Degree Electrical and Computer Engineering: Research, MS

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Application Requirements

Application Materials

Each application must include the following:

• Graduate school application
  • Supplemental application – subsection of Graduate school application
    Specifying research interest area and proposed faculty advisor
• Unofficial transcripts*
• Statement of purpose (see the suggested guidelines)
• Resume/CV
• English Proficiency Score (if required – minimum scores and exemptions)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Application fee

*Most up to date unofficial transcript(s) from all previous higher education institutions, regardless of whether or not a degree was earned; international academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Do not submit credential evaluation service documents such as WES. These do not count as English translations.

Applications must be entirely complete by the deadline, including unofficial transcripts, unofficial proficiency scores and letters of recommendation. Once, an application is submitted, it cannot be changed. Official transcripts and scores are only requested once an applicant is recommended for admission. Please note that it is highly advised to take English proficiency tests well in advance of the application deadline in order to ensure time for receiving and processing of the scores. Please do not mail any paper copies of application materials, except IELTS scores. 

Prior Degrees

The department welcomes applications from scientific, engineering, and mathematical disciplines other than Electrical and Computer Engineering.

GPA

The minimum GPA to be reviewed by the admission committee is 3.0/4.0.

Funding

When an applicant submits an application, they are automatically also put in the pool to be considered for TA funding from the department. Funding decisions come directly from faculty members. However, funding is limited and never guaranteed. All admitted ECE MS-Research applicants should anticipate funding themselves. Those selected for funding will be contacted separately and directly by Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty.

Application Fee

A one-time application fee is required. The Electrical and Computer Engineering department does not offer fee grants to general applicants. In very specific circumstances, the Graduate school may provide a fee grant to domestic students if they meet specific criteria. Emails to the admissions department requesting a fee grant will be deprioritized.

International Student Applicants

Information for international applicants, including proof of funding and visa information, can be found on the International Student Services website. You do not need to request an English proficiency waiver. English proficiency test score exemptions are automatically applied during application processing after submission.

Reentry Admissions

If you were previously enrolled as a graduate student at UW–Madison, but have had a break in enrollment for at least one fall or spring semester, you will need to apply to resume your studies.

For applicants previously enrolled in a graduate program other than Electrical and Computer Engineering, you must complete a new online application, including all materials, for admission.

For applicants previously enrolled in Electrical and Computer Engineering as a graduate student, you must complete a reentry application. Reentry applicants may apply for the fall term with a deadline of June 1.

In order to apply as a reentry applicant, you must complete the online application.

Current Graduate Student Admissions

Applicants currently enrolled as a graduate student at UW-Madison, whether in or outside the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, wishing to apply to this degree program should first find an Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty member willing to serve as the MS-Research faculty advisor. Once an advisor has been identified, contact the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Admissions Team (ecegradadmission@engr.wisc.edu) to inquire about the process to request a program change.  Completed applications must be received by the Graduate Student Services Coordinator no later than October 1 for transfers effective the following spring semester and March 1 for transfers effective the following summer or fall term. 

Questions

Please review the frequently asked questions answered by the Graduate School here. 

If you have any admissions questions that have not been answered above, contact the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Admissions Team 

Tuition

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Funding

Graduate School Resources

The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Students in the ECE MS-Research program are eligible for assistantships from ECE and other departments.

Research Assistantships (RA)

Students should contact professors in their area of interest. Professors decide whom they will appoint on their research grants.

Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Grader Positions

Current graduate students may apply for teaching assistantships or hourly grader positions via the ECE TA/Grader Portal (must have a NetID to access). If you are interested in applying for TA or grader position in a department other than ECE, please contact the respective department to ask about their own application process. Students currently holding a research assistant or fellowship position that are interested in teaching assistant positions should discuss options with their research advisor(s) before applying. 

International students who are non-native English speakers are required to pass the SPEAK Test through the English as a Second Language Program on campus. Students wishing to take the SPEAK Test should contact the ECE TA Coordinator via e-mail to register for the exam.

