Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (M.S.)

Program Overview

This program is designed to help students understand and apply the principles of electrical engineering to such diverse areas as communications, power and energy, and nanoelectronics. Faculty and students research in areas such as wireless/mobile communications, micro-electro-mechanical systems, magnetics, and remote sensing.

Students choose from five areas of focus:

• Applied electromagnetics.
• Communications and networks.
• Electrical power and energy.
• Electronics, photonics, and MEMS (VLSI systems and microelectronics).
• Signal and image processing, systems and controls.

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (M.S.)

• Credit hours: 30
• Thesis options: thesis and non-thesis options are available.
• Duration: Full-time (enrolled min. 9 credit hours per semester) or part-time (min. 3 credit hours per semester).
• Other requirements:
  • Students are required to take at least one course in the department outside of his/her area of focus.
  • Colloquium requirement: Students must fulfill this zero-credit course by attending five colloquium seminars, workshops or symposia sponsored by the department.

Areas of Focus

Applied Electromagnetics

Required

• ECE 6020 Applied Electromagnetics
• ECE 6065 Colloquium
• ECE 6710 Microwave Engineering
• ECE 6715 Antennas

One of the following:

• ECE 6720 Remote Sensing
• ECE 6725 Electromagnetic Radiation and Scattering
• ECE 6730 Waves in Random Media
• ECE 6735 Numerical Electromagnetics
• ECE 6745 Analysis of Nonlinear and Multivalued Devices
• ECE 6750 Introduction to Radar Systems
• ECE 6760 Propagation Modeling in Wireless Communications
• ECE 6765 Photonics and Fiber Optics
• ECE 6770 Applied Magnetism

Electives

18 credits in elective courses. Normally no more than two courses taken outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering may be counted toward the requirements for the degree.

Communications and Networks

Required

• ECE 6015 Stochastic Processes in Engineering
• ECE 6035 Introduction to Computer Networks
• ECE 6510 Communication Theory I
• ECE 6065 Colloquium

Two of the following:

• ECE 6500 Information Theory
• ECE 6505 Error Control Coding
• ECE 6520 Mobile & Wireless Comm Systems
• ECE 6525 Satellite Communication Systems
• ECE 6530 Electronic Warfare
• ECE 6550 Advanced Network Architectures
• ECE 6555 Networks Protocols
• ECE 6560 Network Performance Analysis
• ECE 6565 Telecommunications Security
• ECE 6570 Telecommunications Security Protocols
• ECE 6575 Optical Communication Networks
• ECE 6580 Wireless Networks

Electives

15 credits in elective courses. Normally, no more than two courses taken outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering may be counted toward the requirements for the degree.

Electrical Power and Energy

Required

• ECE 6010 Linear Systems Theory
• ECE 6020 Applied Electromagnetics
• ECE 6060 Electric Power Generation
• ECE 6065 Colloquium

Three of the following:

• ECE 6025 Signals and Transforms in Engineering
• ECE 6610 Electrical Energy Conversion
• ECE 6620 Electrical Power Systems
• ECE 6662 Power Electronics
• ECE 6666 Power System Transmission, Control, and Security
• ECE 6667 Nuclear Power Generation
• ECE 6668 Power Distribution Grids
• ECE 6669 Smart Power Grids
• ECE 6670 Power System Protection
• ECE 6690 Power Systems Economics
• ECE 6691 Power Systems Reliability

Electives

12 credits in elective courses. Normally no more than two courses taken outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering may be counted toward the requirements for the degree.

Electronics, Photonics, and MEMS

Required

• ECE 6030 Device Electronics
• ECE 6065 Colloquium

Four of the following:

• ECE 6213 Design of VlSI Circuits
• ECE 6214 High-Level VLSI Design Methodology
• ECE 6215 Introduction to MEMS
• ECE 6216 RF/VLSI Circuit Design
• ECE 6218 Advanced Analog VLSI Circuit Design
• ECE 6221 Introduction to Physical Electronics
• ECE 6223 Introduction to Nanotechnology
• ECE 6240 VLSI Design and Simulation
• ECE 6245 VLSI Fabrication Techniques
• ECE 6250 ASIC Design and Testing of VLSI Circuits
• ECE 6260 Introduction to Nano-electronics
• ECE 6765 Photonics and Fiber Optics

Electives

15 credits in elective courses. Normally no more than two courses taken outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering may be counted toward the requirements for the degree.

