The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires concentration in a particular area of electrical or computer engineering as well as demonstrated mastery over the fundamentals of electrical and computer engineering. It is awarded in recognition of demonstrated proficiency and high achievement in the student’s major field within electrical or computer engineering. A significant contribution to the knowledge in electrical and computer engineering is made through successful dissertation research. The Ph.D. degree requirements include:
- 40 credit hours of coursework
- Responsible Conduct of Research training
- Ph.D. Residency requirement
- Passing the Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam, including the Proposal Exam
- Conducting research, writing, and successfully defending a Ph.D. dissertation
Ph.D. Timeline
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Coursework
The following table summarizes the coursework requirements for the Ph.D. degree in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
| Requirement | Hours | Description |
Group I: ECE 6000 level classes in one or two TIAs | 9 | Nine hours of classes in one or two technical interest areas (TIAs) of the student's choice. All for letter grade credit. |
| Group II: ECE 6000-level classes | 9 | Nine hours of classes, all of which must be from one or more TIAs that are outside the TIA(s) in Group I. All for letter grade credit. |
| Group III: Minor in an area outside ECE | 6 | Six hours of classes in a single discipline outside of ECE. All for letter grade credit. |
| Group IV: Electives | 14 | (Up to 12 M.S. thesis hours, recorded as such on an official transcript, may be used in this area) |
ECE 8022 (Professional Communications Requirement) | 1 | Pass/fail. Permit required. Students must pass the Coursework Qualifier to receive a permit. To be completed no later than the third year into the program. |
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement (PHIL 6000) | 1 | Pass/fail. |
| Total hours | 40 |
Groups I and II – Selection of ECE 6000 Level or Higher Classes
6000-level or higher ECE courses offered by specific TIAs can be used to satisfy these requirements, including Special Topics courses.
- Technical Interest Areas (TIAs) are groups of related courses within electrical and computer engineering and include Bioengineering, Computer Systems & Software, VLSI Systems & Digital Design, Digital Signal Processing, Electrical Energy, Electromagnetics, Electronic Design & Applications, Nanotechnology, Optics & Photonics, Systems & Controls, and Telecommunications.
- In Group II, all nine hours of coursework must be completed outside the TIA(s) of Group I. These courses can be cross listed with the TIA(s) chosen for Group I. Group II classes may be selected from one, two or three TIAs, provided degree requirements are met. Courses that do not belong to any TIA cannot be used to satisfy Group I or Group II requirements.
- Pass/Fail, audit, and Special Problems courses cannot be used to satisfy Group I and Group II requirements.
- To determine the TIA of a course, studentsmay examine the Projected Course Schedule available on the Graduate Website at https://ece.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/documents/graduate/course_schedule.pdf.
Group III (Minor): 9 Hours outside ECE as a Minor Field of Study
- Group III (Minor): 6 Hours outside ECE as a Minor Field of Study
A minor consists of six credit hours of courses in a single discipline (e.g., CS/CSE, Math, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Public Policy, etc.). 4000 level or higher classes may be taken subject to the following guidelines: - Students may choose classes in any schools in the Colleges of Engineering, Sciences, Computing, ,and Business, and the schools of Public Policy and Economics in the Ivan Allen College. Other fields would need to be approved by the ECE Graduate Committee.
- Minor courses can be cross listed with ECE classes.
- All minor courses must be taken for letter grades.
- 6000 level minor courses are preferred, 4000 level or a combination of 4000 and 6000 level courses will be considered for approval, provided the overall degree requirements are met.
- Approval of the minor courses is secured from the ECE Graduate Affairs Office via the web-based Ph.D. coursework completion plan at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms . When the coursework is marked complete, the student is finalizing the minor approval process by submitting the PhD minor form via DocuSign. The form can be found on the office of Graduate Education website: https://grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations/forms.
Group IV General Elective Courses
- General electives are meant to enhance the technical background of students. Non-technical classes should be pre-approved by the ECE Graduate Office.
- Up to 6 credit hours of independent study / research courses (ECE 8901, 8902, 8903. all special problems taken for 3 credit hours and letter grade mode in the colleges of Engineering, Computing, Sciences, and Business, and graduate level VIPcourses) may be used as general elective courses, subject to approval by the ECE Graduate Office. Faculty supervisors must certify that the work done for these courses is at Ph.D. level and is not simultaneously being done for pay (as in a GRA) or for other credit (as for ECE 9000, ECE 8900, or ECE 7000). To receive approval for these courses to be counted towards the Ph.D. degree, students need to complete the validation form found on the ECE website at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms . It is expected that these courses are rigorous, and the level of work is commensurate with the equivalent credit of a graduate level course.
