Graduate Student Handbook, 2025-2027

Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Artificial Intelligence – Thesis program must complete the following coursework for their Programof Study:

• 33 total credits – minimum
  • 24 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 6 credits non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum
  • 9 CPT_S 700 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, each M.S. Artificial Intelligence – Thesis student must complete the following course requirements with a grade of B- or better:

• Core Courses (12 credits) – All core courses are mandatory and must be completed. 
  • CPT_S 540 Artificial Intelligence
  • CPT_S 570 Machine Learning
  • CPT_S 534 Neural Network Design
  • CPT_S 545 AI in the Real-World
• Advanced courses (6 credits)
  • CPT_S 580 Reinforcement Learning
  • CPT_S 541 Computer Vision
  • CPT_S 544 Generative AI
  • CPT_S 580 Distributed ML
• Electives (6 credits)
  • CPT_S 515 Advanced Algorithms
  • CPT_S 516 Algorithmics
  • CPT_S 571 Computational Genomics
  • CPT_S 575 Data Science
  • CPT_S 580 Randomized Algorithms
  • CPT_S 591 Elements of Network Science
  • Math 566 Network Optimization
  • Math 529 Introduction to Computational Topology
  • Math 567 Integer and Combinatorial Optimization
  • ME485 – Introduction to Robotics and AI
  • EE 582 Convex Optimization
  • ENGR 4xx AI for Engineers (this course is mandatory for non-CS baccalaureate)
  • Other special topic courses such as AI+X (e.g., AI for Advanced Manufacturing) approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Final Examination – Thesis Defense

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and had their thesis approved by their committee. A List of Publications should also be submitted to the GSC prior to scheduling of exam as per the EECS publication policy. The list should include all publications submitted, accepted, or in preparation as well as the full name of the conference or journal for which they were submitted and the (anticipated) date of submission or appearance. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two CPT_S 700 credits during the final exam semester.

If the student’s thesis is approved and the oral defense is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the thesis to the School of EECS. The thesis must be formatted in accordance with University and Graduate School requirements, and all changes suggested by the student’s committee must be made in the final version. Students are encouraged to submit the results of the thesis research to a refereed journal or conference.

Project Option

The project option is well-suited for students aiming to get trained in the use, implementation, and application of AI, grounded on a strong foundation in the fundamentals of AI and machine learning. The project option provides an opportunity for students to complete a substantial capstone project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students graduating with an MSAI (Project) will be well-prepared to join the AI industry across a wide range of sectors (including but not limited to technology, health, manufacturing, energy) and apply AI methods to solve real-world problems.

Non-Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Artificial Intelligence – Program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 30 total credits – minimum
  • 26 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 6 credits non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum
  • 4 CPT_S 702 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, eachMS Artificial Intelligence project student must complete the following course requirements with a grade of B- or better:

• Core Courses (12 credits) – All core courses are mandatory and must be completed.
  • CPT_S 540 Artificial Intelligence
  • CPT_S 570 Machine Learning
  • CPT_S 534 Neural Network Design
  • CPT_S 545 AI in the Real-World
• Advanced courses (6 credits)
  • CPT_S 580 Reinforcement Learning
  • CPT_S 541 Computer Vision
  • CPT_S 544 Generative AI
  • CPT_S 580 Distributed ML
• Electives (9 credits)
  • CPT_S 515 Advanced Algorithms
  • CPT_S 571 Computational Genomics
  • CPT_S 575 Data Science
  • CPT_S 580 Randomized Algorithms
  • CPT_S 591 Elements of Network Science
  • Math 566 Network Optimization
  • Math 529 Introduction to Computational Topology
  • Math 567 Integer and Combinatorial Optimization
  • ME485 – Introduction to Robotics and AI
  • EE 582 Convex Optimization
  • Other special topic courses such as AI+X (e.g., AI for Advanced Manufacturing) approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Final Examination

Project Presentation

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and completed a written project report approved by the project advisor. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two credits during the final exam semester in accordance with Graduate School requirements.

The final examination consists of a written project report (10 pages) and an oral presentation with demonstration of the project. The presentation will be held as part of the School of EECS MSAI Capstone Poster Expo, at the end of each academic semester. The project should demonstrate the student’s ability to apply advanced AI and machine learning concepts, tools, and techniques to address a real-world problem, software system, or research-inspired application. The project should represent a substantial piece of independent work and is expected to require effort comparable to a graduate-level capstone experience.

If the student’s project report is approved and the project presentation is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the final project report to the School of EECS. The report should be prepared in a professional format acceptable to the faculty advisor, and all changes suggested by the examining committee must be incorporated into the final version. Students are encouraged to disseminate project outcomes through open-source software, technical reports, industrial collaborations, conference papers, or other appropriate venues.

The Accelerated BS + MSAI (4+1) program is intended for WSU students only, enrolled in the BS in Computer Science, BS in Computer Engineering, BS in Software Engineering, and BS in Cybersecurity programs who wish to obtain both a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in an accelerated manner. The program allows qualified students to begin graduate coursework during their senior undergraduate year and complete the MSAI degree with an estimated additional year of study, although some students may need three semesters to complete all degree requirements including coursework and the MSAI project.

This program is available with project option only.

Transition to Graduate Status

Students will only be granted graduate student status after the completion and conferral of their undergraduate degree. Students must satisfy all Graduate School admission requirements and be formally admitted to the MSAI program.

Credit Sharing

Up to six credits of coursework may satisfy the requirements for both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, subject to University and Graduate School regulations.

Several MSAI core courses have undergraduate counterparts that may have been completed during the student’s bachelor’s degree program (e.g., CPT_S 440/540 Artificial Intelligence and CPT_S 434/534 Neural Network Design).

CPT_S 437 Machine Learning cannot be used as a replacement for CPT_S 570 Machine Learning.

For students in the Accelerated BS + MSAI (4+1) program, approved undergraduate conjoint courses may be used to satisfy the corresponding MSAI core course requirements as part of the shared six credits.

Students may receive credit for only one version of a conjoint course. Therefore, once the undergraduate version of a conjoint course has been used to satisfy the bachelor’s and MSAI degree requirements through the approved shared-credit mechanism, the corresponding graduate version may not be taken or counted again toward the MSAI degree.

Project Option

Course Requirements (BS + MS, 4+1)

This program is similar to the Masters in Artificial Intelligence Project Option with 30 credits and allows using up to six credits of coursework from the bachelor’s degree. The requirement for the remaining 24 credits is as follows:

Students in the M.S. Artificial Intelligence (4+1 Program) – Thesis program must complete the following courseworkfor their Program of Study:

• 30 total credits – minimum
  • 24 graded credits – minimum
    • 6 credits from undergraduate conjoint courses (400 level) credits- maximum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum
    • 3 credits from Electives – Minimum
  • 3 CPT_S 702 credits – credits corresponding to the capstone project
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.
• CPT_S 437 Machine Learning cannot be used as a replacement for CPT_S 570 Machine Learning.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, each Accelerated BS + MSAI (4+1) program student must complete the following course requirements with agrade of B- or better:

• Core Courses – (12 credits minimum)
  • CPT_S 540 Artificial Intelligence
  • CPT_S 570 Machine Learning
    • Note: CPT_S 437 Machine Learning cannot be used as a replacement for CPT_S 570 Machine Learning.
  • CPT_S 534 Neural Network Design
  • CPT_S 545 AI in the Real-World
• Advanced courses (minimum of 6 credits)
  • CPT_S 580 Reinforcement Learning
  • CPT_S 541 Computer Vision
  • CPT_S 544 Generative AI
  • CPT_S 580 Distributed ML
• Electives (minimum of 3 credits)
  • CPT_S 515 Advanced Algorithms
  • CPT_S 571 Computational Genomics
  • CPT_S 575 Data Science
  • CPT_S 591 Elements of Network Science
  • CPT_S 580 Randomized Algorithms
  • Math 566 Network Optimization
  • Math 529 Introduction to Computational Topology
  • Math 567 Integer and Combinatorial Optimization
  • ME485 – Introduction to Robotics and AI
  • EE 582 Convex Optimization
  • Other special topic courses such as AI+X (e.g., AI for Advanced Manufacturing) approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Final Examination – Project Defense

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and completed a written project report approved by the project advisor. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two credits during the final exam semester in accordance with Graduate School requirements.

