Electrical Engineering
3217 Bell Engineering Center
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: (479) 575-3005
Fax: (479) 575-7967
Contact us
Graduate Students
Graduate Degree Objectives
The graduate program offers a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (M.S.E.E.), an ONLINE Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (M.S.E.E.), and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Engineering with an emphasis in electrical engineering (Ph.D.).
The Electrical Engineering Department commits to providing additional instruction to graduate students as well as the research environment necessary for the graduate to succeed. This program will enable the graduate to:
- Accomplish research that will address new and critical issues
- Assume leadership roles in research and development teams
- Advance quickly to management positions in research and development
- Confidently take the leadership role where ever they choose their professional career
Graduate Degrees and Certificate
Admission
For the Ph.D. program, there must be a faculty member in the Department of Electrical Engineering who is willing to be your major advisor. Once the Graduate School accepts you, they send your application to the Electrical Engineering Department. Even if the Graduate Committee votes to accept you, there must be a faculty member who is willing to serve as your advisor. A GRE score of at least 302 is also required for the Ph.D. program unless the student's M.S. degree is from the University of Arkansas.
Link To Apply:
Application for Admission | University of Arkansas (uark.edu)
Required Coursework
The following is a summary of the degree requirements for the Ph.D. degree. See the
Electrical Engineering section of the Graduate Catalog for a more complete description.
- The Ph.D. degree requires 36 hours of coursework, as follows:
- A student entering the Ph.D. program with a B.S.E.E. will be required to complete a minimum of 36 hours of graded coursework.
- A student entering the Ph.D. program with an M.S. degree will be required to complete a minimum of an additional 12 hours of graded coursework on the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, campus.
- All Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 12 hours of graded coursework on the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, campus.
- The course work specified above must include a minimum of 30 hours of course work at the 5000 and 6000 level, and at least 24 of these 5000- and 6000-level hours must be in electrical engineering.
- The course work specified above must include EMGT 5033, GRSD 5003 or MSEN 5383.
- The doctoral program must include at least 72 hours of course work and thesis or dissertation hours. A maximum of six of these hours may be thesis hours. The remaining hours that are not course work must be dissertation. The Graduate School requires a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation for graduation.
Summary of the Main Steps in Completing a Ph.D. Degree
- Choose an Advisory Committee. You must choose an advisory committee before the end of your first semester of work. Your advisory committee will oversee your work and administer exams. Your major advisor is the chairman of your advisory committee, and will help select its members. The minimum number of members on a PhD Advisory Committee is four (4) members of the Graduate Faculty with Group I or Group II Graduate Faculty Status, with the majority of the committee members being inside the Department of Electrical Engineering. At least one member of the Committee must be outside the department. Fill out an Advisory Committee form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. If the advising committee members are the same as the dissertation committee then one form maybe used for both committees.
- Discuss Which Courses your Committee will Accept from your M.S. Degree. Your advisory committee must decide which courses they will accept from your M.S. degree. Fill out an MS Course Credit Hours Accepted Towards Ph.D. form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department.
- Take Your Ph.D. Readiness Assessment. Your advisor and advisory committee will test your readiness to complete a Ph.D. degree before the end of your first semester. You will be given an exam to determine weaknesses or specific courses of study required. Fill out a Ph.D. Readiness Assessment form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. For more details, click here.
- Decide Your Schedule of Study. In cooperation with your major advisor and advisory committee, you will choose all your courses for the entire Ph.D. degree. You will choose them all during your first semester. This means that you must plan your entire degree program at the beginning. This planning ahead is necessary to avoid missing any courses that may be offered only once every two years. The Two-year Tentative Schedule of Graduate Courses shows when each course will be offered. Fill out a Schedule of Study form and submit to the Electrical Engineering department.
- Choose a Dissertation Committee. Your dissertation committee will judge your dissertation defense. You major advisor is the chairman of your dissertation committee, and will help you select its members. The minimum number of members on a PhD Dissertation Committee is four (4) members of the Graduate Faculty with Group I or Group II Graduate Faculty Status, with the majority of the committee members being inside the Department of Electrical Engineering. At least one member of the Committee must be outside the department. Your dissertation committee may or may not be the same as your advisory committee. Fill out a Dissertation Committee form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. If the dissertation committee members are the same as the advising committee then one form may be used for both committees.
