The Doctor of Philosophy degree is the highest academic degree conferred by the University. The student who receives it must have demonstrated proficiency in some broad subject of learning and the ability to critically evaluate work in this field. Furthermore, the student must have shown ability to work independently in this chosen field and must have made an original contribution to the advancement of knowledge.
General Requirements
Admission Requirements
The general admission requirements for the doctoral program are outlined in Section 2.3. Admission does not follow automatically with the conferring of the M.S. Degree or successful completion of the preliminary examination by an M.S. degree student. The student must reapply and must be recommended strongly by his or her advisor.Residence Requirements
The minimum residence requirement shall be six semesters of scholarly work beyond the attainment of an acceptable bachelor's degree. Not fewer than four semesters of residence credit, at least two of which must be consecutive in one academic year, must be earned at the University of Colorado. The last two semesters of the residence requirement must be earned here, except in unusual circumstances subject to the approval of the dean of the Graduate School. Residence credit may be earned for course work completed with distinction, for participation in seminars, or for scholarly research performed here or elsewhere under the auspices of the University of Colorado. Not more than two semesters of residence credit may be allowed for an acceptable master's degree. For further residence information, see the University of Colorado Catalog.Academic Requirements
A minimum of 60 semester hours of course work and thesis credit combined beyond the bachelor's degree will be required for all doctoral degrees within the department. Of that minimum, students must complete at least 30 hours of course work at or above the 5000 level and 30 hours of doctoral thesis credit.A maximum of 10 of the dissertation hours accrued prior to the semester of passing the comprehensive exam may be counted toward the required 30. Up to 10 hours taken during the semester of passing the comprehensive exam may be counted toward the required 30 hours. At no time shall a doctoral student register for more than 15 hours of 5000-level and above courses. Normally a student must have earned at least three and not more than six semesters of residence credit before admission to candidacy.
Following the semester in which the comprehensive exam is taken and passed, the student must be continuously registered each fall and spring for dissertation hours until the student successfully defends his or her dissertation or formally withdraws from the program. Students admitted to "candidacy for degree" will register for and be charged for 5 hours of credit for each full term of doctoral work. Students who are off-campus and using no university facilities may register for 3 dissertation hours. However, off-campus status (3 credit hours of dissertation) is considered part time enrollment. Continuous registration during the academic year will be required until all requirements for the degree are completed. It is expected that the student and advisor will consult each semester as to the number of hours for which the student will register, consistent with the classification identified above. Students who are admitted to the Graduate School with deficiencies may expect to receive little or no residence credit until these deficiencies have been removed. (The Graduate School rules require that at least 30 semester hours of 5000- and 6000-level course work appear in the Application for Candidacy.)
For further residence information see the University of Colorado Catalog.
Preliminary Examination
A preliminary examination is required of all Ph.D. candidates to test their fitness for the program and to determine areas of weakness. The examination is given once each year in January; the content and form of the exam will be determined by the faculty members of the respective areas it covers.The probable areas that will be covered are:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Communications and Digital Signal Processing
- Computer Engineering
- Dynamics and Controls
- Electromagnetic, RF, and Microwaves
- Nanostructures and Devices
- Optics and Photonics
- Power Electronics and Renewable Energy Systems
- Remote Sensing
- VLSI/CAD
As of 2001: Optoelectronics doctoral students must take the Ph.D. preliminary examination the first January after they enter the program. All others must take the Ph.D. preliminary examination the second January after they enter the program, OR after completing their first 18 credit hours, OR as recommended by their faculty advisor.
Complete information about the preliminary examination will be posted on the graduate bulletin board on Level 1B of the Electrical and Computer Engineering wing of the Engineering Center, and should be consulted at the end of the fall semester for place, time, and general rules. Or consult the Graduate Advisor, Room ECEE 1B63.
Application must be made in advance to take the examination. Students who fail it will usually be given one more opportunity to repeat the part(s) that they failed, the next time the exam is given.
Degree Plan
Early in their Ph.D. program, students must work out an informal degree plan with the aid of their academic advisor. A satisfactory program will be determined in consultation with the academic advisor and/or in consultation with the faculty member with whom the student wishes to do research for the Ph.D. thesis. This faculty member normally becomes the chair of the student's Thesis Committee. This program will be tailored to the area of academic interest and should represent a coordinated approach to the attainment of the student's ultimate goals. The degree plan may include the courses previously applied toward the master's degree, which should be so indicated, and should total at least 30 semester hours of 5000- and 6000-level courses, but more hours will usually be required at the discretion of the Thesis Committee. Of the 60 hours (M.S. plus Ph.D.) necessary for the minimum fulfillment of the academic requirement for the Ph.D. degree, at least 9 hours must be in 5000- and 6000-level courses in fields outside of electrical engineering. A student entering the University of Colorado with an M.S. degree from another institution, who has at least 6 hours of credit for non-electrical engineering graduate courses, shall be required to take not more than 3 hours of 5000- or 6000-level non-electrical engineering courses at the University of Colorado to fulfill the non-electrical engineering course requirement.Quality of Work
Students are expected to complete with distinction all work in the formal courses that apply toward the degree. A course grade below "B-" will not be counted toward the minimum requirements for the degree but will be considered in the overall grade-point average with the exception of a foreign language course used to fulfill the language requirement. In general, a course may not be repeated for the purpose of raising the grade.Telecommunications courses may not be used for the Ph.D. degree.
Credit by Transfer
Graduate work of high quality done in a recognized graduate school elsewhere may be accepted up to a maximum of 21 semester hours, provided it is recommended by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Such credits will be transferred only after the student has passed the preliminary examination.A student who has received an M.S. degree from the University of Colorado may apply those coursework credits towards the Ph.D. degree provided that they meet the requirements of the Ph.D. degree.
No graduate credit will be accepted that was earned as an undergraduate student elsewhere, even though the courses may be of graduate standing and may exceed the work required for a bachelor's degree.
Research Advisor
A student who is ready to begin research work for the Ph.D. thesis will request the faculty member with whom he or she wishes to work to act as chair of the student's Thesis Committee. (Students should place their major effort on their research problem after they have passed the comprehensive examination for the Ph.D. degree but may begin their research before then if the chair approves.)If the research advisor is different from the student's initial advisor, the appropriate changes in the Thesis Committee must be initiated by the student.
Important: The ability to perform significant and independent research is a prime requisite for the Ph.D. degree. This research must be under the supervision of a graduate faculty member, and it is the student's responsibility to choose a topic and find a faculty member who will act as research advisor. This is an important step and should be done early in the program to insure the probability of completion. In fact, when possible, it is well for the student to select a thesis topic and to find a research advisor before embarking upon a Ph.D. program.
Foreign Language Requirement
Ph.D. students whose native language is English must demonstrate first-year proficiency in one foreign language suitable to their Thesis Committee by completion of one of the following:- presenting a transcript with a grade of "C" or better in at least three semester hours of a second semester, college-level language course;
- presenting a transcript showing a grade of "C" or better in two years of high school language;
- registering for any second semester, college-level course in the foreign language and passing it with a grade of "C" or better; or
- attaining advanced placement credit for one year of college-level foreign language in their undergraduate work.
A student whose native language is not English will, by passing courses and by completing graduate work at the University, demonstrate sufficient ability in English to meet the spirit of the language requirement.
Any exception to these rules must be made in a formal petition to the Director of Graduate Studies with written approval of the student's advisor.
Admission to Candidacy and Comprehensive Examination
At least two weeks before the comprehensive examination is attempted, the student must apply for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree (on forms obtained in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Graduate Office, ECEE 1B63.). This application includes biographical data.Upon completion of the formal course work and fulfillment of the language requirement, the student must pass a written and/or oral comprehensive examination which examines mastery of graduate course work and capabilities of performing the proposed research. This examination will be taken by arrangement with the members of the Thesis Committee appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies upon the recommendation of the thesis advisor and having a minimum of five members of whom at least one must be from outside the department. Three of the five members must be Boulder Campus resident Graduate Faculty members. The student must be registered the semester of the examination.
The comprehensive examination must be taken not later than three calendar years after acceptance into the doctoral program. In case of failure, the examination may be attempted once more after a period of time determined by the examining board.
A student shall have earned at least four semesters of residence credit, shall have passed the language requirement, and shall have passed the comprehensive examination before he or she may be admitted to candidacy for the degree. The student must be registered at the University for the fall and spring semesters each year between the passing of the comprehensive examination and the completion of the dissertation defense. After passing their comprehensive exams, doctoral students are not allowed to go on the Time Out Program.
Students should consult the University of Colorado Catalog regarding additional rules relative to the comprehensive examination, particularly regarding time limitation.
Thesis and Final Examination
A dissertation proposal must be submitted by the student to the Thesis Committee, preferably at the time of the comprehensive examination, but in no case later than the end of the semester in which the comprehensive examination is completed. The dissertation proposal should outline the area of study and describe the problem in sufficient detail to indicate clearly the contribution of the proposed work.A thesis based upon the research work done with consulting advice from the student's Thesis Committee should be finished in typewritten form (in accordance with rules furnished by the Graduate School Office) at least 30 days before the date of the final examination, and should be made available to the Final Examination Committee at least two weeks before the student takes the final examination. The thesis must conform to the format requirements as set forth by the Graduate School. One bound copy of each thesis is required for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Office files in addition to the unbound copy required by the graduate school.
The student must register for a minimum of 30 hours of doctoral dissertation credit in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.1.3. Dissertation credit is also discussed in Article VII, Section 2 of the Graduate School Rules. This credit will not be included in calculating the student's grade-point average.
After the thesis has been accepted, a final examination time will be arranged by the student with the members of the Final Examination Committee, which usually consists of the members of the student's Thesis Committee. The student is responsible for notifying the Graduate School as well as the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Office of the final examination two weeks before the test date and supplying them with a thesis title and abstract. The student must be registered at the time the final examination is taken.
A student who fails the final examination may attempt it again upon recommendation of the Thesis Committee.