The final examination consists of a written project report (10 pages) and an oral presentation with demonstration of the project. The presentation will be held as part of the School of EECS MSAI Capstone Poster Expo, at the end of each academic semester. The project should demonstrate the student’s ability to apply advanced AI and machine learning concepts, tools, and techniques to address a real-world problem, software system, or research-inspired application. The project should represent a substantial piece of independent work and is expected to require effort comparable to a graduate-level capstone experience.

If the student’s project report is approved and the project presentation is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the final project report to the School of EECS. The report should be prepared in a professional format acceptable to the faculty advisor, and all changes suggested by the examining committee must be incorporated into the final version. Students are encouraged to disseminate project outcomes through open-source software, technical reports, industrial collaborations, conference papers, or other appropriate venues.

Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Computer Engineering – Thesis program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 30 total credits – minimum
  • 21 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 6 credits non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum o 9 E_E 700 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental aspects of computer engineering, the student must successfully complete at least three of the following Core Courses with a grade of B- or better:

• Core Courses
  • E_E 524/CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
  • E_E 530 – Digital Signal Processing II
  • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
    • Note: If E_E 586 is not available, E_E 466 (VLSI Design) may be substituted
  • E_E 587 – System on Chip (SoC) Design & Test
    • Note: If E_E 587 is not available, E_E 434 (ASIC & Digital Systems Design) may be substituted
  • CPT_S 560 – Operating Systems

Final Examination – Thesis Defense

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and had their thesis approved by their committee. A List of Publications should also be submitted to the GSC prior to scheduling of exam. The list should include all publications submitted, accepted, or in preparation as well as the full name of the conference or journal for which they were submitted and the (anticipated) date of submission or appearance. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two E_E 700 credits during the final exam semester.

The examination will be administered by the student’s committee and will cover the thesis defense and the area of knowledge covered by the student’s Program of Study. The committee members must vote on passage or failure; and any other member of permanent EECS faculty may attend and vote at the examination. In the event of a failed examination, a second and final attempt may be scheduled after a lapse of at least three months.

If the student’s thesis is approved and the oral defense is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the thesis to the School of EECS. The thesis must be formatted in accordance with University and Graduate School requirements, and all changes suggested by the student’s committee must be made in the final version.

Students are encouraged to submit the results of the thesis research to a refereed journal.

Non-Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Computer Engineering – Non-Thesis program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 31 total credits – minimum
  • 27 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 9 credits non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum o 4 E_E 702 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental aspects of computer engineering, the student must successfully complete at least three of the following Core Courses with a grade of B- or better:

• Core Courses
  • E_E 524/CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
  • E_E 530 – Digital Signal Processing II
  • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
    • Note: If E_E 586 is not available, E_E 466 (VLSI Design) may be substituted
  • E_E 587 – System on Chip (SoC) Design & Test
    • Note: If E_E 587 is not available, E_E 434 (ASIC & Digital Systems Design) may be substituted with
  • CPT_S 560 – Operating Systems

Final Examination

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework and applied for the degree. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. In the case of the written exam detailed below, the scheduling form will denote a Ballot Meeting that the student does not need to attend. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two E_E 702 credits during the final exam semester.

The final exam consists of a portfolio of representational projects from the student’s Master’s course work, a resume/CV, a LinkedIn profile, and a brief response to an assigned paper. The committee will assign a research paper related to the student’s Focus Area(s), together with a specific set of questions. The student will be asked to write a 5-page report (in scientific format) that addresses the questions and submit it to the committee before the date determined on the exam scheduling form. The committee will then grade the entire final exam submission to determine a Pass/Fail grade and forward the signed examination ballots to the Graduate School.

Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Computer Science – Thesis program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 33 total credits – minimum
  • 24 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 6 credits non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum
    • 9 CPT_S 700 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, each M.S. Computer Science – Thesis student must complete the following course requirements with a grade of B- or better:

• CPT_S 515 – Advanced Algorithms or CPT_S 516 – Algorithmics
• All Core Courses and a minimum of 2 Advanced Courses for a student’s chosen Focus Area
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
    • Core Courses
      • CPT_S 540 – Artificial Intelligence
      • CPT_S 570 – Machine Learning
    • Advanced Courses
      • CPT_S 534 – Neural Network Design & Application
      • CPT_S 580 in following topics:
        • Reinforcement Learning 
        • Computer Vision
        • AI in the Real-World
        • Generative AI
        • Structured Prediction: Algorithms & Applications
        • Gerontechnology
        • Smart Health
        • Other Special Topics taught by AI & Machine Learning faculty
  • Data Science
    • Core Courses
      • CPT_S 575 – Data Science
      • CPT_S 570 – Machine Learning
    • Advanced Courses
      • CPT_S 415 – Big Data
      • CPT_S 453 – Graph Theory
      • CPT_S 571 – Computational Genomics
      • CPT_S 591 – Elements of Network Science
      • CPT_S 580 in following topics
        • Advanced Databases
        • Other Special Topics taught by Data Science faculty
  • Security and Systems
    • Core Courses
      • CPT_S 528 – Software Security and Reverse Engineering
      • CPT_S 439 – Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure Systems
    • Advanced Courses
      • CPT_S 411 – Introduction to Parallel Computing
      • CPT_S 425 – Cyber Forensics and Anti-Forensics
      • CPT_S 452 – Compiler Design
      • CPT_S 555 – Computer Communication Networks
      • CPT_S 560 – Operating Systems
      • CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
      • CPT_S 566 – Embedded Systems
      • CPT_S 580 in following topics
      • Advanced Distributed Systems
      • Other Special Topics taught by Systems & Networking faculty
  • Software Engineering
    • Core Courses
      • CPT_S 584 – Software Requirements
      • CPT_S 587 – Software Design & Architecture
    • Advanced Courses
      • CPT_S 528 – Software Security and Reverse Engineering
      • CPT_S 580 topics taught by Software Engineering faculty
      • CPT_S 581 – Software Maintenance
      • CPT_S 582 – Software Testing
      • CPT_S 583 – Software Quality
  • Visual & Scientific Computing
    • Core Courses
      • CPT_S 542 – Computer Graphics
      • CPT_S 530 – Numerical Analysis
    • Advanced Courses
      • CPT_S 483 – Special Topics: Introduction to Virtual Reality
      • CPT_S 543 – Human-Computer Interaction
      • CPT_S 548 – Advanced Computer Graphics
      • CPT_S 453 – Graph Theory
      • CPT_S 571 – Computational Genomics
      • CPT_S 572 – Numerical Methods in Computational Biology
      • CPT_S 591 – Elements of Network Science
      • MATH 540 – Applied Mathematics

Final Examination – Thesis Defense

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and had their thesis approved by their committee. A List of Publications should also be submitted to the GSC prior to scheduling of exam. The list should include all publications submitted, accepted, or in preparation as well as the full name of the conference or journal for which they were submitted and the (anticipated) date of submission or appearance. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two CPT_S 700 credits during the final exam semester.

