PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering  

 

 

Ph.D. Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering

 

General Description

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department offers a Ph.D. program open to all qualified candidates with an M.S. degree in electrical or computer engineering. Exceptionally qualified students with a B.S. degree in electrical or computer engineering may be admitted to the M.S.-Ph.D. track. These students will not be required to complete all the course work for an M.S. degree, and they can better tailor their course choices towards their Ph.D. research. Students in the M.S.-Ph.D. track will be officially transferred to the Ph.D. program upon successful completion of the course requirements outlined below and a recommendation from their academic advisor. Outstanding electrical or computer engineering M.S. students presently enrolled at George Mason University or elsewhere may also apply to transfer to the M.S.-Ph.D. track. These students may receive credit for completed course work in their M.S. programs. Students from the IT Ph.D. program at George Mason University, or from any other qualified doctoral program, are welcome to apply to transfer to the ECE Ph.D. program. Qualified students with non-ECE B.S. degrees in science or engineering may be admitted to the program after completing additional course work tailored to their background. All new and transferring students must perform the entire dissertation research work in the ECE Ph.D. program at George Mason University. The ECE Ph.D. program is overseen by the Doctoral Studies Committee chaired by Professor Yariv Ephraim. The program is directed by the Chair of the ECE Department, Professor Andre Manitius. All decisions related to this program are subject to the approval of the Chair of the ECE Department.

To top

Goal

The goal of the program is to prepare students to perform independent and original research in their areas of interest. While the course requirement provides necessary tools for performing research, the emphasis of the program is on high quality research work. Students are required to demonstrate ability to perform original research deemed publishable in refereed journals, or in highly selective refereed conference proceedings if such are more common in a specific area of research. There are currently five areas of active research in the ECE Department:

  1. Communications and Computer Networks
  2. Computer Engineering
  3. Control Systems and Robotics
  4. Signal Processing
  5. Microelectronics

More details on these areas can be found in the ECE Research home page and in the faculty individual home pages.


To top

Admission

All applicants must follow the university admission procedure and submit the university application form. In addition, all applicants, including GMU undergraduates, must submit official undergraduate transcripts and official results of the graduate record examination (GRE) general test. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 575 (paper) or 230 (computer based) on the TOEFL is required for admission. Application deadline is 1 April for the Fall semester and 1 November for the Spring semester.

To expedite review of your application you are encouraged to email (in pdf format) an additional copy of the following documents directly to the ECE Department:

  • Undergraduate and graduate transcripts in English
  • GRE score
  • TOEFL score
  • Brief statement of your ECE area of interest
  • Resume
  • Recommendation letters emailed directly from your referees to the above email address if they are willing.

Admission to the ECE Ph.D. program is solely based on academic achievements and potential match between students and faculty research interests. We weigh all academic evidence including undergraduate and graduate grades, GRE and TOFEL scores, and publications in internationally recognized journals or qualified conference proceedings. A student may be declined if no potential advisor is found. Admission to the ECE Ph.D. program has been highly competitive.

George Mason University M.S. students and IT Ph.D. students who wish to transfer to the ECE Ph.D. program should send their applications to the ECE Doctoral Studies Committee, ECE Department, MSN 1G5. The following documents are required.

  1. Application form
  2. Resume
  3. GMU Transcript
  4. All other undergraduate and graduate work transcripts
  5. A recommendation letter from their present Ph.D. Advisor or their present M.S. Advisor
  6. A brief statement of research performed under the IT program (if any)
  7. GRE general test scores (beginning from Fall 2003)


To top

Requirements

Students must satisfy all university doctoral degree requirements as published in the George Mason University catalog and all program specific requirements of the ECE Ph.D. program as outlined in this document.

To top

Qualifying Examination

The exam will be offered once a year and students must take the exam within the first year after they have entered the program with an M.S. degree. Students in the M.S.-Ph.D. track must take the exam within the first year after they have completed 24 credit hours beyond the BS degree. A student who fulfills these course credit requirements in the beginning of the Fall semester of a given year, must take the exam in that academic year. A student who fulfills these course credit requirements in the beginning of the Spring semester of a given year, must take the exam no later than the following academic year. Academic advisors or student coordinators are not authorized to permit a student to postpone taking the qualifying exam. Only extraordinarily circumstances may be considered by the Doctoral Studies Committee as legitimate excuse for postponement of the exam. A student must obtain a written approval from the Chair of the Doctoral Studies Committee to postpone taking the exam. A student who does not take the exam on time, and has not obtained the written postponement approval, will be considered to have taken the exam and failed.

 

The qualifying exam has a written and an oral part. The written part of the qualifying exam will be offered at the end of January, see ECE Department Announcements for the exact schedule. The oral part will be administered shortly thereafter according to a schedule that will be published.

 

The exam is not tied to any particular courses. It is offered in the following three areas. Each area consists of four subjects.


