MS PhD Requirements

(Revised and in effect January 2025)

The ECE program has the following requirements: 

  1. Registration for a one credit seminar course (ECE 793A-Fall & ECE 794-Spring) is MANDATORY for all students registered for course credits. Exceptions to this requirement are outlined below. This seminar credit does not count toward degree eligibility requirements.
  2. Residency Requirements: A doctoral candidate must spend the equivalent of at least one academic year of full-time graduate work (minimum 9 credits per semester – no exceptions) in residence at the University. The residency year must be either a Fall/Spring or Spring/Fall sequence. During this year, the student must spend some part of each week physically on campus.
  3. Language Requirement: Not required by the ECE program, however the Graduate School has baseline requirements for international students applying to the Ph.D. program.
  4. Preliminary Comprehensive Examination: The Preliminary Comprehensive Exam consists of two (2) parts: (1) The Core Requirement, including the four-course core curriculum in residence (see “Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination Policy”); (2) Research Qualifying Exam, including documentation and presentation of a research project involving the formation of a four (4) member committee; submission of documentation and an oral presentation (see the next section, “Ph.D. Preliminary Comprehensive Examination”). Both requirements should be completed by the end of the second year. The result of the Research Qualifying Examination (RQE) is e-mailed to the Academic Programs Office by the student’s faculty advisor.
  5. Doctoral Dissertation Committee: Within one year after the student has completed all core requirements and passed the Research Qualifying Exam (the Preliminary Comprehensive Exam), the Doctoral Dissertation Committee is formed by the student and nominated to the Graduate Program Director by the student’s proposed Committee Chair.  From the university's Graduate Student Handbook: The dissertation committee is composed of at least three (3) graduate faculty members; the chairperson, one other member from the candidate's department, and one member from outside the candidate's department. (On rare occasions, committee members are appointed outside of UMass 5-college campus. Note: To appoint a non-voting outside member, a curriculum vitae is needed.) Members of the Dissertation Committee must agree to not only assist in the supervision of the dissertation project, but also conduct (be present at) the Final Oral Examination (Final Dissertation Defense). Students should remember that most faculty are on a 9-month contract and should not assume that committee members will be available during the summer months. The Graduate Dean makes the official committee appointment. The committee is officially constituted when the Graduate Dean sends formal notification (letters) of its formation to each committee member, the Graduate Program Director, and to the student.
  6. Dissertation Credit Requirement: The total number of dissertation credits (ECE 899) required are 18 credits. There is no maximum number of dissertation credits to which a student is limited; however, a student can register for only a maximum of nine (9) dissertation credits per semester. Doctoral candidates will not be recommended to the Board of Trustees for graduation unless they have the requisite minimum number of dissertation credits (18) and have met all degree requirements.
  7. Dissertation Prospectus/Outline: After completing the core requirements and passing the Research Qualifying Exam (passing the Preliminary Comprehensive Examination), within two more years the graduate student must prepare a dissertation prospectus/outline describing the research to be conducted, analyzed, and presented in the dissertation. The cover sheet must be signed by each member of the Dissertation Committee to indicate approval of the topic and its plan of execution. The prospectus/outline signed cover sheet must be received by the Graduate School at least seven (7) months prior to the Final Oral Examination/Dissertation defense.
  8. Announcement of Final Oral Dissertation Defense: At least seven (7) months following the presentation of the dissertation outline, the student must schedule the final oral dissertation defense in consultation with his/her committee chair. Notice by email must be sent to the Graduate Program Director by the Committee Chair at least 5 weeks in advance of the defense date. Written notification of the scheduling of a Final Ph.D. Oral Defense must be sent to the Graduate School by the Graduate Program Director no less than four (4) weeks prior to the date of the defense. All members of the Dissertation Committee must be present at the defense. An examination/defense cannot be held unless it has been publicly announced by the Graduate School.
  9. Final Oral Dissertation Defense Results: The result of the Dissertation Defense must be sent immediately following the defense to the Academic Programs Office by the Committee Chair, and the student is required to submit a prepared dissertation cover sheet to the Academic Programs Office. The Academic Programs Office will obtain approvals and signatures from the committee members and Department Head. The completed form will be submitted to the Graduate School with the student cc'd, and a copy will be kept in the student's file.
  10. Dissertation: The dissertation must prepared according to the Graduate School's Doctoral Paperwork Requirements. Further instructions are provided on the Graduate School's Doctoral Dissertation Submission portion of the handbook. The final dissertation must be submitted to ScholarWorks. The Graduate School is the final and only arbiter of what is an acceptable dissertation.
  11. Degree Eligibility Form: The Ph.D. Degree Eligibility Form is available online in the Graduate School's handbook. The form must be completed by all doctoral degree candidates and submitted to the ECE Academic Programs Office for signature/approval by the Graduate Program Director and the Department Head according to the deadlines posted by the Graduate School. The completed form will be sent to the Graduate School by the ECE Academic Programs Office following approvals with the student cc'd, and a copy will be kept in the student's file. These deadlines are strictly observed and will not be extended. Degrees cannot and will not be awarded retroactively.