- The number of total research hours in Group IV should not be higher than 12. That means that the independent study / research courses mentioned above cannot be used in Group IV along with 12 hours of MS Thesis but can be used if the MS Thesis from another institution was evaluated at less than 12 equivalent credit hours.
- Non-ECE Special Topics courses can be used for general electives.
- Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) courses do not satisfy the Ph.D. degree coursework requirements, except ofclasses taken for the completion of Tech to Teaching Certificate: https://ctl.gatech.edu/tech-teaching. Those classes can be used towards the electives or the PhD minor (Group III or IV)
- Pass/fail courses cannot be used in any other Group except for Group IV General Electives. The only pass/fail hours that can be used are ECE seminars (ECE 8001, 8002, 8022, 7721, and 6792), CS/CSE seminars (CS/CSE 800x), and the RCR requirement (PHIL 6000). No more than four pass/fail hours can be used for the Group IV General Electives.
- Only 4000 level or higher courses can be used for degree requirements but note that there is a TOTAL limit of 9 hours of 4000 level courses that can be used for the Ph.D. degree (between groups III and IV).
- Students are welcome and encouraged to take additional elective courses to enhance their background. These courses would be for the student’s benefit and would not count towards degree requirements.
The Professional Communications Requirement
- All ECE Ph.D. students must complete ECE 8022, a one-hour professional communications seminar, to fulfill the Ph.D. coursework requirement.
- Permits are required for ECE 8022. Only students classified as “Ph.D.” and who have passed the Coursework Qualifier will be allowed to take ECE 8022.
- All the Ph.D. students are expected to take ECE 8022 the first fall or spring semester after they passed the Ph.D. Coursework Qualifier, and no later than the end of the 3rd year.
- Besides ECE 8022, students are encouraged and may be required by their research advisor or their proposal review committee to take additional communications courses offered by Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Requirement
Georgia Tech requires all Ph.D. students to complete an RCR requirement that consists of on-line training and in-person training. M.S. students who transition to Ph.D. must also meet this requirement.
Additional graduate students may need to complete this requirement, depending on their source of funding. Students may refer to the applicability criteria listed in the Georgia Tech RCR Compliance Policy to determine if their source of funding requires RCR training (https://rcr.gatech.edu/compliance-policy).
The On-line CITI Requirement: The online portion of the requirement, a CITI RCR course, must be successfully completed within 90 days of when students begin the first full semester in their doctoral program. The CITI RCR course can be found here: https://www.citiprogram.org. If a student goes past the 90-day time limit, a hold may be placed on course registration until the student completes the online training.
The In-Person Requirement: Students covered by this policy are required to successfully complete PHIL 6000 OR an academic program’s in-house RCR training approach. Students are strongly encouraged to complete in-person training within the first 12 months of their doctoral program. In general, applicable students will be expected to take PHIL 6000 during the first summer session after they begin their doctoral program at Georgia Tech. Additional sections will be available during the fall and spring semesters for those students who would not otherwise be enrolled during the summer session.
ECE does not have its own in-house RCR course but would accept any of the courses approved for other schools. A current list of those courses can be found at http://rcr.gatech.edu/doctoral-courses.
These courses or PHIL 6000 can be counted in the Group IV General Elective category. More information as well as an FAQ can be found at http://www.rcr.gatech.edu/resources.
Ph.D. Residency Requirement
All Ph.D. students, with no exception, must be enrolled full time for at least one semester while classified as graduate students. The residency requirement is verified before the Ph.D. coursework is approved and certified.
Additional Restrictions and Conditions on Coursework
- Students with prior graduate work, including an M.S. degree from another institution may have up to 30 hours of courses applied towards the ECE Ph.D. degree requirements, subject to approval.
- No more than three senior (4000) level courses (9 semester hours) are permitted to be used toward the Ph.D. coursework requirement. 4000 level classes can only be used toward the elective (Group IV) or minor (Group III) areas of the Ph.D. coursework requirements.
- No more than a total of four pass/fail hours can be used toward the Ph.D. coursework requirement—this includes 8022 and PHIL 6000.
- Georgia Institute of Technology requires that Ph.D. students maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0/4.0 to remain in good standing and must have at least a 3.0/4.0 to graduate.