Signal and Image Processing, Systems and Controls

Required

• ECE 6015 Stochastic Processes in Engineering
• ECE 6065 Colloquium

Four of the following:

• ECE 6005 Microcomputer Systems Architecture
• ECE 6010 Linear Systems Theory
• ECE 6025 Signals and Transforms in Engineering
• ECE 6666 Power System Transmission, Control, and Security
• ECE 6800 Computational Techniques in Electrical Engineering
• ECE 6810 Speech and Audio Processing by Computer
• ECE 6815 Multimedia Processing
• ECE 6820 Real-Time DSP
• ECE 6825 Computer Control Systems
• ECE 6830 System Optimization
• ECE 6835 Nonlinear Systems
• ECE 6840 Digital Image Processing
• ECE 6842 Image Engineering
• ECE 6845 Image Synthesis
• ECE 6850 Pattern Recognition
• ECE 6855 Digital Signal Processing Techniques
• ECE 6860 Compression Techniques for Data, Speech, and Video
• ECE 6865 Statistical Signal Estimation
• ECE 6875 Wavelets and Their Applications
• ECE 6880 Adaptive Signal Processing
• ECE 6885 Computer Vision

Electives

15 credits in elective courses. Normally no more than two courses taken outside the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering may be counted toward the requirements for the degree.

M.S. Admissions Requirements

Applicants must submit the following materials in order to be considered for admission into a master's program at SEAS. All materials except test scores must be uploaded to the online application form:

Online Application

Transcripts

• Scanned copies of unofficial transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned; the program was not completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript.
• Please ensure that all transcripts are properly scanned and attached to the online application form. Otherwise, applicants will receive notifications requesting legible transcripts, which may delay review of their application.
• Please do not mail official transcripts unless you are instructed to do so by a SEAS admissions officer. Admissions decisions are based on unofficial transcripts.
• For international applicants, please see additional requirements for attaching foreign transcripts to the online application.

GRE scores

• The Graduate Records Examination (GRE) is required of all applicants, except for those applying for a Combined Five-Year Program.
• GRE scores must be sent to institution code 5246 through the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
• There is no minimum score required on the GRE for admission. However, applicants are encouraged to score within the 90th percentile of the Quantitative section of the exam in order to be considered competitive. To see average GRE scores from the most recent incoming class, visit the Graduate Student Profile.

English proficiency exam scores (international applicants)

• International applicants who did not receive a degree from an institution situated in the United States or English-speaking country must also submit scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic exams.
• Please view the International Admissions section for information on English language exam score requirements and sending scores to GW.

Letters of Recommendation

• A minimum of two (2) letters of recommendation is required to be submitted with the online application form. These may be from your academic advisor, professor, and/or employer.
• If you would like to be considered for funding (assistantships, scholarships, etc.), you will need an additional letter of recommendation for a total of three (3) letters with your online application.

Statement of Purpose

• Applicants must include an essay of 250-500 words that clearly states their purpose in undertaking graduate study at the George Washington University; explains their academic objectives, research interests, and career plans; and discusses related qualifications including collegiate, professional, and community activities, as well as any other substantial accomplishments not already mentioned.
• It is strongly encouraged that essays stay within the 500-word limit. While applicants are not penalized for submitting longer essays, concise essays are more effective in demonstrating an applicant's motivation.
• The Statement of Purpose must be written by the applicant. Any essay found to have been written by anyone other than the applicant, or plagiarized from other published materials, will be withdrawn from consideration.

Résumé/CV

• A current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) should be uploaded to the online application form.
• If you have published articles in peer-reviewed publications, please include them as a hyperlink.

M.S. applicants must also demonstrate the following requirements in order to be considered for admission:

• A bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the last 60 credits of undergraduate work.
• Students with a bachelor's degree in another field may be admitted with a set of deficiency courses to be determined by the department on a case-by-case basis.