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Program Overview

Qualified undergraduate students who plan to earn a M.S.  in electrical engineering may enroll in the Accelerated Master’s Entry Pathway, which enables students to begin working on the M.S. while still an undergraduate. Students apply by the second semester of their junior year. Following acceptance by the Graduate College, students may take up to 6 graduate credits while still an undergraduate that can be counted toward both the B.S. and the M.S. degrees. Another 3 graduate credits can be counted towards the M.S. degree while an undergraduate but cannot count towards the B.S. degree. This is subject to approval of the student's graduate advisor. Students in the program who want to pursue the thesis option typically engage in research in the summer following their junior year

Curriculum

Minimum Degree Requirements

Advanced courses in electrical engineering, physics, computer science, and mathematics (18 to 24 credits, at least 6 of which must be at the 6000-level) with at least 15 credits appropriately distributed in approved areas of study in the Electrical Engineering department. Thesis research (6 to 12 credits).

Students are free to pursue any M.S. degree option: thesis, project, or course-work only options. For students interested in academic research and working closely with a faculty advisor, a thesis is normally expected in the program. 

In all cases, successful completion of the M.S. degree will require passing a comprehensive examination. This examination will in part be based on course work that was taken in the pursuit of the M.S. degree. Thesis option students will be tested orally at the time of their thesis proposal while project students will be asked to write and present a report on a design or research topic of interest.

Admissions

To apply to the program, students must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 at the time of application, must submit a letter of application to the graduate program coordinator naming a faculty member who has agreed to serve as their graduate advisor and must complete the Graduate College application.

All students must also meet ¶¶Òõ̽̽'s 

¶¶Òõ̽̽ undergraduate students should apply in the fall or spring of their junior year when they have 2-3 semesters remaining in their BS program and should meet the following requirements:

• Two or three semesters remaining before completion of their bachelor's degree
• A minimum 3.2 GPA (some exceptions may be made, if warranted)
• Sufficient prerequisite coursework for the master's program that is being applied to.

Prospective AMP students must apply for admission through the Graduate College.

Applicants will automatically be considered for partial tuition scholarships; no separate application is necessary.

The AMP Permission form (PDF) is a required part of the application and requires both a signature from first, the Faculty Graduate Program Coordinator and then CEMS Graduate Program Coordinator, Jane Kimble, at cems.graduate.coordinator@uvm.edu (listed as the Undergraduate Dean’s Office signature).   Prospective AMP students must also notify the appropriate Graduate Program Director as to:

1. which courses they would like to double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees (for this they can consult a faculty and/or Graduate Program Director affiliated with the particular graduate program)
2. whether they're planning to do a coursework only, project, or thesis option, and
3. for project or thesis options, who has agreed to be their graduate advisor (note that upon starting their Master's degree, the thesis/project advisor can be changed)

Applications are typically completed in the second semester of the junior year, but must be completed at least one month before the semester in which the student wishes to take courses that will double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees so that there is enough time to be admitted to the Graduate College before coursework that will double count is taken. 

AMP Permission form (PDF)

Costs and Funding

Students pursuing a thesis-based MS are often supported as an undergraduate research assistant (URA) while still an undergraduate student, and then change to a graduate research or teaching assistant (GRA or GTA) when they graduate with their Bachelor’s degree and become a regular graduate student.

Students pursuing course-based or project-based MS degrees are typically self-funded. Self-funded AMP students will receive a partial tuition scholarship of 30% of the tuition cost for the remaining 21-24 graduate credits taken after completion of the Bachelor's degree, provided the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.0 in their graduate work  

More

Comprehensive Examination

M.S. Thesis Option: 

The student must orally present a proposal for their thesis research no later than the semester prior to the semester in which the student plans to graduate. The student's thesis committee will orally examine the student based on the student's coursework and research focus.

M.S. Project Option: 

Under the supervision of an EE graduate faculty member, the student must prepare and present a written proposal for their research project at least 3 months prior to graduation. The student's project committee will orally examine the student based on the student's coursework and research focus.

M.S. Coursework Option: 

The student must complete an oral comprehensive exam during the final semester of residence at ¶¶Òõ̽̽ based on course work for EE graduate courses where a grade below a B+ was earned.