- The minor courses (Group III) must have a minimum grade average of 3.0/4.0.
- All classes used to fulfill the Ph.D. coursework requirement must have grades of “C” or above.
- Ph.D. students must complete at least one full-time term on campus. ECE expects that most if not all of one’s Ph.D. coursework and research will be completed on campus, under the supervision of an ECE faculty member.
Filing a Coursework Plan
- All ECE Ph.D. students must file a coursework plan no later than the Ph.D. proposal submission.
- Coursework plans are filed through the ECE website. The link can be found at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms.
Applying M.S. Coursework Completed at other Schools toward the Ph.D. Coursework
There is no formal transfer of credit for the Ph.D. degree, that is, classes taken elsewhere would not appear on the Georgia Tech transcript. However, M.S. coursework completed at other schools can be used toward the ECE Ph.D. coursework requirement. An approved Ph.D. coursework plan serves as an agreement between the student and ECE (on behalf of Georgia Tech) to permit the student to count courses from another school toward the Ph.D. coursework requirement.
- The course transfer can only be started after the student completed the Coursework Qualifier requirement.
- When submitting the coursework plan for the Ph.D. degree, students who have started or completed an M.S. degree at another institution will list classes completed at the M.S. school along with classes to be completed at Georgia Tech. These classes should be listed as they appear on the M.S. school's transcript, using that school's number (if any), course name, and grade awarded.
- To request approval of these courses, students should submit a transcript and a syllabus and other descriptive materials to the ECE Graduate Office.
- The credit hours for classes completed elsewhere should be reported in semester hours. If the M.S. classes were recorded in quarter hours, those hours are to be converted to semester hours by multiplying the number of quarter hours by 2/3, making a three-hour quarter class equivalent to two semester hours.
- If a thesis was completed at the M.S. school, it may be possible to apply up to 12 semester hours of thesis credit toward the 40-hour Ph.D. coursework requirement. The following items are needed for this option to be considered for approval:
- English version of the M.S. thesis
- Documentation on the official transcript of completion of the M.S. with a thesis
- Completion of M.S. thesis research hours on the M.S. school’s transcript
- Six hours of the previously completed coursework that was transferred toward a Georgia Tech ECE M.S. degree may be applied toward the Ph.D. coursework requirement.
Coursework Qualifier
The Coursework Qualifier consists of four courses selected by each student from lists prepared by the ECE Technical Interest Groups (TIGs). The lists are included below. A student may select four courses from a single TIG’s list: or three courses from one TIG’s list and a single course from another TIG’s list. A student’s advisor may ask that they select courses from a particular TIG’s list; however, the School of ECE will not enforce this. To successfully complete the Coursework Qualifier requirement, a student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 in the four courses they have selected. Once this requirement has been completed, the student must complete the Coursework Qualifier form and turn it in to the ECE Graduate Office for verification. This requirement must be completed by the end of the second year after the student matriculated into an ECE Graduate program.
The Coursework Qualifier requirement will apply to all students starting in Fall 2018. For ECE PhD students matriculating into an ECE graduate program in Fall 2018 or after, the Coursework Qualifier requirement must be completed by the end of their second year. Any ECE PhD student who has already passed the ECE Preliminary Exam is exempted from the Coursework Qualifier requirement.
An MS student who wishes to become a PhD student must complete the Coursework Qualifier requirement, secure funding, and identify a willing ECE faculty advisor before being considered for transfer to the PhD program.
All the Coursework Qualifier Courses must be taken at Georgia Tech. Classes taken at other institutions cannot be used towards the Coursework Qualifier requirements.
