I.

INTRODUCTION

The requirements for the Ph.D. degree in the School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering (ECE) at Purdue University are set forth in this handbook. As a Ph.D.
student at Purdue, you create your own plan of study, a document that defines the
academic program leading to your degree. The guidelines in this handbook will help you
to create your plan of study, register for classes, and schedule your examinations.

The degree requirements in this handbook are written so as to afford you the flexibility
to develop a plan that best suits your needs and goals. You should consult with your
advisory committee while developing your plan of study. The plan requires the approval
of all advisory committee members as well as the approval of the ECE Graduate
Coordinator and Graduate School.

In addition to this handbook, there are several other resources available to you for
academic guidance. We invite you to visit the ECE Graduate Office, located in Room
135 of the EE Building, with questions about registration, plans of study, or any other
academic issue. Many announcements are also posted on the bulletin board outside the
ECE Graduate Office. In addition, you can access the ECE Graduate Program
website:

www. purdue.edu/ECE/Graduates

ÌNEW STUDENT INFORMATION

One of the first questions to be addressed is how to register for classes in your first
semester. You may begin this process, as outlined in the following, as soon as you have
received the formal offer of admission from the Purdue Graduate School. Registration
for all subsequent semesters is covered in Section X, “Registration.”

1. The following documents are available to help orient you to Purdue University and to
the ECE School:

¿ The “Graduate School Bulletin” includes general information about the

graduate school and lists all graduate courses with a brief description. Consult
the Graduate School website:

www.purdue.edu/GradSchool/

Click on the link “Publications, Forms, and Reports.”

¿ The “Advanced Planning List” shows the planned ECE course offerings for
each of the next several semesters.

¿ The “Graduate Areas and Faculty Interests Supplement” gives a list of faculty
members in each of the eight ECE graduate areas. It also gives a brief statement
of the specific interest area for each faculty member.

Be sure you have these documents. If you do not, you can visit the ECE Graduate
Office website listed above or obtain copies from the ECE Graduate Office, EE
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 Building, Room 135. A listing of ECE graduate courses with detailed course
descriptions is also available on the ECE Graduate Program website and in the ECE
Graduate Office.

2. Study these documents, then consult with at least three different ECE faculty
members, representing at least two of the eight ECE graduate areas. The purpose
of this consultation is to begin planning your graduate program and deciding in
particular which courses you should take in your first semester. It also serves as a
first step toward selecting a Major Professor, the person who will be your academic
advisor. Refer to Section IV, “Academic Advisory Committee,” for further details.
Continuing Ph.D. students who have completed their Master’s degree in the School
of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue and advanced directly to the
Ph.D. program have already fulfilled this requirement, and are not required to fulfill it
again.

You will find the specific areas of interest for the individual faculty members and their
office location listed alphabetically in the “Graduate Areas and Faculty Interests
Supplement.”

3. After consulting with faculty, prepare a tentative list of classes for the first semester,
and report to the ECE Graduate Office, Room EE 135. Check the official Schedule
of Classes for that semester to be sure that your selected courses are being offered
and that their meeting times do not conflict.

4. Note that your graduation requirements include the satisfactory completion of one
semester of EE 694A, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Seminar,
and demonstration of proficiency in written English. Refer to Section IX, “Other
Important Departmental Requirements,” for more detail. We strongly suggest that
you complete these during your first or second semester.

5. The ECE Graduate Office staff will enter your registration into the Registrar’s
computer system. You will receive a fee statement from the Bursar by mail if there is
sufficient time before the beginning of the semester. Otherwise you should acquire it
from the Bursar’s Office, Hovde Hall. Payment of this fee statement completes
the registration process. Your registration will be cancelled if payment is not made
by the deadline determined by the Registrar’s office. This deadline is posted in
several locations, including the bulletin board outside the ECE Graduate Office.

II. Ph.D. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

In this section, we present a brief summary of the requirements and milestones

expected of each student in the ECE Ph.D. program. More complete descriptions are
provided in the subsequent sections of this handbook.

