Return to: Programs of Study

Program Description:

The Doctorate of Philosophy is the highest degree awarded by Wright State University. This pinnacle academic credential signifies a mastery of a body of skills and knowledge in preparation for a career as an independent and productive scholar. Doctoral training involves working closely with faculty on significant technological challenges of importance and mutual interest.

Admission Requirements:

Students must first satisfy requirements for admission into the Wright State University Graduate School. To apply to the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering Program, the student must submit an online graduate application to the Graduate School. International students should visit the International Gateway website for information on international applications and deadlines.

Additionally, the student should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals and have completed an M.S. degree in electrical engineering or a related area to be considered for the program. Final admission decisions will be made by the Ph.D. Program Director based on the complete application package which must include documentation of: 

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering or a closely-related field, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering or a closely-related field, with a minimum GPA 3.5 for all prior graduate coursework.
• Transcripts of all prior course work.
• Written statement of research interests and objectives.
• Three Letters of Recommendation attesting to the student’s potential for independent research.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a math score not lower than 155 and a composite score not lower than 300 and an AWA score not lower than 2.5.
• For English as a second language students, English proficiency scores (IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 79 or PTE 57). 

Program Learning Outcomes:

The program of study leading to the Doctoral Degree in Electrical Engineering is designed to achieve the following objectives:

• To enable students to engage in continued advanced study and research.
• To foster original and scholarly research contributions to the various fields composing Electrical Engineering.
• To instill in each student a proficiency for innovation manifesting a fundamental advancement of knowledge.
• To enable graduates to integrate their education and experience with the larger problems of the technological professions.

A student’s primary advisor, or Dissertation Director, is a key factor to success in graduate studies. Members of the dissertation committee also play critical mentoring roles in a student’s academic progress. Each Ph.D. student is paired with a faculty advisor upon admission to the program. The faculty advisor will assist the student in developing the student’s program of study, selecting a Dissertation Committee, and scheduling all program milestones.

For additional information:

• Electrical Engineering, PhD
• Electrical Engineering
• College of Engineering and Computer Science

Program Requirements:

To obtain the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering degree, a student must complete an approved Program of
Study that contains at least 90 semester graduate credit hours beyond the bachelor’s (BS) degree in
electrical engineering or an equivalent degree, or 60 graduate semester credit hours beyond a Master’s
(MS) degree in electrical engineering or a related area. These requirements are consistent with national
norms.

In addition to meeting graduate credit hour requirement for the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering degree,
a student must do the following.

• Complete at least three EE breadth courses by choosing one course from each of at least three focus areas and earn a minimum grade of “B” in each course along with any associated laboratory component. None of these courses can be duplicative of courses already taken at the undergraduate level. Students originally enrolled in the Ph.D. in Engineering may count engineering core courses, which were completed in spring 2015 or earlier, towards the breadth requirement. Breadth courses must be at the 7000-level or above, although courses at the 6000-level may be permitted with approval from Director of Graduate studies. The Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering focus areas include the following:
  • VLSI
  • Electronics
  • RF & Microwave
  • Signal Processing
  • Communications
  • Controls
• Complete 20 semester credit hours of courses numbered 7000-level and above in electrical engineering. Core breadth courses may be included in the 20 semester hours.
• Complete at least 6 semester credit hours of graduate (6000-level and above) courses in mathematics (MTH) or statistics (STT).
• Take no more than 3 semester credit hours of independent study (EE 7900).
• Complete between 30-45 semester credit hours of dissertation research.
• Pass the Program Qualification Exam.

Upon completion of the coursework students are required to pass a qualifier where problem solving and independent research comprehension skills are thoroughly examined by a Ph.D. committee comprised of subject matter experts. Upon passing the qualifier, a student is required to survey the literature to master the current state of the art in the student’s intended area of research. Based on this study, the student is required to independently develop a novel research plan that proposes to push the envelope of current state of art in
research in specific areas in a significant way. The novelty in the research proposal is reviewed, examined and approved by the subject matter experts in the Ph.D. committee.

• Present a seminar based on their dissertation research during an open meeting or conference.
• Submit at least one manuscript to a peer-reviewed (IEEE quality) journal.
• Pass the oral Dissertation Defense and satisfactorily complete the written Dissertation Document

A student is required to submit a comprehensive written report on the new research findings, which must be approved by the dissertation committee. Furthermore, the student is required to give an oral presentation to defend the findings in the written report to a Ph.D. dissertation committee comprised of subject matter experts in the field.