• Joint BS/MS Degree
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering to PhD Program
  (Direct Path PhD Program)
• Five-Year Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering to Master of Science in Computer Engineering Program

Joint BS/MS Degree
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) to Master of Science (MS) Program

General Information
This program enables qualified FAU undergraduate EE students to obtain both their BSEE and MS degrees (in Electrical Engineering or Bioengineering) in approximately five years, by allowing 9 credits of approved coursework to apply toward both degrees. This essentially takes away one semester of course work and offers an attractive option for enthusiastic students planning for their graduate education. Students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better after completion of 96 credits toward the BSEE are eligible for admission to the program.

Process

1. Eligible students apply to the EE Department for acceptance into the program during the term in which they will complete 96 credits toward their BSEE degree.
2. Eligible students take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE, verbal and quantitative) during the term in which they will complete 96 credits toward their BSEE degree.
3. Eligible students normally apply for graduate admission after obtaining a combined score of 1000 or more on the GRE.
4. Eligible students take courses in their senior year that will apply to both their BSEE and MS degrees. A maximum of 9 credits of approved course work can be applied to both degrees.
5. Students participating in this program may opt for the thesis or non-thesis option in their MS degree.
6. Students planning for the thesis option need a letter of recommendation from their potential thesis advisor.
7. Students must be admitted to the joint BSEE/MS program at least one semester prior to the start of their MS degree program.
8. Students who are successful in completing their MS degree within one year will be presented a certificate of recognition.

Degree Requirements and Unique Program Characteristic
Students participating in this program must satisfy the degree requirements for BSEE and MS degrees as outlined in the University catalog. The unique feature of this program is that 9 credits of approved course work can be applied toward both degrees.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) to PhD Program
(Direct Path PhD Program)
General Information
The normal path from BS degree to PhD degree in the College of Engineering and Computer Science is through the MS degree and its associated requirements. The direct-path PhD program gives highly-qualified students in the college the option of bypassing the MS degree and moving to their doctoral research activities more rapidly. In particular, direct-path PhD students will not be required to write an MS thesis. Students selecting the direct-path PhD option who fail to pass the PhD Qualifying/Candidacy exam will be allowed to complete normal departmental requirements and receive the MS degree. Admission to the direct-path PhD program may be granted to students entering or already in the graduate engineering program, including students selected for the joint BSEE/MS program.

Admission Requirements

• Satisfaction of the department's minimum GPA requirement, normally in the 3.2 - 3.3 range, in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. Students already enrolled in the MS program must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 in their graduate coursework to qualify.
• A minimum GRE score of 1100.
• A minimum of two letters of recommendation. Where possible, these letters should address the student's qualifications for research. For students already entered into the MS program, one of these letters must be from the student's advisor.

Degree Requirements

1. Successful completion of the department's doctoral qualifying/candidacy exam. This exam will normally be taken after the student has completed 24 credit hours of graduate coursework in the department.
2. A minimum of 84 credit hours beyond the BS degree, distributed according to the following conditions:
   1. A minimum of 24 credit hours must be in the doctorate-granting department.
   2. Except under unusual circumstances, no more than 9 credit hours are allowed for Independent Studies coursework.
   3. A maximum of 9 credit hours may be at the elective 4000 level. All other credit hours must be at the graduate level.
   4. A minimum of 3 credit hours must be taken in mathematics or in a technical field closely related to the student's research, as determined by departmental criteria.
   5. No more than 39 dissertation credit hours may be used to satisfy the 84-credit-hour requirement.

Five-Year Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE)
to Master of Science in Computer Engineering (MSCpE) Program
General Information and Degree Requirements
The BSEE/MSCpE. program is intended for students wishing to take advantage of the broader systems orientation of the BSEE degree and then specialize in Computer Engineering. Selection of specific technical elective courses and an upper-division math elective in the BSEE program qualifies the graduate to enter the MSCpE program with no deficiencies, provided that GPA, GRE, and other computer engineering admission requirements are met.

The following specific technical elective and math courses should be taken: