MS Electrical Engineering
Admission Requirements
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:
- The student has passed an equivalent exam (like the Fundamentals of Engineering),
- The student has a BSEE degree from an ABET-Accredited program, or already completed a graduate degree in an engineering related field, and
- 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.
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.