Roger Dougal, Chair

Overview

Graduate programs of the Department of Electrical Engineering emphasize research-oriented graduate study through the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Science (M.S.) programs, and professional development through the Master of Engineering (M.E.) program. Financial assistance is available for the EE graduate students pursuing Ph.D. and M.S. degrees, but applicants should be aware that both financial assistance and the availability of faculty to supervise research are decided on a highly competitive basis.

APOGEE (A Program of Graduate Engineering Education) provides a mechanism for qualified engineers to earn a graduate-level degree while maintaining full-time employment. The program delivers graduate courses through a media-based system incorporating television, videotapes, the Internet, digital video, and periodic visits to campus.

The electrical engineering department is currently highly ranked in both program quality and faculty research productivity in the South (as per National Research Council), and strives to prepare the graduate students for highly successful careers in academia, industry, and government laboratories.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to graduate degree programs in electrical engineering (M.E., M.S., Ph.D.) include the general admission requirements of The Graduate School as well as more stringent departmental requirements, as described below. In general, the admissions process is highly competitive. Admissions decisions are based on the quality of the applicant’s previous university-level academic work (as reflected by grade point average, or GPA), letters of recommendation (at least two letters are required for evaluation), GRE scores, and other evidence of past accomplishments.

For admission to the M.E., M.S., and Ph.D. degree programs in electrical engineering, applicants normally hold the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited engineering program. Students holding B.S. degrees may apply for direct admission to the doctoral program; it is not necessary to complete a master’s degree first. Applicants with degrees (B.S. or higher) in other engineering disciplines or physics may be admitted with additional remedial course requirements in electrical engineering at the undergraduate level. Remedial courses will typically include the prerequisites for required graduate courses, and may include additional courses in mathematics. The detailed specification of course requirements and substitutions of courses from other universities will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

M.S. and Ph.D. applicants are strongly encouraged to distinguish their area of specialization when applying to the Graduate Program in order to identify a Research Advisor. The M.S. and Ph.D. applicants must secure an advisor who is willing to supervise him or her before being admitted into the program

GRE scores must be submitted by all applicants to Electrical Engineering graduate programs. Students who have obtained a BS degree from the University of South Carolina and are applying for the ME program are exempt from the GRE requirement. International applicants must also submit TOEFL or IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam scores. All applicants should submit a statement of purpose (or similar essay) that describes the applicant’s background, research interests, and whether or not financial aid is required. For students seeking a research-oriented degree (M.S. or Ph.D.), a preliminary contact with a research advisor is strongly suggested.

Typical successful students have GRE scores of at least 153 (verbal), 155 (quantitative), and 3.0 (analytical). A TOEFL score greater than 80 (internet-based) or 570 (paper-based) is also required by the Graduate School. The typical overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5.

Research Focus Areas

The EE Department’s core research expertise is in the following areas:

• Power and Energy Systems
• Communication and Electromagnets
• Electronic Materials and Devices
• Decision and Control

Programs and Courses

Programs

• Electrical Engineering, M.E.
• Electrical Engineering, M.S.
• Electrical Engineering, Ph.D.

Courses

• ELCT 510 - Renewable Energy Technologies: Photovoltaic Devices and Systems
• ELCT 521 - Introduction to Microwaves
• ELCT 530 - Industrial Controls
• ELCT 531 - Digital Control Systems
• ELCT 540 - Nanotechnology
• ELCT 541 - Sensors for Biomedicine
• ELCT 551 - Power Systems Design and Analysis
• ELCT 553 - Electromechanical Energy Conversion
• ELCT 554 - Integration of Photovoltaics in Modern Power Systems
• ELCT 559 - Special Topics in Distributed Energy Resources for Electric Energy Systems
• ELCT 561 - Advanced Electromagnetics
• ELCT 562 - Wireless Communications
• ELCT 563 - Semiconductor Electronic Devices
• ELCT 564 - RF Circuit Design for Wireless Communications
• ELCT 566 - Semiconductor Optoelectronics
• ELCT 572 - Power Electronics
• ELCT 573 - High Speed Digital Systems
• ELCT 574 - Semiconductor Materials and Device Characterization
• ELCT 575 - Advanced Electronics
• ELCT 580 - Audio Engineering
• ELCT 581 - Physics of Semiconductor Devices
• ELCT 582 - Semiconductor Laboratory
• ELCT 732 - Radio Propagation & Wireless Channel Modeling
• ELCT 751 - Advanced Power Systems Analysis
• ELCT 752 - Power System Grounding and Transients
• ELCT 753 - Electrical Drives
• ELCT 761 - Fundamental Electromagnetics
• ELCT 762 - Signal Integrity for High Speed Circuits
• ELCT 763 - Semiconductor Device Modeling and Simulation
• ELCT 766 - Solid-State Lighting
• ELCT 771 - Optical Communications: Devices and Systems
• ELCT 772 - Advanced Power Electronics
• ELCT 774 - Advanced Semiconductor Characterization
• ELCT 780 - Semiconductor Physics
• ELCT 782 - Power Semiconductor Devices
• ELCT 797 - Research
• ELCT 799 - Thesis Preparation
• ELCT 837 - Modern Control Theory
• ELCT 838 - Optimal Control and Estimation
• ELCT 861 - Advances in Electromagnetics
• ELCT 862 - Antennas and Radiation
• ELCT 863 - Computational Electromagnetics
• ELCT 864 - Microwave Devices and Circuits
• ELCT 865 - Signal Integrity on System Bus Technology
• ELCT 870 - Computing Methods for System Simulation
• ELCT 871 - Advances in Semiconductor Devices
• ELCT 874 - Advanced Semiconductor Materials
• ELCT 882 - High-Speed Semiconductor Devices
• ELCT 883 - Power Systems Stability and Control
• ELCT 891 - Selected Topics in Electrical Engineering
• ELCT 897 - Directed Individual Study
• ELCT 899 - Dissertation Preparation