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Graduate
Handbook
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here for academic rules and regulations, documentation
requirements, and general information for graduate students.
Examination
Committees and Graduate Examinations
Below is a brief description of the departmental
graduate student examinations. For a complete description
of these examinations refer to the Graduate Handbook.
- Master of Science Final Examination
A research presentation of no more than 30 minutes is followed
by a Q&A session. The examination is announced to the
Engineering School one week in advance of the examination
date. The examination is initiated after completion and
distribution of the thesis to the examining committee. The
examining committee is appointed by completion of Form G
105 in consultation with your academic advisor. If a student
fails the thesis examination he/she may repeat the examination
upon a two-thirds majority decision of the committee. The
student will be given adequate time to prepare for the repeat
examination.
- Doctor of Philosophy Qualifying Examination
Unlike other departments within the Engineering School,
the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering does not have a two-stage examination process
to enter the doctoral program. In place of the Comprehensive
and Preliminary Exam structure, a single “Qualifying
Exam” is required. Accordingly, committee and examination
requirements differ from what is required in other departments.
The examination should consist of a short presentation that
demonstrates the student’s potential for conducting
original research. A three-member examining committee is
appointed by the chair of the department's graduate committee.
To fulfill the requirements of SEAS (four committee members
must be identified on the G105), the student's advisor is
often present, but does not participate in the examination.
The examination is conducted in private with the presentation
portion lasting no more than 20 minutes, followed by question
and answer session. A key feature of this exam is that the
result is pass/fail—no other or extra work can change
the outcome. The exam may be repeated one more time usually
during a subsequent semester.
- Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal
Within two semesters of successfully completing the Ph.D.
Qualifying Exam, a student should submit a Dissertation
Proposal for review in a public forum and examined by a
committee that includes the student’s advisory committee
(appointed using form G103). A student who successfully
completes this exam is “admitted to candidacy for
the Ph.D. degree"; meaning that the school now recognizes
the student as working toward the completion of a dissertation.
All students must complete at least one semester as a candidate
before receiving a degree. The dissertation proposal examination
is announced to the public following the procedures outlined
in the Graduate Handbook. The candidate supplies the examining
committee with, typically, a 25-page outline of the dissertation
in advance of the exam. During the exam the candidate gives
a 30-minute presentation followed by a question and answer
session.
- Ph.D. Final Examination
Before writing a dissertation, the student should obtain
a copy of Form G 122—Dissertation Checklist. This
document lists the format guidelines to follow in preparing
the manuscript. Upon finishing the dissertation, the student
must complete his/her dissertation defense. The defense
must take place in a public setting and the dissertation
must be examined by a committee that includes the candidate's
advisory committee. A public announcement should be made
at least one week in advance of the examination date. The
format of the exam is a presentation lasting not more than
45 minutes followed by a question and answer session.
SEAS
Forms and Procedures
Because the graduate program does not follow
a pre-defined curriculum of courses, SEAS monitors students’
progress through a set of forms completed by the student,
his/her advisor, advisory committees, examining committees
and departmental chairs. This gallery of forms can be confusing—particularly
because ECE does not always use the same exam format as depicted
on the SEAS forms. Here is a brief description of forms
relevant to the ECE graduate program.
- G 101 Master’s Degree Plan of Study. Completed
in your first semester, it is a plan of how you intend to
accumulate 30 credits of course and research work satisfying
SEAS and ECE requirements for a master’s of engineering
or master’s of science degree. Form G 101 is re-submitted
if your plan changes.
- G 102 Doctoral Degree Plan of Study. Completed
during your first semester as a student in the Ph.D. program
(not as a candidate), it is a plan of how you intend to
accumulate 72 credits of course and research work satisfying
SEAS and ECE requirements for a doctoral degree. There are
TWO PAGES to this form. Form G 102 is re-submitted if your
plan changes.
- G 103 Recommendation and Certification of Appointment
of Doctoral Advisory Committee. Completed during your
first semester as a student in the Ph.D. program (not as
a candidate). It lists the members of your advisory committee
satisfying the SEAS and departmental requirements. Form
G 103 is re-submitted if your committee changes.
