Program in Electrical Engineering School of Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

A Top Electrical Engineering Program at Rensselaer

The graduate programs in electrical engineering in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic University (RPI) consistently rate in the top 25 nationally, according to "US News and World Report" rankings. Faculty members are internationally recognized and have received National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Awards, awards from the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and other teaching and research awards.

The Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering offers master's and PhD degrees.

Ground-breaking Research in Electrical Engineering

Rensselaer faculty members, post-graduates, and graduate students perform both theoretical and applied research into a myriad of electrical engineering topics. Theoretical subjects include synthetic biology, electrophysical devices and systems; energy sources and systems; image processing, communication, information and signal-processing; computer engineering, hardware, architecture, and networks; control robotics automations and systems; and image sciences.

Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers a research-based Master of Science (MS) in Electrical Engineering. Students complete 24 credit hours of advanced coursework and 6 credits of research-based theses based on original projects. Students may transfer up to 6 credits of relevant coursework that were not used previously to obtain other academic degrees. A Master of Engineering (MEng) is also offered which is course-based. Students complete 30 credits of coursework only including a 3-course concentration.

Requirements for a PhD in Electrical Engineering

Students pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering complete 60 hours combined of coursework and dissertation credit beyond the master's degree level, with at least 15 credits of each. The PhD is awarded after the applicant successfully defends a doctoral thesis that makes a substantial and original contribution to knowledge in his or her chosen field. Applicants holding master's degrees have 5 years to complete their plans of study while applicants admitted only with Bachelor of Science degrees have 7 years.

Students work with RPI's outstanding faculty members to create cutting-edge research designed to push the boundaries of science and engineering knowledge. Most projects have not only theoretical significance but also offer substantial practical or industrial value so that RPI PhD graduates consistently find welcome from top global corporations and organizations.

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Award Winning Faculty Members at Rensselaer

Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering faculty members include NSF Presidential Faculty Fellows and members of the National Academy of Engineering, the IEEE, and other eminent professional organizations. Faculty members work directly with students -- doing research, solving problems, teaching, and interacting. In addition, many professors have continuing relationships with top international corporations and organizations.

Professor Birzen Yazici holds 12 patents in optical and X-ray imaging. A recipient of the IEEE "Best Paper" award, she is associate editor of the "SIAM Journal of Imaging Science" and the "IEEE Transactions on Image Processing." Her research interests include noncommutative harmonic analysis, inverse problems in radar, and medical imaging.

Michael Shur is the Patricia W. and C. Sheldon Roberts Professor of ECSE and Physics. He is a Fellow of IEEE, IET, APS, ECS, AAAS, and he received the van der Ziel Award from the International Semiconductor Device Research Symposium in 1999, the Senior Humboldt Research Award in 2002, IEEE Donald Fink Best Paper Award in 2007, and IEEE Kirchmayer Award in 2007. Dr.

Shur's work with plasma wave excitation in submicron field effect transistors (FET) and related device structures should allow his lab to develop a new generation of solid-state terahertz (THz) tunable devices that will support numerous applications in biotechnology, microelectronics, and defense. Recently, his team reported on a resonant detector operating in the terahertz range using an AlGaAs/GaAs 0.15 micron gate FET.

Professor Zhaoran (Rena) Huang received the NSF RAMP-Up career campaign award, recognizing her as an up-and-coming leader in engineering. Her research includes the integration of high speed optical interconnection and packaging of dual-mode wireless communication modules.

World-class Facilities at Rensselaer in Electrical Engineering

The new NSF Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center began a new era of harnessing the enormous capabilities of light. The center develops and employs light sources based on highly efficient semiconductors that exhibit detailed controllability for "pixelated smart rooms," optical communications for intelligent transportation, and other applications. This is but one of the more than 15 campus research centers at RPI. Other centers are home to Fast-RISC and Si-Ge, automation technology, subsurface imaging and imaging systems, next-generation video, integrated electronics, image processing, and terahertz research as well as laboratories for the exploration of plasma dynamics and networks.

A Vibrant Campus at a Top University

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the nation's oldest technological university. Located in Troy, NY, Rensselaer sits on a beautiful 275 acre campus in the historic Hudson River Valley. Rensselaer is considered to be one of the best universities in the nation, consistently ranking among the top 50 universities in the nation according to "US News and World Report."

New campus facilities include the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, the Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations (CCNI), and the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Master of Engineering (M Eng)
  Master of Science (MS)
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 31
• Doctoral Degrees 20
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Yes

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required for some
• Doctoral Degrees Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied697
• Accepted102
• Acceptance Rate14%
• Enrolled29
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $75
• Application Fee - International $75
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline January 15th January 15th Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline August 15th August 15th Yes
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE, qualifying exam, candidacy exam
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 570 paper based, TOEFL iBT

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$39,600
• Out-of-state tuition *$39,600
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$1,896.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsJanuary 15
• Types of financial support availableFellowships, Research Assitantships, Teaching Assistantships, Career or Field-Related Internships, Institutionally-sponsored Loans, Graduate Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students107
• Female Percentage20%
• Male Percentage80%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students107
• Part-time Percentage10%
• Full-time Percentage90%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino10%
• Black / African American0%
• White / Caucasian65%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian8%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown17%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty45
• Full-time Percentage89%
• Part-time Percentage11%
• Female Percentage16%
• Male Percentage84%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchNetworking and multimedia via ATM, thermophotovoltaic devices, microelectronic interconnections, agile manufacturing, mobile robotics
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last year$3,500,000