If the student’s thesis is approved and the oral defense is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the thesis to the School of EECS. The thesis must be formatted in accordance with University and Graduate School requirements, and all changes suggested by the student’s committee must be made in the final version. Students are encouraged to submit the results of the thesis research to a refereed journal.

Non – Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Computer Science – Non-Thesis program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 30 total credits – minimum
  • 26 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 9 credits non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
  • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum
  • 4 CPT_S 702 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, each M.S. Computer Science – Non-Thesis student must complete the following course requirements with a grade of B- or better:

• CPT_S 515 – Advanced Algorithms or CPT_S 516 – Algorithmics
• Two courses each from two different focus areas (one course cannot be used for multiple requirements)
  • Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
    • CPT_S 534 – Neural Network Design & Application
    • CPT_S 540 – Artificial Intelligence
    • CPT_S 570 – Machine Learning
    • CPT_S 580 in following topics:
      • Reinforcement Learning
      • Computer Vision
      • AI in the Real-world
      • Generative AI
      • Structured Prediction: Algorithms & Applications
      • Gerontechnology
      • Smart Health
      • Other Special Topics taught by AI & Machine Learning faculty
  • Data Science
    • CPT_S 415 – Big Data
    • CPT_S 453 – Graph Theory
    • CPT_S 570 – Machine Learning
    • CPT_S 571 – Computational Genomics
    • CPT_S 575 – Data Science
    • CPT_S 580 in following topics
    • Advanced Databases
    • CPT_S 591 – Elements of Network Science
    • Other Special Topics taught by Data Science faculty
  • Security and Systems
    • CPT_S 411 – Introduction to Parallel Computing
    • CPT_S 425 – Cyber Forensics and Anti-Forensics
    • CPT_S 439- Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure Systems
    • CPT_S 452 – Compiler Design
    • CPT_S 528 – Software Security and Reverse Engineering
    • CPT_S 555 – Computer Communication Networks
    • CPT_S 560 – Operating Systems
    • CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
    • CPT_S 566 – Embedded Systems
    • CPT_S 580 in following topics
    • Advanced Distributed Systems
    • Other Special Topics taught by Systems & Networking faculty
    • CPT_S 591 – Elements of Network Science
  • Software Engineering
    • CPT_S 584 – Software Requirements
    • CPT_S 587 – Software Design & Architecture
    • CPT_S 528 – Software Security and Reverse Engineering
    • CPT_S 580 topics taught by Software Engineering faculty
    • CPT_S 581 – Software Maintenance
    • CPT_S 582 – Software Testing
    • CPT_S 583 – Software Quality
  • Visual & Scientific Computing
    • CPT_S 483 – Special Topics: Introduction to Virtual Reality
    • CPT_S 530 – Numerical Analysis
    • CPT_S 542 – Computer Graphics
    • CPT_S 543 – Human-Computer Interaction
    • CPT_S 548 – Advanced Computer Graphics
    • CPT_S 453 – Graph Theory
    • CPT_S 571 – Computational Genomics
    • CPT_S 572 – Numerical Methods in Computational Biology
    • CPT_S 591 – Elements of Network Science
    • MATH 540 – Applied Mathematics I

Final Examination

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework and applied for the degree. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. In the case of the written exam detailed below, the scheduling form will denote a Ballot Meeting that the student does not need to attend. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two CPT_S 702 credits during the final exam semester.

The final exam consists of a portfolio of representational projects from the student’s Master’s course work, a resume/CV, a LinkedIn profile, and a brief response to an assigned paper. The committee will assign a research paper related to the student’s Focus Area(s), together with a specific set of questions. The student will be asked to write a 5-page report (in scientific format) that addresses the questions and submit it to the committee before the date determined on the exam scheduling form. The committee will then grade the entire final exam submission to determine a Pass/Fail grade and forward the signed examination ballots to the Graduate School.

Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Electrical Engineering – Thesis program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 33 total credits – minimum
  • 24 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 6 credits non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum
    • 9 CPT_S 700 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, each M.S. Electrical Engineering – Thesis student must complete the following course requirements:

A minimum of two courses listed in a student’s chosen Focus Area (completed with a B- or better)

Focus Areas & Core Coursework

• Systems Area
  • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory
  • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks
  • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering
• Power Area
  • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
  • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control or E_E 582 – Cyber-Power Systems
• Microelectronics
  • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
  • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
• Electrophysics
  • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
  • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
• Computer Engineering
  • E_E 524 – Advanced Computer Architecture
  • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
    • Note: If E_E 586 is not available, E_E 466 (VLSI Design) may be substituted
  • At least one additional course from the below list of Advanced Courses beyond the courses from a student’s chosen Focus Area (completed with a B- or better)
    • Advanced Courses
      • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory
      • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks
      • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering
      • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
      • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
      • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control or E_E 582 – Cyber-Power Systems
      • E_E 524 – Advanced Computer Architecture
      • E_E 555 – Computer Communication Networks
      • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
      • E_E 582 – Advanced Topics: Cyber Security
      • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
      • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
      • CPT_S 516 – Algorithmics

Final Examination – Thesis Defense

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and had their thesis approved by their committee. A List of Publications should also be submitted to the GSC prior to scheduling of exam. The list should include all publications submitted, accepted, or in preparation as well as the full name of the conference or journal for which they were submitted and the (anticipated) date of submission or appearance. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two E_E 700 credits during the final exam semester.

The examination will be administered by the student’s committee and will cover the thesis defense and the area of knowledge covered by the student’s Program of Study. The committee members must vote on passage or failure; and any other member of permanent EECS faculty may attend and vote at the examination. In the event of a failed examination, a second and final attempt may be scheduled after a lapse of at least three months.

If the student’s thesis is approved and the oral defense is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the thesis to the School of EECS. The thesis must be formatted in accordance with University and Graduate School requirements, and all changes suggested by the student’s committee must be made in the final version. The results of the thesis research should be submitted to a refereed journal.

Non-Thesis Option

Course Requirements

Students in the M.S. Electrical Engineering – Non-Thesis program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 30 total credits – minimum
  • 27 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 E_E/CPT_S credits – minimum
    • 9 non-graduate (400-level) credits – maximum
    • 6 transferred credits – maximum
    • 3 Directed Study credits (E_E/CPT_S 595) – maximum
    • 4 E_E 702 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

Each M.S. Electrical Engineering – Non-Thesis student must choose a Focus Area (listed below) and will take a comprehensive examination in their area to serve as their non-thesis final exam. In order to fulfill the requirements on their Program of Study each student must complete the following requirements:

A minimum of two courses listed in a student’s chosen Focus Area (completed with a B- or better)

Focus Areas & Core Coursework

• Systems Area
  • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory
  • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks
  • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering
• Power Area
  • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
  • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control or E_E 582 Cyber-Power Systems
• Microelectronics
  • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
  • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
• Electrophysics
  • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
  • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
• Computer Engineering
  • E_E 524 – Advanced Computer Architecture
  • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
    • Note: If E_E 586 is not available, E_E 466 (VLSI Design) may be substituted
  • At least two additional courses from the below list of Advanced Courses beyond the courses from a student’s chosen Focus Area (completed with a B- or better)
    • Advanced Courses
      • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory
      • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks
      • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering
      • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
      • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
      • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control or E_E 582 – Cyber-Power Systems
      • E_E 524 – Advanced Computer Architecture
      • E_E 555 – Computer Communication Networks
      • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
      • E_E 582 – Advanced Topics: Cyber Security
      • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
      • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
      • CPT_S 516 – Algorithmics

Final Examination

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework and applied for the degree. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. In the case of the written exam detailed below, the scheduling form will denote a Ballot Meeting that the student does not need to attend. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two E_E 702 credits during the final exam semester.

