- A committee of five experts in the field will evaluate the student's presentation of research.
- Dissertation Defense (semester of graduation)
- The dissertation is a work of original research completed by the student with the guidance of their faculty advisor.
- A committee of five experts in the field will evaluate the student's presentation of research.
Time Limit
All work, including the final examination, should be completed within six years from the time of admission. A student is expected to complete the work with reasonable continuity.Extensions must be formally requested fromthe graduate school.
Student Handbook
For all policies, see our student handbook, available on the ECEE Graduate Student page.
Residency Requirement for U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents
The state of Colorado allows U.S. Citizens/permanent residents to obtain in-state tuition after one-year of residency. PhD students who will be hired as Research Assistants or Teaching Assistants are required to begin the process to obtain in-state residency immediately upon moving to Colorado or else they will be ineligible for full tuition remission benefits.
Residency rules for in-state tuition can be found at the Tuition Classification Office.
International students are not eligible for in-state residency; international students are not at risk of losing tuition remission benefits under this policy.