Students can be admitted to the doctoral program 1) after having already completed a
Master’s degree, or 2) directly after their undergraduate program. In this handbook, we
will refer to those students entering the program without a Master’s degree as the “direct
Ph.D. student,” and their degree program as the “direct Ph.D. program.”
The Graduate School requires that doctoral students register for a minimum of 90 hours
(course hours plus EE 699 research hours) beyond the Bachelor’s degree (typically 60

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hours beyond the Master’s degree). A typical doctoral program requires a minimum of
42 hours of course work beyond a Bachelor’s degree, or 21 hours beyond the Master’s
degree, not including EE 699 (thesis research).

There are three major examinations you must pass during the course of your Ph.D.
program. These are the Qualifying Examination (QE), the Preliminary Examination, and
the Final Examination. Be sure to consult Section III, “Time Schedule for Doctoral
Program” for important scheduling information for these examinations and other
program benchmarks. These are also summarized in Appendix A.

The Qualifying Examination (QE) is a written examination that covers core courses,
the Primary Area, and ECE Related Areas. The Preliminary Examination includes an
oral presentation and a written thesis proposal. The purpose of the Preliminary
Examination is to determine if you are adequately prepared to conceive and undertake
a suitable research topic. Doctoral research must be original and merit publication in the
scholarly literature. The oral Final Examination is given to determine if your thesis
research warrants granting the Ph.D. degree.

III. TIME SCHEDULE FOR DOCTORAL PROGRAM

The following schedule sets forth the maximum times to be permitted in various phases
of the doctoral program. It should be emphasized that these are maximum times,
and that the average doctoral student is expected to complete the various steps
in a substantially shorter time. In the time schedule, only full semesters are
considered; summer sessions are not counted regardless of whether the student is
registered or not. Deadlines shown in parentheses apply to direct Ph.D. students.

1. File Preliminary Plan of Study—Before registering for your second semester you
must file a preliminary plan of study. Three faculty members who have advised you
on your choice of courses (the Academic Advisory Committee) must sign the
preliminary plan of study. Failure to meet this deadline may result in a delay to your
registration and/or suspension of your ECN account. Refer to Section VI, “Doctoral
Plan of Study.”

2. Begin Research—Starting with the third (fifth for direct Ph.D. students) semester,
you must register for EE 699 (Ph.D. thesis research), under the supervision of your
Major Professor. Students having difficulty identifying a project should consult with
the ECE Graduate Coordinator.

3. File Final Plan of Study—Before registering for the fourth (sixth for direct Ph.D.
students) semester, you must file a final plan of study. At this time, you must have a
Major Professor and a Doctoral Advisory Committee. Failure to meet this deadline
may result in a delay to your registration and/or suspension of your ECN account.
Refer to Section VI, “Doctoral Plan of Study.”

4. Take Qualifying Examination (QE)—You must attempt the Qualifying Examination

(QE) before the start of the fourth (sixth for direct Ph.D. students) semester.
Students should file an application for the exam with the ECE Graduate Office prior
to the end of the fifth week of the semester preceding the date the exam is to be
taken. Failure to take the QE by this deadline results in automatic failure of that
attempt of the QE. Refer to Section XIII, “Qualifying Examination.”

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5. Satisfy Written English Proficiency Requirement—You must satisfy this
requirement within the first four semesters of your doctoral program. However, you
may have already satisfied this requirement. Refer to Section IX, “Other Important
Departmental Requirements.”

6. Take Preliminary Examination—You must take the Preliminary Examination before

the end of the sixth (eighth for direct Ph.D. students) semester. You cannot schedule
the Preliminary Exam until after you have passed the Qualifying Examination and
the Graduate School has approved your final plan of study. Refer to Section XIV,
“Preliminary Examination.”

7. Take Final Examination—You must take your Final Examination (also known as
your thesis defense) within five calendar years of passing your Preliminary
Examination, or before the end of your eighth (ninth for direct Ph.D. students) year,
whichever comes first. You must be registered for at least two sessions (academic
year or summer) between the Preliminary Examination and the Final Examination.
Refer to Section XVI, “Final Examination,” for more details.

IV. ACADEMIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The purpose of your Academic Advisory Committee is to provide early advice on your
choice of courses on the preliminary plan of study. Your Academic Advisory Committee
consists of the three Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty members who sign
your preliminary plan of study. On the preliminary plan of study, a Major Professor need
not be indicated. The Academic Advisory Committee serves until you have selected a
Major Professor and Doctoral Advisory Committee. The two advisory committees need
not be the same.

V. DOCTORAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Your Doctoral Advisory Committee consists of at least four members. The primary
duties of this committee are to assist in preparation of your final plan of study and to
conduct your Preliminary and Final Examinations.

Your Major Professor serves as chair of your Doctoral Advisory Committee. The
selection of your Major Professor requires his/her consent and the approval of the ECE
Graduate Coordinator. Your research interests, either in a general topic or a specific
project, will guide your choice of Major Professor. As you begin work on a research
project, your professor will often be able to support you as a Research Assistant. If not,
your professor is often able to offer a Research Assistantship at some later date. If you
are supported on a Teaching Assistantship or a Fellowship, you will find you have a bit
more flexibility in choosing a project that interests you the most. In the event that you
want to replace your Major Professor, please visit the ECE Graduate Coordinator to
discuss this.

In most cases, the Major Professor and the student shall agree upon the related areas,
and on the members who will serve with the Major Professor on the Doctoral Advisory
Committee. The following requirements will guide you in the selection of your committee
members.

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1. The Chairperson and at least one other member must be West Lafayette ECE
faculty members.
2. At least one member must be from outside of the School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering.
3. A special member, defined as a person without regular certification, may serve on
your Doctoral Advisory Committee. Special members of the advisory committee are
typically researchers from industry, non-faculty research staff from Purdue, or faculty
members from other universities. Most faculty members at Purdue, including
regional campuses, have regular certification.

ECE faculty members with regular certification are listed in Appendix B in the back of
this handbook; for non-ECE faculty, contact their department to acquire their graduate
faculty identifier number. The Doctoral Advisory Committee is established when the final
plan of study is filed and approved (see Section VI, “Doctoral Plan of Study”). Changes
to the Doctoral Advisory Committee require a “Request for Change to the Plan of Study”
form (Form GS-13) to be completed. The Doctoral Advisory Committee, as agreed upon
by the Major Professor and the student, shall be presented to the ECE Graduate
Coordinator and the Dean of the Graduate School for their approval and formal
appointment. The Dean may appoint additional members if it seems advisable.

VI. DOCTORAL PLAN OF STUDY

As a Ph.D. student, you must file a preliminary plan of study during your first
semester in the program. Your plan of study defines the course work requirements for
your graduate degree. The plan must be appropriate to meet the needs of your chosen
field as determined by your Academic Advisory Committee and approved by the ECE
Graduate Coordinator. It is important to establish this plan early in your academic
program, as early planning helps ensure a logical curriculum and protects you against
future changes in the rules of the ECE Graduate Program. Therefore, failure to file your
plan of study in your first semester may result in a delay to your future course
registration and/or suspension of your ECN account. This preliminary plan of study is for
internal use only, and will not be forwarded to the Graduate School.

You must file your final plan of study before registering for the fourth semester of your
doctoral program (sixth semester for direct Ph.D. students). This plan of study requires
the approval of the Doctoral Advisory Committee, the ECE Graduate Coordinator, and
the Dean of the Graduate School. Failure to file your final plan of study in your fourth
(sixth) semester may result in a delay to your future course registration and/or
suspension of your ECN account.

ÌPHD COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS

Each student’s plan of study must include coursework in the student’s Primary Area of
study, an ECE Related Area, and Mathematics. The eight possible areas for ECE
Primary or ECE Related Areas, and the core course associated with each, are as
follows:

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ECE Research Areas Core Course
Automatic Control (AC) EE602
Biomedical Engineering (BE) EE600
Communications and Signal Processing (CS) EE600
Computer Engineering (CE) EE608
Energy Sources and Systems (ES) EE610
Fields and Optics (FO) EE604
Solid State Devices and Materials (SS) EE606
VLSI and Circuit Design (VC) EE606/608

Each of these ECE Research Areas is governed by an Area Committee, consisting of

the ECE faculty with research and/or teaching interests in that discipline. These Area
Committees establish policy for students who declare the area as their Primary Area,
recommend approval of new courses and course revisions for the area, and consider
requests for deviations from area policies.

