Description
The College of Engineering and Computer Science offers Master of Science (M.S.Cp.E.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Computer Engineering.
The master’s program offers four tracks: Computer Networking, Digital Systems, Intelligent Systems, and Software Engineering. All tracks offer a thesis option and a non-thesis option. Students in the program receive a broad background in the various tracks while specializing in a research area of their interest. The program is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering or a closely related discipline.
The doctoral program is primarily intended for students with a master’s degree in Computer Engineering or a closely related discipline wishing to pursue a career in research or academia. Specializations include digital systems, computer architecture and VLSI design, software engineering, intelligent systems, computer networks, and simulation systems.
Research interests of the Computer Engineering faculty include digital systems, computer architecture, software engineering, artificial intelligence, expert systems, modeling and simulation, computer networking and ubiquitous computing, computer vision, and very large-scale integration (VLSI) systems.
Degrees OfferedMaster of Science in Computer Engineering- Computer Networking Track
- Digital Systems Track
- Intelligent Systems Track
- Software Engineering Track
Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering Admission
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants are encouraged to apply online. Please be sure to submit all requested material by the established deadline(s).
The College of Engineering and Computer Science requires that you fill out a pre-application form (www.graduate.cecs.ucf.edu) before you complete the application for graduate admission. The deadlines for the pre-application form can be found on the Prospective Student Page on the College of Engineering and Computer Science website.
In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must provide:
M.S.Cp.E. program:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
- Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) combined score of at least 1000 from test taken within the last five years.
- GPA of 3.0 or higher in last 60 attempted semester hours of undergraduate study.
- Resume.
- Goals statement.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- International
students, except those who are from countries where English is the only
official language or those who have earned a degree from an accredited American
college or university, are required to submit a score of at least 220
(computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test
of English as a Foreign Language.
Ph.D. program:
- Students must have completed either a master’s degree in Computer Engineering or a closely related discipline with a minimum GPA of 3.5 or a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or a closely related discipline with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the last 60 attempted semester hours of the bachelor's degree. A minimum of 1100 on the combined verbal-quantitative sections of the GRE is also required.
- Resume.
- Goals statement.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- For applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for an applicant whose bachelor’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, an official score of at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
Students with a grade point average of less than 3.5 may be admitted on a trial program basis in some circumstances. Additional courses may also be required to correct any course deficiencies. Students should contact the graduate program director for further information.
Application Due Dates
All students applying for fellowships must apply by the Fall Priority deadline date.
U.S. Applicants
| Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering |
Jan 15 |
Jul 15 |
Dec 1 |
Apr 15 |
| Master of Science in Computer Engineering |
Jan 15 |
Jul 15 |
Dec 1 |
Apr 15 |
| Computer Networking Track |
Jan 15 |
Jul 15 |
Dec 1 |
Apr 15 |
| Digital Systems Track |
Jan 15 |
Jul 15 |
Dec 1 |
Apr 15 |
| Intelligent Systems Track |
Jan 15 |
Jul 15 |
Dec 1 |
Apr 15 |
| Software Engineering Track |
Jan 15 |
Jul 15 |
Dec 1 |
Apr 15 |
International Applicants
| Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Nov 1 |
| Master of Science in Computer Engineering |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Nov 1 |
| Computer Networking Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Nov 1 |
| Digital Systems Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Nov 1 |
| Intelligent Systems Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Nov 1 |
| Software Engineering Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Nov 1 |
International Transfer Applicants
| Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering |
Jan 15 |
Mar 1 |
Sep 1 |
Dec 15 |
| Master of Science in Computer Engineering |
Jan 15 |
Mar 1 |
Sep 1 |
Dec 15 |
| Computer Networking Track |
Jan 15 |
Mar 1 |
Sep 1 |
Dec 15 |
| Digital Systems Track |
Jan 15 |
Mar 1 |
Sep 1 |
Dec 15 |
| Intelligent Systems Track |
Jan 15 |
Mar 1 |
Sep 1 |
Dec 15 |
| Software Engineering Track |
Jan 15 |
Mar 1 |
Sep 1 |
Dec 15 |
Master of Science in Computer Engineering
Minimum Hours Required for M.S.Cp.E.—30 Credit Hours (Thesis Option) / 36 Credit Hours (Non-thesis Option)
Prerequisites
Undergraduate articulation courses may be required for students with bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in fields other than Computer Engineering. The articulation courses will be determined by recommendations from the CpE faculty to the graduate program director on a case-by-case basis. In general, all students must have had the following undergraduate courses (or equivalent) before admission to graduate study. Students without these courses may be admitted with the provision the courses will be taken and a grade of "B" or higher obtained. Courses taken to correct deficiencies do not satisfy minimum requirement for students Program of Study.
