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Requirements for the Master of Science Degree

Students entering the M.S.E.C.E. degree program in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) are assigned to a faculty member who acts as their program adviser. For the non-thesis option, students select, in consultation with their adviser, a unified program consisting of a minimum of 30 graduate credits (10 courses, 7 of which must be in ECE), normally from courses chosen from the fields of engineering, mathematics, physics, and computer science. For the thesis option, students complete a Master’s thesis (E&C-ENG 699, minimum of 9 credits) in addition to 21 graduate credits (7 courses, 5 of which must be in ECE). Students select a major thesis adviser, usually after one semester of study, and in consultation with the thesis adviser, submit a proposal for thesis research to their thesis committee.

Candidates who have previously obtained an M.S. degree in a field closely related to Electrical and Computer Engineering are not eligible for admission to the M.S.E.C.E. degree program. Similarly, students admitted to the Ph.D. degree program will not be allowed to transfer to the M.S.E.C.E. degree program if they already have an M.S. degree in a field related to Electrical and Computer Engineering. Detailed information on the requirements for the M.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering is available on the departmental website at: www.ecs.umass.edu/ece.

The department also offers a combined five-year BS/MS program which provides students with the opportunity to obtain both B.S. and M.S. degrees over a five-year period.  It also offers a simplified process for admission to the Graduate School.  This five-year program is open to all undergraduate students at UMass Amherst who are enrolled as majors in Electrical Engineering or in Computer Systems Engineering and who meet the prescribed GPA requirements.  Further information about these requirements can be found at http://ece.umass.edu/ece/five-year-program.