You must include all graduate courses taken or expected to be taken in preparation
for the Ph.D. degree, including those taken as a part of a Master’s Degree, regardless
of where taken. This allows your advisory committee to evaluate your overall plan, and
helps avoid repeating courses with similar content. If you need to change your
curriculum or advisory committee after you have submitted your plan of study, this is
easily done. See Section XII, “Changes in Academic Plan.”

The following requirements must be satisfied on all plans:

1. A minimum of 21 hours of course work beyond the Master’s degree, or 42 hours
beyond the Bachelor’s degree for direct Ph.D. students. Please Note: EE 696
“Advanced Electrical Engineering Projects” and EE 697 “Directed Reading in
Electrical Engineering,” usually cannot be used to satisfy these requirements. (See
Subsection B, “ECE Related Areas” for possible exceptions to the EE 696 and 697
prohibition.)
2. At least 12 hours of courses from the ECE Related Area. Six of these hours may be
from your Master’s program. See Subsection B “ECE Related Areas.”
3. At least 9 hours of mathematics course work. Three of these hours may be from
your Master’s program. See Section VII, “Mathematics Requirement” for a list of
acceptable Math courses.
The core courses cover the background material in the various ECE areas, and you will
likely need to take several of these in order to prepare for higher level courses, to
prepare for the Qualifying Examination, and to provide breadth to your curriculum. The
ECE School does not specify how many core courses you must take.

In addition to the requirements discussed above, some students choose an “Area of

Specialization.” Areas of specialization available to ECE Ph.D. students are
Computational Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. The area of
specialization will appear on the transcripts issued after the degree is posted. The area
of specialization does not appear on the diploma. Fulfillment of the requirements for an
area of specialization usually involves some additional coursework, or places additional

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restrictions on your selection of courses. You can find an application in the ECE
Graduate Office.

The rules regarding Primary Area, ECE Related Area, and Mathematics course work
requirements are set forth below. Deviations from these rules require the approval of the
current (Academic or Doctoral) Advisory Committee, the Area Committee for the
student’s Primary Area, and the ECE Graduate Coordinator. Area Committee approval
obtained for an exception on a preliminary plan of study will automatically serve as Area
Committee approval for the final plan of study as long as the student has not changed
areas.

A. PRIMARY AREA

Courses listed in the Primary Area include those beyond the Bachelor’s degree
administered by the ECE Area in which you will do your doctoral thesis research.
Courses administered by an ECE Area other than the designated Primary Area, by the
ECE Graduate Committee, or by an Outside Area and having particular relevance to the
Primary Area, may also be listed under the Primary Area. Each Area Committee in ECE
shall designate those courses in ECE that are acceptable in the Primary Area listings of
its own students. Such listings are available in the ECE Graduate Office for many of the
areas on your Plan of Study. The ECE School does not specify how many Primary
Area courses you must have. Your advisory committee (refer to Section IV, “Academic
Advisory Committee” and Section V, “Doctoral Advisory Committee”) will help you
determine the right combination for you.

B. ECE RELATED AREA

Your ECE Related Area coursework is a set of at least four courses (12 credit hours)
beyond the Bachelor’s degree covering topics outside your Primary Area. Two of these
courses may be from your Master’s program. If approved by your advisory committee,
and if consistent with ECE Primary-Area policies, all non-ECE courses and ECE
courses associated with a different ECE area (including courses administered by more
than one area) may serve as ECE Related Area courses. ECE Related Area courses
are intended to add breadth to your program, and may be, but are not required to be,
from the same ECE area. Also, each Area Committee shall indicate if EE 696 projects
or EE 697 courses taken outside the Primary Area may be included as part of an ECE
Related Area for its own students. If the area does allow this, then Area approval is
required for each individual case.

C. MATHEMATICS REQUIREMENT

All ECE Ph.D. students must take at least three graduate level mathematics courses (9
credit hours). One of these courses may be from your Master’s program. See Section
VII, “Mathematics Requirements,” for a listing of acceptable Mathematics courses,
including a select set of Computer Science, Statistics, and Physics courses that can
also help satisfy this requirement. The Mathematics Requirement may be waived for
students who have an exceptionally strong, documented background in Mathematics,
as for example, some students who have previously earned a Master’s degree in this
discipline. Please see the ECE Graduate Coordinator if you have questions.

