Electrical and Computer Engineering MS
The Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE) degree combines several related disciplines, including Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Software Engineering. Expertise in any of these fields is in high demand in the technical industry. This degree will allow students to gain in-depth knowledge and experience necessary to advance their careers in robotics, automotive, health care, telecommunications, power engineering, and many other technical areas.
Full Admission
To be accepted for admission into the program, a student must present the following credentials:
- A baccalaureate degree in computer and/or electrical engineering or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- An application for graduate admission, accompanied by an application fee.
- Professional resume.
- Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended.
- A two-page statement of purpose.
- Two letters of recommendation.
Please note: International students are required to have a TOEFL test score greater than 550 (computer-based 213; Internet-based 79).
Students without sufficient background may still be accepted provided their undergraduate coursework included math and physics topics typical in undergraduate engineering or science programs, as well as fundamentals of electricity and electronics. However, they may need to complete up to 11 hours of additional courses (see Foundation Coursework section).
Provisional Admission
Under certain circumstances, students who do not meet one or more of the requirements for full admission may be admitted to the program with conditional status. Conditional admission is most commonly offered to applicants who earned an undergraduate GPA less than 3.0. Students admitted with conditional status will be considered for full admission only after they have attempted nine credit hours in the program and earned a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0. Conditionally admitted students who have not attained a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 after attempting nine credit hours of MSECE coursework will be dismissed from the MSECE program.
Student-at- Large
A student-at-large is not a degree candidate. In order to be admitted as a student-at-large, the applicant must submit official documentation of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and complete a modified application form. The decision to admit an at-large student to graduate courses belongs to the Graduate Program Director, whose decision is based on an evaluation of the applicant's undergraduate coursework and possibly an interview. However, should the student decide to apply for full admission status at a later time, but within five years of course completion, only a maximum of nine semester hours of graduate coursework completed as a student-at-large can be applied toward an advanced degree, and only courses with grades of B or better will count toward the degree.
Transfer of Graduate Credit
A student entering the MSECE program with appropriate prior graduate coursework in ECE may have a maximum of nine credit hours applied to the MSECE degree. Course credits eligible for transfer consideration must meet the following criteria:
- All transfer credit must have been earned prior to matriculation in the MSECE program.
- The coursework must have been completed at a regionally accredited graduate school.
- A minimum grade of B must have been earned for the course.
- The coursework must have an equivalent in the MSECE curriculum.
- Courses from outside the United States will be considered if they are evaluated as graduate level by the Office of Admission or the Commission on Accreditation of the American Council on Education.
- Credit for prior learning is not awarded for graduate courses.
International Students
International students are required to meet all the admission requirements for full or provisional admission and also the admission requirements specified in the General Information section of this Catalog entitled "Entering International Students."
Time Limitation for Completing the Program
A student must complete all graduation requirements within seven years from completion of the first graduate course taken at Lewis University. Students remain under the requirement of the catalog in effect at the time of matriculation unless they discontinue attendance for two consecutive years or more, in which case they will follow the catalog in effect upon their return.
Graduation Requirements
To complete the MSECE degree, a student must earn a minimum of 33 credit hours, but may need up to 44 credit hours depending on whether the student must take foundation courses. The foundation coursework consists of 11 credit hours, but may be waived for students with sufficient background. The core curriculum for the degree consists of 18 credit hours, 12 credit hours of specialization courses, and three credit hours of elective course.
Comprehensive Examination
There is no comprehensive examination in this program.
Culminating Experience
The student must complete either six credit hours of Master's Project or six credit hours of Master's Thesis to earn the MSECE degree. Note that the six credit hours cannot be a combination of project or research credits. That is, the student must complete at least six credit hours of ECEN 69700 Master's Project, or at least six credit hours of ECEN 69800 Master's Thesis, and not a combination of credits from both.
Non-Thesis Option - Capstone Experience
In order to fulfill the requirement of a culminating experience through the non-thesis option, the student must develop a solution to a real-world electrical and/or computer engineering problem, write a Capstone paper, and give a Capstone presentation, unless some other method of dissemination is approved by the Capstone adviser and the Graduate Program Director. The Capstone Experience is fulfilled by completing six credit hours of ECEN 69700 Master's Project. This course can be taken repeatedly for one to six credit hours until a cumulative of at least six credit hours is earned.
