Computer Engineering, Ph.D.

Program Overview

This PhD program in Computer Engineering requires 11 courses (33 credits) beyond a bachelor's degree, with at least 7 courses in graduate ENEE or CMPE. Students must select courses from designated groups, including advanced computer architecture, VLSI design, and digital systems design. The program emphasizes research, with a comprehensive portfolio, preliminary examination, and dissertation requirement.

Program Outline

Outline:

Course Requirements:

• Students must take a minimum of 11 courses (33 credits) beyond the bachelor's degree.
• At least seven of these courses (21 credits) must be graduate ENEE or CMPE courses offered every year.
• The remaining four courses (12 credits) can be MATH, STAT, CMSC, or from any other related discipline.
• Only three credits of Independent Study (ENEE/CMPE 699) can count toward the total course requirement.
• Students who have received their Masters at UMBC are allowed to count two 400 level MATH/STAT courses for the PhD degree with approval of their advisors.

Course Selection:

• Students must take at least five courses from Groups A and B, with at least two of these courses being from Group A.
• Group A Courses (offered every year):
• CMPE 611 - Advanced Computer Architecture
• CMPE 640 - Custom VLSI Design
• CMPE 650 - Digital Systems Design
• Group B Courses (selected subset is offered every year):
• CMPE 641 - Topics in VLSI
• CMPE 645 - Computer Arithmetic Algorithms and Implementations
• CMPE 647 - Analog Integrated Circuit Design
• CMPE 670 - Biomedical Microsystems
• CMPE 684 - Wireless Sensor Networks
• CMPE 685 - Principles of Communications Networks
• ENEE 610 - Digital Signal Processing
• ENEE 612 - Digital Image Processing
• ENEE 620 - Probability and Random Processes
• ENEE 621 - Detection and Estimation Theory
• ENEE 622 - Information Theory
• ENEE 630 - Solid-State Electronics
• ENEE 631 - Semiconductor Devices
• ENEE 680 - Electromagnetic Theory
• ENEE 683 - Lasers
• ENEE 684 - Introduction to Photonics
• Students must consult with their assigned advisors before registration and finalize their course selection with their advisors.
• Students cannot take doctoral dissertation research (CMPE 899) credits before passing the preliminary examination, but can take pre-candidacy doctoral research (CMPE 898) credits during this period.

Grade Requirements:

• Students must receive a grade of B or better in two of the Group A courses and achieve an average grade of ‘B’ or better (equivalently, a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better) across all courses.
• Grades with “+” and “-” are possible for graduate courses.

Other:

• PhD Comprehensive Portfolio:
• Consists of three components:
• (a) GPA performance on three core and two focused elective courses
• (b) the Research Activity Report (RAR)
• (c) two faculty support letters
• Preliminary Examination (Prelim):
• Each student must select a dissertation advisor and a dissertation preliminary examination committee.
• A student must present and defend the dissertation proposal to the committee.
• The committee examines the student orally on the proposal and the research area(s) to assess the student’s ability to complete the proposed research successfully.
• Each full-time student must pass the preliminary examination within one-and-a-half (1.5) years after passing the PhD comprehensive portfolio to remain in the Ph.D. program.
• Part-time students will be given two-and-a-half years (2.5) to pass the preliminary examination.
• Ph.D. Candidacy:
• After passing the preliminary examination and completing the course requirements, the Graduate Program Committee recommends to the Graduate School that the student be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.
• Dissertation Research:
• The student conducts and reports on a significant original research topic under the guidance of their dissertation advisor.
• The doctoral dissertation must be an original and substantive contribution to knowledge in the student’s major field.
• It must demonstrate the student’s ability to:
• (a) conduct a program of research and
• (b) report the results in accordance with standards observed in the recognized scientific journals related to that field.
• This research must be completed and defended within four (4) years of admission to candidacy.
• Students must be admitted to candidacy at least two (2) full sequential semesters before the date on which the doctoral degree is to be conferred.
• Doctoral candidates take at least eighteen (18) dissertation credits (CMPE 899).
• The Ph.D. dissertation committee must include four (4) graduate faculty members from the CSEE department and one external member.