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ÌHELPFUL HINTS FOR FILLING OUT THE Ph.D. PLAN OF STUDY
Following are some useful hints to clarify the information required to fill out the plan of
study form. An example of a Ph.D. plan of study form is provided in Appendix C.

¿ In the space at the top marked Dept. Code enter E25.

¿ The space for indicating the Research Area may be filled in with a word or words
descriptive of the thesis topic, e.g. Design of Robot Controllers.
¿ Indicate the Primary Area for your plan of study on the first entry under courses,
as shown in the sample plan of study in Appendix C. The primary area must be
one of the eight areas of the ECE graduate program.
¿ Indicate courses in your Primary Area with a “P” in the left-most column labeled
“Area.”
¿ Indicate courses in your Related Area and courses that satisfy your mathematics
requirement with an “R” in the “Area” column.
¿ The space for indicating the “Area of Specialization” is reserved for programs
such as Computational Science and Engineering (AOS code 061) or Biomedical
Engineering (AOS code 402). In most cases this will be left blank.
¿ Special topics courses such as EE 640 W,Y,Z and EE 650 W,Y,Z must be listed
as three separate courses with three separate titles.
¿ Be sure that course titles on the plan of study match those on your transcripts,
especially on experimental courses (EE 595 or EE 695).
¿ An asterisk on any course number indicates that a grade of “B” or better is
required in this course to graduate. Do not use an asterisk on any course
numbers.

¿ Courses transferred from other schools should be listed on the plan of study with
the same title and number as on the transcript from the school at which they
were taken. Do not use the equivalent number from a Purdue course. One
copy of the catalog description of all courses transferred should be supplied to
the ECE Graduate Office for each such course. For more information about
transfer courses, refer to Section VIII, “Transfer and Excess Undergraduate
Credits.”
¿ In order to use a course on a plan of study that is undergraduate excess, it must
be declared undergraduate excess on the transcript or you must provide a letter
from the school at which the course was taken certifying that it was not used to
fulfill any degree requirements. Indicate this course as “undergraduate excess” in
the column “other or transfer from.” For more information about undergraduate
excess courses, refer to Section VIII, “Transfer and Excess Undergraduate
Credits.”
¿ The column labeled “Regular Regis.” is used to indicate whether a course was
(or is to be) taken at Purdue (“RR”) or transferred from another school (“TR”).
¿ Pass/No pass grades are not permitted for courses on the plan of study.

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 ¿ Courses that are offered by more than one department must appear with the
number and title under which they were taken. Indicate in parentheses the dual
listing course number, as shown in the sample plan of study (See Appendix C).
¿ Thesis research, EE 699, and the ECE seminar, EE 694, should not be included
on the plan of study.
¿ Courses used to fulfill the departmental English requirement should not be
included on the plan of study.
¿ Section # 7 (See Appendix C) Do not type anything in this area.
¿ Section # 9 (See Appendix C) Graduate Faculty Identifier numbers are located at
the back of this handbook (See Appendix B).
¿ Section # 10 (See Appendix C) Abbr.: ECE for ECE faculty, otherwise identify
their department; Code: E25 for ECE faculty. (P67 for Physics, P65 for Math, and
P57 for CS).
¿ Section # 11 (See Appendix C) Be certain to fill this in and abbreviate (e.g. AC,
CE, VC, etc.)

ÌSUBMISSION OF Ph.D. PLAN OF STUDY

This section provides specific information for preparing the Doctoral plan of study form.
You will file your preliminary plan of study using the “Electrical and Computer
Engineering Preliminary Plan of Study” (lilac) form, which you can find in the Rack
outside EE 135. Alternately, you may use the final plan of study form entitled, “Request
for Ph.D. Degree Advisory Committee and Plan of Study Approval, GS-.4.” You can find
this form in MS Word format on the Graduate School website:

www.purdue.edu/GradSchool/

On the right side of the page, click on “Forms and Reports.” You will get a list of forms
available online, including the Ph.D. plan of study. Click on this form.

You must file your preliminary plan of study prior to registration for the second semester
of your program, and your final plan of study before registering for your fourth semester
(sixth semester for direct Ph.D. students). The final Plan must be prepared using the
Graduate School form (GS-4) in MS Word format, following the instructions listed
above.

Following are instructions for submitting your preliminary or final plan of study:

1. Review the preceding portions of this Doctoral Program handbook to determine

the Ph.D. coursework requirements.