The exam will test the student’s breadth of knowledge and ability to do research. While the exam is based on basic concepts usually acquired in undergraduate studies, it will require graduate thinking and ability to integrate material from several subjects. The written exam consists of two problems in each subject, of which the student must solve five problems from no more than three subjects in an area. A student, who submits more than five problems, will have only the first five problems graded, and the other problems will be ignored. A link is provided to the topics in each subject. The written exam will be administered in class from 11:00am - 5:00pm on the day of the exam. Books, notes and electronic devices of any kind are not allowed in the exam. Students are required to register for the exam by emailing Professor Yariv Ephraim by 1 October . At the time of registration students must declare the one area in which they desire to be tested.

 

The oral exam will cover the three subjects corresponding to the questions answered by the student. It will be conducted at the offices of designated professors from these areas. The list of these professors for each particular year will be published.  The oral exam for each student will typically last 15-20 minutes.

 

Upon completion of the written and oral parts, a pass/fail grade will be assign to each student by a committee of faculty members. The grade will reflect the combined performance of the student in the written and oral parts. A student who fails the exam the first time either by earning a failing grade or by not showing up for their scheduled exam will have one more chance to pass it in the following year. A student who fails the exam twice will be dismissed from the program.

 

Students with a non-ECE background may substitute one subject in their chosen area with a subject compatible with their background and which is relevant to their planned research in the ECE Ph.D. program. These students should declare their replacment subject, after consultations with their advisors, at the time of registration for the qualifying exam.

 

Faculty members are required not to discuss any aspect of the qualifying exam or its evaluation with the students. The department will communicate to the student the results of the exam in writing within two weeks of the written exam.

 

All transfer students must take the ECE qualifying exam. IT Ph.D. transfer students are also required to take the ECE qualifying exam even if they have taken the IT qualifying exam or the comprehensive exam.

 

To top

Course Requirements

There are three categories of admitted students.

 

  1. Students admitted with an M.S. degree: These students must complete 18-24 course credit hours and 24 dissertation research hours. A total of 42-48 credit hours.
  2. Students admitted for the M.S.-Ph.D. track: These students must complete 24-30 course credit hours in the MS program in addition to the requirements in 1). A total of 72 credit hours.
  3. Students holding a European "Diploma" degree: These students may receive up to 24 course credit hours towards their M.S. degree. The majority of course credit must be for ECE courses.

 

Of the required 18-24 course credit hours required from all Ph.D. students, at most 6 credits may be at the 500 level and at least 9 credits have to be at the 700 level or higher. Individualized reading courses cannot account for more than 6 credits. Ph.D. students are required to take one graduate course, of 3 credit hours at the 600 level or above, outside the ECE Department in a subject considered fundamental in their areas of specialization, or a course relevant to the specialization but provided by other doctoral programs at GMU. Typical examples would be advanced mathematics or statistics courses for those wishing to specialize in communications, signal processing or control; physics courses for those in electronics; or computer science courses for those in computer engineering. Each Ph.D. student is required to take two courses for 6 credit hours within the ECE Department but outside the chosen area of specialization. This requirement may be satisfied with courses taken during previous studies, subject to approval.

Course work taken at other institutions or in Non-Degree status at George Mason University may be elegible for transfer credit. This course work must have been taken within six years prior to first enrollment as an admitted student in the ECE Ph.D. program. The credit cannot have been previously applied towards a degree at another institution or at George Mason University. For courses taken elsewhere, the equivalent levels are to be determined by the Ph.D. Advisor and are subject to the approval to the Chair of the ECE Department. University requirements related to transfer courses can be found in the Graduate Polices Section of the George Mason catalog.

Each student must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 in his/her course work. A student with a lower GPA may be dismissed from the program.

A candidate must complete a minimum of 12 credits of doctoral proposal (ECE 998) and doctoral dissertation research (ECE 999). A maximum of 24 credits of ECE 998 and ECE 999 may be applied to the degree. Students who choose to take less than 24 credits of ECE 998 and ECE 999 may earn the remaining credits from approved course work. The University has a requirement of continuity in the enrollment in 999 level courses. Please read about it in the general PhD requirements of GMU.


All decisions concerning the fulfillment of these course requirements are subject to approval of the Chair of the ECE Department.

To register for reading and research courses such as ECE 798, ECE 998, ECE 999, students should contact the ECE office to obtain a special registration code.

To top

Plan of Study

Students admitted for the M.S.-Ph.D. track must formally request to be transferred to the Ph.D. program upon completion of 24 course credit hours. They should submit their request, along with their GMU transcript, to the Chair of the ECE Department. Students in the M.S.-Ph.D. track, who wish to obtain an M.S. degree, must complete 6 additional 600 level or above credit hours or a total of 30 credit hours beyond their Bachelor degree. All Ph.D. students must submit a plan of study to the Chair of the ECE Department within the first semester in the program. The plan must detail the courses and the timetable that the student intends to follow. The plan must first be approved by the student's Ph.D. Advisor.