- Take the Ph.D. Candidacy Exam. The candidacy exam is taken after you have completed almost all of your coursework, but at least one year before completing the Ph.D. degree. This is when your advisory committee will review and critique your research plans. Writing a research proposal is part of the candidacy exam. Fill out a Candidacy Exam Announcement and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. See PhD Candidacy Exam Guidelines for more details.
- Decide on a Dissertation Title. You must decide on the title of your research work at least one year before your dissertation defense. Fill out a Dissertation Title form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department.
- Announce Your Final Exam. You must announce your dissertation defense to the Graduate School two weeks before the defense. You must announce your dissertation defense to the Electrical Engineering department about a week before the defense.
- Complete Dissertation and Defend It. The last step is to complete your dissertation and defend it in front of your committee. The Department will require an electronic copy of the dissertation for its records.
- Complete the Record of Progress. The Record of Progress must be completed and turned in to the Assistant to the Graduate Coordinator in the ELEG Office.
Admission
A student must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (based on a 4.0 system) on all undergraduate work, or a 3.0 average or above on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Also, the sum of a student's verbal and quantitative GRE scores must be at least 302. A GRE score is required for all students, except those graduating with a B.S. from the University of Arkansas.
A GRE waiver is available for applicants of the on-line program who meet the following criteria:
1. The student has passed an equivalent exam (like the Fundamentals of Engineering),
2. The student has a BSEE degree from an ABET-Accredited program, or already completed a graduate degree in an engineering related field, and
3. The student has at least one year of professional working experience after completing a baccalaureate degree.
The Electrical Engineering graduate program receives many more applications than the department has faculty or funds to support. Thus, admission is competitive. In other words, meeting the minimum requirements listed above does not guarantee admission.
Link to Apply:
Application for Admission | University of Arkansas (uark.edu)
Required Coursework
- Candidates for the Master of Science degree who present a thesis are required to complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of graded course work and 6 semester hours of thesis.
- Candidates for the Master of Science degree who do not present a thesis are required to complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of graded course work.
- Course work presented for the Master of Science must include a minimum of 15 semester hours at the 5000- or 6000-level. At least 15 (21 for non-thesis option) hours of the student's graduate course work must be electrical engineering courses.
Other Information Regarding Coursework
- Only six (6) hours of ELEG 588V (Special Problems) may be counted towards the degree.
- Students who complete a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, with a GPA of 3.5 or greater may count towards the M.S. degree up to 6 hours of electrical engineering graduate-level course work completed as an undergraduate student.
- The M.S.E.E. degree includes a distance education option for which students complete most or all of their course work using distance education courses. The use of this option is subject to approval by the student's major professor, and to the availability of sufficient distance education courses in the student's specialty areas to enable completion of the M.S.E.E. Typically, on-line courses are reserved for global students.
- The M.S.E.E. degree will allow transfer of up to nine credit hours of graduate level course work from universities with which the University of Arkansas has a "1+1" M.S.E.E. exchange program. Each course transferred must be graduate level and must be approved for transfer by the Electrical Engineering Graduate Committee. The transferred courses will not count toward the M.S.E.E. requirement for 5000 or 6000 level ELEG courses.
Main Steps in Completing an M.S.E.E. Degree
- Choose an Advisory Committee. You must choose an advisory committee before the end of your first semester of work. You advisory committee will oversee your work and exams. Your major advisor is the chairman of your advisory committee. You need to consult with your major advisory to select your advisory committee members. Fill out an Advisory Committee form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. If the advising committee members are the same as the thesis committee then one form may be used for both committees.
- Take the MSEE Readiness Assessment. Candidates for the M.S.E.E. degree must take an M.S. Readiness Assessment exam during their first semester of graduate work. This exam is administered by the student’s major professor, and is designed to assess the student’s undergraduate preparation for his or her graduate work. The student may be required to take whatever undergraduate courses are deemed necessary in addition to the graduate courses specified in items 1-3. Fill out an MSEE Readiness Assessment form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department.
