Graduate Student
Survival 101
Informal: www.ece.utah.edu/~cfurse
Formal: www.ece.utah.edu
Getting Started --Semester 1:

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Choose/register for classes.
 temporary advisor >> Permanent Advisor
 online advising for EM students.
 Furse MS spread sheet. Furse PhD spread sheet
Research – Literature Search:
MS Students – begin preparing for proposal defense by
choosing a topic and ideas for your thesis at the end of
this semester. See notes on proposal defense under
Semester 2.
PhD Students – Talk to Holly about scheduling your
qualifying exam early in the next semester.
Moving Along -- Semester 2:



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
Classes.
Thesis credits.
Finalize thesis area and advisor.
Program of Study Form:
MS Students -- Thesis Proposal:
 Written
Proposal:
 Oral Proposal Defense:

PhD Students : Qualifying Exam
Work in Progress – Semester 3
Classes / Thesis Credits
 Research
 PhD Students – Dissertation Proposal.

Finishing up – Semester 4+
Classes/ Thesis Credits
 MS Thesis Defense (PhD students
typically defend in semester 6-8)

 Written
Thesis
 Oral Defense
$$$ Tuition Benefit Program $$$
Registration Requirements.
Full time, matriculated students.
TA/RA working 10-20 hr /week
Pays for grad courses only (5xxx and up)
Limited number of course hours (watch out
for thesis credits!)
For
help: Sally Reed (reed@ece.utah.edu)
Limits
• MS/ME limited to 2 years (4 semesters)
• Students entering the Ph.D. program without a master’s degree are
limited to 5 years (10 semesters)
• Students entering the Ph.D. program with a master’s degree from the
University of Utah are limited to 5 years of tuition benefit support (2
years for the master’s plus 3 years for the doctorate)
• Students entering the Ph.D. program with a master’s degree from
another institution are limited to 4 years (8 semesters) of tuition benefit
support.
See the Graduate Handbook for additional requirements.
Minimum Financial Support Required
GPA Requirement. The Graduate School’s Tuition
Benefit Program requires the student to maintain a 3.0
GPA.
The minimum support for the 2006-2007 academic
year is:
$ per
Semester
$5,000
Tuition
Benefit
100%
$3,750
75%
$2,500
50%
Résumé Website for
Research Assistant Opportunities
Format of resumes:
http://www.ece.utah.edu/resumes/submit.shtml
To Post: Holly Cox cox@ece.utah.edu
You might also want to contact a specific faculty member if
you are confident that you are qualified to work in their area
of interest.
Dear Sir: We urge you not to contact a large number of
faculty members on campus and not to send out global
email messages asking for financial assistance.
Web Addresses
For tuition waiver information:
http://www.utah.edu/graduate_school/tbpguidelines.html
For information on the department
and links to graduate forms:
http://www.ece.utah.edu
Health Insurance
Compare Plans:
http://www.CampusCoverage.com
Graduate Student Health Insurance Benefit
Program: See Graduate School website for
more information.
Transfer Credit
Up to 6 semester hours of transfer credit may be applied toward
fulfillment of graduate degree requirements if they:
1. are of high letter grade (A or B; no “credit only” grades)
2. are recommended by the student’s supervisory committee,
and
3. are taken within the prescribed time limit.
4. (Are not used elsewhere for a degree)
Nonmatriculated Courses
Up to 9 hours of nonmatriculated (Before being
admitted to UU GRAD program) coursework may
be included on a student’s program of study if
approved by the supervisory committee and the
Department Graduate Committee.
SPEAK Test
MS/PHD graduate students who have NOT earned a
degree from an English-speaking country are required to
take the SPEAK Test the first semester.
The International Teaching Assistant Workshop SET test
can be substituted.
A passing score of 50 is required. A student who receives
a lower score may be required to take English courses to
improve their English-language skills. IF you don’t do this,
you will be deregistered from classes in semester 2.
