Electrical Engineering, MSEE

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers coursework and thesis supervision leading to the degree Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE).

Learning Outcomes

Be able to read, interpret, and critically assess literature in specialized fields of electrical engineering and to evaluate its impact on current issues on engineering and society.
Be able to write technical reports and other documentation.
Be able to give oral presentations of a technical nature.
Be able to apply basic and advanced knowledge in science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines to perform analysis and synthesis of engineering problems.

Admission Requirements

Guaranteed Early Admission

Students in their final semester of a BSEE or BSCpE at UCCS are guaranteed admission to the MSEE-BC program if they meet the following criteria:

The student must have completed a maximum of 45 semester hours at UCCS at the time of graduation with the BS degree.
The student must be registered in their final undergraduate semester (in either the BSEE or BSCpE programs) at the time of application to the MSEE program.
The student must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25.
The student must submit a letter of recommendation from the current department chair.

Early admission is not available to students who are not residents of the United States of America.

Fast-track Admission

The fast-track admission process is designed to offer a more efficient admission process to former undergraduate students who have graduated from UCCS no more than four years prior to the time of application to a graduate program. A student applying under the fast-track admission rules must submit the following to the Department:

The Fast-Track Admission application form, fully and accurately completed
A completed residency form (back of application form), if the student claims in-state-tuition eligibility
A check or money order (for the appropriate amount) nonrefundable application fee
Official transcripts for any university level studies attempted after graduation from UCCS
A statement giving permission to the ECE graduate program office to obtain an internal transcript from SIS for the applicant
A letter of recommendation. Students who qualify only for provisional admission must submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation.

Fast-track admission is only available to graduates of the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Regular Admission

Regular admission to the MSEE program requires the following:

A 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA)
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) may be required of any student whose GPA falls below this average or is not a graduate of an undergraduate program in electrical engineering. All foreign applicants must complete the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections of the GRE.

Both the MSEE and PhD programs require one of the following minimum scores from graduates of foreign universities: a TOEFL iBT score of at least 80, an IELTS score of at least 6.5, or a Duolingo score of at least 115.

Note that units completed before admission may not all be transferable into a graduate degree program.

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet the requirements for regular admission may be considered for provisional admission based on their overall application, including GPA, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. Provisionally admitted students are often required to take remedial courses, which will be specified in their acceptance letter. Registration for such remedial courses must commence with the first semester of a student’s program with at least three credits completed per semester until all remedial requirements are satisfied.

Application Deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a continual basis but must be received by April 1 for fall admission or October 1 for spring admission for students who are applying for assistantships. It is recommended that international students apply at least three months prior to the start of the semester to allow time to request a visa.

For more information about these programs, please contact:

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Graduate Program, Engineering Building, Room 299

Phone: (719) 255-3548

Email: ecedept@eas.uccs.edu

You can also visit our website for application materials and more information.

Duration of Program

The MSEE degree is typically completed in one to three years but must be finished within six years from the start of coursework. A student who is not continuously enrolled (missing three consecutive semesters) becomes inactive and is subject to the rules governing Readmission of Former Students outlined in the Graduate School procedures.

Course Requirements

Thesis Option

30 semester hours total; 24 semester hours of coursework; 6 hours of thesis credit.
At least 18 semester hours must be ECE courses. The remaining 6 semester hours may be replaced by allied department courses (e.g., computer science, mathematics, physics, mechanical and aerospace engineering, etc.).
At most 6 semester hours may be independent study courses.

Non-Thesis Option

30 semester hours total; all 30 semester hours are coursework.
At least 24 semester hours must be ECE courses.
The remaining 6 semester hours may be replaced by allied department courses (e.g., computer science, mathematics, physics, mechanical and aerospace engineering, etc.).
At most 6 semester hours may be independent study courses.
The student must choose an Advisory Committee with the same composition as a Thesis Committee; choose a subject for their Master’s Report that must be approved by their academic advisor; and make an oral presentation and submit a written report to the advisory committee. Both must be approved by the committee.

In Either Case:

Cross-listed courses which are offered at the 4000/5000 levels must be taken at the 5000 level. All coursework must be numbered 5000 and above if ECE, or 4000 and above if non-ECE. Up to 9 semester hours of accepted coursework may be transferred from another university (including other universities of the CU system) or from coursework taken as an unclassified student.

Grades

The student must have an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 to graduate. The student must have a grade of C or better in all courses applied toward the MSEE degree.

Defined Master’s Option

The defined MSEE offers a path to completing the degree in two years by taking two courses per semester. This program is designed for full-time working graduate students. Most courses in the defined master’s option are offered in the evening, typically scheduled after 4:30 p.m. For current program options, please visit our website.