Graduate Student Handbook
This page summarizes the policies, milestones, and degree requirements that govern graduate study in Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Kentucky. It is a quick reference—the complete and authoritative document is the ECE Graduate Student Handbook (PDF), and anything not covered there is governed by the UK Graduate School Bulletin. You are responsible for knowing both. To help you move through the requirements summarized below, the department provides a set of interactive forms—your Plan of Study and your Final Examination Checklist. These are not extra paperwork: they walk you, step by step, through exactly what the handbook asks for at each stage of your degree, so that nothing is missed. You build them in your web browser, save your progress to a file, and email the finished file to the Director of Graduate Studies at dllau@uky.edu. Program of Study
The department offers the M.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering and the Ph.D., with research concentrated in computational electromagnetics; controls and manufacturing; micro/nano-scale devices and materials; power and energy; computer architecture and embedded systems; and signal processing and machine learning. A 15 credit-hour Graduate Certificate in Power and Energy is also available alongside an MS or PhD. Admission Requirements
Admission requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (normally in electrical or computer engineering; related fields are considered with leveling coursework), a minimum 3.0 GPA, and GRE scores (Verbal + Quantitative ≥ 301 with Analytical Writing ≥ 2.5 for the MS; ≥ 310 and ≥ 3.0 for the PhD). International applicants must also meet English-proficiency minimums (TOEFL 550 paper / 213 CBT / 80 iBT, or IELTS ≥ 6.5). Application deadlines are February 1 (international applicants, and anyone seeking funding) or July 1 (domestic) for fall, and August 15 (international) or November 15 (domestic) for spring. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission, which is competitive. General Program Requirements
The DGS is your initial advisor. Every full-time student must choose a regular faculty advisor by the end of the first semester (part-time students, after nine credit hours) and, with that advisor, file an approved Plan of Study listing the courses and research topic for the degree. A normal full-time load is 9 credit hours and may never exceed 15 in a semester (10 for a full teaching assistant). Up to 9 credit hours may be transferred in (grade of B or better). All MS coursework must be completed within six years of starting; PhD coursework within ten years, and the PhD itself within five years of passing the oral qualifying exam. Master of Science (MSEE)
The MS offers a thesis option (Plan A: 24 credit hours of coursework plus EE 768 residence credit and a thesis) and a non-thesis option (Plan B: 30 credit hours of coursework plus a 3-hour EE 784 project); the non-thesis option must be requested within the first 9 credit hours. At least two-thirds of courses must be from within ECE, at least half must be at the 600/700 level, and students must earn a B or better in three of the six 600-level core courses with a 3.0 GPA across them. A final examination before a three-member committee concludes the degree—use the MS Final Exam Checklist to prepare it, and request the exam at least two weeks in advance. Welcome to the MS program—your first step is to map out your coursework by building your MS Plan of Study. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The PhD requires 36 graduate credit hours taken at UK (up to 18 transferable from a U.S. MS, 12 from an international MS), with at least two-thirds within ECE and at least half at the 600/700 level, including three of the six core courses (EE 611, 621, 640, 661, 685, 641) with a B or better. Beyond coursework, the milestones are a written pre-qualifying exam (taken at the start of the second semester; one retake allowed), an oral qualifying exam (a research-proposal defense before your advisory committee, with EE 757 enrollment), yearly annual reviews of research progress, and the final dissertation defense. Use the PhD Final Exam Checklist for the annual review and the defense. Welcome to the PhD program—your first step is to map out your coursework and qualifying-exam pathway by building your PhD Plan of Study. Courses & Funding
Courses numbered 500–799 count toward a graduate degree, along with approved 400G–499G courses outside EE. Several special-purpose course numbers support research and milestones—EE 748 (MS thesis research), EE 757 (qualifying examination), EE 768 (MS thesis residence credit), EE 783 (independent study), and EE 784 (MS project). Financial support is available through teaching and research assistantships and fellowships; all applicants are automatically considered if they apply by the February 1 deadline, with no separate form required. The full handbook
This summary covers only the essentials. For the complete rules, procedures, and the most current details, read the ECE Graduate Student Handbook (PDF) in full, and direct any questions to the Director of Graduate Studies at dllau@uky.edu.