The courses that satisfy the Coursework Qualifier requirements are as follows:
Bioengineering:
- ECE 6200 - Biomedical Applications of MEMS
- ECE 6229 - Introduction to MEMS (Cross-listed with CHBE/ME 6229)
- ECE 6250 - Advanced Digital Signal Processing
- ECE 6780 – Medical Image Processing (cross-listed with BMED/CS 6780)
- ECE 6781 - Biomedical Sensing Systems
- ECE 6786 – Medical Imaging Systems (cross-listed with BMED 6786)
- ECE 6790 - Information Processing Models in Neural Systems (cross-listed with BME 6790)
- ECE 88x3 - Implantable Microelectronic Devices
- ECE 88x3 - Medical Ultrasound: From Diagnostic Imaging to Image-Guided Therapy (cross-listed with BMED 8813 MU)
- ECE 8843 - Advanced Medical Imaging Systems: CT/PET/SPECT Physics, Engineering and Applications (cross-listed with BMED 8813 AMI)
- BMED 6210 - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- BMED 8813 - Optical Microscopy
Computer Systems & Software:
- ECE 6100/CS 6290 - Advanced Computer Architecture
- ECE 6101 - Parallel and Distributed Computer Architecture
- ECE 6102 - Dependable Distributed Systems
- ECE 6115 - Interconnection Networks for High Performance Systems
- ECE 6122 - Advanced Programming Techniques
- ECE 6130 - Advanced VLSI Systems
- ECE 6156 - Hardware Oriented Security and Trust
- ECE 6276 - DSP Hardware System Design
- ECE 6280 - Cryptography and Security
- ECE 6612/CS6262 - Computer Network Security
- ECE 6747 - Advanced Topics in Malware Analysis
- ECE 8803 - Empirical Computer Security
- ECE 8893 - Parallel Programming for FPGAs
- ECE 8803/CS8803 - Intro to Quantum Computing
- ECE 8803/CS 8803 – Cybersecurity of Drones
- ECE 88x3 - Introduction to Cyber-Physical Systems Security
- CS 6210 - Advanced Operating Systems
- CS 6238 - Secure Computer Systems
- CS 6241 - Design and Implementation of Compilers
- CS 8803 - SMR: Systems for ML
Digital Signal Processing:
- ECE 6250 - Advanced Digital Signal Processing or ECE 7750 - Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning
- ECE 6254 - Statistical Machine Learning (Core course in the PhD ML degree)
- ECE 6255 - Digital Processing of Speech Signals
- ECE 6258 - Digital Image Processing
- ECE 6260 - Data compression and modeling
- ECE 6270 - Convex Optimization for SP
- ECE 6271 – Adaptive Filtering
- ECE 6272 - Fund of Radar Signal Processing
- ECE 6282 - Radar Imaging
- ECE 6605 - Information Theory
- ECE 7251 - Signal Detection and Estimation
- ECE 7751 - Probabilistic Graphical Models in Machine Learning (cross-listed ECE/ISYE/CS)
Electromagnetics:
- ECE 6250 - Advanced Digital Signal Processing
- ECE 6272 - Radar Signal Processing
- ECE 6350 - Applied Electromagnetics
- ECE 6360 - Microwave Design
- ECE 6370 - Electromagnetic Radiation and Antennas
- ECE 6380 - Intro to Computational Electromagnetics
- ECE 6390 - Satellite Comm and Navigation Systems
- ECE 6420 - Wireless IC Design
- ECE 6520 - Integrated Optics
- ECE 7350 - Topics in Analytical EM
- ECE 7380 - Topics in Computational EM
- ECE 6375 - Radio Wave Propagation in the Earth and Space Environment
- EAS 6145 - Remote Sensing of the Atmospheres and Ocean
- EAS 6360 - Space Physics and Instrumentation
- EAS 8803 – Space Plasma Physics
Electronic Design and Applications:
- ECE 6412 - Analog Integrated Circuit Design
- ECE 6414 - Analog Integrated System Design
- ECE 6420 - Wireless IC Design
- ECE 6422 - Interface IC Design
- ECE 6430 - Digital MOS Integrated Circuits
- ECE 6435 - Neuro Analog VLSI Circuits
- ECE 6444 - Si-based Hetero Devices and Circuits
- ECE 6445 - Power IC Design
Energy:
- ECE 6320 - Control and Operation of Power Systems
- ECE 6323 - Power System Protection
- ECE 6331 - Power Electronic Circuits
- ECE 6332 - Power Electronics CAD Laboratory
- ECE 6335 - Electric Machinery Analysis (jointly taught with ECE 4335)
- ECE 6336 - Dynamics & Ctrl Electric Machine Drive
- ECE 6337 - Electricity Markets
- ECE 6374 - Cyber-Physical Security in Electric Energy Systems
- ECE 6445 - Power IC Design
- ECE 6456 - Solar Cells
- ECE 88x3 - Smart Grids
- ECE 88x3 - High Voltage Engineering
Nanotechnology:
- ECE 6229 - Introduction to MEMS (Cross-listed with CHBE/ME 6229)
- ECE 6444 - Silicon-Based Heterostructure Devices and Ckts
- ECE 6450 - Intro to Microelectronics Technology
- ECE 6451 - Intro to the Theory of Microelectronics
- ECE 6453 - Theory of Electronic Devices
- ECE 6455 - Semiconductor Process Control
- ECE 6456 - Solar Cells
- ECE 6458 - Gigascale Integration
- ECE 6460 - Microelectromechanical Devices (Cross-listed with CHBE/ME 6460)
- ECE 6465 - Memory Device Technologies and Applications
- ECE 6542 - Optoelectronics: Dev, Integr, Pkg, Sys
- ECE 6771 - Optoelectronics: Matls, Processes, Dev (Cross-listed with PHYS 6771)
- ECE 6776 - Microelectronic Systems Packaging Technologies (Cross-listed with ME/MSE 6776)
- ECE 6779 - Thermal Engineering for Packaging of Micro and Nano Systems (Cross-listed with ME 6779) ECE 88x3 – Failure Mechanisms in Microelectronics
- ECE 88x3 – III Nitride Semiconductor Technology
Optics and Photonics:
- ECE 6350 - Applied Electromagnetics
- ECE 6451 - Intro to the Theory of Microelectronics
- ECE 6500 - Fourier Tech System & Analysis
- ECE 6510 - Electro-Optics
- ECE 6515 - Nanophotonics
- ECE 6520 - Integrated Optics
- ECE 6522 - Nonlinear Optics
- ECE 6530 - Modulation, Diffractive & Crystal Optics
- ECE 6540 - Organic Optoelectronics
- ECE 6542 - Optoelectronics: Dev, Intgr, Pkg, Sys
- ECE 6543 - Fiber Optic Networks
- ECE 6771 - Optoelectronics: Matls, Processes, Dev
Systems and Controls:
- ECE 6500 - Fourier Tech System & Analysis
- ECE 6550 - Linear Systems and Controls
- ECE 6551 – Digital Control
- ECE 6552 - Nonlinear Systems
- ECE 6553 - Optimal Control
- ECE 6554 - Adaptive Control
- ECE 6555 - Optimal Estimation
- ECE 6562 - Control Robotic Systems
- ECE 6563 – Networked Control
Telecommunications:
- ECE 6601 - Random Processes
- ECE 6602 - Digital Communications
- ECE 6604 - Personal and Mobile Communication
- ECE 6605 - Information Theory
- ECE 6606 - Coding Theory & Applications
- ECE 6607 - Computer Communication Networks
- ECE 6610 - Wireless Networks
- ECE 6612 - Computer Network Security
- ECE 6613 - Broadband Access Networks
- ECE 6615 - Sensor Networks
- ECE 88x3 – Advanced Wireless Networks
VLSI Systems and Digital Design:
- ECE 6130 - Advanced VLSI Systems
- ECE 6132 - Computer-Aided System Design
- ECE 6133 - Physical Design Automation
- ECE 6135 - Digital Systems at Nanometer Nodes
- ECE 6140 - Digital Systems Test
- ECE 6250 - Advanced Digital Signal Processing
- ECE 6254 - Statistical Machine Learning
- ECE 6331 - Power Electronic Circuits
- ECE 6412 - Analog Integrated Circuit Design
- ECE 6414 - Analog Integrated System Design
- ECE 6420 - Wireless IC Design
- ECE 6451 - Introduction to the Theory of Microelectronics
- ECE 6458 - Gigascale Integration
- ECE 6465 - Memory Device Technologies and Applications
- ECE 88x3 - Hardware Oriented Security and Trust
- ECE 88x3 - Foundations of VLSI Design and Implementation
- ECE 88x3 – Advanced Logic Transistor
- ECE 88x3 - Quantum Computing Devices and Hardware
- CS 6550 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- CS 7641 - Machine Learning
Advisor Selection
- Students who are looking for advisors and/or research topics should register for ECE8999.
- While completing the Ph.D. Coursework Qualifier, a student is expected to identify a research advisor and report that advisor’s name to the ECE Office for Graduate Affairs.
- It may be necessary and appropriate for a student to change advisors while identifying a suitable dissertation topic. Any change should be coordinated through the ECE Graduate Affairs Office.
Dissertation Proposal
The Dissertation Proposal Exam in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering serves two functions:
- The second part of the ECE Comprehensive Exam (the Coursework Qualifier being the first part.)
- Test whether the student has sufficient background to enter the Ph.D. Program.
