Policies for M.S. Degree

Sections

Introduction
Degree Requirements
Minor
Draft Plan of Study
Plan of Study
Thesis Defense
Checklist for Satisfactory Academic Progress

Introduction

This handbook only includes the additional policies and procedures that apply specifically to the ECE graduate program. Therefore, students must also refer to the documentation provided by the UA Graduate College for the policies and procedures that apply to all graduate students. In particular, please note that the Graduate College requires that students registered in a program of study must enroll continuously until the completion of the degree. Students who do not register for one or more semesters will have to reapply for admission into the program and may be subject to new admission requirements.

Degree Requirements

* A cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher must be maintained on all coursework taken for graduate credit. A grade of C or higher is required for a course to be used to satisfy the degree requirements. The Grade Replacement Option (GRO) cannot be used for ECE graduate courses.

** The seminar and paper submission requirements apply to new students whose first semester of enrollment is Fall 2003 or later (including current UA students who change degree status to the M.S. program in ECE effective Fall 2003 or later).

Minor

The ECE department does not require a minor for the M.S. degree. However, students are strongly encouraged to include a breadth of topics in the study plan. The student's Faculty Advisor may require that the study plan include specific courses, including non-ECE courses, if it is necessary for the student's area of research.

Warning: Students who wish to pursue the Ph.D. degree following completion of the M.S. should carefully consider the policies regarding the Ph.D. minor when selecting their M.S. coursework. Up to 6 units of the Ph.D. minor may come from the M.S. coursework, if approved by the minor department. In general, the Dept. of ECE allows a split Ph.D. minor consisting of coursework from more than one department. In the case of a split minor, each sub-minor must consist of at least 6 units of coursework from the same department. However, ECE Ph.D. students with a non-ECE minor may be required by the minor department to take all 12 units of the minor in that minor department. So, students should consult with the minor department to determine whether the minor department has any such requirements.

Draft Plan of Study

All students must consult with their initial Faculty Advisor and submit a Draft Plan of Study during the first semester of study. After being completed by the student, and recommended by the Faculty Advisor, the Draft Plan of Study must be submitted to the ECE Graduate Studies Office for approval by the Graduate Studies Committee. The form is included in the Master's Forms appendix. The Draft Plan of Study is an ECE form, which is used to facilitate an initial selection of courses by the student and Faculty Advisor. By seeking prior approval of the study plan, they will know whether the Dept. of ECE will allow the proposed courses to be counted toward the degree requirements. The student may submit a revised Draft Plan of Study for approval at any time. The study plan must also be approved by the Graduate College; this is the role of a subsequent form, the Plan of Study.

Plan of Study

All students must consult with their Faculty Advisor and submit a Plan of Study by the end of the third semester of study. After being completed by the student, and recommended by the Faculty Advisor, the Plan of Study must be submitted to the ECE Graduate Studies Office for approval by the Graduate Studies Committee. The form is included in the Master's Forms appendix. Upon submittal by the student, this form is forwarded to the Graduate College for their approval. Revisions of the Plan of Study are possible, but discouraged.

Thesis Defense

For the M.S. degree, there will be a final oral defense of the thesis. The defense will be administered by a committee of at least three tenure-track faculty members, recommended by the student's Faculty Advisor and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, including at least two tenure-track faculty members with regular or joint appointments in the ECE department, and optionally including one tenure-track faculty member from another department. The student's Faculty Advisor will chair the committee.

The final draft of the thesis should be submitted to the Faculty Advisor at least six weeks prior to the oral thesis defense. Upon approval by the Faculty Advisor, and at least three weeks prior to the defense, the student must submit a thesis defense announcement, including the composition of the defense committee and an abstract of the thesis, to the ECE Graduate Studies Office for approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. The form is included in the Master's Forms appendix. The student should submit the final draft of the thesis, after it is has been approved by the Faculty Advisor, to the defense committee at least three weeks prior to the defense.

