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School: University of Arizona Program: Online Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Description: “The online Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering program is offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. It is perfect for individuals looking to enter a more design-oriented role in their careers, providing a strong academic foundation in the principles of electrical and computer engineering. With the flexible and customizable curriculum, students can focus their coursework on the areas of engineering of most interest. They can also choose from a variety of focus areas, including communications, control, networks, high-performance computing, machine intelligence, optics and signal processing,” said Hal Tharp, Associate Department Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering. Where it is: Tucson, Arizona Format: Online Degree you get: Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Prerequisites:
Size of the program: 20 online students, 135 on-campus students, for a total 155 M.S. students in the program Number of credit hours: 30 Thesis: No How long it will take: Approx. 2 years When to apply: Visit the website for up-to-date enrollment deadlines. Tuition and Fees: $995/credit hour; $29,850 total tuition Minimum admission requirements:
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Gain the Skills to Advance Your Career
The University of Arizona’s Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) program was started in order to offer a “steadfast commitment to solving society’s grand challenges, which puts ECE at the forefront of technological advancement,” said Hal Tharp, associate department head for electrical and computer engineering.
As technology advanced, the school began the online version of their program in order to open up these opportunities to a wider population of students.
Offered by the department of electrical and computer engineering, the program is ideal for individuals looking to advance into a more design-oriented role in their professional career.
The program provides a solid academic foundation in the principles of electrical and computer engineering through a flexible, customizable curriculum that allows students to focus their coursework on the areas of engineering in which they are the most interested.
Students can choose to focus their studies in several areas, including:
- Communications
- Controls
- Networks
- High-Performance Computing
- Machine Intelligence
- Optics
- Signal Processing
According to Tharp, “the University of Arizona ECE department is ranked among the top 40 electrical and computer engineering departments by U.S. News and World Report and has provided excellence in teaching and research for more than a century.”
Convenient Online Education for Every Schedule
The online MS ECE program is designed as a continuing education mechanism that can meet the needs and schedules of working professionals. Students who take 2-3 courses per semester are considered full-time and can complete the program in 2 years. This won’t work for every student, so there is also an option to attend part-time, taking fewer courses per semester. In that case, it will take longer to complete the program.
Offering this program online gives busy, professional engineers the ability to complete coursework on a timeline that best fits their schedule. All interactions take place electronically over the Desire2Learn education platform, where students can access course content, submit homework and interact with instructors and other students. Exams are usually administered via a proctor.
Course content is largely comprised of video lectures recorded on-campus and made available online after the lecture finishes. All lectures contain video content with audio, but lecture format may vary depending on the course and instructor.
For example, “one instructor will be interacting with their class using the whiteboard for derivations, descriptions, developments, proofs, etc.,” said Hal Tharp. “In other lectures, the video will show a PowerPoint, with the instructor’s insights, descriptions and discussions being recorded in sync with the visual material.”
This method of providing course content ensures that online students receive the same quality information as that of the on-campus students. Online students also have access to tools that directly support their remote learning experience, including Skype-based office hours for some instructors and a 24/7 dedicated IT support team for distance learners. The latter can be especially helpful for students new to online learning or those who have been out of the academic world for a number of years.
Flexibility and Focus for Professionals
The online MS ECE program is geared towards working professional engineers with a Bachelor of Science degree in any engineering or related field looking to gain the knowledge and technical skills necessary to advance their career in the field of electrical and computer engineering.
ECE is a rapidly growing and changing field of engineering, and as Tharp puts it, “Innovation has always been a critical part of our academic philosophy.”
Adapting to the pace of change is what influenced the structure of the MS ECE program.
There are no required or core courses for the MS ECE program. Instead, students create and submit a Draft Plan of Study detailing their intended coursework.
Students choose the direction of their education from one of many focus areas and structure their coursework from a list of classes. This allows students to tailor their studies to their interests and gain the most valuable education for their desired career path.
Students can choose from the following focus areas:
- Coding and Compression
- High-Performance Computing
- Optical Imaging Systems and Signal and Image Processing
- Wireless Communications and Networks
- Machine Intelligence
- Control Systems
Depending on availability, students may choose from:
- ECE 501B – Advanced Linear Systems Theory (3 units)
- ECE 503 – Probability and Random Processes for Engineering Applications (3 units)
- ECE 503A – Math Methods – Optics/Photonic (3 units)
- ECE 500D – Photonic Communications Engineering II (1 unit)
- ECE 500E – Photonic Communications Engineering (1 unit)
- ECE 500F – Photonic Communications Engineering (1 unit)
- ECE 505 – Model-Integrated Computing (3 units)
- ECE 506 – Reconfigurable Computing (3 units)
- ECE 509 – Cyber Security – Concept, Theory, Practice (3 units)
- ECE 527 – Holography and Diffractive Optics (3 units)
- ECE 529 – Digital Signal Processing (3 units)
- ECE 530 – Optical Communication Systems (3 units)
- ECE 535A – Digital Communications Systems I (3 units)
- ECE 539A – Photonics Innovation to Market (3 units)
- ECE 541A – Automatic Control (3 units)
- ECE 542 – Digital Control Systems (3 units)
- ECE 562 – Computer Architecture and Design (3 units)
- ECE 564 – Advanced Topics in Computer Networks (3 units)
- ECE 566 – Knowledge-System Engineering (3 units)
- ECE 573 – Software Engineering Concepts (3 units)
- ECE 578 – Fundamentals of Computer Networks (3 units)
- ECE 579 – Principles of Artificial Intelligence (3 units)
- ECE 636 – Information Theory (3 units)
- ECE 639 – Detection and Estimation in Engineering Systems (3 units)
- ECE 677 – Distributed Computing Systems (3 units)
(Additional courses may become available.)
The University of Arizona has sponsored this post. They have no editorial input to this post - all opinions are mine. Meghan Brown