- Decide your Schedule of Study. You, along with your major advisor and advisory committee, will choose all your courses for the master's degree. You should plan to choose these courses during your first semester. You need to do this to avoid missing a course that is only offered once every two years. The Two-year Tentative Schedule of Graduate Courses shows when each course will be offered. Fill out a Schedule of Study form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. Global students should use the MSEE Online Schedule of Study form.
- Choose a Thesis Committee. If you are completing a thesis as part of your degree, you must choose a thesis committee. Your thesis committee will judge your thesis defense. Your major advisor is the chairman of the committee, and will help select its members. Fill out a Thesis Committee form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. If the thesis committee members are the same as the advising committee then one form may be used for both committees.
- Decide on a Thesis Title. If you are completing a thesis as part of your master's work, you must decide on the title of your research work. Fill out a Thesis Title form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. You should do this at least one semester before you defend your thesis.
- Final Exam Announcement. You must announce your exam to the Electrical Engineering department. Fill out the Final Exam Announcement form and submit it to the Electrical Engineering department. You should do this about a week before your exam. If you are a thesis student, your thesis defense is your final exam. If you are a non-thesis student, you must take a Comprehensive Exam in front of your committee.
- Complete and Defend Thesis. Complete your thesis and defend it in front of your committee.
- Complete the Record of Progress. The Record of Progress must be completed and turned in to the Assistant to the Graduate Coordinator in the ELEG Office.
Admission
A student must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (based on a 4.0 system)
on all undergraduate work, or a 3.0 average or above on the last 60 hours of undergraduate
coursework. Also, the sum of a student's verbal and quantitative GRE scores must be
at least 302. A GRE score is required for all students, except those graduating with
a B.S. from the University of Arkansas.
A GRE waiver is available for applicants of the on-line program who meet the following
criteria:
1. The student has passed an equivalent exam (like the Fundamentals of Engineering),
2. The student has a BSEE degree from an ABET-Accredited program, or already
completed a graduate degree in an engineering related field, and
3. The student has at least one year of professional working experience after
completing a baccalaureate degree.
Link to Apply:
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering | ONLINE | University of Arkansas (uark.edu)
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) requires 30 credit hours satisfying the following requirements:
Thesis Option
- 6 hours of thesis/research hours
- 24 hours of coursework
- 15 hours must be Electrical Engineering 5000/6000
- 30 hours of coursework
- 21 hours must be Electrical Engineering
- 15 hours must be Electrical Engineering 5000/6000
Program Specializations
Electric Power Specialization
The MSEE degree with an emphasis in electric power engineering provides those students
who have earned a bachelor of science in electrical engineering with the opportunity
to
learn about future electric energy systems. Specific topics include design of advanced
distribution systems, power system control, optimal and nonlinear control, electric
power
quality, and power electronics. A total of 15 credit hours of course work is required
for the
specialization in Electric Power Engineering.
Course work must be selected from the following list:
Courses in Electric Power Engineering (select 15 credit hours)
ELEG 5403 – Control Systems
ELEG 5473 – Power System Operation and Control
ELEG 5503 – Design of Advanced Electric Power Distribution Systems
ELEG 5513 – Power System Analysis
ELEG 5523 – Electric Power Quality
ELEG 5533 – Power Electronics and Motor Drives
Control Systems Specialization
The MSEE degree with a focus in control systems develops the skills and knowledge
for
analyzing, simulating and evaluating complex systems that incorporate feedback controls.
Applications areas include aerospace and aircraft; automotive and ground vehicles;
robotics and industrial systems; biomedical and physiological processes. A total of
15
credit hours of course work is required for the specialization in Control Systems.
Course work must be selected from the following list:
Courses in Control Systems (select 15 credit hours)
CSCE 4753 – Computer Networks
ELEG 5403 – Control Systems
ELEG 5413 – Modern Control Systems
ELEG 5423 – Optimal Control Systems
ELEG 5443 – Nonlinear Systems Analysis and Control
ELEG 5693 – Wireless Communications
The remaining course work hours will be chosen from a list of complementary courses offered with on-line delivery. Students are free to tailor their course schedule to satisfy their professional career needs.
To receive the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship with a focus in Electrical Engineering, students must complete 12 credit hours, including 9 required credit hours from the Walton College of Business and 3 elective credit hours of 5000 level Electrical Engineering course. Students should meet with their degree program advisor to determine how certificate courses count towards their degree program.