2006-2007 Graduate Committee
Committee Member
Office Room #
Office Telephone
Ajay Nahata
Chair
nahata@ece.utah.edu
3112 MEB
581-5184
Om Gandhi
gandhi@ece.utah.edu
4508 MEB
581-7743
Priyank Kalla
kalla@ece.utah.edu
4512 MEB
587-7617
Gil Shamir
gshamir@ece.utah.edu
3108 MEB
581-4445
Holly Cox
Graduate Secretary
cox@ece.utah.edu
3280 MEB
581-3843
International Teaching Assistants (ITAs)
International students who are interested in working as teaching
assistants and whose first language is not English must take the
ITA (International Teaching Assistant) workshop in August.
http://www.utah.edu/ita/
Temporary Advisors – Plz Set Appointment
Area of Interest
Electromagnetics
Communications
Signal Processing
Control
Optics
VLSI
Microelectronics
Computer
Engineering
Faculty
Phone
C. Furse
cfurse@ece.utah.e 585-7234
du
B. FarhangBoroujeny
587-7959
farhang@ece.utah
.edu
S. Blair
blair@ece.utah.ed
u
585-6157
R. Harrison
harrison@ece.utah
587-7926
.edu
ECE Department Requirements for Master’s
M.E. DEGREE
M.S. DEGREE
Degrees
Proficiency
Yes
Yes
Requirement
Residency Requirement At least 24 hours must be in
resident study
Coursework
28 semester hours of coursework
beyond the B.S. degree in ECE + 2
hours of graduate seminar
At least 24 hours must be in resident
study
28 semester hours of coursework
beyond the B.S. degree in ECE + 2
hours of graduate seminar
At least 18 hours of coursework in
ECE, with 15 of these hours in
6000- or 7000-level classes
Thesis
Supervisory
Committee
Members
Chair
At least 12 hours of coursework in
ECE, with
9 of these hours in 6000- or 7000level classes
No
Yes
6-10 hours of the required 28 hours
of coursework
Must be set up by drop deadline of second semester of study
3
Regular ECE faculty member
3
Regular ECE faculty member;
faculty outside of the ECE
Department may supervise a student
as long as a regular ECE faculty
member serves as co-chair
Basic Requirements for the M.E. Degree
Requirement
Process
Supervisory
Committee
3 members; Chair must be
regular ECE faculty member;
Chair chosen by student—
two others assigned by
Department
Submit a “Request for
Supervisory Committee” form
to ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of
second semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
third semester of study
Candidacy
(Program of
Study)
28 sem hours of coursework
beyond BSEE/BSCE + 2 hrs
Graduate Seminar;
at least 18 hours of ECE
coursework with 15 of these
hours in 6000-7000 level
classes
Submit a form “Application for
Admission to Candidacy for
the Master’s Degree” to the
ECE Office along with a
statement defending the
proposed program
Full time: drop deadline of
second semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
third semester of study
Submit an “Amendment to
Planned Program of Study”
form to the ECE Office for
approval prior to registering
for added classes
Changes must be made before
an added class is taken;
classes cannot be dropped
after they have been
completed
Submit a form “Fulfillment of
Proficiency Requirements” to
the ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of third
semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
fourth semester of study
Amendment
to
Program of
Study
SPEAK Test
No
Proficiency
Requirement
Yes; must satisfy the ECE
proficiency requirements
*Please note that international students must be full-time students.
Due Date
Basic Requirements for the M.E. Degree (cont.)
Requirement
Residency
Requirement
At least 24 hours must be in
resident study
Report of
Completion
Yes
Research
Comprehensive
Exam
No
Thesis Final
Exam
No
Thesis
No
Process
“Report of Completion” form
will be prepared by the
Graduate Secretary when all
grades have been posted
Due Date
Upon completion of coursework
M.E. Program Requirements
(Professional Degree)
1. All coursework is to be completed within 4 consecutive calendar years.
2. Coursework listed on the program of study must total a minimum of 30 hours of graduate
coursework at the 5000 level or above, in engineering and allied fields.
3. The 30 required hours must include the following:
a. A minimum of 18 hours of ECE courses;
b. At least 15 hours of the required 18 ECE hours must be at the 6000 or 7000 level;
c. 2 hours of Graduate Seminar (ECE 6900 and 6910).
4. Required coursework hours may not include faculty consultation or thesis research.
5. M.E. students may take no more than three semester hours of ECE 6950 (Special
Studies). These hours will not count toward the ECE required hours but can be included
in the total required hours.
