D.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering
About the Program
The Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) focuses on applied and developmental research, innovative concepts, and preparation of graduates for technical leadership roles across the broad spectrum of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Doctoral students can focus their research over many areas in ECE such as:
- Energy and Power Systems
- Robotics and Autonomy
- Electronics and Optoelectronics
- Computer and Embedded Systems
- Communications and Computer Networks
- Control Systems and Signal Processing
- Security & Privacy of Cyber-Physical System
- Intelligent Systems
The program is targeted to working professionals and only accepts students with prior professional experience in a relevant field such as electrical, computer, or robotics engineering.
The Doctoral Program in Engineering is rigorous and demanding and doctoral students are expected to dedicate substantial time towards completing their degree each week.
Program Overview
The D.Eng. in ECE degree requirements require a minimum of 39 credits hours with a minimum of two 3 credit hour engineering courses, a leadership course, and 30 credits in research thesis.
This program is intended for the working professional who has aspirations to engage in applied and developmental research in the industrial or government research sectors. Students are expected to maintain their employment status during the program. The topic of the dissertation research is expected to be related to the applicant's area of expertise and job related research topics.
Application Deadline:
-
February 1st for Fall term only
To address the need for engineering professionals that are able to perform applied research and develop innovative solutions in the industrial and government sectors in the broad area of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Learning Goals
Learning Goal 1: To provide students with research and problem-solving skills that enable them to develop creative solutions for solving complex engineering problems in areas of electrical and computer engineering.
Learning Goal 2: To prepare students to use modern engineering software, processes, devices, and diagnostic tools for advanced engineering design and development.
Learning Goal 3: To prepare students with experiences in technical writing and publishing their findings in top tier journals, conferences, and book chapters and/or submitting patents that contain innovative solutions to challenging problems in the areas of ECE.
Learning Goal 4: To prepare students for being successful technical leaders.
The following are the minimum requirements for admission in the Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).
- A master’s degree in engineering or computer science from an accredited program.
- Bachelor’s GPA: 3.0 on a 4.0-scale for regular admission.
- Master’s GPA: 3.2 on a 4.0-scale for regular admission.
- Recent GRE scores.
- For non-native English speakers, recent scores of an advanced English proficiency exam, such as TOEFL or IELTS.
- At least two years of full-time equivalent research and development experience in industry.
- Three recommendation letters. At least one letter from a supervisor/employer; at least one letter from a faculty member. In the case of working students, the letter must show commitment and support from the employer.
- A curriculum vitae (CV) or a resume.
- A statement of purpose including a research topic and research plan.
It is strongly suggested to identify a faculty advisor at the time of application. A faculty advisor must be identified after admission and before a student first enrolls.
Preference is given to:
- Students with scholarships provided by companies or government organizations.
- Students with a commitment by employers in writing such as reduced working hours, e.g. 30 hours/week, for the first three years.
General Research Area |
Keywords |
Faculty Involved |
---|---|---|
Perception |
Machine learning Bayesian inference Sensor fusion Data science / Quantum information theory |
|
Intelligent Control |
Autonomous vehicles UAV Industrial robots Bio-inspired robots |
Yi Lu Murphey |
Vehicle Communications |
V2X Vehicle Networks By-wire |
|
Cybersecurity |
Sensor spoofing IDS / Automotive Cybersecurity CPS Security |
|
Power Electronics and Energy Systems |
Solid state convertors Electric drives Charging Battery manufacturing, testing, and controls |
|
Sensors & Chips |
Chip design / SOC Nano technology Solid state optics |
Program Policies
In addition to the UM-Dearborn Graduate School policies for doctoral students, as a doctoral student in the D.Eng. ECE program, you need to know the requirements, timeline, and processes for
- Pre-candidacy
- Candidacy
- Proposal Exam
- Dissertation Defense
An Annual Progress Report must be completed by you and your faculty advisor and submitted for review to the D.Eng. Doctoral Committee in May of each year.
The ECE Doctoral Committee and your Faculty Advisor are the main resources for information and guidance throughout your program.
The ECE Doctoral Committee is chaired by Dr. Mengqi Wang and includes Drs. Sridhar Lakshmanan and Paul Watta.
