General Requirements Applying to All MS and PHD Students

General Requirements Applying to All MS and PHD Students

Registration

All students in the MS and PhD programs must register for ECE 500 or another acceptable Professional Development seminar course each semester. A suitable substitution for ECE 500 is ENG 591 ‘Engineering Advanced Seminar’. If enrolled in ECE 500, students must attend at least three seminars each semester to receive a ‘Satisfactory’ result in the class. If students choose to enroll in a Professional Development seminar class other than ECE 500, students must attend the prescribed number of classes to receive a ‘Satisfactory’ result in the class.

Unless designated as a Part-Time Student, all M.Eng Students are strongly encouraged to register for at least 12 hours of courses each semester. No registration is required for any summer courses during the M.Eng Degree.

Students approaching graduation must apply for their degrees by the deadline specified on the Graduate College Calendar. The University will not know that you are ready to graduate unless you notify them. This is done online (UI-Integrate Self-Service) at preregistration, or by submitting the "Application for Degree" form available from the Graduate College Thesis Handbook website. Please apply if there is a reasonable chance that you will graduate, even if you are uncertain about your graduation. This application does not carry over to the next graduation date. There is no penalty if you need to re-apply. Failure to apply for a degree by the deadline may result in not receiving the degree until the next semester.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Graduate (M.Eng/MS/PhD) students must maintain an Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 to show satisfactory academic progress toward their degree. The GPA considered is the student’s ‘Overall GPA’. The GPA is computed on all courses taken for hour credit except seminar courses in which S and U grades are recorded.

A student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is placed on ‘Limited Status’. If the student's Overall GPA remains under 3.0 after one semester on limited status, he/she may not continue in the ECE Graduate Program, and further registration is prohibited.

A degree candidate must have an Overall GPA of at least 3.0 to receive a graduate degree. Degree candidates who have not yet completed coursework requirements are expected to earn at least 6 hours of credit (other than credit in seminar courses such as ECE 590) each semester. This expectation does not apply if fewer than 6 hours are needed to fulfill the coursework requirement.

Credit Restrictions

Credit in courses at the 400 level that are specifically required or primarily intended for undergraduates in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering may not be included in the credits for a graduate degree. The courses not available for graduate credit are:

  • ECE 415445
  • PHYCS 404, 405, 435, 436
  • STAT 400

Note: Graduate students may not use the "Credit/No Credit" option for any 400-level and 500-level courses.

Credit Loads

A "full program of study" consists of 12 hours or more during a semester and 6 hours during an eight-week summer session. This is also the minimum credit load which must be carried in order to be certified as a full-time student (for loans, Immigration and Naturalization Service, fellowships, etc.) or to hold a tuition and fee waiver from the Graduate College. All assistants and fellows must register for a full program of study. In most cases, it is recommended that assistants satisfy the 12 hour registration requirement by registering for two courses (typically 8 hours total) plus an additional 4 hours of credit in ECE 599.