6. A statement defending the program of study and outlining the student’s goals must be
provided at the time the program of study is submitted.
Master of Engineering students will be graduated in the semester in which 30 hours of
coursework are completed. All students who are on visas must be registered for at least 9
credit hours of coursework in every semester (excluding summer) unless they receive
permission from the Department Graduate Committee prior to the beginning of the semester.
Special Studies
M.E. students may take no more than 3 semester hours of ECE 6950 (Special
Studies). These hours will not count toward the ECE required hours but can be
included in the total required hours.
M.S. students may take up to 3 semester hours of ECE 6950. These hours will
count toward the required 6-10 hours of thesis. Therefore, an M.S. student who
takes 3 hours of Special Studies will take 6-7 hours of thesis.
Ph.D. students may take up to 3 semester hours of ECE 7950 (Special Studies)
which will count toward the required 42 coursework hours.
Students must get permission from the Graduate Committee before taking any
Special Studies courses. Permission is obtained by completing and filing the
Special Studies Request form with the Graduate Secretary. The general
guidelines state that for every hour of credit, it generally requires 2 hours of study
per week outside of class. Therefore, it will be understood that for every credit
hour of Special Studies, the student will be expected to spend 3 hours per week
on the activity. Special studies courses from other departments cannot be used
for the program of study. Special Studies may not include the material of any
class taught by the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department.
Faculty Consultation/Independent Study
Students studying for the M.E. degree may petition the ECE Graduate Committee
for approval to register for ECE 6980, Faculty Consultation/ Independent Study, for
the following reasons, although approval is not guaranteed:
•
•
•
A student needs 3 credit hours to bring their registration to the maximum in a semester for which they are eligible for a full tuition waiver.
A student needs to maintain continuous registration and would otherwise not be in residency.
A student is not able to take regular courses to maintain residency
during curricular practical training.
The petition form is available from the Graduate Secretary and must be submitted
before the beginning of the semester for which the student would like to register
for ECE 6980.
Faculty Consultation/Independent Study is a CR/NC course and does not count
toward the fulfillment of the degree requirements. A student cannot apply for
Faculty Consultation if they have enough credits for graduation.
Credit/No Credit Courses
Graduate students are granted the option, subject to approval by the
Department Graduate Committee and review by the Dean of the Graduate
School, to enroll in some courses in which they will be graded on a credit/
no credit (CR/NC) rather than on a letter-grade basis.
The intent of the CR/NC option is to free students to extend their studies
to areas outside their major or specialty and to take classes they
otherwise might not take if they had to compete with majors for a letter
grade.
Students may not register for CR/NC courses in their major department
unless a course in the major department is offered only on a CR/NC basis.
Consult the Graduate Handbook for further information on the CR/NC
policy.
Coursework Guideline Criteria
1. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on coursework listed on the program of study with no grade lower than
C- is required for graduation. A student who receives a grade lower than C- in a course listed
on the program of study must repeat that same course and receive a higher grade. Courses
cannot be deleted from the program of study after they are taken.
2. ECE required courses are not to include special studies, thesis hours, or faculty consultation.
3. Coursework cannot be used for more than one degree on the same level.
4. A course taken for 5000-level credit cannot be taken again for 6000-level credit.
5. Cross-listed courses must be registered through the ECE course numbers.
6. Where a course has both a 5000- and 6000-level number, the 5000-level version is intended
for undergraduates and the 6000-level version for honors and graduate students. The two
versions of the class will meet together, but extra work will be expected of honors and graduate
students.
7. Master’s students may take upper-division courses (5000 level or above) in other departments
as long as the ECE degree course requirements have been met, with written approval of the
supervisory committee.
8. Students may only register for thesis research after they have set up a supervisory committee.
9. Courses from other departments may not be substituted for the ECE 6000-level required
courses.
10. No Graduate Seminar course (ECE 6900, 6910, 7900, 7910) may be taken twice to satisfy the
requirement. Each seminar course has different requirements and may not be substituted for
each other.
11. Students who receive an “Incomplete” grade in a class must complete the class by the
following semester, even if the semester is the summer semester.
Supervisory Committee
Each student forms a supervisory committee whose members guide the student’s graduate
program. Students must form this committee by the beginning of the second semester of
study.
Degree
# of Sup Comm Members
M.E.