- Mathematics through Differential Equations (equivalent to MAC 2311, MAC 2312, MAC 2313, MAP 2302).
- College Physics with Calculus (equivalent to PHY 2048 and PHY 2049).
- Computer Organization and Design (equivalent to EEL 4767C).
- Probability and Statistics (equivalent to STA 3032).
- Numerical Methods and matrix algebra (equivalent to EGN 3420).
- Engineering Data Structures (equivalent to EEL 4851C).
- Digital Logic Circuits (equivalent to EEL 3342C).
Transfer Credits
Graduate students with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from UCF may transfer up to 9 credit hours of 5000-level work toward a non-thesis M.S.Cp.E. option, and up to 3 credit hours of 5000-level work toward a thesis M.S.Cp.E. option. Up to 9 credit hours may be transferred from graduate work conducted elsewhere or in non-degree status from a regionally accredited institution. A minimum of 15 credits earned on a students Program of Study must be taken at the 6000 level.
Thesis / Non-Thesis Options
The master’s program has a thesis option and a non-thesis (course work only) option. The thesis option requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, including 6 credit hours of thesis. The entire graduate committee must be appointed and a thesis abstract provided to them prior to registering for thesis credit. The non-thesis option requires following one of the available tracks (Computer Networking, Digital Systems, Intelligent Systems, and Software Engineering) with a minimum of 36 credit hours of course work.
Each option requires a minimum of 15 credit hours at the 6000 level. The actual program of study must be approved by an adviser (and thesis committee, as appropriate) prior to completing 9 credit hours of course work. A maximum of 9 credit hours of graduate course work taken prior to admission to the program can be used in a graduate degree program.
General College Requirements
Non-thesis option only
Minimum Hours Required for M.S.Cp.E. (Non-Thesis Option)—36 Credit Hours
Computer Networking Track
- EEL 6785 Computer Network Design (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5780 Wireless Networks (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5542 Random Processes I (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6788 Advanced Topics in Computer Networks (3 credit hours)
Student must choose any 3 from the following courses:
- EEL 6543 Random Processes II (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5762 Performance Analysis of Computer and Communication Systems (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6786 Advanced Network Hardware Design (3 credit hours)
- COT 5405 Design and Analysis of Algorithms 3 (3 credit hours)
- COP 5537 Network Optimization (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5881 Software Engineering (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5708 High Performance Computer Architecture (3 credit hours)
- Electives (15 credit hours)
Digital Systems Track
- EEL 5708 High Performance Computer Architecture (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5722 FPGA Design c (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5930 Full Custom VLSI Design (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6707 Parallel Processing (3 credit hours)
Student must choose any 2 from the following courses:
- EEL 5357 CMOS Analog and Digital IC Design (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5704 Computer Aided Logic Design . (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5762 Performance Analysis of Computer and Communication Systems (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6327 High-Level VLSI Synthesis (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6763 Current Topics in Parallel Processing (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6786 Advanced Networking Hardware Design (3 credit hours)
- Electives (18 credit hours)
Intelligent Systems Track
- EEL 4872 Engineering Applications of Intelligent Systems (3 credit hours)*
- EEL 5874 Expert Systems and Knowledge Engineering (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5881 Software Engineering I (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6875 Engineering of Artificial Intelligence Systems (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6876 Current Topics in Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Systems (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6878 Modeling and Artificial Intelligence (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6883 Software Engineering II (3 credit hours)
- Electives (15 credit hours)
* If the student has taken this course or an equivalent as an undergraduate,
then an elective, chosen in consultation with the adviser, can be used to replace
this course.
Software Engineering Track
- EEL 5708 High Performance Computer Architecture (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5874 Expert Systems and Knowledge Engineering (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5881 Software Engineering I (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6883 Software Engineering II (3 credit hours)
Student must choose any 2 from the following courses:
- EEL 6885 Software Engineering Quality Assurance Methods (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6887 Software Engineering Life-Cycle Control (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6897 Software Development for Real-Time Engineering Systems (3 credit hours)
- Electives (18 credit hours)
Accelerated Undergraduate and Graduate Program in Computer Engineering
The accelerated undergraduate/graduate program in Computer Engineering allows highly qualified undergraduate majors in Computer Engineering to begin taking graduate-level courses that will count toward their master’s degree while completing their baccalaureate degree program. In addition to the general admission requirements the applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Students must have completed their sophomore year (after a minimum of 64 credit hours)
- A grade point average of 3.25
- A minimum score of 1000 on the verbal-quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) by the end of the first semester of their senior year
- A resume
- A written statement describing student’s personal goals and objectives in seeking a graduate degree in Computer Engineering
- Two letters of recommendation
Students can apply for the accelerated undergraduate and graduate program any time after the completion of 64 credit hours (or the end of their sophomore year) and before completion of 96 credit hours (end of their junior year).
