Program Overview

Systems and Control Engineering, MS

Overview

The Master of Science in Systems and Control Engineering is a graduate program that focuses on the development of advanced systems and control technologies. The program is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the principles and practices of systems and control engineering, as well as the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of interest.

Admission

Graduate students shall be admitted to one of three MS degree tracks (thesis-focused, project-focused, course-focused) upon recommendation of the faculty of the Department. Requirements for admission include a strong record of scholarship in a completed bachelor's degree program in a field of engineering, mathematical or physical sciences, and fluency in written and spoken English.

• A strong record of scholarship in a completed bachelor's degree program in a field of engineering, mathematical or physical sciences
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• TOEFL score of at least 90 on the internet-based exam for thesis-focused or project-focused track
• TOEFL score of at least 80 for course-focused track

Registration

Course registration is performed through the Student Information System (SIS). Each semester before registration, students should update any personal information that may have changed by logging into SIS and editing the appropriate information. All registration holds must be lifted in order to successfully complete the registration process.

Advising

Upon admission to the graduate program, each graduate student is assigned an academic advisor to assist in registration as well as planning a program of study (Academic Program). This is a temporary assignment made by the Department Chairperson based on the student's academic and research interests as identified at the time of application.

• Each student must identify a faculty member who is willing to serve as the student's research advisor
• Students are expected to pick a research advisor by the end of their first semester in the program
• The research advisor will also serve as the student's permanent academic advisor if they are a member of the department faculty

Appeals

Any decision by an academic advisor, thesis guidance committee or department associate chairperson may be appealed, in writing, to the department associate chairperson who shall present the appeal, with their recommendations, to the faculty at its next regular faculty meeting. The faculty's decision shall be final.

Graduate Policies

For graduate policies and procedures, please review the School of Graduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.

Program Requirements

Thesis-Focused Track

The MS Thesis-Focused track is composed of two components:

1. graduate-level coursework
2. a research-oriented thesis

• At least 30 credit hours of coursework at the 400-level or above
• A minimum of 18 credit hours must be from non-thesis related courses
• Each Systems and Control Engineering MS Thesis-Focused student must complete at least 9 credit hours of ECSE 651
• Completion of the MS Thesis-Focused track requires that the student submit a written thesis and make an oral presentation of the findings to a thesis guidance committee

Project-Focused Track

The MS Project-Focused track is composed of two components:

1. graduate-level coursework
2. a research-oriented project

• At least 30 credit hours of coursework at the 400-level or above
• A minimum of 21 credit hours from courses other than ECSE 695
• Each Systems and Control Engineering MS Project-Focused student must complete at least 3 credit hours of ECSE 695
• Each candidate for the Systems and Control Engineering Master of Science degree under a Project-Focused track must pass a comprehensive examination to be administered by a committee of department faculty

Course-Focused Track

The Course-Focused MS track requirements consist of:

1. the completion of 30 credit hours of approved coursework at the 400-level or higher
2. satisfactory completion of the culminating course-focused experience
3. additional requirements as specified by the program

• Students should consult with their academic advisor and/or department to determine the detailed requirements within this framework