Master of Science Engineering with a Concentration in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MS)

In a rapidly evolving technological world, masters degrees in engineering have become increasingly valuable and frequently sought after. Our Master of Science (M.S.) in Engineering with a concentration in Electrical & Computer Engineering is designed to prepare the technological leaders of tomorrow. The program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours and offers flexibility to accommodate both full-time and part-time students. Coursework can be completed through a mix of on-campus and online classes. For further inquiries, please contact us at ECEGPD@odu.edu.

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Engineering with a Concentration in Electrical and Computer Engineering requires 30 credits and is available in three pathways – the Thesis Option, the Project Option, and the Coursework-Only Option.  The curricular requirements for each of these options are described in detail in this catalog.  These pathways provide a range of options for pursuing advanced study.  Prospective students are encouraged to speak with the Graduate Program Director (or a faculty advisor) if unsure which pathway is most suitable for their needs.

Additional Information

Additional Graduate Student Resources (Graduate School): The Graduate School has extensive additional resources for graduate students at https://www.odu.edu/graduateschool/graduate-student-resources  

Program Financial Aid: Our programs offer graduate assistantships with stipends, awarded to students following a competitive review process.  The level of award is determined on the basis of previous experience and performance as a graduate assistant and on the student’s academic achievement and potential in the field. In addition, several teaching and research positions are available to support graduate assistants during the summer months (June and July).

Accelerated Study (Dual Dominion Program): Undergraduate students in the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology can apply for entry into the Dual Dominion Program, which permits students to begin pursuit of a graduate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering while they are still pursuing their undergraduate degree in a complementary discipline. Subject to the approval of the undergraduate and graduate program directors, a student enrolled in the Dual Dominion program can count up to six credit hours of course work towards both the undergraduate and the graduate degrees. Full-time students may be able to complete the requirements for the bachelor's degree in four years and the master's degree in one additional year.  Students who are matriculated in an undergraduate major in the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology with a GPA of at least 3.00 overall and 3.00 in the major are eligible to apply for admission to a Dual Dominion Bachelor's/Master's program.  Additional Undergraduate Catalog information on the Dual Dominion program can be found at https://catalog.odu.edu/undergraduate/registrationrequirementsandprocedures/linked_programs/.

Admission Information

Application Process

Summary: Applications for graduate study in the Master of Science in Engineering Program (Electrical and Computer Engineering Concentration) should be made through the general ODU Application Portal.  Additional materials supporting your application (outlined below) will be required. Once complete, your application package will be reviewed and forwarded to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Program's Graduate Program Director for consideration.  Questions regarding the general application process can be directed to admissions@odu.edu (on-campus) or globaladmissions@odu.edu (online).

Application Deadlines:  The Master of Science in Engineering Program uses a rolling admission process and does not have a formal application deadline.  Entrance into the program and commencement of studies will be timed to begin with the start of the next academic term following admission.

General ODU Requirements

General ODU Requirements: General requirements for graduate admission to the Master of Science in Engineering Program (Electrical and Computer Engineering Concentration) are available on the ODU Graduate Admissions website.   Additional details can be found in the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog.

Additional Program Requirements:

Prior Degrees: Applicants are expected to hold a B.S. degree in electrical engineering (EE) or computer engineering (CpE) from an accredited institution. 

Undergraduate GPA: Applicants are also expected to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in both the baccalaureate major area (EE or CpE) and overall. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission, which may require additional prerequisite courses beyond the graduate degree requirements.

Transcripts: Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended are required.

Examination/Test Scores: Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is nominally required.  However, this requirement is waived if the applicant holds an engineering degree from an ABET-accredited institution in the USA.

Language Proficiency Requirements: TOEFL (or IELTS) scores are required for all applicants whose native language is not English, unless their BS degrees are from USA institutions.  These applicants must meet University admission requirements (IELTS: 6.5 or TOEFL iBT: 79). Please refer to the website at https://www.odu.edu/admissions/proficiency for additional details.

Résumé: A résumé or CV detailing relevant experience is required.

Personal Statement: Each applicant must submit an essay of 500 words or fewer describing personal and academic goals, professional objectives, preparation for graduate study, and how the chosen program will help the applicant achieve these goals and objectives.

Recommendation Letters: Two letters of recommendation must be submitted.  At least one must be from a former or current professor, and one could alternatively be from an employment supervisor. 

Provisional Admission: Applicants with a GPA below a 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission, which may require additional prerequisite courses in addition to the graduate degree requirements.  Applicants with academic degrees in areas other than electrical and computer engineering will be considered. Those with degrees in math, physics, computer science, or other engineering fields are encouraged to apply. The linked Bachelor's/Master's degree program in the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University is designed to provide exceptionally qualified engineering undergraduate students with the opportunity to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Typically, undergraduate students apply for admission to the linked programs at the end of their junior year. Only the Graduate Program Director (GPD) can waive an admission requirement.  Please reach out directly to the GPD if you think you are eligible for a waiver from a requirement.  The GPD may request additional information, including GRE scores.  Provisionally admitted students may be required to complete additional prerequisite course requirements to prepare them for the graduate curriculum in the discipline.

