Program Educational Objectives

The Electrical Engineering graduate program has established the following program educational objectives. Graduates of the program will:

1. Possess in-depth expertise for a successful engineering career and/or a successful undertaking of further graduate level studies;
2. Meet the challenges of the future through continuing professional growth; and
3. Exhibit concern for social and environmental impact of engineering decisions.

Student Outcomes

The Electrical Engineering graduate program has established the following student outcomes:

1. an ability to apply advanced knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems in a specialized area, such as electronic circuit design, telecommunications and networks, or digital and computer engineering
2. an ability to apply both analysis and synthesis in the engineering design process, resulting in designs that meet constraints and specifications, which include societal, environmental, and ethical factors as appropriate to the design
3. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation and testing procedures using advanced analytical/numerical techniques and/or modern engineering tools, and to analyze and draw conclusions from data
4. an ability to conduct graduate level research with adequate research skills including information literacy and self-learning
5. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences through various media
6. an ability to plan and manage engineering projects, including goal establishment, task scheduling, and risk and uncertainty management

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission should have completed an undergraduate program in electrical engineering, computer science, or a closely related field. To be considered for admission, students must submit an application, $50 application fee, a statement of intent, and transcripts. Letters of recommendation and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) are optional. Additional coursework may be recommended or required as a condition of admission for applicants that have not completed an undergraduate program in electrical or computer engineering.

Transfer Credit. Students may transfer six (6) semester hours for courses completed at another regionally accredited college or university. Credits to be transferred must be taken prior to admission. Each transferred course grade must be at least B (3.0), and the course must not have been used to satisfy degree requirements at another college or university.

Graduation Requirements

A degree candidate is required to complete, with a cumulative grade point average of at least B (3.0), a program of study comprising a minimum of thirty (30) or more semester hours of graduate-level coursework (i.e., 500-level or 600-level courses). Additional prerequisite (undergraduate) courses may be required as deemed appropriate by the advisor in consultation with the department. Of the graduate-level coursework, at least fifteen (15) semester hours are to be in 600-level courses. Students must achieve a grade of B (3.0) or better in all 500-level courses. Applicable courses generally include both CMSI and ELEC courses offered by this department, as well as appropriate courses from mathematics or other disciplines. At least twenty-four (24) semester hours must be in ELEC courses.

The program of study must include the following courses: ELEC 521 , ELEC 532 , ELEC 584 , and ELEC 694  or Master’s Thesis. One or more of the 500-level required courses may be waived if the student demonstrates satisfactory completion of a similar course. Waived courses will be replaced by electives at the 500 or 600 level.

Curriculum

During the first semester of attendance, the student should prepare a program of study with a faculty advisor. The 30 semester hours of required coursework is allocated as follows:

• ELEC 521 Introduction to Communication Systems 3 semester hours
• ELEC 532 Probability and Random Processes 3 semester hours
• ELEC 584 Introduction to Microprocessors II 3 semester hours
• Elective 3 semester hours
• Elective 3 semester hours
• Elective 3 semester hours
• Elective 3 semester hours 
• One of the following three options:

• Option 1:

• Elective 3 semester hours
• Elective 3 semester hours
• ELEC 694 Graduate Capstone Project 

• Option 2:

• Elective 3 semester hours
• ELEC 695 Master’s Thesis I  
• ELEC 696 Master’s Thesis II 

• Option 3:

• ELEC 695 Master’s Thesis I 
• ELEC 696 Master’s Thesis II 
• ELEC 697 Master’s Thesis III 

Master’s Thesis Option

Preparation of a Master’s Thesis is optional and can fulfill up to a maximum of 9 semester hours of elective course requirements. The student electing the thesis option must obtain a thesis advisor before Departmental consent will be considered, and the thesis must conform to the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering requirements. The thesis and associated work is intended to advance the state of knowledge in the thesis subject not “rehash” previous work by others or a serve as a “literature search.” To the extent possible, there should be some experimental work involved. The thesis ideally will form the basis for a paper or article, produced by a student, which would be submitted and hopefully published in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at a professional organization’s conference. A thesis is completed after being successfully defended to the thesis committee. With direction from the Graduate Director, a thesis committee will be formed. The thesis committee consists of the student’s thesis advisor, a full-time faculty member from the student’s department, and a third member from other than the student’s department.

Combined B.S./M.S.E. Degrees in Electrical Engineering

This program is designed for LMU students to receive a combined B.S. and M.S.E. degree by continuing their studies in LMU’s Master’s programs, immediately following their B.S. degree. The program allows students to complete the M.S.E. degree in one year.

Only LMU students in senior year Electrical Engineering (either emphasis) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply. The deadline for application is one month prior to completing all undergraduate requirements. Students can enter this program any term immediately following completion of their undergraduate degree requirements. The candidate for the combined B.S./M.S.E. degree must satisfy the following requirements:

• One Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering 500-level course taken as an undergraduate may count toward the M.S.E. degree. This course can be double-counted for the B.S. degree and the M.S.E. degree. The student is required to complete 27 additional semester hours after earning the B.S. degree.
• In addition, for an admitted student, an extra Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering 500-level course may be taken in their senior year that counts towards the M.S.E. degree and not the B.S. degree. This potentially reduces the total number of additional semester hours after earning the B.S. degree to 24.
• The student should take two 500- or 600-level courses during summer following senior year.
• Complete ELEC 532 Probability and Random Processes  and two ELEC 600-level courses during fall following senior year.
• Complete ELEC 521 Introduction to Communication Systems , ELEC 584 Introduction to Microprocessors II , and ELEC 694 Graduate Capstone Project  during spring following senior year. If ELEC 584 Introduction to Microprocessors II  was completed in the undergraduate program, the student should then register in an ELEC 500- or 600-level course instead.
• 500-level courses already completed for the B.S. degree cannot be retaken.
• The student may select the thesis option with consent from the academic advisor and Graduate Director.