Required Courses
MGMT 5213 |
Business Foundations for Entrepreneurs (Non-Business Students Only - Spring) |
3 |
MGMT 5323 |
New Venture Development I (Fall) |
3 |
MGMT 5413 |
New Venture Development II (Spring) |
3 |
|
|
|
Elective Course
Any 3-credit 5000 level Electrical Engineering Course
Link to Apply:
https://entrepreneurship.uark.edu/academics/graduate.php
Graduate Resources and Forms
M.S. Forms
- MS Advisory /Thesis Committee
- MS Readiness Assessment
- MS Online Schedule of Study
- MS Campus Schedule of Study
- MS Hours Towards PhD
- MS Thesis Title
- MS Thesis Submission
- MS Intellectual Property Disclosure
- MS Record of Progress
Ph.D. Forms
- Ph.D. Advisory/ Dissertation Committee
- Ph.D. Schedule of Study
- Ph.D. Readiness Assessment
- M.S. Course Credit Hours Accepted Towards Ph.D.
- Candidacy Exam Notification Form
- Dissertation Title Form
- Dissertation Submission Form
- Intellectual Property Disclosure Form
- Announcement of Final Exam
- Doctoral Record of Progress
Research Areas
Faculty performing research in this area:
Graduate courses in this area:-
ELEG 5173L Digital Signal Processing Lab – Wu
-
ELEG 5663 Communication Theory – Wu
-
ELEG 5693 Wireless Communications – Wu
Faculty performing research in this area:
Graduate courses in this area:
-
ELEG 5993 Mixed-Signal Modeling & Simulation – Mantooth
-
ELEG 5273 Electronic Packaging
-
ELEG 5213 Integrated Circuit Fab Tech – Naseem
- ELEG 4243L & 5253L Integrated Circuit Design Lab I - Dix
- ELEG 5253L Intergrated Circuit Design Lab I - Dix
- ELEG 487V & 587V Neural Network Intergated Circuits
Faculty performing research in this area:
Graduate courses in this area:
- ELEG 5313 Power Semiconductor Devices – Mantooth
-
ELEG 5503 Design of Advanced Power Distribution Systems – Balda
-
ELEG 5523 Electric Power Quality – Balda
-
ELEG 5533 Power Electronics & Motor Drives – Balda
-
ELEG 5403 Control Systems – McCann
-
ELEG 5423 Optimal Control Systems – McCann
-
ELEG 5443 Nonlinear System Analysis & Control – McCann
-
ELEG 5473 Power System Operation & Control – McCann
-
ELEG 5513 Power Systems Analysis – McCann
-
ELEG 5323 Switch Mode Power Conversion
- ELEG 5393 Electronic Materials
Faculty performing research in this area:
Graduate courses in this area:
-
ELEG 5783 Introduction to Antennas – El-Shenawee
-
ELEG 5703 RF & Microwave Design – El-Ghazaly
-
ELEG 5763 Advanced EMAG, Scattering & Transmission – El-Shenawee
Faculty performing research in this area:
Graduate courses in this area:
-
ELEG 5323 Nanostructure I – Manasreh
-
ELEG 5333 Nanostruction II – Manasreh
-
ELEG 5223 Design & Fabrication of Solar Cells- Naseem
-
ELEG 5353 Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices – Yu
-
ELEG 5363 Semiconductor Material & Device Characterizations – Yu
-
ELEG 5203 Semiconductor Devices – Yu
The links below are to the web sites of the major Electrical Engineering research centers.
- GRid-Connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems (GRAPES) (NSF-I/UCRC)
- High Density Electronics Center (HiDEC)
- National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) (NSF)
- Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS)
- Cybersecurity Center for Secure Evolvable Energy Delivery Systems (SEEDS) (DOE)
- Center for High Frequency Electronics and Circuits for Communication Systems (CHECCS)
The links below are to the web sites of major Electrical Engineering research labs and work groups. Although these are research laboratories, they are also teaching labs in the sense that almost all of the research done in them is conducted by students. Both graduate and undergraduate students are involved in research.