Thesis Option - Research Experience
In order to fulfill the requirement of a culminating experience through the thesis option, the student must write and submit an acceptable thesis. A student must be approved by the MSECE Program Director in order to pursue the Thesis option. The approval process will start when the student seeks enrollment for the first time to the ECEN 69800 Master's Thesis, which requires approval from the MSECE Program Director. This approval process must be started at least two months prior to the start date of the first ECEN 69800 course section the student is seeking enrollment to by contacting the MSECE Program Director or the ECEN 69800 course instructor. The student's application to the Thesis option may be strengthened by following:
A minimum 3.0 GPA based on at least nine credit hours of MSECE coursework. If the student has taken less than nine credit hours of MSECE coursework, this requirement will be based on undergraduate GPA and grades on MSECE coursework completed so far
A grade of B or above on ECEN 52300 Engineering Projects and Research completed prior to seeking enrollment to ECEN 69800 Master's Thesis
Submission of GRE scores taken within five years prior to seeking enrolment to ECEN 69800 Master's Thesis
Informal letter of support (e.g. email) from an Electrical and/or Computer Engineering faculty member at Lewis who has previously agreed to become the student's Thesis Advisor
A short essay (500 words or less) containing a short description and intellectual merit of the student's proposed research
If a student is denied approval for the Thesis option, they may seek approval again the following semester or choose the non Thesis option instead. Any credit earned for the Non-Thesis option in ECEN 69700 Master's Project will not apply towards ECEN 69800 Master's Thesis credit, or vice versa.
Students who have received approval to pursue the Thesis option will need to choose a Thesis Advisor, if previously not identified, among the full-time faculty members of the Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Sciences (ECaMS) department, who are currently teaching electrical and computer engineering courses. Once an advisor is selected, the student will work with that person to form a three-person thesis committee, which will consist of the advisor, one other ECE faculty member, and one person outside of ECE.
The Thesis option will require the students to complete an acceptable written master's thesis under the guidance of the advisor. Thesis work will have intellectual merit and apply research methods including quantitative, qualitative, experimental, quasi-experimental, and case study approaches. The thesis must demonstrate a knowledge of electrical and computer engineering in depth and breadth appropriate for an applicant to a doctoral program. The Thesis student must also pass an oral defense of the thesis in front of the chosen committee. The committee can then decide to pass, fail, or pass conditionally. If the student fails the oral defense, the student will be allowed to attempt to defend the thesis a second time. If that results in failure again, the student cannot graduate with the thesis option, but is allowed to change to a non-thesis culminating experience option. If the student passes conditionally, the conditions must be met before graduation requirements are satisfied.
Graduation Requirements
To complete the M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, students must earn a minimum of 33 credit hours, which includes 18 credit hours in ECE core courses that include a six credit hour Master's Project or Thesis, 12 credit hours of specialization courses, and three credit hours of elective courses.
Upon admission, students may be required to take up to 11 credit hours of foundational courses, which can be waived for students with sufficient background.
Degree Offered: Master of Science
Total Credit Hours: 33-44
Degree Requirements
Program: MS-ECEN
I. Foundation Coursework (11)
| CPSC-50100 | Programming Fundamentals | 3 |
| ECEN-50000 | Electrical and Computer Engineering Mathematics | 4 |
| ECEN-50100 | Foundations of Electric and Electronic Circuits | 4 |
II. Electrical and Computer Engineering Core (18)
| ECEN-52000 | Advanced Circuit Design | 3 |
| ECEN-52100 | Formal Methods, Modelling, and Simulation of Circuits | 3 |
| ECEN-52200 | Reliability and Performance Analysis of Analog and Digital Systems | 3 |
| ECEN-52300 | Engineering Projects and Research | 3 |
| ECEN-69700 | Master's Project | 1-6 |
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| (multiple enrollments for a total of 6 credit hours) | |
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| OR | |
| ECEN-69800 | Master's Thesis | 1-6 |
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| (multiple enrollments for a total of 6 credit hours) | |
III. Concentration Coursework (15)
Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Systems
Concentration: ITCP
Concentration Courses (12):
Take any four of the following courses:
| ECEN-54000 | Fundamentals of the Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Systems | 3 |
| ECEN-54500 | Real-Time Embedded Systems | 3 |
| ECEN-55000 | Robotics and Automation | 3 |
| ECEN-55500 | Safety and Security of Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Systems | 3 |
| ECEN-55600 | Intelligent Internet of Things and Cyber-physical Systems | 3 |
Electives (3):
One additional non-foundation 50000-level (or above) ECEN course not previously taken.
Smart Grid and Power Systems
Concentration: SGPS
Concentration Courses (12):
Take any four of the following courses:
Electives (3):
One additional non-foundation 50000-level (or above) ECEN course not previously taken.