The final exam consists of a portfolio of representational projects from the student’s Master’s course work, a resume/CV, a LinkedIn profile, and a brief response to an assigned paper. The committee will assign a research paper related to the student’s Focus Area(s), together with a specific set of questions. The student will be asked to write a 5-page report (in scientific format) that addresses the questions and submit it to the committee before the date determined on the exam scheduling form. The committee will then grade the entire final exam submission to determine a Pass/Fail grade and forward the signed examination ballots to the Graduate School.

Online Degree Only

Course Requirements

Students in the Online M.S. Software Engineering program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 30 total credits – minimum
  • Core Courses – 9 credits
    • CPT_S 484: Software Requirements
    • CPT_S 582: Software Testing
    • CPT_S 587: Software Design and Architecture
  • Advanced Courses – 13 credits
    • CPT_S 581: Software Maintenance
    • CPT_S 583: Software Quality
    • E_M 564: Project Management
    • CPT_S 702: Masters Special Problems, Directed Study and/or examination (4 credits)
      • Note – Eligible to enroll only in the final semester for the Final Exam
  • Elective Courses – 9 credits taken from the courses listed below
    • CPT_S 415: Big Data
    • CPT_S 451: Introduction to Database Systems
    • E_M 522: Leadership, Supervision and Management
    • Any other 500-level course in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Math
    • Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree

Final Examination

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

The Final Exam will be scheduled after the student has applied for the degree and has discussed with their committee. The Exam Scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator, a minimum of three weeks in advance of the final exam date. In the case of a written exam detailed below, the scheduling form will denote a Ballot meeting that the student does not need to attend. Note that the student needs to be enrolled in a minimum of 2 702 credits in the final semester for taking the final exam.

The Final Exam consists of a portfolio of representational projects from the student’s Master’s coursework, a resume/CV, a LinkedIn profile, and a brief response to an assigned paper. The committee will assign a research paper related to the student’s Focus area(s), together with specific set of questions. The student will also be asked to write and submit a 5- page report (in scientific format) that addresses the questions and submit it to the committee before the date determined on the exam scheduling form. The committee then grades the entire final exam submission to determine a Pass/Fail grades. The ballots are forwarded to the Graduate School for processing.

Course Requirements

Students in the Ph.D. Computer Science program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 72 total credits – minimum
  • 24 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 credits graduate-level (500-level), excluding 595 – minimum
    • 6 credits non-graduate (400-level) and/or 595 — maximum
    • 12 transferred credits – maximum
    • 48 CPT_S 800 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, each computer science Ph.D. student must complete the following course requirements:

• Required Core Courses
  • CPT_S 515 Advanced Algorithms and/ or CPT_S 516 Algorithmics, must be passed with B or better.
• 9 credits minimum covering at least three different areas listed below. All three courses must be passed with B or better.
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
    • CPT_S 534 – Neural Network Design & Application
    • CPT_S 540 – Artificial Intelligence
    • CPT_S 570 – Machine Learning
    • CPT_S 577 – Structured Prediction
    • CPT_S 580 – Computer Vision
    • CPT_S 580 – Reinforcement Learning
    • CPT_S 580 – AI in the Real-world
    • CPT_S 580 – Generative AI
  • Data Science
    • CPT_S 415 – Big Data
    • CPT_S 571 – Computation Genomics
    • CPT_S 575 – Data Science
    • CPT_S 580 – Special topics on Data Science related topics
    • CPT_S 591 – Elements of Network Science
  • Security and Systems
    • CPT_S 411 – Introduction to Parallel Computing
    • CPT_S 425 – Cyber Forensics and Anti-Forensics
    • CPT_S 439 – Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure Systems
    • CPT_S 452 – Compiler Design
    • CPT_S 483 – Special topics course (Intro to Compilers & LLVM)
    • CPT_S 527 – Computer Security
    • CPT_S 528 – Web Security and Reverse Engineering
    • CPT_S 542 – Computer Graphics
    • CPT_S 561 – Computer Architecture
    • CPT_S 566 – Embedded Systems
    • CPT_S 580 – Advanced GPU Programming and other topics related to topics in computer systems
  • Software Engineering
    • CPT_S 484 – Software Requirements
    • CPT_S 580 – Special topics on Software Engineering topics
    • CPT_S 581 – Software Maintenance
    • CPT_S 582 – Software Testing
    • CPT_S 583 – Software Quality
    • CPT_S 587 – Software Design & Architecture
  • Theory and Algorithms
    • EE 582 Convex Optimization
    • Math 566 Network Optimization
    • Math 529 Introduction to Computational Topology
    • Math 567 Integer and Combinatorial Optimization
    • CPT_S 580 Randomized Algorithms
    • Other Special Topics courses taught by Theory faculty

The above core courses should be successfully completed within three semesters of admission to the program in order to properly prepare the student for the major area section of the Qualifying Exam (QE).

Qualifying Exam (QE)

Purpose of QE

The purpose of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (QE) is to assess the student’s depth and breadth of knowledge as deemed to be suitable for the doctoral program (i.e., well-prepared to conduct doctoral-level research). Passing the QE is required to achieveAdvanced Graduate Standing (AGS), the status that permits students to pursue the Ph.D. degree.

QE expectations

Students should have done work equivalent to taking 500-level courses in the examination area(s) and mastered the fundamental concepts in those courses. They must be able to read and comprehend the recent and seminal literature in the topic area(s), and be able to critique and compare the motivations, methods, and results of the work. They must be able to write a scholarly report on a collection of papers that includes reviews of the papers and conclusions produced by synthesizing information from multiple papers. They must be able to orally present their findings with supporting visual materials to the examination committee. They must be able to answer technical questions about the material they read and present.

Timing

The QE must be taken no later than the end of the student’s third academic semester (for a student with Master’s degree) and fourth academic semester (for a student with a Bachelor’s degree) in their respective Ph.D. program.

A student failing the QE the first time may be allowed to take the QE a second time no later than the end of the following academic semester. Any student failing the QE in their second attempt will be terminated from their Ph.D. program.

Exceptions to the above policies will be rare and will have to be initiated as a formal request by the student and/or their advisor (as appropriate) to the GSC. Exception requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the GSC and the School Director, and the final granting decision is made by the School Director. Alternative members of the faculty (within GSC or the Associate Director) will be identified to handle conflict cases where the advisor of a student is also either the GSC chair or the School Director.

Advanced Graduate Standing Status

Upon successful completion of the QE, the GSC will consider students for AGS.

Breadth Requirement

A student must take at least twelve (12) graded credits of courses (excluding EE/CPT_S 595) at the 500- level. The student must achieve grade point average of 3.70 for the twelve graded credits. A course with a grade below B cannot be applied toward the breadth requirement. Up to six approved transfer credits may be used toward the total requirement.

A student who has not fulfilled this requirement at the end of two semesters (for students with a Master’s degree), or alternatively three semesters (for students with only Bachelor’s degree) must still take the written and oral portions of the QE during their third and fourth semester respectively. If any key courses relevant for the QE preparation is not offered prior to the QE, then the student and the advisor are jointly responsible for finding alternative courses or a directed study approach to ensure timely preparation. A student who does not meet the breadth requirement by the end of their third semester may be dismissed as a Ph.D. student. The student’s advisor may request an extension to the breadth requirement from the GSC and the School Director.

