Admissions
Admission to the graduate program leading to the degree of Doctor of Science requires an earned baccalaureate or master's degree in an appropriate area from an accredited institution. Further, an applicant must submit at least two letters of reference from qualified individuals. Students whose highest degree is a baccalaureate must present a grade-point average of at least 3.3 (on a scale of 0-4); students whose highest earned degree is a master's degree must present a grade-point average of at least 3.4 (on a scale of 0-4) based upon graduate course work leading to the master's degree. Applicants must provide GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores.

Students who otherwise qualify for admission but lack some or all of the specific course requirements in the chosen area of focus may be admitted conditionally to graduate study. Students must then remedy the deficiency at the earliest opportunity by taking the appropriate undergraduate courses, without graduate credit, and passing them with at least a B. If the deficiency courses exceed six credit hours, the student will not be enrolled with graduate standing but may be enrolled as an unclassified student and must devote full-time study toward satisfaction of the deficiency. Upon completion of the deficiency courses, the student will normally be admitted to graduate study.

If an application for admission is rejected, reconsideration may be requested. The request for reconsideration should be submitted to the ECE department together with supporting documentation which addresses the reasons given for rejection.

If the student is assigned specific deficiency courses at the time of admission, but believes he/she has, in fact, sufficient experience (perhaps in industry) in the specific fields, the academic advisor may waive any or all of these courses. A specific waiver form must be completed by the advisor for this purpose.

English Language Requirements
The following additional requirements pertain to all applicants whose native language is not English and who are not citizens of countries where English is an official language.

• To be considered for admission, scores must be submitted from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Exceptions may be made for applicants who hold a degree from a university located in a country in which English is the official language and also the language of instruction at the university. The minimum score for admission consideration is 550 on the TOEFL paper exam, 213 on the TOEFL computer exam, or an overall band score of 6.0 on the academic IELTS, with no individual band score below 5.0. Higher minimums are required by some schools and programs; check the appropriate School Information section for details.
  
  
• All applicants for graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) must submit official scores from the TOEFL or academic IELTS. The minimum scores required to be considered for a GTA are: 600 on the paper TOEFL test; 250 on the computer TOEFL test; or an overall band score of 7.0 on the academic IELTS, with no individual band score below 6.0.
  
  
• Admitted applicants will be required to take the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) placement test at The George Washington University before registering for classes. Those who score 600 on the paper TOEFL test, 250 on the computer TOEFL test or receive an overall band score of 7.0 on the academic IELTS (with no individual band score below 6.0) are exempted from taking the placement test. Depending on the test results, you may be restricted in the number of courses that can be taken in addition to EFL courses. Students assigned EFL courses should anticipate additional tuition expenses as well as a possible extended period of time required to complete their degree programs. GW does not offer a full-time, intensive English language program.
  
  
• TOEFL and IELTS scores may not be more than two years old.

For application material and other general admissions information go to the SEAS admissions site and to GWU's graduate studies site.

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Program of Study
The programs of study for the Doctor of Science Degree Program in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering consist of at least 30 credit hours of courses at the graduate level beyond master's study, or for students without a master's degree, a minimum of 54 credit hours at the graduate level beyond the baccalaureate. In addition, at least 24 credit hours of registration for doctoral dissertation are required. Of the 30 credit hours of course work, at least 15 must be in the area of focus in which the student has enrolled. A student is required to select two minor areas of study other than his/her area of focus. Demonstration of proficiency in a language other than English is not required for the Doctor of Science degree.

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Academic Advisor
When applying for graduate study, the student may request that a specific professor in ECE serve as the Academic Advisor; in general, the department will honor such a request. If the student does not specify an advisor, one will be assigned. The letter of admission will indicate the academic advisor.

The student should depend upon the academic advisor to answer questions relating to the preparation and administration of the academic program, and to assist in resolving problems which may arise during the course of study. In registering for courses, the advisor's signature is required only prior to the first registration.

Soon after the first semester begins, a graduate student should visit his/her academic advisor to plan his/her course of study. The student should select the courses that he/she wishes to take in consultation with the academic advisor. The student should pay attention to the prerequisites for each course and to the offering semesters of the courses to see that they may be taken in proper sequence. Both the prerequisites and the semesters in which the courses will be offered are given in the University Bulletin.

A student must bear in mind that he/she must undertake two minor areas of study in addition to his/her area of focus. There are no formal course requirements for either of the minors, but an academic advisor may require that some course work be taken for satisfaction of the minor requirement.

Minor areas must be selected with the agreement of the academic advisor, and need not be confined to those in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The programs for minors selected from outside the Department are arranged by consultation with the Department in which the minor is taken.

Once the student and the academic advisor agree upon the specific plan of study, the student will submit a Graduate Program of Studies (Form 1) document to the advisor and to the department for approval. This document, upon approval, constitutes the formal record whereby the academic progress of the student is judged.