- Arkansas Advanced Photovoltaic Research Center
- Innovative Nano/Biosensor Lab (INB Lab)
- Mixed-Signal CAD Lab
- Nanomaterials and Nanotube Research Laboratory (NNRL)
- Optoelectronics Research Lab
- Organic Devices and Electronics Lab (ODEL)
- Sustainable Smart Electrical Energy Systems
- Terahertz Imaging and Spectroscopy Computational Electromagnetics Group
- Power Systems Control Laboratory - Director: Roy McCann
- Intelligent Information Sensing, Processing, and Transmission Laboratory - Director: Jingxian Wu
- UA Power Group
Graduate FAQ
A: A student must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (based on a 4.0 system) on all undergraduate work, or a 3.0 average or above on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Also, the sum of a student's verbal and quantitative GRE scores must be at least 302. A GRE score is required for all students, except those graduating with a B.S. from the University of Arkansas.
A: The first step is getting accepted by the Graduate and International Admissions Office. All students apply through the Graduate and International Admissions Office, whether domestic or international. Apply online at https://application.uark.edu/. Do not send application materials to the Department of Electrical Engineering. The Graduate and International Admissions Office evaluate a student to determine if he or she meets admission requirements. If all requirements are met, the application is forwarded to the Electrical Engineering Department.
A: Application deadlines are published on the International Admissions website. International students may need to apply much sooner than the deadline to allow enough time to receive a visa.
A: In addition to the Graduate and International Admissions requirements, the Department of Electrical Engineering requires a resume, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. All of these requirements should be uploaded in your Student Center.
A: The statement of purpose is a one or two-page document which explains why you want to pursue an M.S. or Ph.D. It should also describe the research areas in which you would like to specialize. The research areas pages of this website describe common specialty areas and list the faculty doing research in each area.
A: The Letters of Recommendation for an applicant should be professional in nature. A LOR will directly relate to one’s potential to succeed in graduate studies and their professional future in the field. The letter may be written by anyone who can attest to your:
- skills in the field of study
- research skills
- practical applications of the work
- work ethic
- capacity for success
This may be a previous professor, an employer, etc. It should be someone who is in a good position to evaluate your attributes in the above areas and your specific skill set.
-
A: Candidates for the Master of Science degree who present a thesis are required to complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of graded course work and 6 semester hours of thesis.
- Candidates for the Master of Science degree who do not present a thesis are required to complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of graded course work.
- Course work presented for the Master of Science must include a minimum of 15 semester hours at the 5000- or 6000-level. At least 15 (21 for non-thesis option) hours of the student's graduate course work must be electrical
A: The following is a summary of the degree requirements for the Ph.D. degree. See the Electrical Engineering section of the Graduate Catalog for a more complete description.
If the student does not have an M.S. degree, a minimum of 36 hours of course work (excluding dissertation hours) beyond the bachelor’s degree must be presented in the Ph.D. program. If the student has an M.S. degree, a minimum of 36 hours of course work (excluding thesis and dissertation hours) must be presented in the combined M.S. and Ph.D. programs.
- The course work specified above must include a minimum of 30 hours of course work at the 5000 and 6000 levels, and at least 24 of these 5000- and 6000-level hours must be in electrical engineering.
- The course work specified above must include GRSD 5003 or MEPH 5383.
- The doctoral program must include at least 72 hours of course work and thesis or dissertation hours. A maximum of six of these hours may be thesis hours. The remaining hours that are not course work must be dissertation hours. The Graduate School requires a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation for graduation.
A: If you are an International Student who is a GA, your advisor must email Dr. Pat Koski. If you are an International Student who is NOT a GA, you must contact the ISS office at 575-5003. If you are NOT an International Student, your advisor must email Dr. Pat Koski.
A: The MSEE comprehensive oral exam will follow the standardized format listed below. The entire exam will last about 45‐60 minutes. The exam consists of two parts:
1. Student PowerPoint presentation outlining (approximately ten minutes in duration):
- Previous education: institution, major, special projects completed
- Professional work experience (company, location, job title, brief description)
- List the courses taken as part of the MSEE program including the course number, title, instructor, term and grade.
- One or two slides describing how the MSEE program and curriculum would apply to your professional work (either at present job position or how the MSEE would in the future).
2. The committee will ask several questions of the student covering the student’s coursework.