Master’s Degree www.unic.ac.cy Electrical Engineering (MSc) GENERAL The Master’s degree advances student’s knowledge in core areas of Electrical Engineering beyond the undergraduate level and introduces them to current and emerging trends and technologies. The programme provides the students with the opportunity to carry out research within the field, while strengthening the candidate’s effective application of methods and techniques to tackle challenging technological problems. The curriculum prepares the student for a wide variety of Electrical Engineering careers, such as design, research, development, management, and teaching. The degree constitutes an independent and terminal study in addition to providing the basis for acceptance to, and continued studies towards, a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field. The content of the programme is focused on four very hot areas, namely, (a) Signal Processing & Communications, (b) Electromagnetics, Antennas & Microwave Engineering, and (c) Renewable Energy Sources and Power Systems, and (d) VLSI & Embedded Systems and allows the students to choose those courses that will meet their future career goals. AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME The aims of the MSc in Electrical Engineering are to: • Prepare students to succeed in a constantly growing, highly demanding and competitive technological world; • Create an academic environment conducive to learning new technologies and engineering concepts; • Introduce students to research on advanced engineering topics; • Cultivate analytical skills and critical thinking; • Provide specialisation and extensive knowledge on the areas of concentration; • Promote engineering ethics and moral practices. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME The objectives of the programme are to: • Provide specialised advanced knowledge and tools to our graduates in order to cope successfully in a technologically challenging envrironment; • Facilitate learning in areas of electrical engineering that are directly linked to industry and current state-of-the-art technology; • Provide the theoretical and computational skills necessary for the solution of both theoretical and practical engineering problems; • Provide practical and experimental hands-on experience that allows the students to link directly to fundamental knowledge and theory; • Prepare graduates to work alone or in groups in order to provide engineering solutions; • Prepare graduates to design/implement systems and processes towards the solution of engineering problems; • Promote research, develop research skills and provide fundamental knowledge to support a successful career in research and development; • Develop the ability of the graduates to write technical reports and scientific papers as well as to present their work before an audience; • Provide the graduates with the opportunity to develop a greater technical competence in their area and become successful professionals throughout their lifetime; • Prepare graduates for admission to a PhD programme in electrical engineering. LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of the programme, the students should be able to: • Apply fundamental knowledge of science and engineering; • Identify, formulate and solve complex electrical engineering problems; • Design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyse and interpret data; • Design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints; • Develop solutions that meet the desired needs within the economic, manufacturing and sustainability borders; • Use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice and research; • Function and communicate effectively in multidisciplinary teams. CAREER PROSPECTS Graduates of the Master’s programme can be employed in a number of sectors including: • • • • • • Private companies Public organisations Semi-government organisation Universities and colleges Research institutions Technical high schools and professional training schools • Telecommunications companies • Army, navy, and defence companies • Radar and monitoring system facilities ACCESS TO FURTHER STUDIES The graduate programme provides the foundation for admission to a Doctoral degree (PhD) in Electrical Engineering or other revelant major. ADMISSIONS CRITERIA The programme admits students in Fall and Spring semesters. Applications for admission to the programme will be considered only from candidates that fulfill the minimum entrance criteria as described below. GENERAL Eligible applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Electronic