Program Information:Master of Science Degree

The Program Proposal form must be approved by the student's faculty academic adviser and be submitted to the EE Degree Progress office (Packard 177) prior to the end of the first quarter of enrollment in the program (second quarter for HCP students). The faculty does not prescribe specific courses to be taken. Each student, with the help of their faculty adviser, prepares a program of study to meet his or her particular research interests and submits it to the faculty for approval. Guidelines for course programs that will normally be approved are listed below.

If your plans for meeting the degree requirements change, you must submit a revised program proposal to the department’s student services office for approval early in your final quarter in the program. The University’s minimum requirement for each master's degree is 45 unduplicated units of work done at Stanford. Students must also maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to maintain good academic standing. 

There is a three year limit from the first quarter of enrollment in the Master’s Program to conferral of the degree--the MS program is usually completed in five academic year quarters. For coterminal students, the three year period begins in the first quarter of graduate standing. Students in the Honors Cooperative Program have a five year limit for completing the degree. During your final quarter in the program, you must submit an Application to Graduate for Advanced Degrees through Axess.

In order to meet the requirements of the EE-MS degree, you must meet the following guidelines:

• DEPTH: A sequence of at least 3 letter graded EE courses, to provide depth in one area. At least one must be at the 300 level or above and the other courses must be at the 200 level or above (minimum of 9 units). The list of approved depth sequences is available below.  Depth sequences not specifically listed require special approval from the student’s academic advisor and the EE Student Services Office.

• BREADTH: 3 letter graded EE courses from 3 different areas outside of the depth area (minimum of 9 units). The list of approved courses is available below. Two courses are not in different areas if they are both listed under the same depth area or in more than one depth area  (a couple of courses appear in multiple depth areas). 

• SEMINAR: The seminar requirement can be fulfilled by either (i) enrolling in at least one seminar course in any math, science or engineering department for credit or (ii) attending a minimum of 8 informal research seminars (one-time events). Students who attend 8 informal research seminars must submit, with their final MS program proposal, a list of the seminars with a paragraph describing the content, signed by their faculty advisor.
  
  

 Of the 45 units that are required to complete the requirements of the EE-MS degree:

o At least 36 units must be letter graded units. These are fulfilled through:

• 21 units in EE-Related courses (9 units 300 level or higher, 12 units 200 level or higher). These are comprised of the 18 units of Depth and Breadth, described above, plus an additional 3 units (excluding EE 278A). The list of approved depth sequences, approved breadth courses, and approved Related courses is in the EE Graduate Handbook below.

• 15 units may be any 100 level or higher courses in technical areas in any math/science/engineering department. You may include up to 6 units of EE 391 Special Studies (independent study).

o 9 units may be taken Credit/No Credit or for letter grades. This includes the 1-unit seminar requirement. All units must be at the 100 level or higher. No courses numbered below 100 count toward a graduate degree. The only exception is that you may count up to 2 units of Athletics courses.

Please note: EFSLANG (English for Foreign Students) courses do not count toward the 45 unit minimum. These are additional units above 45, if the university requires you to take any.

New students are strongly advised not to undertake a heavy academic program in their first quarter at Stanford, as they are adjusting to their new environment and the demanding nature of graduate work. Three regular courses (8-10 units) provide a full-time workload, particularly during the first quarter at Stanford. The student's adviser should be consulted for further guidance on this and other course-enrollment questions.

Because the M.S. degree is an advanced degree in electrical engineering awarded entirely on the basis of course work, the program should contain a substantial amount of advanced electrical engineering course work. Mezzanine (200 level) courses, suitable for advanced undergraduates or beginning graduates, may be used in partial satisfaction of this requirement, but at least part of the program should be in the more advanced 300 and 400 series courses.