Find electrical and computer engineering admission requirements and general application information.
Undergraduate preparation for admission
The Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate program is divided into four core research areas. For each area, students come from a variety of backgrounds, and are expected to have different knowledge sets to be successful in the graduate curriculum:
Electronic circuits and Energy Systems
- Backgrounds: Electrical/electronics/power/mechatronics engineering, physics
- Knowledge: Circuit analysis, analog electronics, digital electronics, power systems, electromagnetics
Photonics and Electronic Devices
- Backgrounds: Electrical/optical engineering, physics, materials science and engineering, nanotechnology, optoelectronic device fabrication, laser systems and applications
- Knowledge: Semiconductor physics, optoelectronics, wave optics, quantum mechanics (basic level), materials science
Robotics, Control, and Cyber-Physical Systems
- Backgrounds: Electrical/mechanical/mechatronics/aerospace engineering, computer science (focus on AI and embedded systems), control systems and automation, embedded systems and real-time computing, machine learning for robotics
- Knowledge: Linear algebra, control systems, embedded systems, kinematics and dynamics, cybersecurity (basic level)
Signals, Image Processing, and Communications
- Backgrounds: Electrical/computer engineering, computer science, mathematics (signal processing and machine learning), biomedical engineering (for applications like medical imaging)
- Knowledge: Signals and systems, digital signal processing (DSP), probability and stochastic processes, communication systems, image processing
Additional expected skills:
- Calculus (multivariable), differential equations, probability/statistics
- Programming: MATLAB, Python, C/C++
- Relevant lab experience
Robotics and Control Designated Emphasis
The Robotics and Control Designated Emphasis (DE) is a collaboration of faculty from several Baskin Engineering programs and is administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Students wishing to complete a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation in this area must satisfy the degree requirements of a primary program as well as of the DE. The DE is most suitable for students pursuing degrees in Applied Mathematics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Statistics.
4+1 Pathway to ECE
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree path. Undergraduate students can apply to this program to earn a B.S. degree in their own major together with an M.S. degree in electrical and computer engineering. Depending on the student’s progress, students can complete the combined path in five years.
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Application materials
Application fee (domestic): $135
Application fee (international): $155
Application requirements:
- GPA (minimum 3.0)
- Resume/CV
- Letters of recommendation (3)
- Transcripts
- TOEFL or IELTS (non-native english speakers only)
- Personal history statement
- Statement of purpose
- GRE scores are no longer required
Application instructions
Application fee waiver eligibility
Our department has a limited number of departmental application fee waivers available to applicants. Click on the appropriate link below for instructions on how to apply: