All Ph.D. students must complete the Institute's Responsible Conduct of Research requirements.

The Ph.D. Coursework Completion form must be completed on the ECE secure website, prior to the submission of the Ph.D. Proposal.

Students who wish to count course credit earned at other universities toward their Ph.D. degree requirements should complete this form no earlier than their second term. The classes have to be graduate or senior undergraduate level. No classes that were used to satisfy an undergraduate degree can be used toward the Ph.D. degree. Up to 30 hours of credits earned toward a graduate degree with a grade of C and above at a different institution can be used towards the Ph.D. degree. M.S. Thesis can be used in Group IV (electives) for a maximum of 12 credit hours. The approved classes will only count toward the Ph.D. degree course requirements and will not be transferred on the Georgia Tech transcript.

The following package needs to be submitted to the Academic Office for evaluation and approval:

Copy of the Coursework Completion form, filled out entirely and saved. The classes have to show the institution name, number, and title. If the coursework is not completed at the time of the submission, future classes need to be included for a total of 43 hours. The future classes can be later changed to other eligible classes. Please use the classes taken at Georgia Tech in Groups I, II, and III as much as you can.

Non-official transcript from the institution where the classes have been taken. The transcript needs to show that the classes have been used toward a graduate degree and whether the institution has a semester or quarter system.

Syllabi/course descriptions for all the classes to be used in Groups I, II, and III.

A soft copy of the M.S. thesis (if used in the coursework plan).

The Coursework Qualifier requirement is to obtain a 3.5 GPA in four courses that the student selects from lists prepared by the ECE Technical Interest Groups (TIGs). Further details are available in the ECE Graduate Student Handbook.

Coursework Qualifier Completion Form

Coursework Qualifier TIG Course Lists

Coursework Qualifier Timing

For ECE Ph.D. 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 Ph.D. student who has already passed the ECE Preliminary Exam is exempted from the Coursework Qualifier requirement.

If you believe you have special circumstances that warrant an exception to this policy, please meet with ECE’s Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs.

Select Advisor Form

ECE Ph.D. students matriculating into an ECE graduate program in Fall 2018 or after must complete their Proposal Exam by the end of their 7^th term, not including summers. The expectations for the Proposal Exam have changed as of Fall 2018. The student is expected to demonstrate background knowledge of their dissertation topic, as well as broader understanding of the discipline. The Proposal must contain a detailed plan for the completion of Ph.D.-level research on the dissertation topic, and preferably some results. However, it is understood that any results will be early and possibly inconclusive; and the dissertation topic, methods, and results may evolve considerably in-between the Proposal and the Ph.D. defense. Students are advised to seek the input of the committee on the research direction, and inform their committee members of significant changes. 

Proposal Guidelines 

Proposal Forms

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 the recommendation of satisfactory or non-satisfactory degree progress. For more details on this policy, please consult the Graduate Handbook.

Thesis and dissertation guidelines

Thesis and dissertation deadlines and Institute forms

Dissertation scheduling and ECE forms

Deadlines and forms

Commencement

Students who have completed all degree requirements prior to the graduation term and wish to use the enrollment waiver in the graduation term should complete and submit the enrollment waiver request form.

The procedures below are to be followed for M.S.E.C.E. students who wish to change their major from M.S.E.C.E. to Ph.D. in ECE:

Must pass Coursework Qualifier – Please submit the Coursework Qualifier Completion Form if you haven't already

Minimum GPA of 3.5 – Graduate Office will verify.

Find a Ph.D. research advisor - submit Ph.D. advisor selection form and proof of funding.

Statement of Purpose (must be typed):  To be considered for the Ph.D. program in ECE, you must submit the internal application with a new statement of purpose, indicating the reasons for changing degree status from M.S. to Ph.D. 

Recommendation Letter:  The student's advisor must provide a letter recommending the student for the Ph.D. program in ECE. Additional recommendations in support of the student's plans are encouraged. The letter can be submitted in person to the Academic Office in Van Leer W208 or online at Contact the Graduate Affairs Office.

When the items above are received, the ECE Graduate Committee will review the student's request.  If your request is approved, you will be required to submit a change of major form to change your status from M.S.E.C.E. to Ph.D. in ECE.

For International Students, if your request is approved, you will be required to change your I-20 or DS 2019 to reflect your current program of study as Ph.D.

Proof of funding will be required to process your new I-20 or DS 2019.