It is our opinion that the quality of any graduate program is directly proportional to the quality of its students. For this reason, it is our goal to recruit and admit graduate students with the aptitude and motivation to excel in our Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Technology graduate programs. We hope that you will be among the students joining us in the near future.
Sections:Admission to the department's graduate programs is open to college and university graduates whose previous records indicate an ability to succeed with graduate work in the chosen discipline.
An applicant for the Ph.D. or D.E. programs in Electrical Engineering normally presents a B.S. or M.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering. An applicant for the Ph.D. in Computer Science normally presents a B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. Especially qualified applicants may be admitted directly into one of the Ph.D. programs or the D.E. program without having a degree in the requisite field, which could require completion of a number of deficiency courses at the undergraduate level. Such courses normally do not count toward the graduate degree.
An applicant for the M.S. program in Electrical Engineering or in Computer Engineering normally presents a baccalaureate degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering. An applicant for the M.S. program in Computer Science or in Information Technology normally presents a baccalaureate degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. However, a student with good preparation in some other field of engineering, mathematics, business, or science may qualify for one of the programs by taking appropriate additional undergraduate courses. Such courses normally do not count toward the graduate degree. Lists of specific prerequisite courses for each M.S. program are available in the EECS graduate office and on the EECS department web site.
Applicants for graduate admission should demonstrate evidence of aptitude for graduate work, as shown by suitable performance in undergraduate and (if available) graduate course work, by suitable aptitude test scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and by academic letters of reference. The requirement to take the GRE can be waived for students with an undergraduate degree from KU EECS who are judged by the department to be strong. A non-refundable application fee is required.
Unless the applicant's native language is English or the applicant has received a baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education, he or she must meet the department's standard for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Prospective students who are applying for graduate teaching assistantships must pass the SPEAK test administered by the Applied English Center at the University of Kansas prior to their appointment as graduate teaching assistants.
Applications and all accompanying materials for Fall admission should be received by January 1 for maximum consideration for fellowships and assistantships. For Fall admission, the application deadline is March 1. For Spring admission, the application deadline is October 1.
It should be noted that successful applicants to our graduate programs have strong undergraduate grades (for the Ph.D. above 3.5 / 4.0 USA, 80% India, or 85% China ; for the M.S. above 3.0 / 4.0 USA, 73% India, or 80% China) and GRE scores above 1200 (500 verbal, 700 quantitative, 700 analytical). International students are expected to have TOEFL scores above 600 on the paper-based exam, above 250 on the computer-based exam, or above 100 on the internet based exam. Students who receive department, school or university fellowships are often among the top students in their graduating class and typically have higher test scores than listed.
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While usually Ph.D. applicants have already completed their M.S. degree, the EECS department strongly encourages highly qualified students who are completing their B.S. degree to apply for the Ph.D. program. Such applicants must have an excellent GPA and be highly motivated to perform research and follow a career in research or academia.
The advantage of joining our Ph.D. program directly after completing one's undergraduate studies is that the Ph.D. degree can be attained in less time. On average, a student is awarded the M.S. degree after two years of study, followed by four years for the Ph.D. Students entering the FastTrack program usually complete their Ph.D. degree in five years. FastTrack students usually follow the following plan of study:
| Semester | Coursework |
|---|---|
| Semester 1 | 3 courses (9 credit hours) |
| Semester 2 | 3 courses (9 credit hours) |
| Semester 3 |
2-3 courses (6-9 credit hours) plus dissertation research |
| Semester 4 |
1-2 courses (3-6 credit hours) plus Ph.D. Qualifying Exam plus dissertation research |
| Semester 5 |
1-2 courses (3-6 credit hours) plus dissertation research |
| Semesters 6-10 |
1-2 courses (3-6 credit hours) plus Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam plus dissertation research plus defense |
Students on the FastTrack program who pass their Ph.D. qualifying exam must satisfy all requirements for a Ph.D. degree.
Students on the FastTrack program who fail their Ph.D. qualifying exam twice, must choose to either withdraw from the University or to participate in an oral exam which, if passed, will allow them to receive the nonthesis M.S. degree in their discipline.
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Qualified JUNIORS and SENIORS in Electrical Engineering (EE), Computer Engineering (CoE), and Computer Science (CS) at the University of Kansas are encouraged to apply for the Early Application M.S. / Ph.D. Program (Early Application is available only for the M.S. thesis and Ph.D. programs). Students who are admitted to this program receive academic credit for their exceptional preparation, reducing the time necessary to complete their graduate degrees.
Normally the Ph.D. Plan of Study requires 42 hours of graduate course credit past the B.S. (plus the required research hours) and the thesis option M.S. Plan of Study requires 24 hours of graduate course credit (plus the required research hours). Students admitted to the Early Application program receive a 6 hour credit hour reduction upon admission, so they are required to complete 36 or more course credit hours at the 700 level or above for the Ph.D. degree, or 18 or more course credit hours at the 700 level or above for the M.S. degree.
Students who switch to the nonthesis M.S. option after being admitted under the Early Application Program will be required to complete 33 credit hours of course work, and the credit hour course reduction will no longer be valid.
To qualify, juniors and seniors in EE, CoE, and CS must have completed at least 75 hours toward their degrees with both an overall GPA and a GPA in all math, basic science, computer science, and engineering courses of at least 3.50 at the time of applying for the program. If accepted, to remain in the Early Application M.S. / Ph.D. Program, the students must have both an overall GPA and a GPA in all math, basic science, computer science, and engineering courses of at least 3.50 for all remaining undergraduate courses in their B.S. program.
If you are a KU EECS student interested in this opportunity to join our graduate program, submit an application package to the EECS graduate office that includes:
All Senior Electives for students entering this program must be EECS courses at the 600 level or above. A minimum of two of these courses must be among those normally approved for an M.S Plan of Study.
Acceptance into the program will be based on an evaluation of the application materials by the EECS Graduate Studies Committee, and successful applications will be forwarded to the Associate Dean of Engineering and the Graduate School for approval.
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Unless the applicant's native language is English or the applicant has received a baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education, he or she must meet the department's standard for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Prospective students who are applying for graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) must pass the SPEAK test administered by the Applied English Center at the University of Kansas prior to their appointment as graduate teaching assistants.
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Applications and all accompanying materials for Fall admission should be received by January 1 for maximum consideration for fellowships and assistantships. For Fall admission, the application deadline is March 1. For Spring admission, the application deadline is October 1.
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