Students are required to be registered every Fall and Winter term. No registration is required for Summer terms.
Curriculum
A student must complete a minimum of 39 credit hours including 9 credit hours of coursework, 6 credit hours of directed study and pre-candidate research courses, and 24 credit hours of dissertation research.
In addition to meeting the standards of successful academic progress on the Annual Review, the student must pass two qualification courses, a leadership course, and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 for good academic standing.
The program requires completion of:
- Three qualifying courses with a combined GPA of at least 3.5/4.0.
- Two graduate courses must be related to the student's chosen core research area and recommended by the advisor.
- The third graduate course must be a leadership course.
- All three courses must be approved by the advisor.
- Faculty Guided Research (ECE 691 Advanced Directed Study or ECE 980 Pre-Candidate Dissertation Research) [6 credit hours]
- Research (ECE 990 Dissertation for Candidates) [24 credit hours]
Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship Training (RCRS) covers ethical issues that may arise in research and identifies areas of known research misconduct. The DEng students are required to complete the PEERRS-RCRS online training course on MyLINC. It must be completed within the first two semesters of enrollment in the program before advancing to candidacy.
The student must complete two courses in a relevant specialization area with the approval of his advisor. The specialization areas and courses are given in the tables below. The student must also complete a leadership course. The leadership course options are shown after the specialization areas.
Electronic & Optoelectronics Specialization Area
- ECE 519 Advanced Topics in EMC
- ECE 515 Vehicle Electronics II
- ECE 517 Advanced Power Electronics and Motor Drives
- ECE 532 Auto Sensors and Actuators
- ECE 533 Active Auto Safety Systems
- ECE 539 Production of Electronic Products
- ECE 5462 Hybrid Electrical Vehicles
- ECE 566 Mechatronics
Energy & Power Systems Specialization Area
- ECE 519 Advanced Topics in EMC
- ECE 517 Advanced Power Electronics and Motor Drives
- ECE 541 Introduction to Electric Energy Systems
- ECE 542 Intro. to Power Management and Reliability
- ECE 5421 Grid Communication and System
- ECE 5422 Grid Protection
- ECE 5423 Advanced Grid Protection
- ECE 5424 Data Analytics and Machine Learning for Power Systems
- ECE 5426 Electrical Machines and Drives
- ECE 546 Electrical Vehicles
- ECE 5544 Introduction to Cyber-Physical System Security
- ECE 5545 Security of Smart Power Grids
- ECE 5462 Hybrid Electrical Vehicles
- ECE 5791 Vehicle Power Management
- ECE 615 Advanced Power Electronics
- ECE 616 Advanced Topics in Power Systems
- ECE 646 Advanced Electric Drive Transportation
Computer & Embedded Systems Specialization Area
- ECE 514 VLSI Design
- ECE 528 Cloud Computing
- ECE 554 Embedded Systems
- ECE 572 Sequential Machine Design
- ECE 574 Advanced Software Engineering Methods
- ECE 575 Computer Architecture
- ECE 5752 Reconfigurable Computing
- ECE 578 Advanced Operating Systems
- ECE 5541 Embedded Networks
- ECE 5542 Embedded Signal Processing
- ECE 5543 Embedded System Security
- ECE 5544 Introduction to CPS Security
- ECE 614 Control Networks for Embedded System
- ECE 675 Computer Architecture II
Communications & Computer Networks Specialization Area
- ECE 528 Cloud Computing
- ECE 535 Mobile Computing
- ECE 550 Communication Systems
- ECE 570 Computer Networks
- ECE 5701 Wireless Communications
- ECE 5702 High Speed and Advanced Networks
- ECE 612 Wireless Sensor Networks
- ECE 614 Control Networks for Embedded System
- ECE 670 Advanced Computer Networks and Wireless Comm.
