GRADUATE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS
FOR STUDENTS WITHOUT A PRIOR ECE DEGREE
Before an Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate degree is awarded, a student must demonstrate that they meet the program’s proficiency requirements. This is done either by holding a prior Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from an accredited institution, or if a student has an allied STEM degree they can be admitted to the graduate program and demonstrate proficiency through completing the requirements below:
Graduate Proficiency Requirement - Update Beginning Spring 2025
If an applicant has completed the pre-requisites they can be directly admitted to the ECE Grad program but will need to complete the graduate proficiency requirements as part of their degree. Applicants are strongly recommended to meet with an ECE member of their committee (see MS Areas of Emphasis and Default Committees). The purpose of this is to discuss additional courses that may be beneficial to meet student goals. The graduate proficiency requirements are as follows:
Choose two areas of emphasis and take a graduate-level course from each. Students must complete proficiency courses with a B grade or higher. Courses taken for proficiency will also count towards a student’s graduate degree credit total.
| Area of Emphasis | Course Numbering |
| Solid State / MEMS | X2xx |
| Electromagnetics | X3xx |
| Optics & Optoelectronics | X4xx |
| Signals & Systems | X5xx |
| Power, Control, & Robotics | X6xx |
| Circuits & VLSI | X7xx |
| Computer Engineering | X8xx |
Pre-Requisites for Admission to the Graduate Program without a prior ECE degree:
Completion of each of the following or equivalent* with a C grade or better:
Math
MATH 1210 & 1220
Calculus I & II
Physics
PHYS 2200 & 2210
Physics for Scientists & Engineers I & II
Electrical
ECE 2200/2210
ECE for Non-Majors
*See University Course Comparisons or meet with Graduate Student Coordinator to review your transcription for possible alternatives. Students who have not taken a basic electrical course should study ECE 1240 [available via public-access] to gain content knowledge in basic electric circuits. Contact the Graduate Student Coordinator with questions.
Requirements Prior to Spring 2025
Option 1: Complete a proficiency course from the list below with a B grade or higher
– Courses taken at another university may be considered, students must submit a transcript and a course syllabus (unless listed on the Utah Universities Course Comparison list) to the Graduate Student Coordinator
– Students choosing to take graduate level proficiency courses may be granted access to the prerequisite undergraduate level Canvas course pages and materials to aid them in their preparation. Please make arrangements through the Graduate Student Coordinator; do not contact faculty.
– Undergraduate courses are not covered by tuition benefits. Students in the TBP should use option 2.
Option 2: Pass all of the exams in an undergraduate (*) proficiency course from the list below with a B grade or higher
– Students who wish to meet the proficiency requirement through undergraduate courses are encouraged to schedule a time to take the necessary quizzes, midterms or finals of the undergraduate course.
– Students will not need to officially register/enroll in the class and may be granted access to the Canvas course page to study and prepare for the exams.
– Please make arrangements through the Graduate Student Coordinator; do not contact faculty.
Proficiency Areas and Courses
Students must fulfill both area requirements to be considered proficient. Graduate level proficiency courses are encouraged as they can count on a graduate student’s Program of Study and fulfill additional degree requirements.
Area 1: Circuits – Electronics – Semiconductors
Complete 1 of the following options
ECE 2280* – Circuits and Systems: Active
ECE 3200* – Introduction to Semiconductor Device Physics
ECE 5201 – Physics of Nano-Electronics and Related Devices
ECE 5780/ECE 6780 – Embedded System Design
CS/ECE 6810 – Computer Architecture – for CE track only
Area 2: Electromagnetic Fields – Systems – Power
Complete 1 of the following options
ECE 3300* – Fundamentals of Electromagnetics
ECE 3500* – Fundamentals of Signals and Systems
ECE 3600* – Introduction to Electric Power Engineering
ECE 3610* – Fundamentals of Robotics and Cyberphysical Systems
ECE 5320/ECE 6322 – Microwave Engineering I
ECE 5321/ECE 6323 – Microwave Engineering II
ECE 5324 – Antenna Theory and Design
ECE 5410 – Optics I
ECE 5412 – Optics II
ECE 5510 – Random Processes
ECE 5520 – Digital Communication Systems
ECE 5530/ECE 6530 – Digital Signal Processing
ECE 5615/6615 – Classical Control Systems – Starting Spring 2025
ECE 5620 – Power Systems Analysis
ECE 5652/ECE 6652 – Linear Systems and State-Space Control
ECE 6310 – Advanced Electromagnetic Fields