or Computer Engineering granted by an institution recognised in the country where it operates. Applicants who do not hold their Bachelor’s degree at the time of application, but will hold such a degree at the time of application, but will hold such a degree before the commencement of the graduate studies, are also eligible to apply. However, such applicants must submit a letter from their University’s Registrar verifying that they are indeed eligible to graduate before the commencement of the graduate programme. The decision on their admission does not become official until they have successfully obtained their Bachelor’s degree. It is desired that applicants have a cumulative point average (CPA) of 3.0/4.0 in their undergraduate work (or equivalent according to the academic system followed in the country of study). Under special circumstances, students with marginally lower CPA may still be admitted. English Proficiency is also required as described below. Students who are admitted into the MSc programme in Electrical Engineering and do not hold an undergraduate degree in Electrical/Electronic/Computer Engineering must possess fundamental knowledge of basic concepts in the following courses/areas: Circuits and Electronics, Signals and Systems, Electromagnetics and Microwaves, Telecommunications and Networks, Digital Systems Design and Testing. The student’s Academic Advisor is responsible to guide the student in acquiring the missing knowledge. This can be achieved by assigning a maximum of four (4) additional courses from the above areas (possibly from the corresponding undergraduate programme of the Department). SPECIFIC Each application for admission should include: • A cover letter clearly stating the graduate degree the candidate wishes to apply for; • A completed application from; • A Curriculum Vitae indicating the student’s education, academic and professional experience, any publications, awards, etc.; • A short statement stating the reason the candidate wishes to join the programme, the candidate’s professional advisors; • Copies or representative publications, if any; • Copies of all degrees and transcripts. If applicable, a letter from the Registrar of the student’s current university verifying the expected graduation date should be included; • Copies of any other supporting material, such as results of exams, honours, awards, etc; • Evidence of proficiency in English Language in case the official language of instruction during the undergraduate studies was not English (at least a TOEFL score of 550 paper-based or 213 computer-based, or GCSE “O” Level with “C”, or IELTS with a score of 6.0, or score placement at the ENGL-100 level of the University of Nicosia Placement Test). The application material should be submitted in English. DURATION OF STUDIES The normal duration of the studies is 18 months (12 months intensive with summer semester, JuneSeptember). The programme is 90 ECTS credits. Students will be completing 30 ECTS credits per semester. STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME Students will have the choice to take 8 courses (64 ECTS), attend graduate seminars (2 ECTS), and write a Master’s Thesis (24 ECTS), or take 11 courses (88 ECTS) and attend graduate seminars (2 ECTS). The structure is quite flexible and allows the student to specialise in one of four specialisation areas by taking at least 4 courses (32 ECTS) from that area. The four areas are currently: • Signal Processing and Communications • Electromagnetics, Antennas & Microwave Engineering • Renewable Energy Sources and Power Systems • VLSI & Embedded Systems STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME A. CORE REQUIREMENTS ECE-532 Probability and Random Processes ECE-544 Antennas for Wireless Communications ECE-546 Fiber Optics ECE-552 Digital Communications ECE-566 Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution ECE-567 Renewable Energy Sources and Technologies B. SIGNAL PROCESSING & COMMUNICATIONS ECE-524 Advanced Computer Networks ECE-526 Optical Networks ECE-530 Adaptive Signal Processing ECE-533 Detection and Estimation Theory ECE-534 Neural Networks and Fuzzy Logic ECE-535 Speech Processing ECE-536 Digital Image Processing ECE-550 Information Theory ECE-553 Communications Management ECE-554 Wireless Communications ECE-556 Satellite Communications Systems C. ELECTROMAGNETICS, ANTENNAS & MICROWAVE ENGINEERING ECE-540 Microwave Circuits ECE-541 RF Circuit Design ECE-542 Electromagnetic Waves and Guided Structures ECE-543 Electromagnetic Compatibility - Electromagnetic Interference ECE-545 