3
M.S.
3
E.E.
3
Ph.D.
5
Any regular ECE faculty member may serve as a supervisory committee chair. After the
faculty members have agreed to serve on a supervisory committee, the student should file
a completed “Request for Supervisory Committee” form with the Graduate Secretary in the
ECE office. A committee may be revised, if necessary, by submitting a “Request to
Change Supervisory Committee Personnel” form. The Graduate Committee approves all
supervisory committee forms; final approval is granted by either the Dean of the Graduate
School or the Dean of the College of Engineering.
Faculty outside of the ECE Department may supervise a student, but the student must
have a regular ECE faculty member serve as co-chair. Individuals who are not faculty
members may serve on a supervisory committee if approved by the supervisory committee
chair and the Graduate Committee. A current vita for any non-university member must be
submitted with the Supervisory Committee form.
Change of Degree Status
Graduate students who wish to change degree programs within the department must submit
the following to the Graduate Committee for approval:
1. A letter to the Graduate Committee explaining the reason for the requested change of
degree, including a description of the intended research area if the change is to study for
a research degree.
2. A letter of recommendation in support of the application from a faculty member expressing willingness to serve as the chair of the student’s supervisory committee.
3. The completed Request for Supervisory Committee form for the requested degree.
4. The completed program of study for the requested degree. If a student wishes to
change from a thesis to a non-thesis degree program, a separate sheet must be included
indicating at least 12 hours of coursework to be taken after the change is approved.
5. A current University of Utah transcript.
Students cannot convert hours taken in thesis (ECE 6970/7970) to special studies (ECE
6950). ECE 6970/7970 hours cannot be used for the M.E. degree.
Please note that students who are studying for the M.E. degree cannot receive a tuition
waiver for work they perform as a research assistant.
Faculty Consultation-CPT
International students participating in a cooperative work
experience for curricular practical training must register for ECE
6981, Faculty Consultation-CPT.
Students must contact Lisa Christensen in Career Services to
set up the training and to obtain a syllabus for the course.
Registration in ECE 6981 DOES NOT give authorization to
work.
ECE 6981 will not count toward any degree requirements. This
course is used to maintain quality of the curricular practical
training experience.
Basic Requirements for the M.S. Degree
Requirement
Process
Due Date
Supervisory
Committee
3 members; Chair must be
regular ECE faculty member;
faculty outside ECE may
supervise a student as long
as a regular ECE faculty
member serves as co-chair
Submit a “Request for
Supervisory Committee” form
to ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of
second semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
third semester of study
Candidacy
(Program of
Study)
28 sem hours of coursework
beyond BSEE/BSCE + 2 hrs
Graduate Seminar;
at least 12 hours of ECE
coursework with 9 of these
hours in 6000-7000 level
classes
Submit a form “Application for
Admission to Candidacy for
the Master’s Degree” to the
ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of
second semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
third semester of study
Submit an “Amendment to
Planned Program of Study”
form to the ECE Office for
approval prior to registering for
added classes
Changes must be made before
an added class is taken;
classes cannot be dropped after
they have been completed
Amendment to
Program of
Study
SPEAK Test
Yes
Contact Testing Center to
make arrangements; requires
request form from Grad Sec
Drop deadline of second
semester of study
Proficiency
Requirement
Yes; must satisfy the ECE
proficiency requirements
Submit a form “Fulfillment of
Proficiency Requirements” to
the ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of third
semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
fourth semester of study
*Please note that international students must be full-time students.
Basic Requirements for the M.S. Degree (cont.)
Requirement
Residency
Requirement
At least 24 hours must be in
resident study
Research
Comprehensive
Exam (Thesis
Proposal)
Yes; pass a Research Comp
Exam administered by the
supervisory committee
(including defense of a written
formal thesis proposal)
Thesis
Yes; 6-10 hours of the
required 28 hours of
coursework is in thesis
research
Thesis Final
Exam
Yes
Process
Due Date
Notify the Graduate Secretary
in the ECE Department at least
one week prior to the date of
the exam
No later than third semester of
study (may not be taken in the
same semester as the thesis
defense)
Notify the Graduate Secretary
in the ECE Department at least
one week before exam
Defend the thesis at the end of
coursework requirements
Application for Admission to Candidacy
(Program of Study)
After consulting with the approved supervisory committee chair, the
student must plan a program of study and complete and submit the
“Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree” or
“Program of Study for the Ph.D. Degree” form.