Control Systems & Signal Processing Specialization Area
- ECE 512 Active Filter Design
- ECE 550 Communication Systems
- ECE 552 Fuzzy System
- ECE 555 Stochastic Processes
- ECE 560 Modern Control Theory
- ECE 565 Digital Control Systems
- ECE 567 Nonlinear Control Systems
- ECE 580 Digital Signal Processing
- ECE 5802 Multirate Signal Processing with Applications
- ECE 581 Architecture for DSP
- ECE 582 Statistical Signal Processing
- ECE 584 Speech processes
- ECE 586 Digital Image Processing
- ECE 587 Selected Topics: Image Processing and Machine Vision
- ECE 589 Multidimensional Signal Processing
- ECE 661 System Identification and Adaptive Control
- ECE 665 Optimal Control
- ECE 681 Advanced DSP
Security and Privacy of Cyber-Physical Systems Specialization Area
- ECE 527 Multimedia Security and Forensics
- ECE 5421 Grid Communication System
- ECE 5422 Grid Protection
- ECE 5423 Advanced Grid Protection
- ECE 5543 Embedded System Security
- ECE 5544 Introduction to Cyber-Physical System Security
- ECE 5545 Security of Smart Power Grids
- CIS 544 Computer and Network Security
- CIS 545 Data Security and Privacy
- CIS 546 Security and Privacy in Wireless Networks
- CIS 548 Security and Privacy in Cloud Computing
- CIS 549 Software Security
- CIS 576 Database Security
- CIS 5761 Advances in Information Security
- CIS 584 Advanced Computer and Network Security
- ECE 620 Sensor Security
- CIS 624 Research Advances in Computer and Network Security
Robotics Specialization Area
- ECE 531 Intelligent Vehicle Systems
- ECE 536 All Weather Auto Vision
- ECE 537 Data Mining
- ECE 543 Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control of Robots
- ECE 544 Mobile Robots
- ECE 555 Stochastic Processes
- ECE 560 Modern Control Theory
- ECE 565 Digital Control Systems
- ECE 566 Mechatronics
- ECE 567 Nonlinear Control Systems
- ECE 5770 Advances UAS
- ECE 579 Intelligent Systems
- ECE 5831 Pattern Recognition and Neural Networks
- ECE 587 Selected Topics in Computer Vision
- ECE 588 Robot Vision
- ECE 642 Robotic Embedded Systems
- ECE 643 Humanoid Robots
- ECE 644 Advanced Robotics
- ECE 645 Cooperative Robots
- ECE 641 System Identification and Adaptive Control
- ECE 665 Optimal Control System
Intelligent Systems Focus Area
- ECE 531 Intelligent Vehicle Systems
- ECE 532 Auto Sensors and Actuators
- ECE 536 All Weather Auto Vision
- ECE 537 Data Mining
- ECE 544 Mobile Devices
- ECE 552 Fuzzy systems
- ECE 5770 Autonomous UAS
- ECE 579 Intelligent Systems
- ECE 5831 Pattern Recognition and Neural Networks
- ECE 587 Selected Topics in Computer Vision
- ECE 588 Robot Vision
- ECE 643 Humanoids
- ECE 644 Advanced Robotics
- ECE 679 Advanced Intelligent Systems
Leadership Course Options
- IMSE 515: Fundamentals of Program Management
- EMGT 500: Management for Engineers
- OB 560: Management Skills Development
- EDB 501: Leadership and Administration
Early Start Requirements
The student is expected to engage in research work from the first year of the program. Each student should have a faculty advisor at the beginning of the first semester to start developing the dissertation research topic. The dissertation research topic should be defined with the faculty advisor by the end of the second semester in the program.
The student must complete at least 6 credit hours of faculty-guided research (ECE 791 or ECE 980) within the first year of enrollment in the program. In the first semester, students need to take ECE 691 (Advanced Directed Study). In the second semester the student needs to take ECE 980 (Pre-candidate Dissertation Research).
The required outcomes of ECE 691 include:
- Well-defined research topic/objective/technical approach
- An in-depth literature review
The required outcomes of ECE 980 include:
- An approved dissertation committee
- Promising preliminary study results
- Well-developed research plan and milestones, and
- Successfully passed dissertation proposal examination, which also covers the fundamentals of the research related to student’s dissertation research area.
A student who does not pass the examination will receive an “I” grade. The student must retake ECE 980 and the dissertation proposal examination the following semester. If the student passes the second time, an “S” grade will be given to both ECE 980 courses. If the student fails the examination a second time, the student is required to withdraw from the program.