Each committee member shall indicate a pass or fail result. An abstention is counted as a negative vote, and two negative votes will result in failure of the defense. If the committee requires further thesis revisions as a condition of passing the defense, then the Thesis Revision Requirements form must be completed. The form is included in the Master's Forms appendix. The thesis defense may be attempted only twice. The second attempt will be observed by a non-voting representative of the Graduate College. The result of the second attempt will be determined by secret ballot.

Checklist for Satisfactory Academic Progress

Warning: All graduate students pursuing a M.S. degree in ECE must adhere to the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) guidelines. At the end of each semester, those students who have failed to comply with the SAP guidelines will receive a warning letter stating why they are in non-compliance. After receiving this warning letter, the student will have 30 days to submit in writing to the ECE Graduate Studies Office a plan for addressing their SAP non-compliance. Failure to submit an acceptable plan within the 30 day time limit will result in the issuance of a second SAP non-compliance warning letter to the student, with a copy of this letter also sent to their faculty advisor. If the student fails to fulfill the requirements for SAP within 30 days of receipt of the second non-compliance warning letter, then the non-compliant student will be reported to the Graduate College and may be switched to Provisional status or Non-Degree-Seeking (NDS) status. In order for an NDS student to be reinstated as an ECE student, that student will be required to reapply for admission and satisfy the admission requirements in effect at the time of reapplication. Bold text is used below to indicate information that must be submitted on time to the ECE Graduate Studies Office.

1. Obtain an initial Faculty Advisor prior to or at the beginning of the first semester of study.


2. During the first two weeks of the first semester of study, complete the ECE Graduate Student Entry Checklist, which is included in the General Forms appendix.


3. Consult with the initial Faculty Advisor and submit a Draft Plan of Study to the ECE Graduate Studies Office during the first semester of study. The form is included in the Master's Forms appendix.


4. Obtain a thesis Faculty Advisor by the end of the second semester of study and select a thesis research project.


5. Consult with the Faculty Advisor and submit the Plan of Study to the ECE Graduate Studies Office by the end of the third semester of study. The form is included in the Master's Forms appendix.


6. Complete all coursework and the thesis research.


7. A cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher must be maintained on all coursework taken for graduate credit. A grade of C or higher is required for a course to be used to satisfy the degree requirements. The Grade Replacement Option (GRO) cannot be used for ECE graduate courses.


8. Write the thesis.The Graduate College has specific formatting requirements.


9. The coursework and thesis must be completed in a timely manner (typically within three years for full-time students).


10. Select committee members for the oral thesis defense.


11. The final draft of the thesis should be submitted to the Faculty Advisor at least six weeks prior to the oral thesis defense.


12. Upon approval by the Faculty Advisor, and at least three weeks prior to the defense, the student must submit a thesis defense announcement, including the composition of the defense committee and an abstract of the thesis, to the ECE Graduate Studies Office for approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. The form is included in the Master's Forms appendix.


13. Complete the thesis and the oral thesis defense in a timely manner, typically within three years for full-time students.


14. The student should submit the final draft of the thesis, after it is has been approved by the Faculty Advisor, to the defense committee at least three weeks prior to the defense.


15. Pass the thesis defense.


16. Submit a copy of the final thesis to the ECE Graduate Studies Office. If microfilming the thesis (optional), then the Graduate College requires the student to submit two copies of the thesis to the Graduate Degree Certification Office.


17. Submit a copy of the first page of the required conference or journal paper, the name of the journal, and a copy of the submittal letter (with faculty signature) to the ECE Graduate Studies Office. The paper submission requirement applies to new students who first enrolled after January 1, 2003 (including current UA students who change degree status to the M.S. program in ECE after January 1, 2003).


18. Submit the Master's/Specialist Completion of Degree Requirements form, which is included in the Master's Forms appendix.


19. Submit the ECE Graduate Student Exit Checklist, which is included in the General Forms appendix.

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