Approval signatures of the supervisory committee members are to be
obtained by the student. Completed and signed forms must be
submitted to the Graduate Secretary in the ECE office by the drop
deadline of the second semester of study. After approval of the
Department Graduate Committee, the program of study is submitted to
the Graduate School of the College of Engineering for their approval.
The program of study must be filed prior to taking the Comprehensive
Exam (if applicable).
Changes in the Program of Study
Modifications to the program of study may be made by
filing an “Amendment to Planned Program of Study” form
with the supervisory committee and obtaining required
approval of the Department Graduate Committee before
enrollment in any added courses. Completed courses
cannot be deleted from the program of study.
Credit towards obtaining a degree will not be granted
for classes taken prior to approval of the form, unless
the student is changing degree status.
M.S. Program Requirements
1. All coursework is to be completed within 4 consecutive calendar years.
2. Coursework listed on the program of study must total a minimum of 30 hours of
graduate coursework at the 5000 level or above, in engineering & allied fields.
3. The 30 required hours must include the following:
a. A minimum of 12 hours of ECE courses;
b. At least 9 hours of the required 12 ECE hours must be at the 6000 or 7000
level;
c. 2 hours of Graduate Seminar (ECE 6900 and 6910);
d. 6-10 hours of thesis research (ECE 6970).
4. Required coursework hours may not include special studies, faculty
consultation, or thesis research.
5. M.S. students may take up to 3 semester hours of ECE 6950 (Special Studies).
These hours will count toward the required 6-10 hours of thesis. Therefore, an
M.S. student who takes 3 hours of Special Studies will take 6-7 hours of thesis.
All students who are on visas must be registered for at least 9 credit hours of
coursework in every semester (excluding summer) unless they receive permission
from the Department Graduate Committee prior to the beginning of the semester.
Due Dates
Full-time graduate students:
Supervisory Committee
Form
Drop deadline of second semester of study
Candidacy Form (Program
of Study)
Drop deadline of second semester of study
Amendment to Program of
Study
Drop deadline of semester for which change is requested
SPEAK Test
Drop deadline of second semester of study
Proficiency Requirement
Drop deadline of third semester of study
M.S. Research
Comprehensive Exam
No later than third semester of study
Ph.D. Qualifying Exam
During second semester of study
Ph.D. Research
Comprehensive Exam
No later than fifth semester of study (there must be at least 1 semester
between Ph.D. comprehensive exam & dissertation defense)
Part-time graduate students:
Supervisory Committee
Form
Drop deadline of third semester of study
Candidacy Form (Program
of Study)
Drop deadline of third semester of study
Proficiency Requirement
Drop deadline of fourth semester of study
Research Comprehensive Exam
(Thesis/Dissertation Proposal)
M.S. and Ph.D. candidates must take a Research Comprehensive Exam to be
administered by their supervisory committee at a time determined by that
committee, but no later than the third semester of study for M.S. candidates
and the fifth semester for Ph.D. candidates.
The candidates write a proposal on their research in the NSF or NIH format
which would include only the technical proposal and the vita sections. The
page limit for the proposal should be 10 pages for M.S. students and 15 pages
for Ph.D. students.
The written proposal should be submitted to the members of the candidate’s
supervisory committee at least 2 weeks before the oral comprehensive exam.
Students must notify the ECE Graduate Secretary at least one week before
they are going to take the Comprehensive Exam. The Graduate Secretary will
inform the Graduate School after the exam has been taken.
ECE Department Degree Requirements
Proficiency Requirement
Residency Requirement
Coursework
Dissertation
Supervisory Committee
Members
Chair
Coursework
Research Comprehensive Exam
(dissertation proposal)
Qualifying Exam
Dissertation Final Exam
Special Project Final Exam
E.E. DEGREE
Yes
At least one year (two consecutive semesters)
of full-time academic work; a full load is 9
credit hours
58 semester hours of coursework beyond the
B.S. degree + 4 hours of graduate seminar
Ph.D. DEGREE
Yes
At least one year (two consecutive semesters)
of full-time academic work; a full load is 9
credit hours.