2. Review the list of 500- and 600-level courses to determine the courses of most
interest to you that will enable you to meet the degree requirements. The list of 500-
and 600- level courses is available in the ECE Graduate Office and on the web.

3. Review the Advanced Planning List to verify that the necessary courses will be
offered at a time when you wish to take them. The Advanced Planning List is
available in the ECE Graduate Office and on the web.

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4. Fill out a pencil draft of your plan to ensure that you have all the needed
information. Attention to the details in the preceding subsections “Ph.D. Coursework
Requirements” and “Helpful Hints for Filling Out the Ph.D. Plan of Study” will help to
ensure that you have, indeed, included courses that satisfy all requirements.

5. Secure the agreement of an ECE faculty member to serve as the chair of your
Academic Advisory Committee (preliminary) or Doctoral Advisory Committee
(final). Confer with him/her to obtain advice on the plan and ultimately his/her
informal agreement to the plan.

6. Secure the agreement of two (preliminary plan) or three (final plan) additional
faculty members to serve on your graduate advisory committee and their informal
approval of the plan (no signature is required on the pencil draft). The choice of
these two faculty members to serve on your graduate advisory committee must be
approved by your chair. See Section IV, “Academic Advisory Committee,” and
Section V, “Doctoral Advisory Committee,” for more information on your Advisory
Committees.

7. Return to the Ph.D. Plan of Study form, and enter all required information. The
Preliminary Plan of Study may be filled out by hand (neatly). If not already using the
lilac ECE Preliminary Plan of Study form, please ask the Graduate Office staff to
photocopy your completed form on lilac paper before collecting signatures from your
Academic Advisory Committee. For the Final Plan of Study, you must use the form
found on the Graduate School’s website, and complete it electronically. Sign your
plan, and carry it to the members of your advisory committee for their signatures.
The Chair of the Doctoral Advisory Committee should be the first to sign the final
plan of study. After obtaining the signatures of all Doctoral Advisory Committee
members, deliver the original plan of study form to the ECE Graduate Office. After
your plan of study has been signed please make a copy for your records and
submit the original to the ECE Graduate Office.

The ECE Graduate Coordinator will examine your plan of study, and may request
explanations or require revisions before granting approval. The ECE Graduate Office
will submit the final plan of study to the Graduate School for final approval, and will
notify you by email when their decision is returned. These approvals usually take
several weeks.

VII. MATHEMATICS REQUIREMENTS

The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires that all Ph.D. students
include nine hours of mathematics as a related area on their plans of study. Three of
these hours may be from the student’s Master’s program. The following requirements
apply:

Mathematics courses numbered MA 511 and above are acceptable with the exceptions
listed below:

1. Stat 519 (MA 519) is not acceptable.

2. Automatic Control and Communications & Signal Processing Areas allow MA 504.

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3. Biomedical Engineering and Energy Sources and Systems Areas accept MA 510.
4. Communications and Signal Processing and Computer Engineering Area do not
allow Math 527.
5. Math Teacher related courses are not acceptable.

Additional graduate-level courses, which can be used to satisfy the mathematics

requirement:

Computer Science Courses:

CS 514 Numerical Analysis
CS 515 Numerical Analysis of Linear Systems
CS 520 Computational Methods in Analysis
CS 614 Numerical Solution of Ordinary Differential Equations
CS 615 Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations

Statistics Courses:
Stat 528 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Stat 529 Applied Decision Theory and Bayesian Statistics
Stat 532 (MA 532) Elements of Stochastic Processes
Stat 538 (MA 538) Probability Theory I
Stat 539 (MA 539) Probability Theory II
Stat 553 Theory of Linear Models and Experimental Designs
Stat 554 Multivariate Test Statistics
Stat 555 Non-Parametric Statistics
Stat 576 Introduction to Statistical Decision Theory
Stat 638 (MA 638) Stochastic Processes I
Stat 639 (MA 639) Stochastic Processes II
Stat 657 Theory of Tests, Estimation and Decisions I
Stat 658 Theory of Tests, Estimation and Decisions II
Stat 667 Measure-Theoretic Statistics: Decision Theoretic and
Classical
Stat 668 Asymptotic Distribution Theory

Physics Courses:
Physics 600 Methods of Theoretical Physics I
Physics 601 Methods of Theoretical Physics II

Please Note: Faculty-initiated requests for changes or exceptions to the above will be
considered by the Graduate Committee after approval by the appropriate area. Student-
initiated requests must follow the same procedure, with the additional first step of
approval by your Major Professor.

