Admission requirements

Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Admissions to our M.S. programs are selective and capacity is limited. Learn how to apply. Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering applicants with a B.S. degree in either electrical or computer engineering, and a grade point average of 3.00 or better in all junior- and senior-level technical courses will be directly considered for admission to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as regular graduate students.

Applicants with a B.S. in either electrical or computer engineering with a grade point average in their upper division technical coursework below 3.00 but higher than 2.75 may be granted conditional admission status.

Applicants with a B.S. degree in some other field (e.g., mathematics, physics, computer science, mechanical engineering, economics, etc.) will be required to take an individually specified group of undergraduate ECE classes as a Post-Baccalaureate student to gain the basic skills needed to succeed in an ECE Master’s program. Upon successful completion of these undergraduate ECE “bridge” classes with grades of B or better, an applicant will be considered for admission to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as a regular M.S. student.

M.S. applicants with electrical or computer engineering B.S. degree from a non-ABET accredited university must submit official GRE scores. An applicant whose B.S. degree is from a university in a country where English is not the native language must provide proof of English language proficiency as required by PSU International Admissions.

Applications are accepted for fall (starting in September) and winter (starting in January). Most graduate course sequences begin in the fall or winter quarters, and students who arrive in spring or summer may have more difficulty finding suitable courses for their desired track.

Application for Admission to M.S. Program

Please apply online.

More information (required documents, deadlines, etc.) is available on our Admissions Process page.

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Applicants to the Ph.D. program in electrical and computer engineering will normally have completed a master's degree in electrical engineering or a related field. However, admission directly to the Ph.D. program from a bachelor's degree program is possible if desired.
The following application items are required for the ECE Department:

•  Statement of purpose
•  GRE score
• 3 references
• Unofficial transcripts
• Writing sample

Please see our application page for more information.

Students are normally only admitted to our program if a faculty member has agreed to serve as the adviser. Before applying to our PhD program, you should contact faculty working in an area of research that is of interest to you. Your adviser will stay the same throughout your time in the doctoral program. You can find a list of our faculty here. The department has many ongoing research programs and supporting research laboratories which are listed here.

Application for Admission to Ph.D. Program

Please apply online.

More information (required documents, deadlines, etc.) is available on our Admissions Process page.