Depth Requirement – Exam Structure and Logistics

The written and oral QE is taken during a student’s third semester (for students with a Master’s degree), or alternatively the fourth semester (for students with only a Bachelor’s degree) in the Ph.D. program. This examination is intended to ascertain the student’s readiness to undertake research at the Ph.D. level. The student will be examined in an appropriate area (or areas) chosen by the student with the assistance of their faculty advisor. It is expected that the advisors clearly communicate the QE expectations including the area(s) for the examination and the breadth requirements to the student during the first semester of the PhD student, so that the student has ample time to plan and prepare for the QE.

QE scheduling form

Students must sign up for the exam no later than the third week of the semester in which they intend to take the QE exam. They need to fill the Computer Science QE scheduling form (example in Appendix) and will be shared by graduate coordinator at the start of each Fall/Spring semester) and send it to the EECS graduate coordinator.

QE structure

The QE consists of two parts: 1) written portion, and 2) oral portion. The specific details of the QE vary across different research areas. The collective performance over both written and oral portions is used to decide the Pass/Fail outcome for QE. If a student fails the exam, it may be retaken once during the following semester. The retake need not be in the same area as the failed examination, but only one retake is allowed.

QE Committee and Responsibilities

For each PhD student taking the QE exam, a committee consisting of three full-time faculty members will be appointed by the GSC. Typically, the committee composition consists of the advisor and at least one other faculty member in student’s area. The third member can be any full-time faculty member of EECS with graduate faculty status. The chair of the committee is the one who is responsible for

1. setting the QE exam schedule (dates, locations) for the student, or alternatively students in an area for the group QE scenario,
2. conducting the exam, and
3. communicating with the student and the GSC about the QE. For QEs held for individual students, the student’s advisor cannot serve as the chair of the QE committee but is expected to be one of the other two committee members.

For some areas, the QE committee is formed for a group of students and the committee chair assignment is done on a rotational basis. In such cases, it will be acceptable if the committee chair also happens to be the advisor for one of the students. However, if all students taking a group QE are students of the same advisor, then that advisor cannot be the chair of that committee.

Scheduling of QE

As for scheduling the QE, it is expected that the QE chair works with the committee and the student(s) to schedule the QE exam at least two months prior to the exam. This is especially important for areas where the written portion of the exam requires substantial amount of preparation. The student can request the committee for any materials needed to prepare for their QE exam (e.g., materials for courses they haven’t taken at WSU and sample questions from past written exams).

All QE committee members should approve the QE exam questions before the exam is given to the student and will have equal rights in the evaluation process. All committee members are expected to share each other’s grading of a student’s exam with the other committee members. The final PASS/FAIL result of the QE exam is obtained through a vote of the committee, with a simple majority determining the outcome. The committee is expected to give the grades and a written feedback on both written and oral exam back to the student. The result of a QE exam should be reported by the committee chair to the GSC within 3 working days after the exam. Reports with the date of the exam conducted should be forwarded to the graduate coordinator for records and moving the students to the next Pay step.

Advanced Graduate Standing (AGS)

Advanced Graduate Standing (AGS) is the departmental designation for official permission to pursue a Ph.D. degree. The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) grants AGS status. The GSC considers a student for AGS after the dissemination of QE results and completion of required courses. The process of evaluation for AGS is based on:

• The student’s performance on the QE in their declared Major Area
• Performance in graduate courses specifically in their Core Courses and declared Minor Area
• Letter of recommendation from the student’s research advisor
• Other information pertinent to the pertinent to the student’s ability to perform high-quality doctoral-level work

The GSC may –

• Grant AGS
• Grant AGS with specified conditions
• Grant continuation in the program with reevaluation by the GSC after specified conditions are satisfied
• Terminate the student from the Ph.D. program.

Doctoral Students

Prior to Preliminary Exams:

Prior to taking preliminary exams, all doctoral students are required to enroll for a minimum of two credits every fall and spring semester until they complete all of their degree requirements. Graduate leave is available to those students who are in good standing, but must be away from campus for personal reasons. See Graduate School Policies & Procedures for more information regarding Graduate Leave, including Internship Leave: Official Graduate Leave of Absence. Please note that international students must consult with International Programs regarding personal or internship leave and discuss the enrollment requirements with them.

If a doctoral student does not register for credit or go into approved Graduate or Internship Leave status, their absence is considered to be unapproved. Such students may reenroll and will need to pay a $25 reenrollment fee if they are absent for less than three semesters (excluding the summer). Reenrollment also requires departmental approval and is not guaranteed. Students who are absent for three consecutive semesters (excluding the summer) will be dropped from the Graduate School.

After Successful Completion of Preliminary Exams:

After successful completion of preliminary exams, doctoral students are expected to continue to enroll for research credits each semester until they defend their dissertation. There is a three-year deadline from the date of the preliminary exam to the date of degree completion. Students who have taken their preliminary exams, have met all of their program requirements except completion of their dissertation, and do not have the funding to register for two or more research credits will be placed into Continuous Doctoral Status (CDS) for a limited number of semesters.

Students in CDS will be charged a $50 per semester administrative fee and will have limited access to University resources. See Graduate School Policies & Procedures for more information regarding CDS: Continuous Enrollment for Degree-Seeking Students.

Grading:

Each committee grades the exams in their area and reports the results to the all the Computer Science faculty. The examining committee consists of three people with one person designated as chair of the committee. The student’s advisor will serve on the committee, but cannot be the chair. Each report includes a pass/fail recommendation and a summary of the student’s performance on the exam. If no objections to the results are raised within 7 days, the committee’s recommendation stands. Otherwise, the computer science faculty will meet to discuss the matter and decide by majority vote whether the student passes.

Preliminary Exam (PE)

A doctoral student is advanced to candidacy when they pass the Preliminary Examination (PE). The Program of Study must be approved by the graduate school before the student can take the PE. The PE should be held no later than the fifth semester of the student’s Ph.D. program. If unsuccessful, a student may be allowed to take the examination one more time. The overall format for the PE is described in the Graduate School Policies & Procedures. The specific format of the EECS PE is described below:

The student will submit up to 15 pages (single-spaced) “Dissertation Proposal” to the GSC and their doctoral committee before scheduling the Ph.D. PE and after passing the Ph.D. QE. This document shall describe the student’s intended Ph.D. research in reasonable detail – including introductory and background material, preliminary research conducted, plans for further research, and bibliography. The proposal may serve as the focus for the PE, although this is not required. There must be a minimum of six months between passing the PE and taking the final dissertation defense. The exam itself will consist of the presentation of the proposal by the student and questioning from the committee and permanent faculty in attendance. The vote on the PE will be held at the end of the exam.

The student must submit a scheduling form to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. The student must also submit a list of publications using the Publications form (example in Appendix) and is required to meet the EECS Publication Policy before the exam scheduling form is approved. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two CPT_S 800 credits during the preliminary exam semester.

Final Examination – Doctoral Defense

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission. Details of this are available at the graduate school website.

An oral final examination is given after the completion of the dissertation. This examination (open to the public) is primarily a defense of the dissertation. The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and had their dissertation approved by their committee. A List of Publications should also be submitted to the GSC prior to scheduling of exam. The list should include all publications submitted, accepted, or in preparation as well as the full name of the conference or journal for which they were submitted and the (anticipated) date of submission or appearance. The student must also submit a list of publications using the Publications form (example in Appendix) and is required to meet the EECS Publication Policy (minimum of two accepted/published papers from the list of venues selected for each area) before the final exam scheduling form is approved. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three- weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two CPT_S 800 credits during the final exam semester.

If the student’s dissertation is approved and the oral defense is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the dissertation to the School of EECS. Dissertations must be formatted in accordance with University and Graduate School requirements, and all changes suggested by the student’s committee must be made in the final version. The results of the dissertation research should be submitted to a refereed journal.

