Electrical and Computer Engineering
BS/MS Program
PROGRAM BENEFITS
Our BS/MS Program offers students a combined degree experience that fosters undergraduate research and accelerates the completion of an MS degree. This research-intensive degree allows students to expand their research skills through hands-on work in a research lab and prepares them for a career in the technology industry.
- Students who qualify for the BS/MS program automatically qualify for admission to the graduate program
- Senior projects begun at the BS level can be further developed and utilized for an MS thesis
- Students receive early access to graduate-level courses, including MS specialized classes
- Complete MS degree faster
- Save money by using undergraduate tuition/financial aid/scholarships to pay for graduate-level courses
- Enrolled in BS EE Degree or BS CE Degree
- Domestic student (US citizen, or legal permanent resident)
- Completed undergrad requirements with 3.3+ cumulative GPA with B grade or higher for graduate transfer credits
- Maintain Full-time student status (12.0+ undergrad, 9.0+ grad)
- Transfer students must have completed at least 24 credit hours at the University of Utah
BS/MS PROGRAM TIMELINE
While this is a typical BS/MS timeline, some variations may occur and depend on when students complete various degree requirements. Not all students complete their undergrad degree requirements in the Spring/begin graduate status in the Fall. When you meet with the Graduate Student Coordinator and undergrad advisor you may have a custom timeline created for you.
TYPICAL TIMELINE
FALL SEMESTER
SPRING SEMESTER
JUNIOR YEAR
- Register for CS 3991 – Jr Seminar CE Only
- Register for undergraduate coursework
- Register for ECE 3900 – Jr Seminar EE Only
- Register for undergraduate coursework
END OF SOPHOMORE YEAR
- Meet with an undergraduate advisor and complete your degree plan to determine what space you have in your schedule.
- Meet with the Graduate Student Coordinator to review MS degree requirements and verify your BS/MS degree plan.
You will be given approval to request permission codes to enroll in up to 12 credits of graduate-level coursework during your senior year. Please review transfer credit criteria prior to selecting courses.
SENIOR YEAR
- Register for ECE 4900 – Senior Thesis I EE Only
- Register for CS/ECE 4710 – Senior project CE Only
- Register for undergraduate AND graduate coursework
- Register for ECE 4910 – Senior Thesis II EE Only
- Register for undergraduate AND graduate coursework
- Complete BS degree requirements
FINAL UNDERGRAD SEMESTER
Students should have a cumulative GPA of 3.3+ by the time they apply for graduate status.
DO NOT apply for graduation until completion of your MS degree as both degrees must be awarded at the same time in order for 7-12 credits to transfer from your undergraduate to your graduate Program of Study
GRADUATE YEAR
- Complete transfer credit request
- Register for 9-12 credits of graduate coursework
- Register for ECE 6900 Graduate Seminar EE Req.
- Register for ECE 6710 Digital VLSI & ECE 6810 Computer Arch CE Req. if not previously taken
- Register for ECE 6910 Graduate Seminar EE Only
- Contact/meet with the Graduate Student Coordinator to ensure you have completed all the necessary requirements for the program
- Apply for graduation and both BS and MS degrees
Once you have completed all BS and MS coursework, you can apply for graduation and will receive both degrees simultaneously. You must apply for each degree separately and cannot be awarded your degrees in different semesters. It is the student’s responsibility to make note of undergraduate and graduate graduation deadlines.
Students are required to complete a minimum of 2 full-time (9 credit hours) semesters in graduate status. ECE graduate students must 30 credit hours of graduate coursework in total to achieve their Master’s.
OVERVIEW
One of the major benefits of the BS/MS program is financial. While students are taking 6-12 graduate-level credits during their senior year they will:
- Pay undergraduate tuition rates
- Can use undergraduate financial aid (Pell Grants, etc.) to cover the cost of the tuition
- Can use university scholarships to cover the cost of the tuition
What students must be aware of is that these benefits end the semester they are admitted to the graduate program and are converted to graduate status. The semester that a student begins graduate status they must pay graduate tuition rates and are unable to use any university merit scholarships to cover their tuition.
Financial FAQs
Will my undergraduate scholarship continue once I have graduate status?
Upon admittance to the graduate program/obtaining graduate status, students are no long eligible for undergraduate financial aid and the undergraduate University of Utah Engineering scholarships end once grad status begins. It is recommended you contact the scholarships agent to inquire if the scholarship will continue in a Master’s program.
How can I fund myself as a graduate student?