This page summarizes the policies, milestones, and degree requirements that govern graduate study in Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Kentucky. It is a quick reference—the complete and authoritative document is the ECE Graduate Student Handbook (PDF), and anything not covered there is governed by the UK Graduate School Bulletin. You are responsible for knowing both. To help you move through the requirements summarized below, the department provides a set of interactive forms—your Plan of Study and your Final Examination Checklist. These are not extra paperwork: they walk you, step by step, through exactly what the handbook asks for at each stage of your degree, so that nothing is missed. You build them in your web browser, save your progress to a file, and email the finished file to the Director of Graduate Studies at dllau@uky.edu. Program of Study
The department offers the M.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering and the Ph.D., with research concentrated in computational electromagnetics; controls and manufacturing; micro/nano-scale devices and materials; power and energy; computer architecture and embedded systems; and signal processing and machine learning. A 15 credit-hour Graduate Certificate in Power and Energy is also available alongside an MS or PhD. Admission Requirements
Admission requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (normally in electrical or computer engineering; related fields are considered with leveling coursework), a minimum 3.0 GPA, and GRE scores (Verbal + Quantitative ≥ 301 with Analytical Writing ≥ 2.5 for the MS; ≥ 310 and ≥ 3.0 for the PhD). International applicants must also meet English-proficiency minimums (TOEFL 550 paper / 213 CBT / 80 iBT, or IELTS ≥ 6.5). Application deadlines are February 1 (international applicants, and anyone seeking funding) or July 1 (domestic) for fall, and August 15 (international) or November 15 (domestic) for spring. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission, which is competitive. General Program Requirements
The DGS is your initial advisor. Every full-time student must choose a regular faculty advisor by the end of the first semester (part-time students, after nine credit hours) and, with that advisor, file an approved Plan of Study listing the courses and research topic for the degree. A normal full-time load is 9 credit hours and may never exceed 15 in a semester (10 for a full teaching assistant). Up to 9 credit hours may be transferred in (grade of B or better). All MS coursework must be completed within six years of starting; PhD coursework within ten years, and the PhD itself within five years of passing the oral qualifying exam. Master of Science (MSEE)
The MS offers a thesis option (Plan A: 24 credit hours of coursework plus EE 768 residence credit and a thesis) and a non-thesis option (Plan B: 30 credit hours of coursework plus a 3-hour EE 784 project); the non-thesis option must be requested within the first 9 credit hours. At least two-thirds of courses must be from within ECE, at least half must be at the 600/700 level, and students must earn a B or better in three of the six 600-level core courses with a 3.0 GPA across them. A final examination before a three-member committee concludes the degree—use the MS Final Exam Checklist to prepare it, and request the exam at least two weeks in advance. Welcome to the MS program—your first step is to map out your coursework by building your MS Plan of Study. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The PhD requires 36 graduate credit hours taken at UK (up to 18 transferable from a U.S. MS, 12 from an international MS), with at least two-thirds within ECE and at least half at the 600/700 level, including three of the six core courses (EE 611, 621, 640, 661, 685, 641) with a B or better. Beyond coursework, the milestones are a written pre-qualifying exam (taken at the start of the second semester; one retake allowed), an oral qualifying exam (a research-proposal defense before your advisory committee, with EE 757 enrollment), yearly annual reviews of research progress, and the final dissertation defense. Use the PhD Final Exam Checklist for the annual review and the defense. Welcome to the PhD program—your first step is to map out your coursework and qualifying-exam pathway by building your PhD Plan of Study. Courses & Funding
Courses numbered 500–799 count toward a graduate degree, along with approved 400G–499G courses outside EE. Several special-purpose course numbers support research and milestones—EE 748 (MS thesis research), EE 757 (qualifying examination), EE 768 (MS thesis residence credit), EE 783 (independent study), and EE 784 (MS project). Financial support is available through teaching and research assistantships and fellowships; all applicants are automatically considered if they apply by the February 1 deadline, with no separate form required. The full handbook
This summary covers only the essentials. For the complete rules, procedures, and the most current details, read the ECE Graduate Student Handbook (PDF) in full, and direct any questions to the Director of Graduate Studies at dllau@uky.edu.