Research Requirements
ECE 990 (Dissertation for candidates) can be taken only after a student achieves candidacy. A minimum of 24 credit hours of ECE 990 is required.
During the candidacy, a student enrolls in ECE 990 every semester. The outcomes of ECE 990 include:
- a written dissertation research progress report and
- a presentation of research results to the dissertation committee.
An “S” or “U” grade will be given by the adviser based on the student’s performances in research. Any “U” grade will be reviewed by the committee and the student will be provided with written guidance on how to improve dissertation research. The measurement of student progress will include:
- regular meetings with the adviser
- quality research progress reports
- publications and/or patent applications
- prototype system development and demonstration
The faculty advisor notifies D.Eng ECE committee of the student’s progress in each semester.
The program does not have a written qualifying examination, but instead has a curricular qualification requirement. The student must obtain a minimum of B+ in each curriculum qualification course and the leadership course. The student must obtain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 No additional attempt is allowed.
Dissertation Committee
The dissertation committee is formed when a student takes ECE 980. This committee continues to oversee the student’s work until the final dissertation defense.
The faculty advisor serves as the chair of the Dissertation Committee.
The dissertation committee will consist of a minimum of three members in addition to the committee chair. The committee members will include two faculty members (at least one member from ECE) and one industry member.
The composition of the dissertation committee must be approved by the ECE D.Eng. program committee. The industry member's curriculum vitae must be submitted to the Program Committee for approval.
Depending on the dissertation topic, a faculty member outside the ECE department may be included in the dissertation committee.
A committee may have a sole chair or two co-chairs. Persons who may serve as co-chair, but not the sole chair, include:
- tenure or tenure-track faculty members of the University
- research faculty
- lecturers
- similarly qualified person from outside the University; and
- former University faculty members who have moved to a faculty position at another university
Candidacy Requirements
Achieving candidacy for the D.Eng. in ECE requires:
- Successful completion of curricular qualification and leadership courses.
- Completion of all the required outcomes of ECE 980
- Submission of the candidacy application form
The D.Eng. ECE program has a time limit of 3 years for completion. Students are expected to complete the degree within 2 years after achieving candidacy, but no more than 3 years from the date of the first enrollment in the program.
A student is considered to have completed the D.Eng. major in ECE only if the student has successfully completed
- two required technical specialization courses
- a course on leadership development
- required research credit hours, and
- dissertation defense
A petition for time limit extension should be submitted to the D.Eng. major in ECE Committee for approval if both the student and the faculty advisor agree on the extension.
The successful defense of the Dissertation Proposal is one of the required outcomes of the ECE 980 course. The dissertation proposal examination covers the research fundamentals related to the student’s dissertation research area.
A student who does not pass the examination will receive an “I” grade. The student must retake ECE 980 and the dissertation proposal examination the following semester. If the student passes the second time, an “S” grade will be given to both ECE 980 courses. If the student fails the examination a second time, the student is required to withdraw from the program.
After passing ECE 980, the student may proceed with the dissertation research and the writing of the dissertation. The dissertation should document the original contributions made by the candidate as a result of independent research. This research work should be of archival quality. In advance of graduation, all members of the student's dissertation committee must approve the dissertation. To obtain this approval a student must submit a written copy of the dissertation to the dissertation committee and defend the research work at a final oral examination open to other faculty, students, and the interested public. Students defending the dissertation must be registered in ECE 990.
Upon completion of the dissertation work, the student initiates the last step toward the degree—the dissertation defense process. The process follows the official guidelines and consists of the following main stages:
- Preparation of a written dissertation formatted in accordance with the guidelines,
- Pre-Defense meetings with the members of the program committee,
- Written evaluations of the dissertation by the dissertation committee members
- The Oral Defense of the dissertation consisting of two parts:
- Public seminar and open question session held by the student
- Private deliberations by the committee
- Final oral examination report and certificate of approval prepared by the dissertation committee
- Post-Defense meeting with the CECS Graduate Education Office
Program Contacts
Wencong Su
Amanda Donovan
Michael Hicks
Electrical and Computer Engineering
4901 Evergreen Road
Dearborn, MI 48128
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