- Allow the committee to judge the student’s ability to execute a research task and to communicate the results.
- Evaluation of the Ph.D. Dissertation topic and research plan by the Dissertation Reading Committee.
- Evaluate the proposed topic to ensure that, if completed as posed, it constitutes an original contribution to knowledge.
- Evaluate the proposed research plan to ensure that it is well-conceived and feasible to complete within a reasonable time.
Timing of the Proposal Exam
- The proposal exam must happen in a semester in which the student is enrolled in at least 3 research credit hours (ECE 9000 under the advisor). The proposal cannot be completed while doing a full-time internship or during an off semester.
- The Proposal Exam must be successfully completed by the end of the 7th semester (not including summer) after the student matriculated into an ECE Graduate program.
- The student is not expected to have completed a large body of the original research that is necessary for their PhD Thesis to complete the PhD Proposal. The student must demonstrate background knowledge of their dissertation topic and a fundamental understanding of the discipline. The Proposal must contain a detailed and sound plan for the completion of PhD-level research on the dissertation topic, and preferably some results. However, it is understood that any results will be early and inconclusive; and the dissertation topic, methods, and results may evolve in between the Proposal and the PhD defense.
- The Ph.D. coursework plan should be completed by the time of the Ph.D. Proposal. If the coursework is not completed, the Academic Office must approve the coursework form indicating when the remaining classes will be completed. The proposal examination cannot be held if the student has not completed the professional communication seminar, ECE 8022, and did not meet the institute PhD residency requirement (full time enrollment for at least one semester while classified as PhD student).
- The Proposal Exam must occur at least 6 months before the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Examination.
- Under no circumstances will the student take the Proposal and Defense Exams during the same term.
Proposal Process
- Ph.D. Proposal Committee is comprised of 3-4 faculty members: the advisor (and a co-advisor, if one exists), and two Georgia Tech faculty members selected by the student. At least one member must be in ECE. Additional members can be added upon request.
- The format for the Proposal Examination involves a written report and an oral presentation.
- The written proposal is no more than 35 pages including references and appendices.
- The proposal must contain a chapter or sub-chapter entitled “Literature Survey,” appearing anywhere in the document that the student finds appropriate. The “Literature Survey” section is a minimum of five pages and must be written by the student with no outside help.
- The rest of the proposal document contains at minimum a concise statement of the Ph.D. dissertation topic, summary of the research completed, outline of the research to be completed and clearly summarizes the contributions of the research. The student can get help in preparing the rest of the proposal document. The documents are submitted to the Academic Office, which oversees assigning the Ph.D. Proposal chair and sending the Ph.D. proposal documents to the members of the committee. The committee needs to be given at least two weeks to read the Ph.D. Proposal before scheduling the oral portion of the exam.
If the Ph.D. Committee is satisfied with the written report, the oral presentation is scheduled. The presentation usually lasts about 40 minutes. There is a general audience question and answer period followed by a closed-door examination period with the committee.
The following is the summary of the Ph.D. Proposal process. For more details, consult the Proposal Guidelines document at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms.
- Fill out the coursework plan https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms, showing all grades earned for the classes already completed and the planned remaining classes. The form needs to be approved by the ECE Graduate Affairs Office.
- Visit the Academic Office to express the intent of submitting the proposal, to verify the coursework and the committee, and to clarify all details of the process.
- Submit the following to the ECE Graduate Affairs Office:
- Online:
- To the Academic Office (email daniela@ece.gatech.edu):
- Electronic (pdf) copy of the proposal document with the DocuSign disclaimer forminserted before the Table of Contents page (the disclaimer form can be found at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms).
- The body of the email must contain a short abstract. The abstract must beginwith “The objective of the proposed research is….”
- The Academic Office assigns the chair and distributes the proposal materials to the committee members.
- The Committee Chair coordinates proposal committee activities and seeks input on the proposal.
- When the committee determines that the proposal is ready for examination, the chair schedules the exam through the ECE Graduate Affairs Office. The date, time and location of the proposal exam must be announced at least five working days in advance.
- The following forms must be filled out and signed the day of the oral exam (forms to be found at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms):
- Admission to PhD Candidacy DocuSign form (student’s responsibility). The form needs to be submitted the day before the oral exam. The form is DocuSigned after the student has passed the oral presentation by the committee members, the student, the school chair, and the graduate coordinator. Use the name of a Graduate Coordinator (Daniela Staiculescu or the person designated in her absence) for the “School Chair” and “Graduate Coordinator” fields.