Starting Fall 2023, students will need to follow the below process to submit their dissertation

1. Title/Abstract/Signature Pages:
   Students will no longer upload these pages into myWSU following their final examination. Instead, students will complete the new Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form and upload this document into myWSU. This form will go to you for a candidate number, then to the committee chair. The chair will approve the thesis/dissertation on behalf of the entire committee. The service request will return to you for submission to the Graduate School. Committee members will no longer approve these uploads.
2. Final Thesis/Dissertation, Exam Ballots, and Final Documents Deadline:
   The submission deadline for all of these items (including the revised thesis or dissertation in ProQuest, exam ballots, Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form submitted to the Graduate School as described above, HHA Form, SED Completion Certificate, and any necessary Copyright releases) is being extended from five business days to ten business days. Additionally, students are encouraged to upload their completed HHA, SED Completion Certificate, and copyright release documents into GRM.

Course Requirements

Students in the Ph.D. Electrical & Computer Engineering program must complete the following coursework for their Program of Study:

• 72 total credits – minimum
  • 24 graded credits – minimum
    • 18 credits graduate-level (500-level), excluding 595 – minimum
    • 6 credits non-graduate (400-level) and/or 595 — maximum
    • 12 transferred credits – maximum
    • 48 E_E 800 credits – minimum
• Any undergraduate coursework assigned to the student to make up for undergraduate deficiencies at the time of admission may not be used toward the student’s degree.

In order to ensure that each student obtains a reasonable graduate-level understanding of a number of fundamental areas, each Ph.D. Electrical & Computer Engineering student must complete the following course requirements:

Focus Areas

• Computer Engineering
  • Core Courses
    • Take at least two of the following courses; must be completed with a B or better
      • E_E 524/CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
      • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
        • Note: If E_E 586 is not available, E_E 466 (VLSI Design) may be substituted
      • E_E 587 – System on Chip Design and Test
        • Note: If E_E 587 is not available, E_E 434 (ASIC and Digital Systems Design may be substituted)
    • Take at least one additional course from the following list; must be completed with a B or better
      • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory
      • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks
      • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering
      • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
      • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
      • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control
      • E_E 524/CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
      • E_E 555 – Computer Communication Networks
      • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
      • E_E 582 – Advanced Topics: Cyber Security
      • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
      • E_E 587 – System on Chip Design and Test
      • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
      • CPT_S 516 – Algorithmics
• Electrophysics
  • Core Courses
    • Take at least two of the following courses; must be completed with a B or better
      • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
      • E_E 535 – Numerical Solutions to EM Problems
      • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
    • Take at least two additional courses from the following list; must be completed with a B or better
      • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory
      • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks
      • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering
      • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
      • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
      • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control
      • E_E 524/CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
      • E_E 535 – Numerical Solutions to EM Problems
      • E_E 555 – Computer Communication Networks
      • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
      • E_E 582 – Advanced Topics: Cyber Security
      • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
      • E_E 587 – System on Chip Design and Test
      • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
    • Any further courses as determined by your committee chair/faculty
• Microelectronics
  • Core Courses
    • The following courses must be taken at WSU (cannot be transferred in) and must be completed with a B or better
      • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
      • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
• Power
  • Core Courses
    • The following courses must be taken at WSU (cannot be transferred in) and must be completed with a B or better
      • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
      • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control OR E_E 582 Cyber- Power Systems
      • One additional 500-level course in the Power area
      • One additional core course from another focus area (not in Power)
• Systems
  • Core Courses
    • Any of the following two courses must be taken at WSU (cannot be transferred in) and must be completed with a B or better
      • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory
      • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks
      • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering
  • Students will need to select a Minor Area and complete suggested coursework with a B or better
    • Minor Areas (Systems area only) – Two 500-level courses in a breadth area, must be completed with a B or better:
      • Power
        • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems
        • E_E523 – Power Systems Stability & Control
      • Microelectronics
        • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems
        • E_E 576 – Analog Integrated Systems
      • Electrophysics
        • E_E 518 -Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I
        • E_E 535 – Numerical Solutions to EM Problems
      • Computer Engineering (any two of the following)
        • E_E 524/CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture
        • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design
        • E_E 587 – System on Chip Design and Test
      • Computer Science
        • (Any two courses from the PhD Computer Sciences listed courses)
        • One additional 500-level course from the following list or the previous breadth areas, must be completed with B or better. This course cannot be used to fulfill a previously listed requirement  
          • E_E 501 – Linear System Theory  
          • E_E 503 – Structure, Dynamics, & Control of Large-Scale Networks  
          • E_E 507 – Random Processes in Engineering  
          • E_E 518 – Advanced Electromagnetic Theory I  
          • E_E 521 – Analysis of Power Systems  
          • E_E 523 – Power Systems Stability & Control  
          • E_E 524/CPT_S 561 – Advanced Computer Architecture  
          • E_E 555 – Computer Communication Networks  
          • E_E 571 – Advanced Wireless Integrated Circuits & Systems  
          • E_E 582 – Advanced Topics: Cyber Security  
          • E_E 586 – VLSI Systems Design  
          • E_E 587 – System on Chip Design and Test  
          • E_E 596 – Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits  
          • CPT_S 516 – Algorithmics  
        • One additional 500-level Systems course, must be completed with B or better.  
        • Two additional 3 credit courses, which may be any combination of 500-level, 400-level, or 595, must be completed with B or better.  

Qualifying Exam (QE)

Purpose

The purpose of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (QE) is to assess the student’s depth and breadth of knowledge as deemed to besuitable for the doctoral program (i.e., well-prepared to conduct doctoral-level research). Passing the QE is required to achieveAdvanced Graduate Standing (AGS), the status that permits students to pursue the Ph.D. degree.

QE expectations

Students should have done work equivalent to taking 500-level courses in the examination area(s) and mastered the fundamental concepts in those courses. The following applies to EE areas where QE involves written report and/or oral presentation based on assigned research papers. They must be able to read and comprehend the recent and seminal literature in the topic area(s), and be able to critique and compare the motivations, methods, and results of the work. They must be able to write a scholarly report on a collection of papers that includes reviews of the papers and conclusions produced by synthesizing information from multiple papers. They must be able to orally present their findings with supporting visual materials to the examination committee. They must be able to answer technical questions about the material they read and present.

Timing

The QE must be taken no later than the end of the student’s third academic semester (for a student with Master’s degree) and fourth academic semester (for a student with a Bachelor’s degree) in their respective Ph.D. program.

A student failing the QE the first time may be allowed to take the QE a second time no later than the end of the following academic semester. Any student failing the QE in their second attempt will be terminated from their Ph.D. program.

Exceptions to the above policies will be rare and will have to be initiated as a formal request by the student and/or their advisor (as appropriate) to the GSC. Exception requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the GSC and the School Director, and the final granting decision is made by the School Director. Alternative members of the faculty (within GSC or the Associate Director) will be identified to handle conflict cases where the advisor of a student is also either the GSC chair or the School Director.

Advanced Graduate Standing Status:

Upon successful completion of the QE, the GSC will consider students for AGS.

Breadth Requirement

A student must take at least twelve (12) graded credits of courses (excluding EE/CPT_S 595) at the 500- level. The student must achieve grade point average of 3.0 for the twelve graded credits. A course with a grade below B cannot be applied toward the breadth requirement. Up to six approved transfer credits may be used toward the total requirement.