To top

Research and Dissertation Requirements

Advising

Upon passing the qualifying exam, each student must declare a Ph.D. advisor for his/her dissertation. This advisor may be the same advisor assigned to the student on entry to the program or a different faculty member, normally from the ECE Department. Other George Mason University faculty members may serve as Ph.D. advisors. Students who wish to have an advisor, whose name is not on the list, must obtain a written approval from the Chair of the ECE Department. In some cases, an expert holding a Ph.D. degree from industry or government may serve as a co-advisor with an ECE faculty. Co-advising is subject to approval of the Chair of the ECE Department.


To top

Dissertation Committee

The student Ph.D. advisor will form a dissertation committee of four faculty members. The committee must comprise three ECE faculty members and a faculty member from outside the ECE Department. A fifth committee member from outside the university may be added to the dissertation committee if justified by the subject of the dissertation. The composition of the dissertation committee must be submitted to the Chair of the ECE Department for approval.

To top

Research Dissertation Proposal

Each Ph.D. student must submit a written research dissertation proposal to the dissertation committee at least one month before the research competency exam is scheduled. The proposal must outline the proposed research and possible alternative approaches to accomplish the stated goals. The student shall orally present the proposal during the research competency exam. Upon submission of the dissertation proposal, the student's Ph.D. advisor will submit an electronic copy of the proposal and the presentation schedule to the Chair of the ECE Department, Professor Andre Manitius, and to the Chair of the Doctoral Studies Committee, Professor Yariv Ephraim.

To top

Research Competency Examination

Each Ph.D. student must take an oral research competency examination. The goal of this exam is to test the readiness of the student to start the dissertation research. The exam has two parts. The first comprises a maximum of 45-minute presentation of the research dissertation proposal by the student. During the second part of the exam, the committee will verify that the student is well acquainted with the material from the higher-level courses that are relevant to the student's research, and that the student is familiar with the relevant technical literature. A student cannot enroll in ECE 999 before his/her research proposal was accepted and approved by the dissertation committee.

To top

Advancement to Candidacy

A student is advanced to candidacy following satisfactory completion of all required course work and passing of the research competency examination. Following written notification from the student's Ph.D. Advisor, of the satisfactory completion of all required course work and passing of the Research Competency Examination, the Chair of the ECE Department will certify the student’s eligibility for candidacy. Doctoral students have a maximum of six years from the time of admission to the program to advance to candidacy.

To top

Dissertation

The dissertation must represent an achievement in research; it must be a significant contribution to its field, and should be deemed publishable in refereed journals, or in highly selective refereed conference proceedings if such are more common in the specific area of research. Guidelines related to formatting and schedules can be obtained by attending a short Dissertation Workshop.


To top

Seminars

Students are strongly encouraged to present their research results in departmental seminar, conferences, etc., to benefit from feedback from faculty and other researchers in the field. Submission of research results to conferences and journal requires the approval of the Ph.D. advisor.  Ph.D. candidates must present their research results at least once in a departmental seminar. Upon completion of a dissertation draft, a candidate is required to present his/her dissertation in a pre-defense seminar. The pre-defense requirement seminar may be waived by the Chair of the ECE Department, upon recommendation of the dissertation committee, if the student is believed to be ready to proceed to the public defense.


To top

Pre-Approval of Dissertation

The dissertation committee will confirm in writing the readiness of a student to present the dissertation research work in a public defense seminar. Upon approval by the Chair of the ECE Department, the student will submit a copy of the dissertation to the University Johnson Center Library Circulation/Reserves Desk for review by interested readers one month prior to the public defense. Students should check the university guidelines for submission details.

 
To top

Dissertation Presentation

Each Ph.D. candidate must present the research dissertation in a public defense seminar. The public defense seminar will be followed by a closed-door discussion by the dissertation committee.

To top

Teaching Requirement

As part of the Ph.D. program students are required to develop lecturing and teaching skills. Each Ph.D. student is required to participate in the ECE Department's teaching activity. Serving as a recitation instructor or lab instructor in one full semester course will fulfill this requirement.

To top

Time to Completion

Doctoral students have six years from the time of admission to become advanced to candidacy (Satisfactory completion of all required course work, passing the Research Competency Examination, and certification by the Chair of the ECE Department). Students have five years from the time of advancement to candidacy to complete their dissertation. Full-time students entering the program with M.S. degrees are expected to complete their Ph.D. within four years. Students entering the program with Bachelor's degrees are expected to complete their Ph.D. within six years.

To top

Graduation

A student fulfilling the above stated requirements may apply for graduation by completing a checklist and submitting it to the Chair of the ECE Department.

To top

Last updated: 4 December 2002