Applied Electromagnetics ECE-547 Computational Methods in Electromagnetics D. RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES & POWER SYSTEMS ECE-561 Photovoltaics ECE-562 Power Electronics ECE-563 Smart Power Grid Management ECE-565 Wind Energy Technology ECE-568 Power System Protection ECE-569 Electrical Design, Planning and Regulations E. VLSI AND EMBEDDED SYSTEMS ECE-520 Introduction to VLSI Design ECE-521 Fault Tolerant Computing ECE-522 Advanced Computer Architecture ECE-523 Testing and Diagnosis for VLSI Systems and Circuits ECE-525 Computer Aided Design for VLSI ECE-527 Electronic Properties of Materials ECE-528 Embedded Systems F. SEMINARS, THESIS, AND SPECIAL TOPICS ECE-590 Graduate Seminars (R) ECE-591 Thesis Research ECE-593 Special Topics in Electrical Engineering ECTS 48 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 - 40 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 - 40 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 - 40 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 - 40 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 2 - 34 2 24 8 Notes: • Students choosing the Thesis option, beyond taking ALL 6 courses from the CORE REQUIREMENTS, should also take 2 elective courses from one of the sections B, C, D or E and the courses ECE-590 and ECE-591 from section F. With the permission of the Department, one of the elective courses may be the ECE-593 course in section F. • Students choosing the Non-Thesis option, beyond taking ALL 6 courses from the CORE REQUIREMENTS, should also take 5 courses from sections B, C, D, and E (at least 3 should be from the same section) and the course ECE-590 from section F. With the permission of the Department, one of the elective courses may be the ECE-593 course in section F. • In case a student, who is registered for the MSc program, has taken a similar course (during his/her undergraduate studies) to any of those listed in the CORE REQUIREMENTS, s/he has to take a different and alternative course from the corresponding section. FACULTY SUPPORTING THE PROGRAMME AND THEIR RESEARCH INTERESTS Prof John N. Sahalos (PhD in Physics) Electromagnetics, Antennas, Microwave Engineering, Radio Communications, Communications Management, EMC, Biomedical Engineering Prof Anastasis C. Polycarpou (PhD in Electrical Engineering) Numerical Methods in Electromagnetics, Electromagnetic Theory, Antenna Analysis and Design, the Finite Element Method, the Method of Moments, High-Frequency Asymptotic Techniques (UTD, PTD), Telecommunication Systems, RFID Systems, Liquid Crystals at Optical and Microwave Frequencies Dr George Gregoriou (PhD in Electrical Engineering) Signal and Image Processing, Texture Analysis, Statistical Pattern Recognition, Computer Vision, Medical Imaging (SPECT, MRI), Image Reconstruction from Projections, RFID Systems in Healthcare Applications Dr Marios Nestoros (PhD in Physics) Photothermal Physics and Instrumentation, Semiconductor Characterisation, Photothermal Gas Sensors, Photonic Crystals, Non-Destructive Techniques in Archaeometry Dr Andreas Michaelides (PhD in Electrical Power Engineering) Distance Temperature Surveillance, Automated Targeting System, Construction of an Integrated Inductive-Capacitive Component for Absorbing Harmonic Modulation in the Power Grid, Programming of Integrated Circuits: PICs, PLAs and PLCs Dr Antonis Hadjiantonis (PhD in Electrical Engineering) Vertical Integration and Routing/Signaling Mechanisms in IP/WDM Networks, Physical Layer Constraints in Optical Networks, Fault Tolerant Networks, Wireless Backhaul, Access Networks, FTTx Solutions and Architectures, Sensor Networks Dr Ioannis Kyriakides (PhD in Electrical Engineering) Adaptive Waveform Design, Bayesian Target Tracking, Sequential Monte Carlo Methods, Radar Waveform Design, Time-Varying Signal Processing, Compressive Sensing Dr Stelios Neophytou (PhD in Computer Engineering) Digital Design CAD Tools Development, Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Design, Verification and Testing, Design for Testability, High Quality Digital Circuit Testing, Self-Testing Architectures Dr Stylianos Hirodontis (PhD in Electrical Power Engineering) Photovoltaics, Wind Generators, Distribution Networks, Power Protection and Control, Smart Grids, Distributed Energy Sources, Frequency & Voltage Stability, Network Evaluation, Demand Side Management, Electric Vehicles INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF NICOSIA 46 Makedonitissas Ave. P.O. Box 24005, 1700 Nicosia - Cyprus Tel.: +357 22841528 Fax: +357 22352067 Email: admissions@unic.ac.cy