A student who has not fulfilled this requirement at the end of two semesters (for students with a Master’s degree), or alternatively three semesters (for students with only Bachelor’s degree) must still take the written and oral portions of the QE during their third and fourth semester respectively. If any key courses relevant for the QE preparation is not offered prior to the QE, then the student and the advisor are jointly responsible for finding alternative courses or a directed study approach to ensure timely preparation. A student who does not meet the breadth requirement by the end of their third semester may be dismissed as a Ph.D. student. The student’s advisor may request an extension to the breadth requirement from the GSC and the School Director.

Depth Requirement – Exam Structure and Logistics

The written and/or oral QE is taken during a student’s third semester (for students with a Master’s degree), or alternatively the fourth semester (for students with only a Bachelor’s degree) in the Ph.D. program. This examination is intended to ascertain the student’s readiness to undertake research at the Ph.D. level. The student will be examined in an appropriate area (or areas) chosen by the student with the assistance of their faculty advisor. It is expected that the advisors clearly communicate the QE expectations including the area(s) for the examination and the breadth requirements to the student during the first semester of the PhD student, so that the student has ample time to plan and prepare for the QE.

QE Scheduling form

Students must sign up for the exam no later than the third week of the semester in which they intend to take the QE exam. They need to fill the Electrical and Computer Engineering QE scheduling form (example in Appendix) and will be shared by graduate coordinator) and send it to the EECS graduate coordinator.

QE Structure

The QE consists of two parts: 1) written portion, and/or 2) oral portion. The specific details of the QE varies across different research areas and are stated in the next section. The collective performance over both written and oral portions (if applicable to a research area) is used to decide the Pass/Fail outcome for QE. If a student fails the exam, it may be retaken once during the following semester. The retake need not be in the same area as the failed examination, but only one retake is allowed.

QE committee and responsibilities

For each PhD student taking the QE exam, a committee consisting of three full-time faculty members will be appointed by the GSC. Typically, the committee composition consists of the advisor and at least one other faculty member in student’s area. The third member can be any full-time faculty member of EECS with graduate faculty status. The chair of the committee is the one who is responsible for

1. setting the QE exam schedule (dates, locations) for the student, or alternatively students in an area for the group QE scenario,
2. conducting the exam, and
3. communicating with the student and the GSC about the QE. For QEs held for individual students, the student’s advisor cannot serve as the chair of the QE committee but is expected to be one of the other two committee members.

For some areas, the QE committee is formed for a group of students and the committee chair assignment is done on a rotational basis. In such cases, it will be acceptable if the committee chair also happens to be the advisor for one of the students. However, if all students taking a group QE are students of the same advisor, then that advisor cannot be the chair of that committee.

As for scheduling the QE, it is expected that the QE chair works with the committee and the student(s) to schedule the QE exam at least two months prior to the exam. This is especially important for areas where the written portion of the exam requires substantial amount of preparation. The student can request the committee for any materials needed to prepare for their QE exam (e.g., materials for courses they haven’t taken at WSU and sample questions from past written exams). All QE committee members should approve the QE exam questions before the exam is given to the student and will have equal rights in the evaluation process. All committee members are expected to share each other’s grading of a student’s exam with the other committee members. The final PASS/FAIL result of the QE exam is obtained through a vote of the committee, with a simple majority determining the outcome. The committee is expected to give the grades and a written feedback on both written and oral exam back to the student. The result of a QE exam should be reported by the committee chair to the GSC within 3 working days after the exam.

Advanced Graduate Standing (AGS)

Advanced Graduate Standing (AGS) is the departmental designation for official permission to pursue a Ph.D. degree. The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) grants AGS status. The GSC considers a student for AGS after the dissemination of QE results and completion of required courses. The process of evaluation for AGS is based on:

• The student’s performance on the QE in their declared Major Area
• Performance in graduate courses specifically in their Core Courses and declared Minor Area
• Letter of recommendation from the student’s research advisor
• Other information pertinent to the pertinent to the student’s ability to perform high-quality doctoral-level work 

The GSC may:

• Grant AGS
• Grant AGS with specified conditions
• Grant continuation in the program with reevaluation by the GSC after specified conditions are satisfied
• Terminate the student from the Ph.D. program.

Minor Area Requirements

The Minor Area (breadth) requirement for the ECE is only required in the Systems area.

Major Area Exam

The students in the Ph.D. ECE program are required to take one exam in their Major Area (depth). The examination is not, in principle, tied to any particular WSU course; however, it is expected to at the first-year graduate level in each area. Each area has specific guidelines regarding the nature and format of the exam as described below. The examining committee in each area will provide a written evaluation of the performance of each student to the GSC. The major advisor of a student taking that exam should not be part of that examining committee and (if a member of the GSC) will be excused from deliberations and voting. Students must perform satisfactorily in order to pass the QE.

Systems Area Qualifying Exams (QE)

The Systems Area QE will be a written exam lasting three hours, thirty minutes. This exam will consist of seven questions: two each from material covered in E_E 501 and 507, and one each from material covered in E_E 451, 464, and 489.

Students are required to answer a total of five out of the seven questions. Four of the five required answers must be from the questions based on E_E 501 and 507. The other questions must be chosen from among the questions based on E_E 451, 464, and 489.

Materials:

• The exam will be closed book and closed notes
• Students may bring two 8.5” x 11” study sheets per course (both sides of the sheets may be used).
• At the beginning of the exam, students may read the problems from E_E 451, 464, and 489 before deciding which one to attempt and retain the two study sheets pertaining to that course.
• Scientific calculators with the following capabilities will be allowed: basic arithmetic operations, trigonometric, log and exponential, hyperbolic functions. In particular, calculators with significantly more capabilities than those listed, including graphing or programmability will not be allowed.
• Students will be allowed to bring in one handbook of mathematical tables (such as a CRC handbook). Printout of an electronic copy of mathematical tables can be substituted as long as the number of pages does not exceed 100 sheets (double-sided).

The Systems Area examinations committee will provide an assessment of each student’s performance on the QE to the GSC within two weeks after the date of the exam.

The three possible performance assessments for students specializing in the Systems Area are:

1. Pass
2. Fail, but allowed to retake the exam the next time it is offered.
3. Fail and not allowed to continue in the Systems Area.

Each question on the QE will be worth twenty points. Students specializing in the Systems Area will automatically pass the exam if they score eighty or higher. Depending upon the particular exam, the examining committee may set the pass/fail threshold lower than eighty. Students who fail the exam on their first attempt but achieve a score within fifteen points of the pass/fail threshold will be assessed at performance level 2 above. Students who fail to achieve a score greater than or equal to fifteen points below the pass/fail threshold on their first attempt or who fail the exam on their second attempt may be assessed at performance level 3.

Power Area Qualifying Exams (QE)

The Power Area QE will consist of two parts: a written examination and an oral examination.

The student must get a pass grade in both the written and oral exams for completing the QE. The written QE will be administered as an in-class closed book closed notes exam consisting of 7 questions and will last three hours. The student is allowed to bring a scientific calculator with complex and matrix arithmetic (with no preloaded programs) and four 8.5”X11” single sided formula sheets.

The syllabus for the written QE will be the material covered in the two undergraduate courses at WSU in the power area, namely, 1) EE361, and 2) EE491. There will be 3 questions from EE361 and four from EE491. The student is expected to answer any five questions of his/her choice, and each question will carry a weight of 20 points. If more than five questions are answered, the best 5 scores will be taken. Total score of 75 or above is required for a pass grade in the written QE.

The student is expected to take the written QE in the second semester of the PhD program, and the exam should be scheduled within the first eight weeks of the semester. Students who have an A or A- grades in both EE361 and EE491 at WSU will be waived from the written QE.