- PhD Proposal Committee Chair Report (Committee chair’s responsibility)
- PhD Proposal Individual Evaluation Form (All committee members’ responsibility).
- The student is strongly encouraged to send a reminder to the committee right before the exam with the links to the evaluation forms (committee chair form and individual evaluation form).
- The process could take as short as 3 weeks, but it can take up to 8 weeks or longer especially at busy times of the term or at times when faculty are traveling away from campus.
After Passing the Proposal
- The Ph.D. Proposal Committee members chosen by the student, including the advisor, become the Dissertation Reading Committee Members.
- Because the proposal examination may occur early in the process of defining the dissertation topic, it may be necessary to modify the topic as the research progresses.
- The proposal should not be construed as a “binding contract” between the committee and the student, but as a flexible agreement that is expected to evolve as the research progresses.
Degree Progress Report
As of Fall 2020, all ECE Ph.D. students will submit a progress report to the proposal committee on June 1st of every year, starting two years after the proposal exam (Example: if a student proposes in 2020, their first report would be due on June 1, 2022). The proposal committee evaluates the degree progress and makes a recommendation of satisfactory or non-satisfactory degree progress.
- The following are the steps to be taken:
- The student should initiate the PhD progress report form on DocuSign, found at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms.
- After the student has completed their part of the form, it is automatically forwarded to the advisor, who rates the student's progress on a 1-5 scale
- After the advisor, the form is automatically forwarded to the Proposal Committee Chair, who will give a 'satisfactory' or 'unsatisfactory' rating on behalf of the committee. The Proposal Committee can optionally provide additional feedback to the student and advisor.
- In extraordinary cases, the Proposal Committee can mandate that the dissertation defense must be completed within the next year.
- Appeals of the Proposal Committee's determination are sent to the ECE Graduate Committee.
- One 'unsatisfactory' places the student on Warning. A second 'unsatisfactory' places the student on Probation. The third 'unsatisfactory' results in dismissal from the ECE PhD program. A 'satisfactory' restores the student to good standing.
Dissertation and the Final Defense
- The Ph.D. student's primary requirement is to do original and substantial research reported in the Ph.D. Dissertation and Final Defense. The dissertation's quality depends on the conscientious work of the student and the Reading Committee. The School entrusts the standards of the School in this area to this committee.
- The Final Defense Committee is composed of five people including the Reading Committee members plus two extra members. The chair of the Dissertation Committee is the Thesis Advisor. The two extra members are chosen as follows:
- One member must be Academic Faculty outside the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. This person can be from another university, with the restriction that they are not within one year of having earned the Ph.D. degree. If the person is not a Georgia Tech faculty member, then that person must provide a current CV to be approved by the Institute Graduate Office. Outside ECE academic faculty who have an adjunct position in ECE are approved, but not faculty with double appointments in ECE and another department.
- The last committee member can be ECE faculty. At minimum, they must hold a Ph.D. and be active in research. If the extra person is not a Georgia Tech faculty member, then a CV must be provided to the ECE Graduate Office for approval.
- The student must clear the dissertation with their thesis advisor before disseminating the document to the committee. The thesis advisor is responsible for reviewing the document's content before distributing it to the Reading Committee.
- The student should submit the dissertation to the Reading Committee with sufficient time to examine, typically at least two weeks but preferably a month. Once the Reading Committee is satisfied with the dissertation, the student must obtain their signatures on the Reading Committee Memo.
- The Advisor must coordinate the scheduling of the dissertation exam with the committee members and submit the Schedule Defense Memo to the ECE Graduate Affairs Office. This can be delegated to the student by the Advisor.
- The two memos (Reading Committee and Schedule Defense) need to be submitted to the Graduate office at least two weeks before the dissertation defense date. The memos can be found online in the “Dissertation and Final Defense” section at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms.
- The additional committee members should receive a copy of the dissertation no later than two weeks prior to the defense date.
- The Certificate of Thesis Approval which is available through the Graduate Education website at http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations-forms should be signed via DocuSign by the final examination committee right after the student passed the dissertation defense and met all the additional requirements requested by the committee at the time of the defense. Each committee member must also fill out an electronic individual evaluation form right after the dissertation defense. The evaluation form can be found at https://www.ece.gatech.edu/current-students/graduate/forms. The student is responsible for initiating the Certificate of Thesis Approval via DocuSign right before the dissertation defense. The School Chair/Graduate Coordinator field has to be filled out with Dr. Daniela Staiculescu’s name (or someone else that she will indicate if not available at the time of the defense). The student is also responsible for disseminating the link to the individual evaluation form to the committee members right before the defense.
