Program Overview

Master of Science in the Field of Electrical Engineering (STEM, On-Campus)

Overview

The Master of Science in the Field of Electrical Engineering (STEM, On-Campus) program offers students a comprehensive on-campus experience, both inside and outside the classroom. As part of their program of study, students select an area-of-focus specialization from the following options:

• Applied electromagnetics
• Communications and networks
• Electrical power and energy
• MEMS, electronics, and photonics
• Signal and image processing, systems, and controls This program provides the possibility of a research experience via a thesis option.

The program's location in Washington, DC, provides students and faculty with access to new advances in technology through government agencies, private industry, and defense centers. International applicants may choose the on-campus program.

Admissions

The admission requirements for the program are as follows:

• Admission deadlines:
  • Fall: January 15
  • Spring: September 1
  • Summer: March 1 (non-F1 visa seeking applicants)
• Standardized test scores:
  • The GRE General Test is optional for all applicants.
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the PTE Academic is required of all applicants except those who hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university in the United States or from an institution located in a country in which English is the official language, provided English was the language of instruction.
  • Minimum scores:
    • Academic IELTS: an overall band score of 6.5 with no individual score below 6.0
    • TOEFL: 550 on paper-based or 81 on Internet-based
    • PTE Academic: 53; applicants requesting funding consideration must have 68
• Recommendations required: Two (2) recommendations are required. If possible, one recommendation should be from the advisor at the institution from which the applicant earned their highest degree.
• Prior academic records: Transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript.
• Statement of purpose: In an essay of 250 to 500 words, state the purpose in undertaking graduate study at The George Washington University; describe academic objectives, research interests, and career plans; and discuss related qualifications, including collegiate, professional, and community activities, and any other substantial accomplishments not already mentioned.
• Additional requirements:
  • Applicant must possess a B.S. in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science with a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) for the last 60 credits of undergraduate work.
  • Students with a B.S. in another field may be admitted with a set of deficiency courses to be determined by the department.
  • Applicants must choose an area of focus that most closely matches their interests and note this on the online application.
  • All applicants must submit a resumé or CV.

Requirements

The program requires 30 credits, all of which are completed in a single focus area. The program is offered in thesis and non-thesis options. For the thesis option, 6 of these credits are taken in ECE 6998 and ECE 6999.

Colloquium Requirements

In addition to required coursework, students must attend five in-person, non-credit bearing colloquia as part of their program of study. At least two of the required five must be attended in the first two semesters. Each attended colloquium is verified by a faculty member in attendance. Upon the attendance of five colloquia, the student must submit to the department the colloquium attendance form signed by the faculty advisor prior to applying for graduation.

Focus Areas

All coursework in one of the following focus areas must be completed:

• Communications and networks focus area
  • Required courses:
    • ECE 6015: Stochastic Processes in Engineering
    • ECE 6035: Introduction to Computer Networks
    • ECE 6510: Communication Theory
  • At least two courses selected from the following:
    • ECE 6500: Information Theory
    • ECE 6505: Error Control Coding
    • ECE 6520: Mobile and Wireless Communication Systems
    • ECE 6525: Satellite Communication Systems
    • ECE 6530: Electronic Warfare
    • ECE 6550: Network Architectures and Protocols
    • ECE 6560: Network Performance Analysis
    • ECE 6565: Network Security
    • ECE 6570: Telecommunications Security Protocols
    • ECE 6575: Optical Communication Networks
    • ECE 6580: Wireless Networks
    • ECE 6715: Antennas
    • ECE 6720: Remote Sensing
    • ECE 6725: Electromagnetic Radiation and Scattering
    • ECE 6730: Waves in Random Media
    • ECE 6750: Modern Radar Systems
    • ECE 6760: Propagation Modeling in Wireless Communications
• Cyber-physical security focus area
  • Required courses:
    • ECE 6134: Cloud Computing and Security
    • ECE 6565: Network Security
    • ECE 6669: Smart Power Grids
  • At least four courses selected from the following:
    • ECE 6005: Computer Architecture and Design
    • ECE 6035: Introduction to Computer Networks
    • ECE 6070: Electrical Power Systems
    • ECE 6130: Big Data and Cloud Computing
    • ECE 6160: Secure Computing Systems
    • ECE 6570: Telecommunications Security Protocols
    • ECE 6666: Power System Transmission, Control, and Security
    • ECE 6691: Power Systems Reliability
• Electrical power and energy focus area
  • Required courses:
    • ECE 6070: Electrical Power Systems
  • At least two courses selected from the following:
    • ECE 6010: Linear Systems Theory
    • ECE 6020: Applied Electromagnetics
    • ECE 6025: Signals and Transforms in Engineering
  • At least three courses selected from the following:
    • ECE 6660: Electric Power Generation
    • ECE 6610: Electrical Energy Conversion
    • ECE 6662: Power Electronics
    • ECE 6666: Power System Transmission, Control, and Security
    • ECE 6667: Nuclear Power Generation
    • ECE 6668: Power Distribution Grids
    • ECE 6669: Smart Power Grids
    • ECE 6670: Power System Protection
    • ECE 6690: Power Systems Economics
    • ECE 6691: Power Systems Reliability
    • ECE 6699: Energy and Sustainability
• Machine learning and intelligent systems focus area
  • Required courses:
    • ECE 6210: Machine Intelligence
    • ECE 6217: Neural Networks and Hardware Implementations
    • ECE 6882: Reinforcement Learning
  • At least four courses selected from the following:
    • ECE 6010: Linear Systems Theory
    • ECE 6015: Stochastic Processes in Engineering
    • ECE 6035: Introduction to Computer Networks
    • ECE 6255: Sensors, Networks, and Applications
    • ECE 6510: Communication Theory
    • ECE 6580: Wireless Networks
    • ECE 6761: Light and Information
    • ECE 6800: Computational Techniques in Electrical Engineering
    • ECE 6845: Image Synthesis
    • ECE 6850: Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning
    • ECE 6880: Adaptive Signal Processing
    • ECE 6885: Computer Vision
• MEMS, electronics, and photonics focus area
  • Required courses:
    • ECE 6030: Device Electronics
  • At least four courses selected from the following:
    • ECE 6020: Applied Electromagnetics
    • ECE 6210: Machine Intelligence
    • ECE 6213: Design of VLSI Circuits
    • ECE 6214: High-Level VLSI Design Methodology
    • ECE 6215: Microsystems Design, Simulation, and Fabrication for Sensor Applications
    • ECE 6216: RF/VLSI Circuit Design
    • ECE 6217: Neural Networks and Hardware Implementations
    • ECE 6218: Advanced Analog VLSI Circuit Design
    • ECE 6221: Introduction to Physical Electronics
    • ECE 6240: VLSI Design and Simulation
    • ECE 6245: Microfabrication and Nanofabrication Technology
    • ECE 6250: ASIC Design and Testing of VLSI Circuits
    • ECE 6255: Sensors, Networks, and Applications
    • ECE 6260: Introduction to Nanoelectronics
    • ECE 6710: Microwave Engineering
    • ECE 6715: Antennas
    • ECE 6735: Numerical Electromagnetics
    • ECE 6745: Analysis of Nonlinear and Multivalued Devices
    • ECE 6761: Light and Information
    • ECE 6765: Photonics and Fiber Optics
    • ECE 6770: Applied Magnetism
• Signal and image processing, systems, and controls focus area
  • Required courses:
    • ECE 6015: Stochastic Processes in Engineering
  • At least four courses selected from the following:
    • ECE 6005: Computer Architecture and Design
    • ECE 6010: Linear Systems Theory
    • ECE 6025: Signals and Transforms in Engineering
    • ECE 6666: Power System Transmission, Control, and Security
    • ECE 6800: Computational Techniques in Electrical Engineering
    • ECE 6810: Speech and Audio Processing by Computer
    • ECE 6815: Multimedia Processing
    • ECE 6820: Real-Time Digital Signal Processing
    • ECE 6825: Computer Control Systems
    • ECE 6830: System Optimization
    • ECE 6835: Nonlinear Systems
    • ECE 6840: Digital Image Processing
    • ECE 6845: Image Synthesis
    • ECE 6850: Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning
    • ECE 6855: Computer Vision
    • ECE 6860: Compression Techniques for Data, Speech, and Video
    • ECE 6865: Statistical Signal Estimation
    • ECE 6875: Wavelets and Their Applications
    • ECE 6880: Adaptive Signal Processing
    • ECE 6885: Computer Vision

Electives

• Non-thesis option: 15 credits in elective courses; thesis option: 9 credits in elective courses. For either option, at least 3 credits must come from outside the area of focus list.
• Normally, no more than two courses taken outside of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering can be counted toward the requirements for the degree. Courses taken outside the department must have prior approval from the student’s faculty advisor. In addition, no more than three 3000- or 4000-level ECE courses that have been approved for graduate credit may be counted toward the requirements for the degree.

Educational Planner

In consultation with an academic advisor, each student must develop an Educational Planner through DegreeMAP that governs the student’s plan of study. The Educational Planner should be established soon after matriculation and must be completed before the end of the student’s first semester. The Educational Planner must be approved by the advisor.