In addition to meeting the requirements of the Graduate Division, applicants to the Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science graduate programs are required to take the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Specific information about the GRE may be obtained from the department of interest.
Students entering the PhD program are normally expected to have completed the requirements for the master’s degree with at least a 3.25 grade-point average and to have demonstrated creative ability. Check with the department of interest for specific GPA requirements. Usually the MS degree is required for admission to the PhD program. Exceptional students, however, may be admitted directly to the PhD program upon receiving their BS degree. In most cases, the applicant is expected to obtain their MS degree along the way.
For information on the proficiency in English requirements for international graduate students, see Graduate Study.
To submit a graduate application, see application for graduate admission.
A concurrent degree program between the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Anderson Graduate School of Management allows students to earn two master’s degrees simultaneously: the MBA and the MS in Computer Science. Students should contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs for details.
The Master of Science in Engineering online self-supporting degree program enables employed engineers and computer scientists to augment their technical education beyond the Bachelor of Science degree, and enhances their value to the technical organizations by which they are employed.
The Master of Engineering (MEngr) degree is granted to graduates of the Engineering Executive Program, a two-year work-study program consisting of graduate-level professional courses in the management of technological enterprises.
The school offers an Engineer (Engr) degree at a level equivalent to completion of preliminaries in the PhD program. The Engineer degree represents considerable advanced training and competence in the engineering field but does not require the research effort involved in a PhD dissertation.
Requirements for the Engineer degree are identical to those of the PhD degree up to and including the oral preliminary examination, except that the Engineer degree is based on coursework. The minimum requirement is 15 (at least nine graduate) courses beyond the bachelor’s degree, with at least six courses in the major field (minimum of four graduate courses) and at least three in each minor field (minimum of two graduate courses in each).
The PhD and Engineer degree programs are administered interchangeably, so that a student in the PhD program may exit with an Engineer degree or pick up the Engineer degree en route to the PhD degree; similarly, a student in the Engineer degree program may continue to the PhD after receiving the Engineer degree. The time spent in either of the two programs may also be applied toward the minimum residence requirement and time limitation for the other program.
The PhD programs prepare students for advanced study and research in the major areas of engineering and computer science. All candidates must fulfill the minimum requirements of the Graduate Division. Major and minor fields may have additional course and examination requirements. For more information, contact the individual departments.
Established fields of study for the PhD are listed below. With the support of an adviser, students may propose any other field of study to their department. Instructions on the definition of acceptable ad hoc fields and procedures for their approval are available in each department office.
Biomedical instrumentation, biomedical signal and image processing, biosystems science and engineering, medical imaging informatics, molecular cellular tissue therapeutics, neuroengineering
Civil engineering materials, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and water resources engineering, structures (structural mechanics and structural/earthquake engineering), transportation engineering
Artificial intelligence, computational systems biology, computer network systems, computer science theory, computer system architecture, data science computing, graphics and vision, software systems
Circuits and embedded systems, physical and wave electronics, signals and systems
Ceramics and ceramic processing, electronic and optical materials, structural materials
Applied mathematics (established minor field only), applied plasma physics (minor field only), design, robotics, and manufacturing (DROM), fluid mechanics, micro-nano engineering, structural and solid mechanics, systems and control, thermal science and engineering (TSE)
The school offers a Certificate of Specialization in all areas, except computer science. Requirements for admission are the same as for the MS degree.
Each graduate certificate program consists of five 100- or 200-series courses, at least two of which must be at the graduate level. No work completed for any previously awarded degree or credential may be applied toward the certificate. Successful completion of a certificate program requires an overall minimum 3.0 (B) grade-point average in all courses applicable to the certificate. In addition, graduate certificate candidates are required to maintain a minimum 3.0 (B) grade-point average in 200-series courses used in the program. A minimum of three terms of academic residence is required. The time limitation for completing the requirements of a certificate program is two calendar years. Details about certificate programs may be obtained from each department office.
Courses completed in the school for a Certificate of Specialization may subsequently be applied toward master’s and/or doctorate degrees.