- After all signatures are collected, the student is responsible for submitting the Certificate of Thesis Approval, and the rest of the documents on the checklist found at http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations-forms
- The student is responsible for uploading the thesis after all the defense forms have been signed. The Graduate Education office controls the format of the thesis and other related reporting. The student must stay connected with that office to ensure all degree requirements are met. Guidelines for preparing and submitting the dissertation are available at the Graduate Education website: http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations.
- If, at any time, there is uncertainty about what to do next or what is expected of the student, check with an advisor in the Academic Office.Do not rely on secondhand information!
The following is the summary of the Ph.D. Defense process:
- Apply for graduation by the end of Phase II registration of the graduating semester.
- Attend the Defense Info session that the Academic Office holds on the second week of classes.
- Plan on a time to defend, preferably at least one week before the gradation deadline.
- Be prepared to have your dissertation completed and reviewed by your advisor about a month before the planned defense date.
- Identify the last two committee members and contact the Academic Office if in doubt about their eligibility.
- Send the dissertation to the reading committee. Give them two weeks to read, then initiate the Reading Committee Memo on DocuSign.
- Prepare the Schedule Defense Memo. It can be submitted to the Academic Office by the student or the advisor.
- The two memos need to be submitted at least two weeks prior to the defense date. The Academic Office will post the exam online at https://ece.gatech.edu/events/grad.
- The day before the defense initiate the Certificate of Thesis approval (https://grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations/forms) and remind the committee members to fill out the evaluation form (found here, please include the link to the form: https://ece.gatech.edu/academics/graduate/student-forms-and-guidelines.
- After completion of the Certificate the Academic Office will contact you with the final steps. The graduation checklist and all the required forms can be found at:https://grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations/forms.
Reasonable Degree Progress
- A “Ph.D. student” is defined as one who has accepted an admission offer that indicated "Ph.D." rather than "M.S." degree. M.S. students who wish to be reclassified as Ph.D. students should contact an Academic Advisor for additional information.
- Graduate students in the ECE degree programs are expected to make diligent progress toward the Ph.D. degree. It is in the best interests of both students and faculty for all students to progress through the program expeditiously. Recommendations and requirements for reasonable progress are defined as follows:
- Students seeking a Ph.D. degree are required to pass the Coursework Qualifier in the first four semesters (not including summer).
- Ph.D. Students are encouraged to complete all required coursework, including the Professional Communications requirement and the minor, by the end of the third year in the program (if entering from a B.S. degree program) or the end of their second year in the program (if entering with an M.S.).
- Students are encouraged to identify a Ph.D. research advisor as early as possible in the program and are urged to do so by the end of the term in which they pass the Coursework Qualifier and no later than the term following the one in which they pass the Coursework Qualifier.
- ECE PhD students are required to complete their Proposal Exam by the end of their 7th term, not including summer.
- If a student has not met the above Coursework Qualifier or Proposal Exam requirements by the end of the terms specified above, they will be dismissed from the PhD program. A student may petition the graduate committee for a one-semester extension. Petitions for Proposal Exam extensions must include a statement detailing the student’s progress. Exceptions may be made by the Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs after reviewing the circumstances involved as presented by the student and the research advisor.
- As of Fall 2020, all ECE Ph.D. students will submit a yearly progress report to the proposal committee after the successful completion of the Ph.D. proposal to insure proper degree progress. The progress report is first submitted the second summer
- after the proposal completion, and every year after that.
- It is recommended that the Proposal Examination is successfully completed at least one year prior to the Final Defense examination, and that it must be completed at least 6 months in advance of the Defense Examination.
- The Institute requires that Ph.D. students (full-time or part-time) complete all degree requirements within 7 years of passing the Comprehensive Examination, that is, the Ph.D. Proposal Exam in ECE.
- During the Ph.D. program, students are permitted an unlimited number of summer terms of non-residence, during which they may be employed as interns at industrial or government employers. A student’s research advisor, however, may advise against summer leave if circumstances so dictate.
- Students supported as GRA are expected to coordinate internships with their advisor.
- Only one non-summer term may be used for internships or other employment without the prior permission of the ECE Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs.