Electrical Engineering (PhD)

Program Overview

The Electrical Engineering PhD program at UCF is designed for students with a master's degree seeking careers in research or academia. The program offers specializations in Communications, Digital Signal Processing/Image Processing, Controls and Robotics, Electromagnetics, Electro-Optics, Photonics, Power Electronics and Electronics, and Solid-State/Microelectronics. It requires 72 credit hours beyond a bachelor's degree, including coursework, electives, and a dissertation. Admission to candidacy requires successful completion of a candidacy examination and formation of a dissertation advisory committee.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Electrical Engineering PhD program at UCF is designed for students with a master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related field who wish to pursue a career in research or academia. The program offers specializations in Communications, Digital Signal Processing/Image Processing, Controls and Robotics, Electromagnetics, Electro-Optics, Photonics, Power Electronics and Electronics, and Solid-State/Microelectronics. The program aims to prepare students for careers in research or academia.

Outline:

The Electrical Engineering PhD program requires a minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. This includes:

• Required Courses (36 credit hours):
• Students must complete 36 credit hours of formal coursework, excluding independent study.
• The program supports three specialization areas: Electromagnetics and Optics (EO), Signal Processing and Systems (SPS), and Micro-Systems and Nano-Systems (MNS).
• Students must choose a specialization area and take a majority of their courses from that area (at least 19 credit hours, typically 7 graduate courses).
• A suggested list of courses is provided for each specialization area.
• Students are allowed to take courses from other specialization areas, but the majority should be from their chosen area.
• Elective Courses (21 credit hours):
• Students must earn at least 21 credit hours from additional elective courses listed above.
• This can include formal coursework, directed research hours, doctoral research hours, dissertation research, and no more than 12 credit hours of Independent Study.
• Dissertation (15 credit hours):
• Students must earn at least 15 credit hours in dissertation research (XXX 7980).
• The program allows a maximum of 24 credit hours of dissertation coursework.
• Qualifying Review (0 credit hours):
• The Qualifying Review is an annual assessment of the student's progress conducted by their research/academic advisor and advisory committee.
• The review assesses academic performance (course performance) and research performance.
• Students must pass the Qualifying Review no later than the semester they complete 24 credit hours after admission or within two calendar years after admission, whichever occurs later.
• Failure to pass the Qualifying Review by the deadline results in dismissal from the program with the opportunity to complete a master's degree (if applicable).
• Dissertation Committee (0 credit hours):
• The dissertation committee must consist of at least five members, including the chair.
• The committee chair must be a Regular Appointment faculty member in EECS or a Secondary-Joint Appointment faculty member in EECS.
• At least 50% of committee members (including the chair) must be EECS regular faculty.
• A majority of committee members must vote in favor of passing for the student to pass.
• All college and university requirements (such as one member outside of EECS) must be met.
• Candidacy Examination (0 credit hours):
• After passing the Qualifying Review, students must successfully complete the candidacy examination to demonstrate readiness for preliminary research.
• The exam is administered by the student's dissertation advisory committee.
• Students must demonstrate readiness by authoring an accepted journal article or high-quality conference paper.
• The student must be the first author on the paper, and the research advisor must also be an author.
• The publication should reflect the work related to the student's PhD research.
• Candidacy is typically attempted after completing required coursework and must be passed before registering for doctoral dissertation hours (EEL 7980).
• Continuous enrollment in at least 3 hours of doctoral dissertation hours is required once a student starts taking dissertation credits.
• Admission to Candidacy (0 credit hours):
• To be admitted to candidacy and enroll in dissertation hours, students must:
• Complete all required formal coursework, except for dissertation hours.
• Successfully complete the candidacy examination.
• Form a dissertation advisory committee consisting of approved graduate faculty and graduate faculty scholars.
• Submit an approved program of study.
• Dissertation Proposal Exam (0 credit hours):
• After passing the candidacy examination, students must write a dissertation proposal and present it to the dissertation advisory committee for approval.
• The proposal must include a description of the research performed to date and the research planned for the dissertation.
• The presentation of a written dissertation proposal must be deemed as passing requirements by the majority of the dissertation committee.

Careers:

The Electrical Engineering PhD program prepares students for careers in research or academia.

Other:

• Students admitted with an earned master's degree may request to have up to 30 of those credit hours counted toward their doctoral program.
• The student's doctoral advisor, in conjunction with the graduate office, will determine the precise number of hours to be counted, subject to Graduate Studies regulations.
• The Program of Study (POS) form must be approved by an advisor in the selected specialization area no later than the end of the second semester after admission.
• The program of study must meet all university requirements specified in the graduate catalog.
• Students in the Electrical Engineering PhD program pay a $90 equipment fee each semester they are enrolled.
Part-time students pay $45 per semester.
• The Independent Learning Requirement is met by successful completion of the student's candidacy and dissertation defense examinations.