EE-MS - Electrical Engineering (MS)

Degree Requirements

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to maintain good academic standing and graduate with the EE MS degree.

Students must complete 45 allowable units toward the degree as follows. All approved courses are listed in the EE Graduate Handbook.

1) Depth: Completion of 12 units from one of the five area lists. At least six units must be at the 300 level or above. All depth units must be letter-graded. The list of approved depth areas is listed on the EE Graduate Handbook.

2) Breadth: Completion of nine additional units from other area lists. All breadth units must be letter-graded and at the 200 level or above. *If a course is listed in the depth area, it cannot be used to count in the breadth area.

3) Technical Courses: Completion of 15 units of courses in engineering, natural sciences, mathematics, or statistics.

• At least nine of the 15 units must be lecture courses at the 200 level or above.

• EE courses must be 200 level or above.

• You may count a maximum of six units of EE 391 or the equivalent graduate-level independent study course in other engineering departments, natural sciences, mathematics, or statistics toward the remaining units needed.

• Independent study units may not be taken in place of the nine units of 200 level or above lecture courses. Courses in mathematics, natural sciences, or engineering are acceptable, provided they use quantitative or scientific methods to analyze, design, or optimize man-made or natural systems. Courses that primarily address entrepreneurship, management, economics, collaboration, design philosophy, language, or public speaking are typically not acceptable. Consult with your advisor or the Degree Progress Officer before selecting courses in Economics, GSB, d.school, MS&E, Psychology, or other departments that offer some semi-technical or non-technical courses.

4) Other Courses: Completion of at least nine additional units. These units must be at the 100 level or above and letter-graded or CR/NC in EE or other departments relevant to the EE MS degree and in graduate level. Suggested courses include:

• depth/breadth courses

• additional technical courses

• independent study (e.g. EE 390, EE 391)

• Curricular Practical Training (e.g. EE 290A)

• seminars

• entrepreneurial or design courses

Courses not relevant to the EE MS degree or practice of the EE profession are not acceptable. Consult with your advisor or the Degree Progress Officer before selecting courses in categories not listed just above this paragraph. Please note: Athletics courses do not count toward the 45 units. EFSLANG (English for Foreign Students) courses do not count toward the 45 units. If the university requires you to take any of these classes, they are additional units above the required 45 units. All units must be at the 100 level or higher. No courses numbered below 100 count toward a graduate degree.

5) Special Studies: Students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities for individual work under the supervision of individual faculty members, under the heading of Special Studies courses: EE 390 (satisfactory/no credit) or EE 391 (letter grade). Possibilities under this heading range from directed reading in an area of mutual interest to the equivalent of an M.S. thesis. Students can pursue a masters thesis if they find a faculty thesis advisor who is willing to work with them; if so they enroll in EE 300. Students still need to complete all requirements for the MS degree in addition to their thesis work. These courses cannot be applied toward the fulfillment of the depth and breadth requirements.

6) Deviations: Every attempt should be made to meet the guidelines listed above. Courses that deviate from one or more of these guidelines must be approved by your faculty advisor and the Associate Chair of Graduate Education. Students contemplating a special program should submit a current Master's Program Proposal along with an MS Deviation Petition form, describing their particular objectives and how the proposed program meets these objectives. Submit the forms to the Degree Progress Officer for a final decision.

University Coterminal Requirements

Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master’s degree are described in the "Coterminal Master's Program" section. University requirements for the master’s degree are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this Bulletin.

After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case-by-case basis.

In this master’s program, courses taken during or after the first quarter of the sophomore year are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career using the Coterminal Course Transfer eForm via Axess; the timing of the first graduate quarter is not a factor. No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.

Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred.

The University requires that a graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate degree requirements may not have been completed. The University also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the Department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.

Master of Science with Distinction in Research

A student who wishes to pursue the M.S. in EE with distinction in research must first identify a faculty advisor who agrees to supervise and support the research work. The research adviser must be a member of the Academic Council and must hold an appointment in Electrical Engineering. The student and principal advisor must also identify another faculty member, who need not be in the Department of Electrical Engineering, to serve as a secondary advisor and reader for the research report. In addition, the student must complete the following requirements beyond those for the regular M.S. in EE degree:

1. Research Experience—The program must include significant research experience at the level of a half-time commitment over the course of three academic quarters. In any given quarter, the half-time research commitment may be satisfied by:

   1. A 50 percent appointment to a departmentally supported research assistantship

   2. 6 units of independent study (EE 300 or EE 391)

   3. A prorated combination of the two (such as a 25 percent research assistantship supplemented by 3 units of independent study)

   4. An equivalent research experience while fully supported on a Stanford-funded or externally funded fellowship.  Student and research advisor must document the planned research experience before the quarter starts and its completion at the end.  Note: The fellowship must provide full support at the 10-unit tuition level and allow the student to pursue degree-related research in addition to his/her full-time course enrollment. This research must be carried out under the direction of the primary or secondary advisor.  

2. Supervised Writing and Research—In addition to the research experience outlined in the previous requirement, students must enroll in at least 3 units of independent research (course or course) under the direction of their primary or secondary advisor. These units should be closely related to the research described in the first requirement, but focused more directly on the preparation of the research report described in the next section. The writing and research units described in parts (1) and (2) may be counted toward the 45 units required for the degree.

3. All independent study units (course or course) must be taken for letter grades and a GPA of 3.0 (B) or better must be maintained.

4. Research Report—Students must complete a significant report describing their research and its conclusions. The research report represents work that is publishable in a journal or at a high-quality conference, although it is presumably longer and more expansive in scope than a typical conference paper. A copy of the research report must be submitted to the student services office in the Department three weeks before the beginning of the examination period in the student’s final quarter. Both the primary and secondary advisors must approve the research report before the distinction-in-research designation can be conferred.