Ph.D. Qualifying Examination

Every student enrolled in the ECE Ph.D. program is required to pass a written qualifying examination. The objective of this examination is to ensure the adequacy of each student's background. The examination tests undergraduate ECE material. The exam is given once each year in January. Students beginning the Ph.D. program in the summer or fall semesters (May or August) must take the exam at the first opportunity. Students beginning in spring (January) may choose to take it the following January.

Students taking the exam for the first time are required to complete the Qualifying Examination Signup Form and turn it in to the Student Services Program Coordinator for the graduate program. Students taking the exam for the second time are required to complete the Qualifying Examination Retake Form and turn it into the Student Services Coordinator for the graduate program. The signup deadline and the dates and times of the next exam can be found below.

Additional information about the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination may be found in the Graduate Program Handbook.

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Dates:
Monday, October 15, 2012 at 9:00am - Closed Book Exam
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 9:00am - Open Book Exam

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Registration Deadline:
Friday, August 31, 2012 at 4:30pm

For additional information about the exam, please contact Lane Swanson.

On the signup form, the student must select three topics. The following is the list of topics for each program.

Electrical Engineering Exam Topics
Circuits
Controls
Electromagnetics
Electronics
Power
Probability and Random Variables
Signals and Systems

Computer Engineering Exam Topics
Circuits
Computer Hardware and Architecture
Computer System Structures
Controls
Probability and Random Variables
Programming Systems and Software Engineering
Signals and Systems