Graduate Handbook - 2. Master of Science Degree Program

2.1 Degree Requirements

2.2 The Master's Thesis Option

Students are encouraged to complete a Master's Thesis under the supervision of a WPI ECE Department faculty member. Completing a thesis is strongly encouraged for students who intend to continue in the Ph.D. degree program and for students who are seeking in-depth knowledge in their chosen area of study.

The M.S. Thesis option is not restricted to full-time students. Although it is easier to complete the independent Research that is an inherent component of the M.S. Thesis as a full-time student, part-time students can also elect the thesis option if they have the flexibility to work on a regular basis with their advisor.

Any student interested in selecting the thesis option to complete their M.S. degree requirements should consult their academic advisor or the Department Graduate Coordinator, Prof. Fred J. Looft (fjlooft@ece.wpi.edu). Students are also encouraged to discuss possible thesis topics with individual faculty members. For students completing the M.S. thesis as part of their degree requirements, a thesis committee will be set up during the first semester of thesis work. This committee will be selected by the student in consultation with his/her major advisor and will consist of the thesis advisor (who must be a full-time WPI ECE faculty member) and at least two other faculty members whose expertise will aid the student's Research program. Finally, students who are unsure of their interest in the thesis option should consider a preliminary three credit Directed Research program. (ECE-598).

2.3 Combined BS/MS Degree Program

Outstanding WPI ECE undergraduates who wish to continue their studies toward a Master's Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at WPI are encouraged to plan a combined program which will accelerate their progress. Students in the combined program continue to be registered as undergraduates until they have completed all requirements for the B.S. degree. Up to 40% of the credits submitted for candidacy for the graduate degree may be from Courses, acceptable for graduate credit, taken while an undergraduate. All Courses used to satisfy the graduate degree requirements will be recorded on both the student's undergraduate and graduate transcripts.

  1. A student may use six credit hours of work to count towards both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. Additional credit hours of work (beyond any Courses applied toward the 15 units required for the WPI B.S. degree), up to a maximum of 12 credit hours, defined at the time of application, may be transferred from the student's undergraduate transcript.
  2. The Courses selected for transfer from the undergraduate transcript may be all advanced undergraduate Courses, graduate Courses or combinations of both at the discretion of the student's advisor and subject to the approval of the ECE Department Graduate Program Committee.
  3. At the start of the first term in the senior year, but no later than at the time of application, students are required to submit to the Graduate Coordinator of the Electrical and Computer engineering Department, Prof. Fred J. Looft (fjlooft@ece.wpi.edu), a list of proposed Courses to be taken as part of the Master's Degree Program. A copy of the student's transcript (grade report) must be included with the application
  4. Under no condition will Courses taken prior to applying for the combined program admission be admissible for satisfying the M.S. Degree requirements.

After being admitted to the combined Bachelor/Master Program, the student must satisfy all requirements for the advanced degree in order to obtain that degree.

Students who fail to Maintain a 2.9 QPA at the end of any semester will be required to take additional Courses as recommended by the Dean of Graduate Studies and the ECE Department Head, Dr. John Orr (orr@ece.wpi.edu).

Students who intend to pursue this program must obtain an application form from the Office of Graduate Studies. This form must be filed in the Office of Graduate Studies before a student enrolls in any undergraduate course which is to be used for graduate credit.

Students taking advantage of this program are ordinarily expected to complete the work of the master's degree with one calendar year after receipt of the bachelor's degree.

In some instances, however, this accelerated approach to education will not be the most desirable route, and the student will benefit more by broadening the undergraduate experience before taking graduate Courses. The best approach will be determined by each student in consultation with the academic and project advisors.

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Last modified: August 14, 2006 16:39:01