Accepted students from disciplines other than EE or CpE are required to complete a number of leveling courses to meet prerequisites for graduate studies. All students are required to have one year of college chemistry and one year of calculus-based college physics in addition to Calculus III and Differential Equations courses.  Students at Old Dominion University may complete the leveling requirement by earning a minor in electrical or computer engineering with a GPA of 3.0 or greater.  Students who have not earned a minor need to meet with the graduate program director to prepare a course plan and determine which pre-requisite courses are needed.  In general, three to four leveling courses are needed and they are chosen from the following lists.

List of Possible Courses to Meet the Leveling Requirement

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
ECE 202	Circuit Analysis II	3
ECE 241	Fundamentals of Computer Engineering	4
ECE 302	Linear System Analysis	3
ECE 303	Introduction to Electrical Power	3
ECE 304	Probability, Statistics, and Reliability	3
ECE 313	Electronic Circuits	4
ECE 323	Electromagnetics	3
ECE 332	Microelectronic Materials and Processes	3
ECE 341	Digital System Design	3
ECE 346	Microcontrollers	3
ECE 381	Introduction to Discrete-time Signal Processing	3

Students interested in taking computer engineering graduate courses may need to take additional leveling computer science courses as indicated below.

List of Possible Computer Science Courses to Meet the Leveling Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
CS 350	Introduction to Software Engineering	3
CS 361	Data Structures and Algorithms	3
CS 381	Introduction to Discrete Structures	3

Curriculum Requirements

Curriculum requirements in the Master of Science in Engineering (Electrical and Computer Engineering Concentration) are specified in the Requirements for Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.

Progression in the M.S. program is governed by a Plan of Study established by the student in conjunction with his/her advisor, graduate program advisor, or guidance committee.  The Plan of Study will follow the established course requirements (below) unless a substitution to one or more courses is agreed upon between the student and their primary advisor and approved by the Graduate Program Director.

The plan of study is designed to prepare the student to undertake scholarly research in the particular field and specialization of their dissertation. The coursework selected will provide the student with (1) the requisite foundational knowledge of the selected field, and (2) the necessary research skills. A high degree of flexibility is provided to customize the plan of study, taking into account the diversity of fields of study, the multidisciplinary nature and variety of research undertaken, as well as the different levels of preparation that individual students have upon entry to the program.

The Master of Science in Engineering with a Concentration in Electrical and Computer Engineering can be can be earned through three possible Options with differing combinations of classwork, projects, and thesis requirements.

1. Thesis Option: 30 credit hours total (24 credits coursework + 6 credit thesis)*
2. Project Option: 30 credit hours total (27 credits coursework + 3 credit project)*
3. Coursework Option: 30 credit hours total (all credits coursework)*

*Note that completion of all three Options requires students to pass an examination.  The Thesis Option requires students to complete a thesis, the Project Option requires students to pass an oral project defense examination, and the Coursework Option requires students to pass an written comprehensive exam(for environmental engineering) comprehensive examination at the end of all course work.

Degree requirements for each of the three Options are outlined below.

The M.S. degree thesis option requires a minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework (excluding the Graduate Seminar) and 6 credit hours of thesis, along with the oral thesis defense examination. Continuation in the M.S. program thesis option is contingent upon identifying a MS thesis advisor after completing 18 credit hours of coursework (which coincides approximately with the end of the second semester of study for full-time students). For the thesis committee, the chair has to be a full-time ECE faculty member or a faculty member with an ECE degree in the Batten College of Engineering and Technology (BCET). A faculty member who is not in BCET can still be approved to serve as the advisor, but cannot be the committee chair unless they have a joint appointment with ECE.  Also, a minimum of 2 full-time ECE faculty members and 1 outside ECE member are required on the committee.  

The M.S. degree project option requires a minimum of 27 credit hours of courses (not including the Graduate Seminar) and 3 credit hours of Master’s project course (ECE 698) that includes an oral defense examination.

The M.S. degree course option requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework (excluding the Graduate Seminar) and a written comprehensive examination at the end of the coursework.  The examination is offered in the fall and spring semesters, and the student must pass it in no more than 2 attempts.  The second attempt, if necessary, should be taken at the next offered examination.

The M.S. program is available to full-time and part-time students seeking to improve their professional skills in electrical and computer engineering. Students are required to complete at least one course that meets the department's mathematics requirement.  The current list of courses that meet this requirement is given next.

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
ECE 601	Linear Systems	3
ECE 611	Numerical Methods in Engineering Analysis	3
ECE 623	Electromagnetism	3
ECE 651	Statistical Analysis and Simulation	3

The remaining courses are chosen to meet the student's career objectives. To earn a master's degree, a student needs to take at least five courses at the 600 or higher level, no more than 6 credit hours of Independent Study courses (ECE 797), and no more than three courses at the 500 level. Also, no more than three graduate courses can be taken in other departments. The Graduate Program Director, in concurrence with the Chair, can approve exceptions to these requirements under special circumstances. All course selections must be reviewed by the graduate program director, and for the M.S. thesis option, students' course selections should be made in coordination with their research/thesis advisor. The graduate course descriptions are included in the graduate catalog and are also listed on the department's website.  Additional graduate courses are offered through Cardinal Education (Home - Cardinal Education). All funded Master's students are required to attend the Graduate Seminar (ECE 731).