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Spring 2026 Graduate Catalog

Computer Engineering, PhD

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Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering
 
Chairperson: Pamela Abshire, Light Engineering Building, Room 273 (631) 632-8408
Graduate Program Director: Fan Ye, Light Engineering Building 143 (631) 632-9376
Department Manager: Chantalle McKim, Light Engineering Building 273 (631) 632-8420
Graduate Program Coordinator: Ashley Cimato, Light Engineering Building 267A (631) 632-8401
Department Coordinator: Adam Ortiz, Light Engineering Building 267 (631) 631-8415
 

 

The fields of electrical and computer engineering are in an extraordinary period of growth; new application areas and increased expectations are accelerating due to new technologies and decreased costs. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, is involved in graduate teaching and research in many of these areas, including communications and signal processing, networking, computer engineering, power engineering, semiconductor devices and quantum electronics, circuits and VLSI. The department has laboratories devoted to research and advanced teaching in the following areas: computing, engineering design methodology, high-performance computing and networking, parallel and neural processing, machine vision, fiber optic sensors and computer graphics, micro and optoelectronics, power electronics, electric power and energy systems, VLSI, telerobotics, DNA sequencing, digital signal processing, and communications.

Since Long Island contains one of the highest concentrations of engineering-oriented companies in the country, the department is particularly strongly committed to meeting the needs of local industry. As part of this commitment, most graduate courses are given in the late afternoon or evening, so as to be available to working engineers on Long Island.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers graduate programs leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Graduate programs are tailored to the needs of each student to provide a strong analytical background helpful to the study of advanced engineering problems.

Ample opportunities exist for students to initiate independent study and to become involved in active research programs, both experimental and theoretical.

Admission Requirements

 

For admission to graduate study in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the minimum requirements are:

  1. A. A bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering or computer science from an accredited college or university. Outstanding applicants in other technical or scientific fields will be considered, though special make-up coursework over and above the normal requirements for a graduate degree may be required.
  2. B. A minimum grade point average of B in all courses in engineering, mathematics, and science. GRE V150, Q159, WA3 (if required by the graduate school); TOEFL 80, IELTS 7 (for international applicants); 3 recommendation letters. These are the minimum requirements. See ECE graduate admission page for more details.
  3. C. Acceptance by both the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Graduate School.

Degree Requirements

Major and minor area requirements

  1. Major area requirement is satisfied by taking minimum of three (3) courses from a selected major area with minimum GPA of 3.5. See Graduate Student Guide for preapproved lists of courses for each area.
  2. Minor area requirement is satisfied by taking courses from other areas (different from the selected major area) with minimum GPA of 3.0. Students with BS degree are required to take two (2) courses from other areas while students with MS degree are required to take one (1) course.
Please note: Students who have previously earned a degree from SBU’s Graduate ECE Department may have courses taken during their MS program applied toward the major or minor requirements of the PhD program.
 
MAJOR REQUIREMENT:
The minimum GPA of 3.5 for a minimum of three (3) courses from preapproved lists corresponding to the areas:
 
1. Communications and Signal Processing;
2. Computer Engineering;
3. Power Engineering;
4. Circuits and VLSI.
 
MINOR REQUIREMENT: 
The minimum GPA of 3.0 for a minimum of one (MS students) or two (BS students) courses selected from the lists corresponding to any of the areas different from the chosen major area:
 
1. Communications and Signal Processing;
2. Semiconductor Devices and Quantum Electronics;
3. Circuits and VLSI;
4. Computer Engineering;
5. Power Engineering.

Course Requirements

  1. A minimum of 14 regular courses (42 regular graduate course credits) beyond the BS degree (including courses taken to satisfy major and minor requirements). The choice must have the prior approval of the designated faculty academic advisor. Any non-ESE course will need prior approval given by the Graduate Program Director before a student can register.
  2. The ESE 697 - Ph.D. Practicum in Teaching  (3 credits) is required to satisfy the teaching requirement. Students must be advance to candidacy in order to take this course.
  3. The courses ESE 597 , ESE 598, ESE 599 , ESE 698 , and ESE 699  are not counted as regular courses.
  4. Courses presented under the title ESE 670 - Topics in Electrical Sciences  that have different subject matters, and are offered as formal lecture courses, are considered different regular courses but may not be counted more than twice.
  5. Prior MS degree in ECE or related area can reduce the course requirements down to six (6) regular courses.

Advancement to Candidacy

After successfully completing all major/minor/course requirements (except ESE 697 ) the student is eligible to be recommended for advancement to candidacy. This status is conferred by the dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation from the chairperson of the department.

It is strongly recommended that doctoral students Advance to Candidacy within 2.5 years if admitted with a BS degree (after earning 42 regular course credits) or within 1.5 years if admitted with an MS degree (after earning 18 regular course credits).

Preliminary Examination

A student is recommended to pass the preliminary examination within 1.5 years after advancement to candidacy. Both a thesis topic and the thesis background area are emphasized. Students must pass the Preliminary Examination at least ONE year prior to their Defense. Students are required to coordinate with the department to schedule their prelim. See Graduate Student Guide for details.

Dissertation

The most important requirement for the Ph.D. degree is the completion of a dissertation, which must be an original scholarly investigation. The dissertation must represent a significant contribution to the scientific and engineering literature, and its quality must be compatible with the publication standards of appropriate and reputable scholarly journals.

Approval and Defense of Dissertation

The dissertation must be orally defended before a dissertation examination committee, and the candidate must obtain approval of the dissertation from this committee. The committee must have a minimum of four members (at least three of whom are faculty members from the department), including the research advisor, at least one person from outside the department, and a committee chair. (Neither the research advisor nor the outside member may serve as the chair). On the basis of the recommendation of this committee, the dean of engineering and applied sciences will recommend acceptance or rejection of the dissertation to the dean of the Graduate School. All requirements for the degree will have been satisfied upon the successful defense of the dissertation.

It is highly recommended to leave sufficient time between your defense and the deadline for submitting all materials to the Graduate School at the end of the semester. Additionally, if any changes occur to a student’s dissertation committee after it has been submitted to and approved by the Graduate School, the student is responsible for notifying the department as soon as possible.

Residency Requirement

The student must complete two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study. Full-time study is 9 credits minimum per semester.

Time Limit

All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within seven (7) years after completing 24 credits of graduate courses in the department.

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