Electrical & Computer Engineering Graduate Program
|
|
Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s (ABM) program
The ABM program allows full-time undergraduate students within two semesters of BSEE or BSCpE graduation at USA, who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better at USA (with at least 30 credit hours taken at USA), to earn their MSEE degree at an accelerated pace. Students registered for the ABM program may use up to six credit hours of graduate course work towards both the BSEE/BSCpE and MSEE degrees. This means that after earning the BSEE or BSCpE degree the course load for the MSEE degree is reduced by six credit hours. More information is available here.
Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)
A Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering is increasingly required for advanced-level employment opportunities with higher-profile national and international employers. Students who want to separate themselves from the pack in the employment race should seriously consider taking a Master’s degree either through the ABM program (see above) or as a stand-alone qualification. The programs of study provide knowledge of modern engineering concepts and practices, and build upon the knowledge and skills expected of a holder of a typical Bachelor’s degree to the point where a Master’s graduate can make high-level contributions to contemporary engineering designs. A Master’s degree is also an ideal preparation for further study towards the doctoral degree if desired.
MSEE students can choose one of the three tracks: Electrical Engineering Track, Computer Engineering Track, or Systems Engineering Track. Within each track, three study options are available. The thesis option requires writing a medium-length technical report. This thesis is generally a contribution to original engineering research on a topic of great relevance to current state-of-art in Electrical or Computer Engineering. The alternative project option requires writing a shorter technical project report, usually heavily oriented toward Electrical or Computer Engineering applications. Both these options require a total of 30 credit hours. Finally, the Course option includes no project work but requires 30 credit hours of coursework. More information is available here.
The required courses for each track are as follows:
Electrical Engineering Track
EE 575 – Stochastic Processes
EE 526 – Introduction to Robotics
EE 566 – Digital Image Processing
Computer Engineering Track
EE 575 – Stochastic Processes
EE 548 – Computer and Network Security
EE 560 – Advanced Computer Architecture
Systems Engineering Track
EE 575 – Stochastic Processes
SE 601 – Systems Engineering Fundamentals
SE 602 – Risk and Failure Analysis
Each study option is structured as follows:
Thesis Option: 30 credit hours
- Minimum EE course requirements
- Graduate level: 3 courses
- Dual listed level: 1 course
- Other ECE requirements
Project Option: 30 credit hours**
- Minimum EE course requirements
- Graduate level: 3 courses
- Dual listed level: 2 courses
- Other ECE requirements
Course Option: 30 credit hours
- Minimum EE course requirements
- Graduate level: 3 courses
- Dual listed level: 2 courses
- Other ECE requirements
Supporting area courses may be taken from courses offered by any of the following departments: Mathematics & Statistics, Computer & Information Sciences, Engineering (any), Chemistry, Physics, Life Sciences. These must be at the 500 level.
**The Project Option allows no more than 3 credit hrs. of supporting area courses at the 500 level offered by the College of Business and Management, while the Course Option allows no more than 6 credit hours of supporting area courses at the 500 level offered by the College of Business and Management. These require the express approval of the advisor.
There are no deadlines for graduate study applications in Engineering, but you are recommended to apply in good time to allow evaluation of your application and to make arrangements to relocate here if admitted.
Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD)
The PhD is the highest degree available in most disciplines. The PhD program is designed to prepare students for leadership positions in applied research, to meet the needs of industry and the engineering community for highly-qualified technical experts, and to capitalize on opportunities for interaction between a research university and industry. Graduate faculty members of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department are ready to advise and supervise students who wish to earn a Doctoral degree (PhD) in Systems Engineering following the ECE Track, or in Biomedical Engineering (a track of the Basic Medical Sciences PhD offered in conjunction with the USA College of Medicine).
The Systems Engineering PhD (ECE Track) offers students a holistic approach to the design and understanding of complex electrical, electronic or computer systems. Graduates of this track can apply the fundamental principles of Systems Engineering complemented by advanced knowledge of Electrical and Computer Engineering to a variety of scientific areas, such as power, control, electronics, electromagnetics, image processing, computer networks and advanced computer architecture with an application focus. The main objectives of this PhD program are to 1) provide our graduates with the ability to approach electrical or computer engineering with the ability to understand the entire system lifecycle in a manner that meets the needs of industry, and 2) prepare our graduates for leadership positions requiring applied research, strong theoretical background and critical thinking.
This program is appropriate for students who want to pursue research-based careers in industry, government, or academia. The program requires a combination of systems and electrical/computer engineering coursework along with ECE research resulting in a publicly defended doctoral dissertation.
|
|
More information about Systems Engineering
Students may pursue a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Basic Medical Sciences. This program is offered under a collaboration between faculty of the USA College of Engineering and faculty of the USA College of Medicine. The program combines an interdisciplinary core curriculum with advanced coursework and research in biomedical engineering. Students must meet requirements established for the Basic Medical Sciences graduate program in the College of Medicine.
Prospective students are encouraged first to contact Dr. Silas Leavesley (leavesley@southalabama.edu),
Director, Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, to discuss the program that best
fits their intended career path.PDF summarizing Biomedical Engineering track of PhD in Basic Medical Sciences
Overview of Biomedical Engineering track of PhD in Basic Medical Sciences
Details of Biomedical Engineering track of PhD in Basic Medical Sciences