Admissions
The applicant is required to have a B.S. in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science with a grade-point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0), or equivalent, for the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work and be adequately prepared in the basic physical sciences and in mathematics. Students with a B.S. in another field and with a basic knowledge of (a) mathematics and (b) electrical engineering, computer engineering or computer science may be admitted, with a set of deficiency courses to be determined by the student's advisor.

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 to graduate study. The student must remedy the deficiency at the earliest opportunity by taking the given undergraduate courses, without graduate credit, and passing them with some distinction (generally, at least a B).

If an application for admission is rejected, a reconsideration may be requested. The request for reconsideration should be submitted to the Department of electrical and computer engineering together with supporting documentation which addresses the cause of rejection.

If the student is assigned specific deficiency courses at the time of admission, but 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 form is available for this purpose in the department.

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 GWU graduate site and to the GWU's graduate studies site.

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

Other grades that may be assigned are A-, B+, B-, C+, and C-.

A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 is required for award of a master's 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. A student may not repeat for credit a course in which he has received a grade of C- or above, unless required to do so by the department chair. A written statement requiring the student to repeat such a course for credit must be submitted to the registrar by the department chair.

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Seminar requirement
Starting with the Spring 2007 semester every ECE MS degree student must register for the 0 credit hour Colloquium course ECE 390. Students are to satisfy the requirements for this course by attending five Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering sponsored colloquium seminars, workshops or symposia. The colloquium course must appear on the Form 1 of each student and fulfillment of the colloquium requirement should be endorsed by the student's advisor.

Students are expected to complete the ECE Colloquium Attendance Form, secure a verification signature for each seminar attended, and submit the completed form to their academic advisor for endorsement. A completed and advisor endorsed colloquium form is required in the student's academic file prior to applying for graduation.

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Registration and Incompletes
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 at deans' offices, in the department 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 might initiate an appropriate grade change.

VERY 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 should contact the instructor, as this may have been caused by a misunderstanding or paperwork error.

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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 a thesis, must register for 1 credit of Continuing Research each semester as appropriate.

Time Limit
A time limit is imposed upon the degree programs. A full-time student is allowed a maximum of three calendar years (excluding time spent taking only English as a Foreign Language) to complete all degree requirements. A part-time student is allowed a maximum of five calendar years. These time limits do not include any period of registration as an unclassified student before admission to degree candidate status or any period spent on approved leave of absence.

Students who do not complete degree requirements within the allowed time will have their degree candidate status terminated. They may be readmitted to degree candidate status upon approval by the department chair and the dean.

International students should always check with International Student office for regulations pertaining to time limits and immigration status.

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All programs consist of 8 courses (24 credits) and 2 courses (6 credits) of master's thesis work (ECE 299 and ECE 300). The student may select the non-thesis option in which 2 courses (6 credits) are substituted for the thesis.

ECE 201 Computer Systems Architecture
ECE 203 Stochastic Processes in Engineering
ECE 210 Applied Electromagnetics
ECE 211 Signals and Transforms in Engineering
ECE 219 Computational Techniques in Electrical Engineering
ECE 225 Device Electronics
ECE 248 Computer Networks I
ECE 280 Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers

After the advisor and the student agree on the plan of study, the student submits a Graduate Program of Studies (Form 1) to his advisor for approval. The approved form is then send to the Department Chairman for department approval. This document becomes, upon approval, a record of the student's progress toward graduation, and it is kept in the SEAS Student Services Office. The Form 1 must show a complete program of at least ten courses.

It is to be understood that the Form 1 is a plan, not a contract. If the student needs to change his program for any reason, he should complete a new Form 1. Once it is approved, the new Form 1 supersedes the old one.

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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.

Thesis Option
The thesis option is intended for students who wish to be involved in research during their master's program. Students who plan to pursue a doctoral degree may find this option particularly rewarding as they learn about research areas and methodology early in their graduate studies. In the thesis option, the student will select a research advisor who will guide and oversee the direction of the research. This research advisor may or may not be the same individual as your academic advisor. Normally, a research advisor is selected from among the professors in the student's area of focus.

Master's Thesis
The master's thesis must demonstrate the student's ability to make independent use of the knowledge and discipline of thought acquired through graduate study, to undertake constructive work in a given field, and to communicate the results of the work in writing. Suitable work for which the student has professional responsibility may be considered, whether done on or off campus, provided no significant amount of work is completed without faculty supervision.

To register for the thesis course (299), the candidate must submit the thesis area to the appropriate department chair, on the form obtained from the department office and approved by the faculty advisor. At the beginning of the semester of expected graduation, the candidate must submit the thesis title to the dean, on the form available in the department office. While registered in the thesis course sequence 299-300, the student is entitled to the advice of the faculty member under whom the thesis is to be written. Students may consult with their advisors, but they have primary responsibility for the thesis. Students orally defend their thesis before a committee of School faculty.

The thesis in final form must be submitted to the department chair by the stated deadline. In the event a thesis is unfinished on the date specified, the student must register for continuing research. The overall time limit for earning the degree (see Time Limits, above) may not be exceeded.

Copies of detailed regulations regarding the form and reproduction of the thesis are available in the department office. Accepted theses, with accompanying drawings, become the property of the University and are deposited in the Gelman Library, where the duplicate copies are bound and made available for circulation.

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