If it becomes desirable to alter the plan of study at a later date, a new Graduate Program of Studies (Form 1) must be filed as before. A student cannot graduate unless he /she has passed each course approved on the current Form 1 with satisfactory grades.

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Preliminary Examination

• All ECE doctoral students must take the Preliminary Examination before completing no more than 18 credit hours after the initial registration in the Doctoral Program unless otherwise approved by the Academic Advisor.
• The Preliminary Examination is a written, in- class, closed- book examination given during the fall semester and spring semester. At the discretion of the Examination Committee the student may also be required to take an oral examination.
• The subject matter of the Preliminary Examination is guided by, but is not necessarily entirely limited to, the material covered in the courses of ECE core curriculum.
• A doctoral student, who fails the Preliminary Examination at the first attempt, may be given a second opportunity to take the Examination within one year of the first attempt. A student who fails the Preliminary Examination at the second attempt shall be terminated from the Doctoral Program.
  Examination Format:
  
  1. The examination will be divided into 8 sections each of which will correspond to the subject matter of the 8 core courses presently specified in the department's regulations. Generally 5 hours are allowed for this examination.
  2. The examining committee will prepare 24 questions, 3 for each section.
  3. The candidates for the examination will be required to answer 5 questions in all; at most 2 questions may be selected from the same section.

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Dissertation Director
The student may request any member of the ECE regular faculty to act as his/her dissertation director at any time but no later than the semester in which the Preliminary Examination is passed. It is the responsibility of the student to find a research area which is mutually agreeable to both the student and the dissertation director. Once selected, the dissertation director assumes the role of the academic advisor.

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Qualifying Examination
All ECE doctoral students who passed the Preliminary Examination must take a Qualifying Examination. To be admitted to the Qualifying Examination the student must have an overall grade point average of 3.4. The Qualifying Examination may consist of a written and an oral part. The written part is administered by the faculty of the appropriate area of focus, and must be passed before the student is permitted to take the oral part. Some areas of focus may not require a written examination. The oral part may inquire into the student’s general knowledge of his/her field, and must include a detailed proposal for the dissertation research. The oral part is administered by the Dissertation Committee which is recommended by the Dissertation Director and appointed by the Chair of the ECE Department. The student may take the Qualifying Examination at most twice. Failure on two tries will result in the student’s dismissal from the Doctoral Program. Applications for the Qualifying Examination may be made at the Department Office. An appropriate form is available for this purpose.

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Time Limit
The Qualifying Examination must be completed within five years of the date of admission. The Doctoral Degree Program must be completed within seven years. The time period for completion of the degree will be adjusted for an approved leave of absence. All extensions of time must be approved by the ECE Department Chair.

Dissertation and Final Examination
The student’s research area is approved by the dissertation director, and throughout the remainder of the doctoral program the candidate conducts the dissertation research under the dissertation director. However, the student may consult other members of the faculty on an informal basis. Work on the dissertation encompasses a minimum of 24 credit hours.

During the period of research, the student is required to enroll in the appropriate research course (ECE 399). Full-time doctoral students must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester until 24 hours of work have been completed after passing the Qualifying Examination, and one hour of dissertation research each semester thereafter until satisfactory completion of the dissertation examination. Part-time doctoral students must register for a minimum of 6 hours per semester until 24 hours of work have been completed after passing the Qualifying Examination and one hour each semester until satisfactory completion of the Dissertation Examination.

The dissertation director decides if the results of the research conducted by the doctoral student are sufficient to satisfy the requirement for the degree. He/She then recommends that the Chair of the ECE Department appoint an Examining Committee for the purpose of administering the Dissertation Examination (Defense). The Examining Committee must consist of no fewer than five members, three of whom will be full-time faculty members, of SEAS or of ECE, with scholarly specialties within the area of focus; at least one member will normally be from an academic specialty outside the area of focus. The department encourages the practice of inviting an examiner from another university, an industrial organization or a governmental laboratory. The dissertation director serves on the Examining Committee both as Advocate and as a Committee member. The Department’s Chair assigns the Committee Chairman, who should not be the dissertation director.

A doctoral student is required to have the dissertation research results accepted for publication or published in a refereed journal approved by the dissertation director prior to the dissertation defense, unless the requirement is waived by the ECE faculty (effective Fall 2005). Credit must be given in the publication to the fact that the material is abstracted, summarized or developed from a dissertation submitted to the George Washington University in partial fulfillment Doctor of Science Degree.

The student must submit a copy of the dissertation to each member of the Examining Committee, no later than four weeks prior to the Defense. At the same time, the student must provide an abstract and other information to the Department Office, for the purpose of preparing an announcement of the Defense. A packet of forms and information is provided by the Department to prepare for the Defense.

The Dissertation Defense is an oral examination, which is open to the public. The student must demonstrate a mastery of the area of focus and of the materials and techniques used in the research. When the Examining Committee is convinced of the quality and originality of the candidate's contribution to knowledge, the Committee meeting in executive session recommends the student for the degree of Doctor of Science. The Chairman of the Department holds the recommendation until such time as conditions placed upon the dissertation by the Examining Committee have been fulfilled.

