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Engineering Online

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering

Students work on senior design projects at the Electrical and Computer Engineering lab (ECE) lab on Centennial Campus. Photo by Marc Hall
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Program Overview

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in an engineering discipline who wish to pursue a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering. The strengths of the NC State program include power electronics and power systems, nanoelectronics and photonics, and communications and signal processing. It is a 31-credit hour degree that does not require a thesis, oral exam or on-campus residency.

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Admission Requirements

Students need to apply to the Electrical Engineering-Distance Track-MS in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The application is entered online the Graduate School.

It is preferable to seek admission to the MSEE program as soon as possible to assure integration into the advising process. Non-thesis MS students are advised by the ECE Assistant Director of Graduate Programs. A person does not have to be admitted to a degree program to enroll in an online credit course. Prior to applying to Graduate School, a qualified individual may enroll in Engineering Online courses as a Non-Degree Studies (NDS) student. The NDS classification is designed for individuals who wish to undertake academic work but who are not currently admitted to a degree program. If the student is admitted to the MSEE program, a maximum of twelve hours of graduate-level transfer and NDS credits (B or better in each course) may apply toward the 31-credit-hour degree requirement.

The minimum requirements for admission to the graduate degree program in Electrical Engineering are as follows:

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in electrical or computer engineering.
  • An overall GPA of at least 3.25/4.00. Persons with a 3.0 GPA may be admitted on a provisional basis.
  • Statement of Purpose – a statement about your academic career, research, and career goals.
  • Three strong recommendations from persons able to comment on the applicant’s qualification for graduate study.
  • Students who do not have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in electrical or computer engineering must satisfy the requirements listed in the ECE Graduate Handbook or on the  ECE graduate program website.

The Graduate School requires that all international applicants take the TOEFL or IELTS examination unless they have completed one year of study at a university in the United States, Canada, or Great Britain. The exam must have been taken within 24 months of anticipated date of entry.

Degree Requirements

Successful completion of 31 credit hours in courses as follows:

  • 1 credit hour of ECE 600 in the first semester. This is mandatory.
  • 21 credit hours in graduate-level ECE courses
  • 9 credit hours in graduate-level courses outside ECE (or can be in Computer Engineering).
  • 6 of the 21 credit hours must be at the 700-level in ECE, one of which must be EE.
  • 15 of the 21 credit hours must be from the Electrical Engineering track (EE). Please see the ECE Graduate Handbook APPENDIX A for courses/track/specialty.
  • Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 out of 4.0 cumulative GPA.
  • All requirements for the degree must be completed within six years of enrolling in the first course appearing on the NC State graduate transcript.

Course Registration

Distance-track students must register for online courses through Engineering Online. Those who wish to take only a few courses and not pursue a degree do not need to apply for formal program admission to the graduate program and may be registered as a non-degree student.  However, students who wish to earn the MSEE degree must formally apply for admission to the Graduate School..

To register for an Engineering Online course, log in to the Engineering Online Student Center and submit the registration form. Students cannot register through the University MyPack Portal system for Engineering Online courses.

Courses for the Graduate Plan of Work are selected with the concurrence of the student’s advisor. Online MS students are advised by the ECE Assistant Director of Graduate Programs, Dr. Ginger Yu.

Course Offerings

A list of distance education courses is available for each semester. Full-time employed individuals can only enroll in two online courses per semester. It is highly recommended that new students enroll in only one online course during their first semester.

Course Logistics

Online courses are the same as on-campus courses in terms of content, requirements, and academic rigor. On-campus class lectures are captured, digitized, and placed on the Internet for distance students to access at any time and from any location. Students must, however, follow the on-campus class schedule in terms of submitting homework and taking exams. Course assignments, lecture notes, and handouts are made available to distance students on the course website. All in-class exams must be proctored.

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