- Self-funding
- Working as a department TA as a undergrad and being recommended to continue on as a funded MS student with a stipend and tuition benefits
- If interested in pursuing a MS Project, working in industry/internship being paid and receiving project credits that can be applied towards your MS degree
- If interested in pursuing a MS Thesis, finding a faculty member to do research with as an undergrad and then continuing as a funded Research Assistant with a stipend and tuition benefits
- Student loans, scholarships/fellowships, – see Financial & Funding Resources page
Students will apply for graduation and receive both degrees simultaneously once they have completed all BS and MS degree requirements. Students must apply for each degree separately and cannot be awarded degrees in different semesters.
- Meet with the Graduate Student Coordinator to verify that all degree requirements will be met.
- Apply for both degrees by the proper deadline of the semester that you will finish all MS hours.
- To apply on or before the due date simply click on the “Graduation” tile in the Campus Information Services (CIS) Student Homepage.
- Select “Apply for Graduation” for the degrees listed.
- If the BS degree is not listed, follow step 5
- If the MS degree is not listed, contact the Graduate Student Coordinator to verify all degree requirements have been met and all information is complete in student file.
If the BS degree is not listed, it means that the undergraduate student file has expired due to inactivity. This is common and should not cause concern.
- Complete the Late Application/Reapplication for Undergraduate Degree form to apply for BS degree.
- Photo ID and $25 fee is not required for BS/MS applicants
- Check the final box on the form of “Are you completing a combined undergraduate/graduate program (e.g. BS/MS)?”
- Complete the section from Candidate Information down to the student signature line. The form can be digitally signed or printed, signed, and then scanned.
- Email the completed form to graduation@utah.edu
- When the form has been processed, a confirmation email will be sent to the student.
APPLICATION & ADMISSIONS
Transfer from undergraduate to graduate status occurs after completion of a minimum of 122 semester credit hours of qualified undergraduate studies and before more than 12 semester credit hours of approved graduate work has been completed.
Students typically complete the graduate application in the Spring of their senior year.
Yes, students who complete undergraduate coursework with at 3.3 or higher GPA will meet MS admissions requirements.
You may apply to the PhD program if you have a faculty or 3rd party supervisor willing to financially support your research, however, we recommend completing your BS and MS degrees before you apply to the PhD program.
COURSEWORK
Coursework may not be applied to more than one degree. If a 5000/6000 level class was used to complete the BS, you can not count that course towards the MS degree credit requirements.
Students who completed their undergraduate degree at the University of Utah that may have already completed courses at the 5000- level should NOT retake the same class again at the 6000- level. This especially applies to CE students who many have already completed required and/or CE restricted elective courses. They should meet with the Graduate Student Coordinator to make a note that the requirement has been fulfilled, even if the credits are unable to transfer onto the MS Program of Study and count towards the 30 credits for degree completion.
You are eligible to transfer 6 units of graduate credits as long as they were not used for BS graduation requirements – see 4+1 Program
Students are automatically admitted to the Master of Science Coursework Option but may transfer to the Master of Science Thesis or Project Option upon finding a faculty advisor to perform research with or monitor their industry project and enrolling in the proper credits.
Contact
Liz Rowberry M.Ed
Graduate Student Coordinator | Graduate Admissions Advisor
The University of Utah – Electrical and Computer Engineering
50 S. Central Campus Drive, MEB 2266C
Salt Lake City, UT, 84112
liz.rowberry@utah.edu
801-587-9710
FAFSA Loans
The FAFSA office requires students to print out a paper version of the acceptance and sign it in person. They cannot apparently even begin the process until the student has.
- redone their fafsa form online to change it to graduate, which is a strange process as there isn’t actually an option, you just change a few things, the fafsa office should write up an explainer for this. The student needs to try and get this done many weeks before the start of the semester.
- The student needs to apply for graduation for their undergrad, and after a few hours, call the registrars office and ask them to remove the undergraduate registration from their records.
- this whole time, the student needs to be in contact with the FAFSA office weekly and explain each step.
Once undergraduate stuff has been removed from the registrars office
- the student needs to go to the Fafsa office, tell them they have removed the undergraduate registration, and ask them when the FAFSA office will be done verifying the new status, and the employees at the FAFSA office need to do some sort of 25 minute paperwork process to get the changes assigned,
- student needs to go into the CIS homepage, look at financial aid offer and click the “print” button, print it out and fill it out.
- The student does not need to accept the full loan amount
- Then the student needs to give the printed version in person to the FAFSA office. They should be able to distribute the loans on time if all of this is done 1-2 weeks before the start of the semester.
I would suggest students start this process 8 weeks before the start of the semester, if they are starting master’s degree in Spring, and if they are starting master’s portion of BS/MS they can submit the graduate fafsa form to the government long before this and expedite this process closer to the semester starting, like 5 weeks before the semester assuming they did the government online form when it’s available many months before (Like I can start my 24-25 fafsa form now, in January).