Electrical Engineering (DE)

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  Degree Requirements (81 credit hours) after BS/BEE (bachelor)

  The Doctor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering adheres to the College's general requirements for admission to and candidacy in a Doctor of Engineering program with some department specific modification/additions. The completion of the degree requires that students complete the doctoral core courses, the core courses for one concentration, as well as at least nine credit hours in a related discipline and 30 credit hours of dissertation. The Doctoral program is divided into three parts: Coursework, Dissertation and Examination. All doctoral programs of study must be approved by the faculty advisor/committee and the department chairperson.

  Coursework

  Coursework consists of 51 post-baccalaureate course credits at the graduate level. Up to 36 graduate credit hours can be transferred but at least 21 additional graduate credits must be accrued at Detroit Mercy. Coursework is divided into Doctoral Core, Concentration Core, and Discipline Specific. There are two Doctoral Core courses (or equivalent): ENGR 5020 Design of Experiments; and ENGR 5300 Advanced Engineering Mathematics. Each area of focus has a number of associated courses, all of which must be taken to fulfill the requirements for that area. Discipline Specific courses are those related to Electrical and Computer Engineering and at least nine credits of Electrical and Computer Engineering courses must be taken outside the Specialization Area and Doctoral Core courses.

  Dissertation

  Dissertation credits consist of research credits under the guidance of a Doctoral Dissertation committee headed by a faculty member who acts as the supervisor. Although Doctoral research is independent, novel and advances the state of the art, the committee members can provide guidance, advice and technical expertise. A minimum 30 dissertation credits is required for the Doctor of Engineering degree.

  Examination

  Examinations comprise three stages: Qualifying, Dissertation Proposal, and Final. The Qualifying exam consists of two parts: Mathematics and Discipline-specific (in this case, Electrical and Computer Engineering topics relevant to the individual examinee). The Mathematics Qualifying examination is administered and interpreted by the college-level Engineering & Science Graduate Committee. This Qualifying Exam should be taken in the first year of the program and must be taken when the student has completed the Doctoral Core Courses. The Discipline-Specific Qualifying exam is administered by the ECE Department Graduate Program Committee. This exam is comprised of a major area exam and a minor area exam. Major and minor areas are selected by the student in cooperation with his/her doctoral advisor. These exams are typically taken after the area-specific coursework has been completed. Students passing the Qualifying Examinations are allowed to advance in the Doctoral Program. Students can repeat the qualifying exam once. Students failing the second time are dismissed from the Doctoral program. Students will not be able to register for dissertation credits until they pass the Mathematics and Discipline-specific Qualifying exams.

  The Dissertation Topic Examination consists of the formal presentation of the dissertation topic to the advisory committee. The committee provides feedback to the student regarding scope, depth and relevancy of the topic. With approval of the committee, the student can proceed with the research and subsequent accrual of dissertation credits.

  The Final Examination consists of the formal and public presentation of the dissertation results. The written dissertation must also be approved and accepted by the supervisory committee. The Final Examination, in concert with submission of the approved version of the written dissertation, constitutes the last step in completion of the Doctor of Engineering degree.

  Information about the Mathematics Qualifying Exam can be found here. Masters and Doctoral Thesis guidelines can be found on the Engineering & Science website.