Your Path to Graduation

Earning a Master of Engineering in Electrical & Computer Engineering (MEng ECE) is straightforward here at Boise State. The degree requires 30 graduate course credits and a 1-credit comprehensive exam. Once admitted, you can select the 10 graduate ECE courses that best suit your goals and get to work!

Apply for Admission to Candidacy

Master of Engineering (MEng) students must complete an application for admission to candidacy (AAC) form around the same time course requirements are met and no later than the semester before graduation. There are specific deadlines for this form posted in the academic calendar and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure the form is completed on time. Learn more about completing the AAC form.

Apply for Graduation

In the semester before you intend to graduate, you’ll need to apply for graduation. Keep an eye on the academic calendar for the exact deadline. Learn more about applying for graduation.

Pass Comprehensive Exam

The culminating experience for MEng students is a comprehensive exam. Students enrolling in ECE 690 Master’s Comprehensive Exam will be given a written exam based on two of the courses from their program of study.

To earn a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MS ECE) here at Boise State, a student should earn a C or better in 24 graduate course credits, write and defend a thesis, and complete the milestones below.

Form a Supervisory Committee

Master of Science students begin by forming a supervisory committee. This step can be completed as early as your first semester but no later than the semester you intend to defend your thesis proposal. Learn more about Appointing a Supervisory Committee.

Defend Thesis Proposal

Although you don’t have to enroll in a thesis proposal credit, the thesis proposal is a required step for MS students. The proposal does not need to be formal, but students should plan to meet with their supervisory committees to discuss the proposed thesis topic before work commences on the thesis research or written thesis document. Many tools are available from the Graduate College to help you with your thesis, including templates, submission info, and writing help. View the graduate college’s thesis and dissertation guide.

Apply for Admission to Candidacy

MS students must complete an application for admission to candidacy (AAC) form around the same time course requirements are met and no later than the semester before graduation. There are specific deadlines for this form posted in the academic calendar and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure the form is completed on time. Learn more about completing the AAC form.

Apply for Graduation

In the semester before you intend to graduate, you’ll need to apply for graduation. Keep an eye on the academic calendar for the exact deadline. Learn more about applying for graduation.

Defend Thesis

One of the last steps for an MS student is to successfully defend a written thesis in an oral presentation. Many tools are available from the Graduate College to help you with your thesis, including templates, submission info, and writing help. View the graduate college’s thesis and dissertation guide.

Once your thesis is in final draft format, it is time to set up your defense presentation. Talk with your committee members and identify 2-3 times/days when they are all available (including the ECE Grad Committee Chair) to meet for your defense presentation. Note that there are deadlines for thesis defense published in the academic calendar. Schedule your thesis defense using this online form and then notify the graduate college once your defense is scheduled using the Graduate Defense Notification form.

Finish Final Forms

The Graduate College has a number of required forms for MS students. Be sure to work your way through the Required Supporting Documents list and complete all forms indicated for MS students that you have not already submitted.

Finishing a doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering requires students to complete up to 30 graduate course credits, pass a comprehensive exam, write and defend a dissertation. Follow the steps below and stay on track!

Form a Supervisory Committee

Doctoral students begin by forming a supervisory committee. This step may be completed as early as the first semester, but no later than the term in which a student applies to take the comprehensive exam. Learn more about Appointing a Supervisory Committee.

Pass the Comprehensive Exam

Submit the Comprehensive Exam Application by the end of your third semester and complete the comprehensive exam by the end of your fourth term.

To be eligible for the comprehensive examination, a student must complete three qualifying courses at Boise State with a grade point average of no less than 3.55 in those three courses. Qualifying courses for the comp exam include ECE 500, ECE 510, ECE 520, ECE 530, ECE 540, ECE 572, ECE 650, and ECE 660.

Apply for Admission to Candidacy

PhD students must complete an application for admission to candidacy (AAC) form around the same time course requirements are met and no later than the semester before graduation. There are specific deadlines for this form posted in the academic calendar and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure the form is completed on time. Learn more about completing the AAC form.

Defend Dissertation Proposal

Doctoral students often start taking dissertation credits (ECE 693) to ensure full-time enrollment requirements are met. At least 24 dissertation credits must be earned after the dissertation proposal is approved. Many tools are available from the Graduate College to help you with your thesis, including templates, submission info, and writing help. View the graduate college’s thesis and dissertation guide.

The templates linked below can help students prepare both the written proposal and the oral proposal defense. Once the supervisory committee agrees on a time/day for the proposal, the student schedules a meeting time/space by using the scheduling form linked below.

Dissertation Proposal Template
Schedule your Dissertation Proposal

Apply for Graduation

In the semester before you intend to graduate, you’ll need to apply for graduation. Keep an eye on the academic calendar for the exact deadline. Learn more about applying for graduation.

Defend Dissertation

The Graduate College has prepared helpful resources for students preparing a dissertation.

You should plan to finish writing your dissertation at the start of your final semester, if not sooner. At the beginning of your final semester of study, you should also

work with your advisor to Request for Appointment of External Examiner for Doctoral Dissertation
ensure that an up-to-date Application for Admission to Candidacy form has been submitted
submit a new Appointment of Supervisory Committee form to include your external examiner and graduate faculty representative

As with the dissertation proposal, you’ll need to check in with your committee and identify 2-4 days/times when they are all available for about 3 hours. Selecting multiple mutually agreeable presentation times is important because you will also need to coordinate your defense presentation with an external examiner.

Once the supervisory committee agrees on a set of presentation times, you need to Schedule your Dissertation Defense

Doctoral candidates must also complete the various Required Supporting Documents, including the Graduate Defense Notification.