Thesis or Non-thesis Option
Accelerated Undergraduate and Graduate Program in Computer Engineering
The accelerated undergraduate/graduate program offers the opportunity for UCF undergraduates to finish both the B.S. and M.S. degrees five years after they have entered UCF as freshmen. Students must meet the following requirements in order to graduate with both B.S and M.S. degrees:
- Must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 for all course work taken as a junior, senior or graduate student during their five-year accelerated undergraduate and graduate program
- Transfer to graduate status after 128-credit hours are completed. At this time the bachelor’s degree will be awarded
- Following the guidelines of the M.S. degree with thesis option, once they attain a graduate status (30 credit hours beyond the B.S. with 6 hours of thesis), OR
- Follow the guidelines of the M.S. degree with thesis option once they attain a graduate status (36 credit hours beyond the B.S.)
- Students must have an adviser appointed and an official program of study submitted before completing 9 credit hours of graduate course work
- Up to 12 credit hours of grades B- or better may be counted toward the bachelor’s and master’s degrees (double counting of 12 credit hours). Of these 12 credit hours up to 6 credit hours can be 4000-level classes, and the remaining hours can be 5000-level classes.
NOTES:
- A student pursuing an accelerated undergraduate/graduate degree must maintain a cumulative 3.25 grade point average by the end of every semester of their junior, senior, or graduate studies years. If their grade point average drops below the 3.25 grade point average, they will automatically be dropped from the accelerated undergraduate/graduate program and their status will be reverted to an undergraduate student status.
- At any point in time after their admission into the accelerated undergraduate/graduate program the student has the option to abandon the pursuit of a five-year accelerated undergraduate/graduate program. In order to do so the student needs to e-mail the corresponding program director with their intention. The graduate director will then initiate steps to revert the student status from the accelerated undergraduate/graduate status to an undergraduate status.
- The intended duration of this program is five years. If for any approved reason the student delays the completion of the necessary credit hours, the duration of this program will be extended beyond five years.
Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering
Minimum Hours Required for Ph.D. — 72 credit hours beyond bachelor’s degree; 36 credit hours beyond non-thesis master’s degree or 42 hours beyond thesis option master’s degree.
General College Requirements
Students with a Bachelors degree pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering must complete 72 credit hours consisting of course work and dissertation. Minimum requirements are 36 credit hours of course work and 15 credit hours of dissertation. Of the remaining 21 hours, at most 12 credit hours can be unstructured course work. (Directed Research, Independent Study or Doctoral Research), and the rest could be Dissertation hours or regular course work.
Up to 36 credit hours may be transferred from a Masters degree including a maximum of 6 credit hours of 4000-level courses, no 3000-level courses, and no courses with grades lower than "B" (3.0) The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 36-42 credit hours beyond the master’s degree (depending on the number of transfer credits from the master’s degree). Of these 36-42 hours, a minimum of 12 credit hours should be regular course work and a minimum of 15 hours should be dissertation hours. Of the remaining 9-15 credit hours, no more than 12 credit hours can be unstructured course work. (Directed Research, Independent Study or Doctoral Research), and the rest could be Dissertation hours or regular course work.
At least 6 credit hours must be taken outside of Computer Engineering while at UCF.
There is a residency requirement of two consecutive semesters in full-time graduate student status (minimum of 9 credit hours) after acceptance to the program. The program of study must be developed in consultation with an adviser within the first 9 credit hours of course work and must meet with departmental approval, at which time transfer credit will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Students are required to pass a qualifying examination, after which the student must form a dissertation committee. The degree must be completed within seven years from the entry date to the doctoral program.
Qualifying Examination
Doctoral students must take a written qualifying examination. This exam covers relevant material typically learned at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and serves to verify the student’s capability and readiness for the Ph.D. program. It is expected that a Ph.D. student will pass the qualifying examination within the first year of graduate studies. The exam consists of a four-hour written test, held twice a year on the first Friday of November and April of each year. The written exam may be followed by an oral exam, to be held approximately within two weeks from the evaluation of the written examination. The oral exam is required at the discretion of the Computer Engineering Graduate Committee. The qualifying exam allows the use of open books and open notes, but published solution manuals for texts are not allowed. It is the policy of the Computer Engineering Program that any calculator used during the qualifying examination may not be used to store user-defined programs.
