Degree Requirements
The minimum curricular requirements for the graduate degree programs in Electrical Engineering are given below. A complete and current set of requirements appears in the ECE Graduate Handbook.
Master's in Electrical Engineering
For each student, an individualized program of study is developed in consultation with and approved by the student's major advisor and the department's graduate studies committee. The student's major advisor chairs the advisory committee that includes at least two additional members of the graduate faculty, and satisfies all of the LSU Graduate School's requirements for graduate committees. MS students are expected to select an advisor and file a plan of study before the end of their second semester in the program.
The MS degree can have the thesis or non-thesis options.
The MS degree with the thesis option requires a thesis and 30 hours of credit at the graduate level, including a maximum of 6 hours of credit for the thesis. The minimum curricular requirements include the following.
· 6 hours of thesis credit (EE 8000)
· 12 hours of EE 7xxx courses
· 12 hours of suitable electives at the graduate level
These 30 hours of coursework are subject to additional requirements including the following:
· The number of credits at the 4000 level must at most 12.
· At least 12 hours of credit must be from permitted 4000 and 7000 level courses other than independent study, special topic or seminar courses.
· There can be at most 3 hours of independent study course(s).
· Students may take at most 12 hours of credit outside the department. Students whose background is not in Electrical or Computer Engineering may be allowed fewer courses outside the department.
The student must pass a final exam consisting of a thesis defense.
The MS degree with the non-thesis option requires 36 hours of credit at the graduate level. The minimum curricular requirements include the following.
· 15 hours of EE 7xxx courses, excluding independent study courses.
· 21 hours of suitable electives at the graduate level.
These 36 hours of coursework are subject to additional requirements including the following:
· The number of credits at the 4000 level must be at most 12.
· At least 18 hours of credit must be from permitted 4000 or 7000 level courses that are not independent study, special topic or seminar courses.
· There can be at most 6 hours of independent study courses.
· Students may take at most 15 hours of credit outside the department. Students whose background is not in Electrical or Computer Engineering may be allowed fewer courses outside the department.
The student must pass a final exam consisting of a comprehensive written exam. If the student does not graduate in the semester in which the final exam is passed, then he/she must pass an additional oral final exam in the semester of graduation.
PhD in Electrical
Engineering
For each student, an individualized program of study is developed in consultation with and approved by the student's major advisor and the department's graduate studies committee. The student's major advisor chairs the advisory committee that includes at least one graduate faculty from a minor field and at least three additional members of the graduate faculty, and satisfies the LSU Graduate School's requirements for doctoral committees.
The PhD degree requires a dissertation which is a work of original scholarship. In addition, 42 hours of credit at the graduate level must be earned beyond the bachelor's degree, not including dissertation credits (EE 9000). The minimum curricular requirements include the following.
· 15 hours of EE 7xxx courses
· 27 hours of approved electives at the graduate level.
These 42 hours of coursework are subject to additional requirements including the following:
· For a course to be counted, the student must have received a grade of B or better in the course
· At least 6 hours must be outside the ECE subject area
· The number of credits at the 4000 level must be at most 9.
· There can be at most 3 hours of independent study course(s).
· An MS thesis done at the ECE department at LSU will count as 6 credits of approved electives at the 7000-level.
The student must pass a qualifying review before any dissertation credits can be taken. Students entering the program with a Master's degree must take the qualifying exam by the end of their second semester in the program. Those who enter the program without a Master's degree can take the exam by the end of their third semester in the program. After passing the qualifying review, the student must file a departmental PhD plan of study and the Graduate School's Program of Study. After completing the coursework, the student must pass a general exam in which the student defends his/her research proposal and a final exam, consisting of the dissertation defense.