At least 42 semester hours of coursework
beyond the B.S. degree + 4 hours of graduate
seminar; students with an M.S. degree may
count up to 6 hours of thesis credit toward
coursework
Up to 10 hours of coursework may be replaced At least 36 hours of thesis research; students
with a “Special Project” or 6 hours of
with an M.S. degree may count any additional
coursework for a previously completed M.S.
thesis hours (beyond the 6 used for coursework)
thesis, but not both
toward these 36 hours
Must be set up by drop deadline of second semester of study
3
5
Regular ECE faculty member
Regular ECE faculty member; faculty outside of
the ECE Department may supervise a student as
long as a regular ECE faculty member serves as
co-chair
Approved by the supervisory committee. (The role of the Graduate Committee is simply to ensure
quality control and compliance with University and departmental requirements.)
No
Yes
No
No
Yes, if applicable
Yes
Yes
No
Basic Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
Requirement
Process
Due Date
Supervisory
Committee
5 members; Chair must be
regular ECE faculty member;
majority of members must be
ECE faculty; at least one
member from outside dept
Submit a “Request for
Supervisory Committee” form
to ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of
second semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
third semester of study
Program of
Study
At least 42 semester hours of
coursework beyond BS
degree + 4 hours Graduate
Seminar; students with an MS
degree may count up to 6 hrs
of thesis credit toward
coursework
Submit a form “Program of
Study for the Ph.D. Degree” to
the ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of
second semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
third semester of study
Submit an “Amendment to
Planned Program of Study”
form to the ECE Office for
approval prior to registering for
added classes
Changes must be made before
an added class is taken;
classes cannot be dropped after
they have been completed
Amendment to
Program of
Study
SPEAK Test
Yes
Contact Testing Center to
make arrangements; requires
request form from Grad Sec
Drop deadline of second
semester of study
Proficiency
Requirement
Yes; must satisfy the ECE
proficiency requirements
Submit a form “Fulfillment of
Proficiency Requirements” to
the ECE Office
Full time: drop deadline of third
semester of study
Part time*: drop deadline of
fourth semester of study
*Please note that international students must be full-time students.
Basic Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree (cont.)
Requirement
Process
Due Date
Residency
Requirement
At least 1 year (2 consecutive
semesters) of full-time
academic work; a full load is
9 credit hours
Qualifying
Exam
Yes
Make arrangements with
Graduate Secretary during last
week of first semester of study
During second semester of
study
Research
Comprehensive
Exam
(Dissertation
Proposal)
Yes; pass a Research Comp
Exam administered by the
supervisory committee
(including defense of a written
formal dissertation proposal)
Notify the Graduate Secretary
in the ECE Department at least
one week prior to the date of
the exam
No later than fifth semester of
study (must be taken at least
two semesters before the
dissertation defense)
Dissertation
Yes; at least 36 hours of
thesis research; students with
M.S. degree may count any
add’l thesis hours (beyond 6
used for coursework) toward
these 36 hours
Dissertation
Final Exam
Yes
Notify the Graduate Secretary
in the ECE Department at least
one week before exam
Defend the dissertation at the
end of coursework requirements
Ph.D. Program Requirements
1. All coursework is to be completed within 7 consecutive calendar years.
2. Coursework listed on the program of study must consist of:
a. A minimum of 42 hours of graduate courses (5000 level or above) beyond
the BS degree, in engineering and allied fields. Students with an MS
degree may count up to 6 hours of thesis credit toward coursework.
b. 4 semesters of Graduate Seminar (ECE 6900, 6910, 7900, 7910) or 2
semesters of Graduate Seminar (ECE 7900, 7910) if a prior MS degree.
c. At least 36 semester hours of thesis research (ECE 7970). Students with
an MS degree may count any additional thesis hours (beyond the 6 used
for coursework) toward these 36 hours.
3. Required coursework hours may not include faculty consultation or research.
4. Ph.D. students may take up to 3 hours of ECE 7950 (Special Studies) which
will count toward the required 42 coursework hours.
All students who are on visas must be registered for at least 9 credit hours of
coursework in every semester (excluding summer) unless they receive permission
from the Department Graduate Committee prior to the beginning of the semester.
Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
Procedure
1. During the first semester, the candidate forms a supervisory committee and
discusses his/her field of study with the primary advisor.
2. During the second semester, the Graduate Secretary solicits one paper from the
research literature from each member of the supervisory committee.
3. Eight weeks prior to the oral exam, the candidate chooses three of the five papers
to study. The candidate submits the written summary within six weeks (four weeks
in summer). The summary will then be distributed to the supervisory committee,
and the candidate schedules the oral exam.
4. The candidate then has the oral exam. Based upon the written summary and oral
exam, the committee will recommend Pass, Fail, or, in exceptional cases, Retry. In
the event of a second chance, the candidate must repeat the process the following
semester, even if that semester is summer.
In both the written component and the oral presentation, the candidate must address
the following points for each study paper: (1) the methods, results, and significance of
the paper; (2) the completeness of the paper and what follow-on research could be
performed; and (3) the relationship of the paper to the candidate’s intended field of
study.
In the oral exam, in addition to the items covered in the written summary, the candidate
should be prepared to answer questions from the committee specific to the papers and
in the general field of study.
Thesis/Dissertation Requirements
The supervisory committee must give preliminary approval of the thesis
prior to the defense. The defense can be scheduled after this approval.
The student must provide one copy of the thesis to the chair of the
supervisory committee at least 3 weeks before the defense, and one
copy to each of the other committee members at least 2 weeks prior to
the defense.
After successfully defending the thesis, the student must obtain
approval from the Final Reader (typically the supervisory committee
chair) and submit the “Final Reading Approval” form to the Graduate
Secretary for the Department Chair’s signature. The student must then
submit the form to the Thesis Editor with a draft of the final thesis. The
due date of the final thesis to the Thesis Editor may be found at
http://www.utah.edu/graduate_school/thesisoffice.html.
Detailed policies and procedures concerning the thesis are contained in
A Handbook for Theses and Dissertations published by the Graduate
School.
Thesis/Dissertation Defense
The Final Oral Examination (oral thesis/dissertation defense) is conducted by
the supervisory committee according to Graduate School regulations. A
student will be passed only if the committee is satisfied that the thesis
research and documentation are unquestionably of the quality that will
bring distinction to the candidate and the department. The committee may
request further work of the candidate before a final decision is made.
All students must understand that they are responsible for ensuring that
the submitted thesis/dissertation meets the requirements of the Graduate
School of proper format. Ample help is available from the Graduate School
Thesis and Dissertation Editor in the form of a Style and Format Guide as well
as seminars. Theses with improper format will be rejected.
The student must provide the ECE Graduate Secretary with the following
information at least one week before the date of the defense: the defense date
and time, room, and a copy of the abstract and title of the thesis. A “Report of
the Final Oral Examination” will be completed by the ECE Graduate Secretary
for approval signatures during the defense, and the Graduate Secretary will
submit the form to the Graduate School.
Phone Numbers for Graduate Information
Graduate Records – 302 Park Bldg
Margo Hobbs 1-6923
Thesis Office – 302 Park Bldg
Christine Pickett 1-8893 (Editor)
Martha Klein 1-8893 (Asst Editor)
Graduate School – 302 Park Bldg
Dean David Chapman 1-7942 1-6925
Assoc Dean Frederick Rhodewalt 5-7199
Denise Haynie 1-6925 (Exec Sec to Dean)
Carol Bergstrom 1-6020 (Fellowships & Tuition Ben)
Marilyn Corbett 1-7643 (Fellowships & Tuition Ben)
Graduate Information – 250 SSB
Emily Erickson 5-6766
Graduate Admissions – 250 SSB
LeAna Prigmore 1-7283
International Admissions – 250 SSB
Jennifer Kleinschmidt 1-3091
Registrar’s Office – 250 SSB
Marilyn Owen 1-8876
Registrar’s Office – 250 SSB
Ron Pattersen 1-3736 (Petitions)
Emily Johnson 1-8969 (Leave of Absence)
Transcripts – 250 SSB
Jan Cope 1-8965
Testing Center – 498 SSB
1-8733
Graduation Verification – 250 SSB
Jeanie Jacquez 1-8965
Graduate Secretary – ECE Department
Holly Cox 1-3843