The School of Engineering and Applied Science has established the professional degree program for those students who wish to pursue course work beyond the master's degree with emphasis on applied subject material rather than on basic research. Successful completion of the professional degree program leads to the degree of Engineer or of Applied Scientist.

Entrance Requirements
Admission to study toward the professional degree requires an appropriate master's degree from a recognized institution and evidence of capacity for productive work in the field selected as indicated by prior scholarship and, where appropriate, professional experience. The Departments of Computer Science and of Electrical and Computer Engineering require applicants for the professional degree to have had two years of professional experience after receiving the master's degree.

To study toward the degree of Engineer, an applicant must have earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in an area of engineering.

To study toward the degree of Applied Scientist, an applicant must possess a master's degree in engineering, computer science, natural science, or mathematics. Applicants who have an equivalent quantitative background may be considered as special cases by the respective departments.

Normally, a B average in graduate work is required, although the departments often set higher admission standards. Some programs have specified prerequisites. An applicant who has significant deficiencies in preparation may be required to take prescribed prerequisite courses, which do not count toward any part of the requirements for the professional degree.

Program Requirements
The minimum program consists of 30 credit hours of approved graduate courses beyond a master's degree. Students whose graduate study does not include necessary prerequisites may be required to take additional course work.

Programs are determined by established prerequisites and the requirements of the department in which the student wishes to study. The program of each professional degree candidate must be approved by the student's advisor and the department chair.

Each department may require its degree candidates to undertake and defend the results of a technical design project or a development problem or to prepare a comprehensive technical report to demonstrate the candidate's ability to make independent use of the knowledge and discipline of thought acquired through graduate study. When applicable, the student will be informed of this requirement by the faculty advisor at the time the student's program is being formulated. The project may not be more than 6 credit hours out of the minimum 30. For requirements of a specific professional degree program, please consult the department concerned.

Scholarship Requirements
If a student studying for the professional degree receives two grades of F or three grades below B, study is terminated and further enrollment prohibited. A student must have a final grade-point average of 3.0 to receive the degree. The Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering requires a final grade-point average of at least 3.4.

Seminar requirement
Starting with the Spring 2007 semester every student in the ECE Engineer or Applied Scientist degree program 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.

Graduate 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.

Time Limits
A full-time student in the professional degree program is allowed a maximum of three calendar years to complete all degree requirements, from the date of first registration as a degree candidate in prerequisite or graduate courses. A part-time student in this program is allowed a maximum of five calendar years. The time limit does 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 under conditions specified by the department chair.

Relationship with the Doctoral Program
Candidates for the Doctor of Science degree or professional degree who are in good academic standing may, with the approval of the faculty advisor and department chair, transfer from one degree program to the other within their department if they meet the qualifications and requirements specified by the department. In the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, only one such transfer is permitted.