Project Assistantships (PA)

There are project assistant opportunities on campus for various purposes and departments and offices. Often announcements of openings are posted on TA/PA bulletin boards in Engineering Hall and on the UW Job Center webpage. You may also contact individual faculty members to inquire about possible opportunities. 

Fellowships

Information concerning fellowships is sent to graduate students via email from the department, faculty, and/or the Graduate School.

Ranked 6th in the national research category for public universities by the National Science Foundation, UW-Madison continues to be a leader of exploration and discovery. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a proud part of that reputation of research excellence, boasting award-winning faculty, advanced facilities and laboratories, and a culture of creativity, innovation and diligence.

View our research

Curricular Requirements

Required Courses

Non-Electrical and Computer Engineering (E C E) courses must be numbered 300 or above.

¹

Students admitted into the ECE PhD program can use E C E 890 Pre-Dissertator’s Research to satisfy the E C E 790 Master’s Research requirement. The combined number of credits in E C E 790 Master’s Research, E C E 890 Pre-Dissertator’s Research, E C E 699 Advanced Independent Study, and E C E 999 Advanced Independent Study applied toward the degree may not exceed nine credits.

²

Audited and courses taken pass-fail do not count toward the MS degree. Additionally, E C E 702 Graduate Cooperative Education Program (co-op/internship), E C E 611 Introduction to Doctoral Research in Electrical & Computer Engineering Seminar, and E C E 990 Dissertator’s Research do not count toward the MS degree requirements.

Students must choose one of the paths of study below to fulfill the requirements for the Research option degree:

Thesis Path

At the conclusion of the research program, a thesis must be prepared.  If the thesis is formally defended, then a thesis committee must consist of at least three members, two of whom must be graduate faculty or former graduate faculty up to one year after resignation or retirement.  If there is no formal defense, the thesis only needs to be approved by the student’s graduate faculty advisor. 

If depositing through Memorial Library, the thesis must:

1. conform to Graduate School and library formats, and
2. be filed with the Memorial Library where it is cataloged and stacked for future reference (if required by the master’s thesis committee).

If submitting to Minds@UW, an electronic copy must be sent to the program’s Graduate Student Services Coordinator, who will deposit it into Minds@UW, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Thesis Collection. The Minds@UW system will provide a permanent URL, safe long-term archiving and is indexed by Google, Google Scholar and other specialty academic search engines.

At the conclusion of the thesis, all grades of P (Progress) and I (Incomplete) are changed to either S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory).

In the final semester, the student is required to check in with the program’s Graduate Student Services Coordinator to start the degree warrant process by the announced deadline. 

Project Path

In the project path, students must complete a research project in consultation with a faculty advisor. At the conclusion of the project, a report is prepared. The research project is generally more limited in scope than a thesis and typically is not awarded as many credits. The report does not conform to Graduate School and library formats, but it must be typewritten. The student’s advisor must approve the report. No library or Minds@UW copy is required, but a copy may be requested by the faculty.

In the final semester, the student is required to check in with the program’s Graduate Student Services Coordinator to start the degree warrant process by the announced deadline.

Seminar Requirement (E C E 610)

All on-campus program graduate students must register for E C E 610 Seminar in Electrical and Computer Engineering during their first fall semester of graduate studies. MS-degree seeking students must complete one credit of E C E 610 in the fall semester of which they are entering the program. Students with a course conflict with E C E 610 may defer taking the seminar by one year with faculty advisor approval.

E C E 610 prepares students for success in graduate school and exposes them to areas within electrical and computer engineering as well as related fields, such as biotechnology, physics, computer science, mathematics, or business. Electrical and computer engineering is interdisciplinary in nature, so it is important that students be aware of advanced research and development in areas other than their own.

ECE Graduate Admissions
ecegradadmission@engr.wisc.edu
3182 Mechanical Engineering
1513 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706

ECE Graduate Student Services
3182 Mechanical Engineering
1513 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706