When the dissertation is accepted as complete, the student must submit to the Department three complete copies of the Dissertation and an abstract of fewer than 350 words no later than the date specified by the Registrar's Office. One copy of the abstract and the Dissertation is sent to University Microfilms, Inc., for reproduction; one copy is sent to the University Library, and one copy is held as the official Departmental copy. Detailed instructions for the format and reproduction of the dissertation are available in the Department Office.

Before the degree is conferred, the candidate must pay a dissertation fee to cover the expenses of printing the abstract and of the services of University Microfilms.

Dissertation Format Guidelines
The guideline for formatting dissertation can be found here

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Scholarship Requirements
The grades given for graduate credit in courses numbered 200 or greater are as follows:

A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Pass, F = Fail, I = Incomplete, IP = In progress, W = Authorized Withdrawal, Z = Unauthorized Withdrawal

Other intermediate grades that may be assigned are A-, B+, B-, C+, and C-. The grade of C- is the minimum passing grade.

A minimum grade-point average of 3.4 is required for award of a doctoral degree. A student who receives two grades of F or three grades below B- is barred from further enrollment in graduate courses and ordinarily will not be readmitted as a degree candidate.

Important: Courses in which a doctoral student earns grades below B- are not counted toward the credit hour requirement for the degree. Students who recive any grade below B- are required to review their programs of study with their advisors. A student may not repeat for credit a course in which he has received a grade of C- or above.

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Changing Areas of Focus
To change the area of focus, the student should complete the necessary form available in the ECE office. The procedure for admission to a new area of focus is similar to that for admission for the first time. After switching to a new area of focus, the student must, of course, complete a new Graduate Program of Studies (Form 1) for the new area.

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Adding, Dropping Courses and Withdrawing
During the registration period (before the end of the second week of classes) students may add or drop courses using GWeb. After the second week of classes, students who wish to add or drop a course must complete a Registration Transaction Form and submit the form to the office of their Dean; forms are available on line, at Deans' offices, and in the Office of the Registrar. Adding a course after the second week requires a signature of the instructor or other authorized member of the department.
A course dropped during the first four weeks of classes will not appear on the student's transcript. A course dropped after the fourth week but before the end of the eighth week will be assigned a notation of W (Authorized Withdrawal).

The deadline for dropping a course without academic penalty is the end of the eighth week of classes in the fall and spring semesters. After the end of the eighth week of classes, dropping a course without academic penalty is only possible after the student presents a petition to the Dean and receives written permission.

All charges for courses from which the student withdraws are subject to the refund policy listed under Fees and Financial Regulations in this Bulletin. Failure to withdraw by these procedures can result in an extended financial obligation and the recording of a grade of F (Failure) or a notation of Z (Unauthorized Withdrawal).

Incompletes
At the option of the instructor, the grade of I (Incompletes) may be recorded if a student, for reasons beyond his control, is unable to complete the work of the course and if the instructor is informed of and approves such reasons before the date when grades must be reported. The grade is used only if the student's prior performance and class attendance is satisfactory. Any failure to complete the work of a course that is not satisfactorily explained will be graded F. If acceptable reasons are later presented, the instructor may initiate an appropriate grade change.

Important: A grade of Incomplete carries with it a non-negotiable obligation to complete the course. The grade of I cannot be removed by registering for the course a second time at GW, or by taking its equivalent elsewhere. The only way to remove the I is to complete the course. An incomplete that is not removed within one calendar year is automatically changed to an F.

The department recommends that a student seek to remove an incomplete grade as soon as possible. The student must submit a formal request in writing to request receiving an incomplete grade (the form is available from the SEAS Student Services Office or the ECE Department). The instructor will state the work to be completed and the date by which it is to be completed in order to remove the grade of I. Only the instructor who granted the grade of I may change the grade.

The grade of Z is assigned when a student is registered for a course that he has not attended and for which he has done no substantial graded work. A grade of Z appears on the transcript but does not affect the grade-point average. If the student unexpectedly receives a Z in a course, he/she should contact the instructor, as this may have been caused by a misunderstanding or paperwork error.

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Residence and Continuous Enrollment
All work for the degree must be done in residence unless an exception is granted by the department chair. A student in a degree program is expected to be continuously enrolled in the School until the degree is conferred. A student who breaks his or her registration must apply for readmission to the degree program under whatever conditions and regulations are in force at that time. To maintain continuous enrollment, a student may register in one of the following categories.

• Leave of Absence -This status is available to students who are attending classes at another institution (special approval is required); who are temporarily transferred out of the area (e.g., for military TDY) or who are having temporary medical problems.
• Continuing Research - Students who have completed their research credits, but are not yet ready to defend the dissertation, must register for 1 credit of Continuing Research each semester as appropriate.
• Examination Preparation - Students who are studying for the Preleminary or Qualifying Examination for the current or following semester, and are not taking any courses, must register for 1 credit of Examination Preparation as appropriate.
  

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