Please click the program title below for more information from the USC Catalogue to learn more:

The PhD program requires a minimum of 60 units of graduate level coursework beyond the BS degree. The coursework is developed by the student with the committee chairman and must have the approval of the committee and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Chairman. The following are guidelines in developing the PhD program:

  • Two-thirds of the course work is to be at the 500 level or above and must be in academic area approved by faculty advisors excluding EE 794.
  • Sufficient work must be done in one area of Electrical Engineering (established by the committee chairman) to permit passing of the screening exam in that area. Although not a department requirement, the guidance committee chairman may require a student to take a minor within EE/CE.
  • An outside minor consisting of at least three courses, two of which must be upper division graduate courses (500 level). To be acceptable for the minor, a course must:
    • Be outside the EE/CE Department
    • Be approved by the student's guidance committee chairman. This requirement is optional for the PhD in EE-Electrophysics and CENG.

Additional Ph.D. Requirements

Guidance Committee formation and procedures for the Screening Examination and the Qualifying Examination can be found at the links below, or consult the University Catalogue.

PhD Screening Exam

Taken after the first year of the program, the PhD Screening Exam tests a student's preparedness and must be passed to move forward with the program.

PhD Screening Exam

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Additional Information

PhD Qualifying Exam

The PhD Qualifying Exam must be taken after a student completes 24 units of graduate course work - typically in years 3 or 4 of the program.

PhD Qualifying Exam

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Additional Information

PhD Oral Defense

To complete a PhD, students must write a thesis and orally defend their dissertation.

PhD Oral Defense

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Additional Information

Published on August 17th, 2016

Last updated on January 30th, 2024