Electrical Engineering

Master's Degree Program

Graduate opportunities

Where would you like your graduate degree to take you? Will you develop a trailblazing, intelligent wireless sensor network that can detect biological or chemical agents? A new way to manage acoustic signals in speech, ultrasound, hearing aids or music? Or something entirely new?

The Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of North Texas offers course work leading to a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. With this degree, you’ll be well-positioned for an accomplished career in tomorrow’s tech-driven world, finding more efficient ways of communicating information.

We are constantly assessing our degree programs with an eye on tomorrow’s marketplace. The College of Engineering is a pioneer in developing project-oriented curricula that allow you to apply knowledge in tangible real-world applications. Its state-of-the-art laboratory and research facilities are the envy of other universities nationwide.

With small class sizes, you will work closely with distinguished faculty members to solve complex problems faced by government, businesses and consumers. You also will have opportunities to take advantage of the invaluable contacts provided from the many relationships we have with leading companies and corporate partners.

Choose from a variety of cutting-edge courses and research areas, including:

• Artificial intelligence
• Coding theory
• Computer vision
• Data fusion
• Environmental monitoring and modeling
• Radio frequency/microwave circuits
• Sensor networks
• Speech-driven facial animation
• Statistical signal processing
• Systems and control
• VLSI design
• Wireless communications and networks

You can engage in advanced high-tech collaborative research supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Army Research Laboratory and others in industry. Graduate classes are offered late in the afternoon to accommodate working students. Engineering classes and research are conducted at Discovery Park, a 300-acre research facility located four miles north of the main campus and served by a free shuttle.

Research and laboratories

We are committed to excellence in teaching and the discovery and application of knowledge through research and creative activities. The department has several state-of- the-art instructional and research laboratories that provide you with practical and advanced hands-on experience. Some laboratories and instrumentation from other departments also are available for interdisciplinary work.

The Analog, RF and Mixed-Signal Design Laboratory features state-of-the-art electronic instrumentation and facilities for simulations, prototyping and measurement of RF/microwave components and systems.

The Autonomous Systems Laboratory focuses on information assurance, decision making and video communications aspects in autonomous systems such as unmanned aerial and ground vehicles.

The Communications and Signal Processing Laboratory is dedicated to research on coding, information theory, encryption, wireless networking and software defined radio for applications in the industry, defense and space sectors.

The Computer Aided Design Laboratory provides infrastructure for CAD, including several workstations with the latest CAD software, enabling design, test and simulation of a range of analog, digital and mixed-signal semiconductor chip designs.

The Speech, Music and Digital Signal Processing Laboratory is dedicated to the study of speech, ultrasound, hearing prosthetics, music (analysis, synthesis and transcription) and management of acoustic signals.

The Vision, Robotics and Control Systems Laboratory supports research in large-scale dynamical networks, decentralized control, pattern recognition, image processing, computer vision, computational intelligence, robotics and allied areas.

The Wireless Systems and Sensor Networks Research Laboratory focuses on system-level assurance and integration issues critical for the design of high-performance wireless networks and intelligent sensor networks.

The Texas Environmental Observatory aims to provide near real-time data on environmental conditions in Texas using a ground-based network of observatories. It also provides cyber infrastructure to make the data readily available to the public and amenable to modeling, analysis and synthesis. TEO operates one station in Discovery Park.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements

You must meet the general admission requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School and a specific set of program requirements:

• Acceptable GRE scores
• Acceptable scores on TOEFL if English is not your native language
• Appropriate mathematics course work
• Demonstration of material covered in leveling courses (This can be achieved by completing the courses at UNT, completing similar courses at another recognized institution or presenting evidence of work experience and may require you to pass a placement examination to demonstrate your knowledge.)
• Minimum 3.0 GPA in undergraduate electrical engineering course work

Admission is based on a holistic review of your academic background and work experience. If your undergraduate degree is not in Electrical Engineering, you will need to complete leveling courses. These will be determined by your graduate advisor on an individual basis.

Admission to candidacy

After fulfilling the admission requirements, you must submit a formal degree plan to your graduate advisor and the dean of the graduate school. Failure to do so may prevent you from enrolling the following semester. Admission to candidacy is granted by the dean of the graduate school after the degree plan has been approved.

Degree requirements

Thesis option

• 24 semester hours of required courses
• 6 semester hours of the master’s thesis course

Nonthesis option

• 33 semester hours of required courses
• 3 semester hours of a directed study course

Financial assistance

You could earn scholarships based on your academic performance. The department and faculty research grants also provide a limited number of teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Only master's students who select the thesis option are eligible for teaching or research assistantships.

Completed assistantship and admission applications must be received by the department by March 1 for the fall semester and by Oct. 1 for the spring semester.