- G 104 Recommendation and Certification of Advisor
for Master’s/Doctoral Students. Completed during
your first semester as a graduate student, it identifies
your academic advisor.
- G 105 Request for Appointment of Examining Committee.
Is completed to request any of the graduate examinations.
MS Final Examination (minimum 3 members)
Ph.D. Qualifying Examination (3 members plus advisor) replaces
Comprehensive and Preliminary
Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal (minimum 4 members)
Ph.D. Final Examination (minimum 5 members including the
advisory committee)
- G 106 Report on Preliminary Examination for the Ph.D.
Degree. Use G 107 instead.
- G 107 Report on Comprehensive Examination for the
Ph.D. Degree. In the department this is treated as
the Report on the Qualifying Examination for the Ph.D. Degree.
Bring the form to the Qualifying Examination. The committee
will complete and return it to the ECE Graduate Office.
- G 108 Report on Dissertation Outline and Admission
to Candidacy. Bring, partially completed, to the “Proposal
Examination”.
- G 110 Report on Master of Science Thesis Final Examination.
Bring, partially completed, to the examination.
- G 111 Report on Dissertation Final Examination.
Bring, partially completed, to the examination.
- G 112 Transfer of Graduate Courses for Masters/Doctoral
Graduate Degrees. Completed to record transferred courses.
Transferred courses appear on the official UVa transcript.
SEAS rules permit 6 credit hours of transferred courses
into the MS program and 12 in the ME program.
- G 113 Application for Graduate Degree. Submit
by October 1 for January graduation, by February 1 for May
graduation, and by June 1 for August graduation.
- G 122 Instructions for Thesis Preparation (Thesis
Preparation Checklist). Read and follow the instructions
before writing a thesis or dissertation.
- G 123 Request for Admission to the Ph.D. Program.
Usually completed during your fourth academic semester in
the master’s program if you intend to enter the Ph.D.
program.
English
Language Requirements
The International Office schedules all non-native
speakers of English for the Virginia English Language Proficiency
Exam soon after their arrival at UVa. The department also
requires that all graduates (non-native English speakers)
of the master’s and doctoral programs have passed the
SPEAK Test. Both of these exams are administered by the Center
for American English Language and Culture (CAELC).
Graduate
Teaching Requirements
The department requires that all graduates
of the doctoral program complete a one-semester graduate teaching
experience. Upon fulfilling this requirement, obtain a form
from the graduate office to be completed by the supervising
faculty member.
Graduate
Student Offices
The department can supply office space to
graduate students on a limited basis. Offices are shared and
preference is usually given to teaching assistants. In most
cases, eachresearch groups will provide office or laboratory
space for its graduate students. The department does not supply
computers to individual students, however, students have full
access to departmental computing, printing and copying facilities.
Conference
Rooms
The department has several conference rooms
in which graduate students may schedule meetings, presentations,
etc. Rooms are reserved by making an entry in the appropriate
calendar (one for each conference room) kept in the Graduate
Office (C 216).
Degree
Requirements
Here is an abbreviated list of the degree
requirements; a complete account is given in the ECE Graduate
Handbook and the University of Virginia Graduate Record.
- Master of Science
24 credits of approved coursework beyond the bachelor’s
degree.
6 credits of thesis research (ECE 898).
Completion of the Master of Science Thesis Final Examination.
Submission for binding of the Thesis.
Pass SPEAK Test (non-native speakers of English).
- Master of Engineering
30 credits of approved coursework beyond the bachelor’s
degree.
Pass SPEAK Test (non-native speakers of English).
- Doctor of Philosophy
36 credits of approved coursework beyond the bachelor’s
degree; 12 beyond the master’s degree.
At least 24 credits of dissertation research (ECE 999)
Completion of at least a total of 72 credits of approved
coursework beyond the bachelor’s.
Completion of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination.
Completion of the Ph.D. Outline Examination
Completion of the Dissertation Defense Examination
Submission for binding of the completed dissertation
Complete one semester of graduate teaching experience (not
GTA)
Pass SPEAK Test (non-native English speakers of English)
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