The oral QE should be scheduled for an hour and will consist of two parts. The first part will be a follow-up on the corrected solutions for the written QE problems. For the second part, the student will select a journal publication from any IEEE transactions (in consultation with his/her advisor) possibly related to the research topic of the student. The journal paper should not include any authors from WSU.

The student will make a seminar presentation on the paper for about 20 minutes and answer questions on related subjects. While the oral exam is open to all power area faculty, the PhD thesis committee is expected to participate in the oral QE. The faculty attending the oral QE will vote on the outcome, and a majority vote will determine the student grade for the oral exam.

Specific topics in EE361 are included: Sections 1.8, 3.1 to 3.10, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.9,5.10, 6.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 and Chapters 2, 9 and 10 of the books titled “Electric Machinery and Power System Fundamentals”, by S. J. Chapman, McGraw-Hill, 2001, ISBN 0072291354.

Microelectronics QE

Students declaring Microelectronics as their major field will complete a two-part evaluation.

“The Microelectronics QE committee will consist of three graduate faculty members from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), specializing in Microelectronics and Computer Engineering. Students majoring in Microelectronics must complete a two-part QE: a written exam and an oral exam. The written exam lasts three hours and thirty minutes and includes two questions each from E_E 596, E_E 571, E_E 576, and E_E 431. Additionally, if the student has taken VLSI courses (E_E 586, E_E 434, E_E 466), two questions per course will be included in the final QE. All QE questions will consist of multiple sub-questions with assigned credit scores.

Students are required to answer five questions in total. They must select at least one and up to three questions from E_E 596 and E_E 576, and at least one and up to three questions from E_E 571 and E_E 431. Each main question is worth 20 points. A score of 80 points or higher results in an automatic pass. If the score is between 70 and 79 points, the committee may, by majority vote, permit the student to take an oral exam to further assess their research potential. Study materials, such as the course syllabus and sample QE exams, may be shared with students upon request.

The oral exam will be scheduled within two weeks after the written exam. The examining committee will assign a research paper from a top-tier IEEE journal, and the student must submit a two-page, single-spaced summary and interpretation of the research. The student will present their findings in a 20- to 30-minute presentation, followed by a Q&A session with the committee to assess their understanding of fundamental concepts and analytical skills. The committee will vote, and a majority vote will determine if the student passes or fails the oral exam.

Students who fail either the written or oral exams are allowed one retake. A second failure results in termination from the Ph.D. program. The Microelectronics QE committee will submit an assessment of each student’s performance to the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) within two weeks of the oral exam.

Electrophysics QE

Ph.D. students with a major emphasis of Electrophysics must pass E_E 518 with a grade of B or better. Additionally, students must pass a written and oral examination that assesses a student’s readiness to undertake research at the Ph.D. level.

The exam material consists of a set or research questions and a set of related research papers. This material is delivered to the student at the start of business on a Friday. The student prepares a written report of ten to twenty pages based on the material provided. The written report is submitted in electronic form to the chair of the examining committee by 11:59 p.m. the following Tuesday. On the subsequent Friday, the committee administers the oral portion of the exam. The oral exam is scheduled for two hours. The student prepares a presentation of approximately thirty minutes on their answers to the research questions. During the student’s presentation, the committee primarily asks questions to probe the student’s depth of understanding of the material directly related to the written examination. However, students should also expect general questions pertinent to graduate study in Electrophysics.

Within two weeks of the completion of the written and oral exams, the chair of the examining committee will report the result to the GSC.

Computer Engineering QE

The Computer Engineering examination will be a written exam lasting two hours and will consist of six questions: two each from material covered in E_E 524 (CPT_S 561), E_E 586, and E_E 587. Students whose major area is Computer Engineering are required to answer a total of four out of the six questions.

The examination committee will provide an assessment of each student’s performance on the QE to the GSC within two weeks of the date of the exam.

The three possible performance assessments for students specializing in Computer Engineering will be:

1. Pass
2. Fail, but allowed to retake the exam the next time it is offered.
3. Fail and not allowed to continue in Computer Engineering

Each question on the exam will be worth twenty-five points. Students specializing in Computer Engineering will automatically pass the exam if they score eighty or higher. Depending on the particular exam, the examining committee may set the pass/fail threshold lower than eighty.

Students who fail the exam on their first attempt but achieve a score within fifteen points of the pass/fail threshold will be assessed at performance level 2 above. Students who fail to achieve a score greater than or equal to fifteen points below the pass/fail threshold on their first attempt or who fail the exam on their second attempt may be assessed at performance level 3.

Preliminary Exam

A doctoral student is advanced to candidacy when they pass the Preliminary Examination (PE). The PE should be held no later than the fifth semester of the student’s Ph.D. program. If unsuccessful, a student may be allowed to take the examination one more time. The overall format for the PE is described in the Graduate School Policies & Procedures. The specific format of the EECS PE is described below:

The student will submit up to 15 pages (single-spaced) “Dissertation Proposal” to the GSC and their doctoral committee before scheduling the Ph.D. PE and after passing the Ph.D. QE. This document shall describe the student’s intended Ph.D. research in reasonable detail – including introductory and background material, preliminary research conducted, plans for further research, and bibliography. The proposal may serve as the focus for the PE, although this is not required. There must be a minimum of six months between passing the PE and taking the final dissertation defense. The exam itself will consist of the presentation of the proposal by the student and questioning from the committee and permanent faculty in attendance. The vote on the PE will be held at the end of the exam.

The student must submit a scheduling form to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date.

The student must also submit a list of publications using the Publications form (example in Appendix) and is required to meet the EECS Publication Policy before the exam scheduling form is approved. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two E_E 800 credits during the preliminary exam semester.

Final Examination – Doctoral Defense

The student must file an Application for Degree form with the Graduate School on or before the deadline date specified by the Graduate School; this is an online process and submission.

An oral final examination is given after the completion of the dissertation. This examination (open to the public) is primarily a defense of the dissertation. The final examination should be scheduled after the student has completed all required coursework, applied for the degree, and had their dissertation approved by their committee.

A List of Publications should also be submitted to the GSC prior to scheduling of exam. The list should include all publications submitted, accepted, or in preparation as well as the full name of the conference or journal for which they were submitted and the (anticipated) date of submission or appearance. The student must also submit a list of publications using the Publications form (example in Appendix) and is required to meet the EECS Publication Policy (minimum of two accepted/published papers from the list of venues selected for each area out of which at least one of them should be a journal paper) before the final exam scheduling form is approved. The scheduling form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator a minimum of three weeks in advance of the examination date. Note that the student must be enrolled in a minimum of two E_E 800 credits during the final exam semester.

If the student’s dissertation is approved and the oral defense is passed, the student must provide a digital copy of the dissertation to the School of EECS. Dissertations must be formatted in accordance with University and Graduate School requirements, and all changes suggested by the student’s committee must be made in the final version. The results of the dissertation research should be submitted to a refereed journal.

Starting Fall, 2023, students will need to follow the below process to submit their dissertation:

1. Title/Abstract/Signature Pages: Students will no longer upload these pages into myWSU following their final examination. Instead, students will complete the new Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form and upload this document into myWSU. This form will go to you for a candidate number, then to the committee chair. The chair will approve the thesis/dissertation on behalf of the entire committee. The service request will return to you for submission to the Graduate School. Committee members will no longer approve these uploads.
2. Final Thesis/Dissertation, Exam Ballots, and Final Documents Deadline: The submission deadline for all of these items (including the revised thesis or dissertation in ProQuest, exam ballots, Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form submitted to the Graduate School as described above, HHA Form, SED Completion Certificate, and any necessary Copyright releases) is being extended from five business days to ten business days. Additionally, students are encouraged to upload their completed HHA, SED Completion Certificate, and copyright release documents into GRM.