Degree Awarded: PHD Electrical Engineering
The PhD in electrical engineering is awarded upon evidence of excellence in research leading to a scholarly dissertation that is a contribution to knowledge.
Graduate courses and programs are offered in the following six areas of specialization:
- control systems
- electric power and energy systems
- electromagnetics, antennas and microwave circuits
- electronic and mixed-signal circuit design
- physical electronics and photonics
- signal processing and communications
This program may be eligible for an Optional Practical Training extension for up to 36 months. This OPT work authorization term may help international students gain skills and experience in the U.S. Those interested in an OPT extension should review ASU degrees that qualify for the STEM-OPT extension at ASU’s International Students and Scholars Center website.
The OPT extension only applies to students on an F-1 visa and does not apply to students completing the degree through ASU Online.
- College/School: Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
- Location: Tempe
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation
Doctoral students are required to complete 84 credit hours of academic credit beyond the bachelor’s degree. The following summarizes the degree course requirements:
Master’s degree (30 credit hours)
from any accredited institution
Electives 500-level or above (18 credit hours)
at least nine credit hours of EEE courses
Research Class or Omnibus Courses (12 credit hours)
can be 400-level and above or
EEE 792 Research (12)
Dissertation (12 credit hours)
EEE 799 Dissertation (12)
Additional Curriculum Information
The 84 credit hours include 30 credit hours from the master’s degree, a required 18 credit hours of doctoral coursework, 12 credit hours of research (EEE 792), and 12 credit hours (and only 12 credit hours) of dissertation (EEE 799).
The additional 12 credit hours can be more hours of research (EEE 792) or can be coursework as determined by the supervisory committee. At least nine credit hours of the minimum requirement of 18 credit hours of doctoral coursework must be in electrical engineering. EEE 790 Reading and Conference can be used for no more than three credit hours toward the required 18 but does not count toward the nine hours of 500-level EEE classes required.
All courses counting toward the required 18 credit hour minimum must be at the 500 level or higher. (Note: All courses having the prefix EEE 591 count as 400-level courses.) No more than one three-hour reading and conference course (EEE 790) may be taken as part of the 18 credit hour requirement. The content of any proposed reading and conference course must be reviewed and approved by the electrical engineering graduate program chair before a student registers for the course.
A qualifying examination, a comprehensive exam and the dissertation defense are required. Additional information on the program can be found in the Blue Student Guide published and available on the program’s website.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
In general, a student must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = “A”) in all undergraduate coursework and a minimum GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = “A”) in all graduate coursework for admission to the doctoral program. A student usually must hold a master’s degree before being admitted to the doctoral program. Direct doctoral admission is available for students graduating from an ABET-accredited electrical engineering program with a GPA of 3.60 (scale is 4.00 = “A”) or higher.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
International students seeking teaching assistantships must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English by scoring at least 26 on the speaking portion of the internet-based TOEFL or 50 on the ASU-administered Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit.
A student whose master’s degree is not from a U.S. ABET accredited institution must score 156 or higher on the quantitative section of the GRE General Test. A good score on the writing portion is considered desirable.
A student whose undergraduate degree is not in electrical engineering may need to take appropriate undergraduate courses to establish a baseline of knowledge in the discipline.
Applicants should see the program website for application deadlines.
The graduate with a PhD in electrical engineering has an advanced understanding of electrical engineering concepts and theories and the ability to develop, contribute to and apply them to their specialization.
Career examples include:
- computer hardware engineer
- computer and information research scientist
- computer network architect
- director of engineering
- electrical engineer
- electrical engineering researcher
- energy engineer
Electrical Engineering Program | GWC 209
askee@asu.edu
480-965-3424