Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical Engineering

The Electrical Engineering PhD (one of the three PhD programs offered by the School of EECS) prepares students for careers in research or academia with specializations including Communications, Digital Signal Processing/Image Processing, Controls and Robotics, Electromagnetics, Electro-Optics, Photonics, Power Electronics and Electronics, Solid-State/Microelectronics, and VLSI Design. The Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering is primarily intended for students with a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline who wish to pursue a career in research or academia. Specializations include Communications, Digital Signal Processing/Image Processing, Controls and Robotics, Electromagnetics, Electro-Optics, Photonics, Power Electronics and Electronics, and Solid-State/Microelectronics. Research interests of the Electrical Engineering faculty include antennas, microwave and millimeter circuits/devices, communication systems, digital signal/image processing, power electronics, electronic circuits, IFF devices, electromagnetic theory, radar and microwave remote sensing, speech processing, VLSI design, spread spectrum systems, SAW and ACT devices, spectral estimation, solid state device modeling and computer-aided design (CAD) techniques, communication networks, integrated services digital networks, neural networks, systems and controls, robotics, robust control, computer control, microelectronics, semiconductors, thin films, power system stability, bipolar device modeling, solid state lasers, optical propagation, fiber optics, optical signal processing, laser-induced damage, optical testing, diffractive optics, phase conjunction, infrared detectors, Fourier optics, lens design, and nonlinear optics. The Electrical Engineering PhD degree requires a minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Of these 72 hours, a minimum of 36 credit hours must be formal coursework, exclusive of independent study coursework. A minimum of 15 credit hours with up to a maximum of 24 credit hours of dissertation hours can be credited toward the degree. No more than 12 credit hours of Independent Study are allowed. The remaining hours can be a combination of formal coursework and/or pre-candidacy doctoral research.