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Dec 06, 2025
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2025-2026 University Catalog
Electrical and Computer Engineering, PHD
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About the Program
Purdue’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s graduate programs are ranked amongst the best in the nation and offer a rigorous, cutting-edge, and intellectually-stimulating educational experience in an environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and student success. Students in Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate degree programs have an opportunity to learn from and work alongside leading faculty members who are globally renowned for their excellence in research, teaching, and mentoring. The PhD program combines coursework and original research to prepare for a career in academia or industry. The focus is on learning to critically review existing knowledge in archive journals on the way to performing original research. The program balances classroom study in primary and related subject areas with a thorough investigation on an original topic. Students work alongside Purdue ECE’s exceptional faculty, who are leaders in their disciplines. Program Website Program Requirements
90 Credits Required (24 credits from a Master’s may be applied.) Required Courses (15-36 credits)*
*If not (partially) completed by coursework from a Master’s degree. For students who have already earned an MS, a minimum of 12 credits of non-thesis, 500/600-level courses is required. 6 of those credits should be ECE 600-level or above, and cannot be core courses. For students who have not earned an MS, a minimum of 36 non-thesis credits (21 credits in ECE), including electives, is required. The courses must include at least: two ECE core courses (in a primary and related area, 6 credits total); two non-core courses (6 credits); two ECE 60000 or above courses (6 credits); and three additional graduate-level ECE courses (9 credits). ECE 69600 (Advanced Projects) and ECE 69700 (Directed Reading) cannot be used to fulfill these requirements. Core Courses (0-6 credits)*
*If not completed by coursework from a Master’s degree. If students do not have a Master’s degree, they must take two core courses. They must select one of the seven research areas as a primary area and take its corresponding core course, listed below. The primary area encompasses the body of knowledge each student chooses for their professional expertise. For the second course, students choose a related are and take its corresponding core course, listed below. Related Area Courses (6-9 credits)
Students must complete a minimum of 5 graduate-level courses (15 credits) outside their primary area. The courses must consist of either - 3 math courses (9 credit hours) and 2 related-area courses (6 credits)
or - 2 math courses (6 credit hours) and 3 related-area courses (9 credits)
Math Courses (6-9 credits)
Students must complete a minimum of 5 graduate-level courses (15 credits) outside their primary area. The courses must consist of either - 3 math courses (9 credit hours) and 2 related-area courses (6 credits)
or - 2 math courses (6 credit hours) and 3 related-area courses (9 credits)
Along with the suggested courses listed below, students can fulfill the mathematics requirement by choosing any 500/600-level math course (MA), except seminar courses and teacher training courses and any 500/600-level statistics courses (STAT), except seminar courses. Research Course (0-2 credits)
Consistent with the research emphasis in the PhD program, all PhD students are required to register for at least one credit hour of ECE 69200 (Introduction to Graduate Research) or ECE 69900 (PhD Thesis Research) in their first and second semesters in the PhD program. In each subsequent semester, students must enroll in at least one credit hour of ECE 69900. Seminar Course (0 credits)
All students must complete one semester of ECE 69400: Graduate Seminar. This is a zero-credit-hour course that does not go on the plan of study. Students typically take this course during their first or second semester. Electives (0-13 credits)
Students should primarily choose 500/600-level courses from ECE to fulfill this requirement. 6 credits of ECE 600-level or above are required for the degree and may come from electives. Dissertation Research (54 credits)
Concentrations
Interdisciplinary concentrations: Additional Information
Preliminary Examination: The Preliminary Examination is given to determine whether a student is adequately prepared to conceive and undertake a suitable research topic. Students may not schedule their Preliminary Examination until after they have submitted their final plan of study. The Preliminary Examination may include a written exam component, if the Doctoral Advisory Committee so requires, but normally it is an oral examination primarily associated with a written thesis proposal. During the Preliminary Examination, the student is typically expected to exhibit all of the following: - A clear understanding of the research problem.
- An awareness of pertinent background literature and current efforts in the research area of interest.
- Some initial progress toward solving the research problem.
- A plan to execute the remainder of the thesis research.
Final Examination: The final examination is given after the thesis and all other requirements have been completed. The final examination covers primarily the thesis and related topics. Graduate Programs Disclaimer
- The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
- Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
- Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
- Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
- Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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