Written Exam Format
The exam is comprised of problems in at most four areas. The student
must respond to a total of nine questions. The student must respond to four
questions in his/her primary area and two questions in his/her secondary area. The
primary area will be chosen prior to the exam date by notifying the Computer
Engineering Graduate Secretary, or on the day of the exam. The primary area
and secondary area can be chosen from the following list of areas.
- Software Engineering
- Digital Systems and Computer Architecture
The student must also respond to three questions in no more than two of the areas listed below.
- Intelligent Systems
- Communications
- Digital Signal Processing
- Controls
- Electro-optics
- Electromagnetics
- Physical Electronics
- Analog Electronics
- Modeling and Simulation
Candidacy Examination
The Candidacy Examination evaluates
the student’s preparation to begin research in their dissertation
topic. A student may sit for the Candidacy Examination upon: (1) passing the
Qualifying Examination; (2) completing all conditions placed as a result thereof;
and (3) completing all but six credits or less of the courses prescribed in
the plan of study. The Candidacy Examination consists of the following:
- A Candidacy Proposal developed by the student to identify
the chosen area of research.
- An oral presentation of the Candidacy Proposal to the
dissertation committee by the student.
- A written Candidacy Examination based on the student’s
chosen area of research may be required by the major professor. The major professor
determines the format in consultation with the dissertation committee.
Upon successful completion of the
Candidacy Examination, the student can be accepted into Candidacy status, allowing
him/her to enroll for dissertation credit hours.
The final step in the process is the Dissertation Defense
Examination, which is an oral examination taken in defense of the written dissertation
before the dissertation committee.
Dissertation Committee
The doctoral committee consists of a minimum of five members: at least three must be faculty members from the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, and one must be from outside ECE. The committee chair must be a member of the department graduate faculty approved to direct dissertations. Joint faculty members may serve as department faculty committee members. Adjunct faculty and off-campus experts may serve as the outside-the-ECE-department person on the committee. Program areas may further specify additional committee membership. UCF Graduate Studies reserves the right to review appointments to advisory committees, place a representative on any advisory committee, or appoint a co-adviser. In unusual cases, with approval from the department chair, two professors may chair the committee jointly. Joint faculty members may serve as committee chairs, but off-campus experts and adjunct faculty may not, although they may serve as co-chairs. All members vote on acceptance or rejection of the final dissertation. The final dissertation must be approved by a three-fourths majority of the dissertation committee.
Financial Support
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Key points about financial support:
- If you’re interested in financial assistance, you’re strongly encouraged to apply for admission early. A complete application for admission, including all supporting documents, must be received by the priority date listed for your program under "Admissions."
- You must be admitted to a graduate program before the university can consider awarding financial assistance to you.
- If you want to be considered for loans and other need-based financial assistance, review the UCF Student Financial Assistance website at http://finaid.ucf.edu and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Apply early and allow up to six weeks for the FAFSA form to be processed.
- UCF Graduate Studies awards university graduate fellowships, with most decisions based on nominations from the colleges and programs. All admitted graduate students are automatically considered in this nomination process. To be eligible for a fellowship, students must be accepted as a graduate student in a degree program and be enrolled full-time. University graduate fellowships are not affected by FAFSA determination of need.
- Please note that select fellowships do require students to fill out a fellowship application (either a university fellowship application, an external fellowship application, or a college or school fellowship application). For university fellowship applications, see Financing Grad School.
- For information on assistantships (including teaching, research, and general graduate assistantships) or tuition support, contact the graduate program director of your major.
Contact Info
Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering
Harold Klee, Ph.D. , Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-2270
klee@mail.ucf.edu Master of Science in Computer Engineering
Harold Klee, Ph.D. , Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-2270
klee@mail.ucf.edu Computer Networking Track
Damla Boloni-Turgut, Ph.D.
Phone Number: 407-823-6171
turgut@cs.ucf.edu Digital Systems Track
Ronald DeMara, Ph.D.
Phone Number: 407-823-5916
demara@mail.ucf.edu Intelligent Systems Track
Avelino Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Phone Number: 407-823-5027
gonzalez@cs.ucf.edu Software Engineering Track
Joseph Berrios, Ph.D.
Phone Number: 407-823-4305
jberrios@mail.ucf.edu
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Graduate Catalog
