3.0 ECE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The UNH ECE Masters Program offers both a thesis and non-thesis option. The fundamental difference between the two options is that the non-thesis option substitutes additional coursework in place of the research and writing associated with completing a thesis. While the non-thesis option does not require a formal thesis, students choosing that option will be required to give two technical presentations and to submit a technical paper as outlined in Section 3.3 below.

3.1 Academic and Thesis Advisors

When a student is accepted into the Electrical Engineering Master of Science (MS) degree program, a faculty member is appointed to be the student's Academic Advisor. The role of the Academic Advisor is to help structure an educational program that will address the goals of the student.

A student should set up an appointment with the assigned Academic Advisor within a week of arriving at UNH. Prior to this meeting, the student should have mapped out a preliminary educational plan for the Master's degree with a tentative chronological schedule of courses.

Modifications to the student's program will likely be necessary depending upon the graduate courses offered from semester to semester. Careful preparation of the student's tentative program and attention given to alternative course identification will help ensure a smooth program for the student.

For students electing the thesis option, it is essential that they identify areas of research interest by the middle of their first semester at UNH. This is usually begun through discussion with the student's Academic Advisor, who directs the student to appropriate faculty members.

Students taking the thesis option should have identified a Thesis Advisor who is willing to work with them by the end of their second semester. The Thesis Advisor need not be on the ECE faculty. If these guidelines are followed, a Master's student is expected to complete the MS degree within two years.

3.2 Credits

MSEE degree student must take a minimum of 32 graduate credits including:

Thesis Option:

· 24 credit hours of graduate course work, with at least 12 of those credit hours earned in 900-level courses

· 2 credits of ECE900 seminars

· 6 credits of thesis work.

Non-Thesis Option:

· 30 credit hours of graduate course work, with at least 18 of those credit hours earned in 900-level courses

· 2 credits of ECE900 seminars

Up to 12 credits earned in non-ECE courses numbered 700-799 may be taken for graduate credit by ECE MS degree students provided the courses are approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. A maximum of 12 graduate credits taken by a student prior to admission in the UNH ECE Master of Science degree program can be applied to fulfill the degree requirements

Under certain circumstances it may be desirable to take courses outside the ECE Department to attain the goals outlined in the student's program of study. In these cases, up to 2 non-ECE 900 level courses are allowed without petition, provided that they are approved by the student's Academic Advisor and that the student take at least two 900 level courses (neither of which may be independent studies) within the Department. A student wishing to take more than two courses (either 800 or 900 level) outside the Department must petition the ECE Graduate Committee. 

3.3 Technical Presentation and Technical Paper Requirement for Non-Thesis Option

Students in the non-thesis option are required to submit a technical paper and to deliver two technical presentations as part of their program. Many of the courses in the ECE graduate require technical reports and presentations, and some of these may be appropriate for satisfying the technical requirement for students in the non-thesis option. However, there are other approaches for satisfying this requirement as indicated below.

The objective in requiring a technical paper is to ensure that the student has some facility in documenting technical information. The evaluation of that paper is to be performed by the ECE Graduate Committee, and the evaluation will result in either acceptance or rejection of the work submitted. The criterion for technical papers to be considered acceptable is that they describe a contemporary technical concept or development with a degree of depth and clarity evident in conference papers. The student must be the sole author on the technical paper, and it is to be submitted to the Chair of the ECE Graduate Committee electronically before the last day of classes. As noted above, technical papers associated with regular ECE graduate courses or independent studies may be used to satisfy the requirement, as are papers prepared for technical conferences or publications. Papers accepted for presentation at refereed conferences or for publication in refereed journals will automatically satisfy the technical paper requirement.

The objective in requiring the two technical presentations is primarily to ensure that students have the opportunity to present in front of a group. Presentations that fulfill one of the criteria below will be considered acceptable for this requirement:

1. Presentation of a technical lecture (20 minutes or longer) as part of the requirements for a course in which the student is enrolled.

2. Presentation of a technical lecture in a course as a "stand in" for the faculty member in charge.

3. Presentation of a technical seminar at UNH (for example, presenting a seminar for ECE900) or to a public group or industry.

4. Presentation of a technical paper as part of a professional job function.

5. Presentation of a paper at a professional technical conference.

It is the responsibility of the student to satisfy this requirement before graduation. Students must get approval from their advisor for any activity that is intended to be used as a technical presentation experience. The two presentations required must be different; giving the same seminar twice does not count as two presentations. If the activity does not fall into one of the five categories listed, prior approval of the ECE Graduate Committee must also be obtained. The student should write a brief letter for each of the two required experiences, stating the nature of the experience and the date on which it was satisfied. This letter is to be signed by the student, signed and approved by the student's advisor, and, if applicable, by the faculty member in charge of the related course. This letter should be placed in the student's departmental file.

3.4 Residency

It is expected that a student will spend at least one calendar year on the UNH campus in satisfying the requirements for the Master's degree.

3.5 Masters Continuing Enrollment

ECE MS students who have completed all course requirements and have previously registered for the maximum number of thesis credits and are on campus completing their Master's degree program must register for Masters Continuing Enrollment.

3.6 Time Limit

All graduate work for an ECE Master's degree must be completed within six years from the date of matriculation (admission/enrollment) in the program. If courses transferred are to be used for the degree sought, all graduate work must be completed within six years from the date of the earliest course that was used for transfer credit (i.e., the date the earliest course was taken). Progress toward the degree will be carefully monitored by the Academic Advisor and the Graduate School to ensure that adequate advancement is made toward the completion of the program and that any deficiencies noted at the time of admission are removed.

An ECE graduate student who is a teaching or research assistant is expected to complete all MS degree requirements within two years. Students without such responsibilities should progress at a faster pace. All students should attempt to complete their degrees as soon as possible.

3.7 Thesis Option

ECE MS graduate students electing the thesis option are required to conduct independent research and prepare a scholarly thesis describing the research effort and its results for submission to the Graduate School. The format of the thesis must comply with the guidelines of the Thesis and Dissertation Manual provided by the Graduate School.

The thesis research and the writing of the thesis itself typically take at least one year of half-time effort. Upon completion of the thesis research, the student must make an oral public presentation of the research results to an Examining Committee as defined in Section 3.7.2. The student should not underestimate the amount of time that it will take to compile and distill the research conducted into a coherent written document. As a guide, the student should not schedule a defense within one month of graduation. This should ensure that the defense, any required corrections or additions to the thesis, printing and screening by the Graduate School, and final submission to the Graduate School, can be accomplished before the submission deadlines for graduation have passed. The Thesis Committee must have at least seven days to review the thesis. This requirement can be altered with mutual consent of the Thesis Committee and the student. Notification of the Defense must be made to the Dean of the Graduate School, the Dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the ECE faculty, and the ECE graduate students at least seven days prior to the defense date. This notification is the responsibility of the Thesis Advisor. A sample defense notice can be found in Appendix A of this document. The defense notice must be reviewed by the Graduate Coordinator before it is distributed or posted.

3.7.1 Thesis Credit

A maximum of six thesis credits may be applied toward an ECE thesis-option Master's degree. No thesis credit shall be given until the completed thesis has been approved by the Thesis Committee and accepted by the Graduate School. Satisfactory acceptance of the thesis will be recorded as a credit (Cr).

3.7.2 Thesis Committee

An ECE Master's thesis must be approved by a committee composed of at least three ECE faculty members. This committee must include the faculty member under whose direction the thesis was written. Additional members of the committee may be sought outside the ECE department or outside UNH. There is no formal upper limit on the number of committee members. The MS thesis committee is nominated by the ECE Graduate Program Coordinator and appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. This appointment is normally completed prior to the commencement of thesis research so that Committee members may serve as examiners of the student's thesis work and as consulting experts during the research.

Normally a graduate student will have identified a Thesis Advisor by the end of the student's second semester in residence at UNH. The student, in consultation with the Thesis Advisor, will identify potential thesis committee members. The Thesis Advisor will contact the particular faculty members to verify whether they are willing to serve on that committee. A standard Committee Nomination Form must be filled out by the Thesis advisor and submitted to the Graduate Coordinator. These forms may be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator. A Curriculum Vita or Resume for each proposed committee member from outside UNH or outside the ECE Department must be attached to the Committee Nomination Form prior to submission to the Graduate Coordinator. Upon approval of the committee selection by the Graduate School, the student and committee members involved will be notified by the Graduate School. The Thesis Committee alone is responsible for examining and approving the candidate's thesis work. Approval requires a unanimous vote of the committee.

3.7.3 Submission of Thesis

Two copies of the approved thesis, ready for binding, shall be submitted to the Graduate School Office as soon after approval as possible, but not less than two weeks before Commencement. Binding fees will be paid at the Graduate School. Students must also supply one bound copy of the approved thesis to the ECE Department for inclusion into the departmental library. The student should discuss with the Thesis Advisor the need for any additional copies that may be required. It is suggested that the student retain two bound copies for reference and lending purposes.

Last Updated 4/4/08