VIII. TRANSFER AND EXCESS UNDERGRADUATE CREDITS

Graduate level credits earned at another reputable university may be used toward a
graduate degree, subject to the approval of the student’s current Advisory Committee,
the ECE Graduate Coordinator, and the Graduate School. A total of nine credit hours
may be transferred toward the Doctoral degree. All courses transferred must be
acceptable for graduate credit at the school at which they were taken, must not have
been used to meet the requirements for another degree, and must have been

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completed with a grade of “B” or better. While credit for transferred courses appear on
your Purdue transcripts, grades for transferred courses are not used in computing the
Purdue grade-point average.
A special request for approval is not necessary; simply include such courses on the plan
of study, along with a catalog description and syllabus of the course and a transcript
showing the credit and grade received. A statement from an official at the university
from which you are transferring the course certifying that the course was not used to
fulfill requirements for any other degree may also be required. Refer to Section VI,
“Doctoral Plan of Study” for additional instructions.

IX. OTHER IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

ÌENGLISH REQUIREMENT
All ECE graduate students must demonstrate acceptable proficiency in written English
before graduating. Doctoral students must satisfy this requirement within the first four
semesters of their doctoral program. We strongly recommend that students fulfill the
English requirement as early as possible (first semester) in their academic program.
Any one of the following methods may be used to fulfill the English requirement.

A. FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH:

¿ Score a five or higher on TWE (Test of Written English).

¿ Pass English 002, offered at Purdue University, with a grade of Satisfactory (“S”).

¿ Provide evidence (transcripts, for example) that you have successfully completed a
one-semester-long composition course equivalent to English 002 or English 101
from an English-medium university with a grade of B or better. Many students can
satisfy this requirement with a course taken during their undergraduate program.
The ECE Graduate Coordinator may require you to provide a course description or
additional information for this course.

B. FOR NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH:

¿ Score a five or higher on the GRE Writing Assessment.

¿ Pass English 101, offered at Purdue University, with a grade of B or better.

¿ Provide evidence (transcripts, for example) that you have successfully completed a
one-semester-long composition course equivalent to English 101 from an English-
medium university with a grade of B or better. Many students can satisfy this
requirement with a course taken during their undergraduate program. The ECE
Graduate Coordinator may require you to provide a course description or additional
information for this course.

ÌEE 694A SEMINAR REQUIREMENT

The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires that all graduate students
satisfactorily complete one semester of EE 694A Electrical and Computer Engineering
Graduate Seminar. This course carries no credit but a grade of Satisfactory or

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Unsatisfactory is given. Students who have received a Master’s degree from the School
of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue have already fulfilled this
requirement. This course should not be listed on the plan of study. We strongly
recommend that you take EE 694A during your first or second semester.

X. REGISTRATION

ÌREGISTRATION GUIDELINES1
The registration period begins around October 15 for the Spring semester and around
March 15 for the Summer Session and Fall Semester, and continues until the Friday
before classes begin. Look for specific announcements as these dates approach. All
current ECE graduate students must register during this registration period. Note that
late registration (starting the first day of classes) incurs a penalty fee. We encourage
your early course selection and registration, as school decisions to cancel low-
enrollment courses may affect your course options. If this is your final semester, check
the candidate” box marked “yes” (#6 on the registration form). If you are not certain that
you will finish your degree requirements, we still advise you to check the “candidate”
box. If you are not on the candidates list, you will not graduate even if you have
completed the final requirements. After you have registered, check SSINFO to verify
that your registration is correct. Report any errors to the ECE Graduate Office.

To drop or add a course, come to the ECE Graduate Office. Be sure to confirm that a
course dropped or added has been officially recorded by checking SSINFO. Early
registration will be processed directly by the ECE Graduate Office staff. Any change
after the 4th week of classes requires the signature of the ECE Graduate Coordinator,
and you must take the registration form to the Registrar’s office (Hovde Hall, Room 45)
for processing.

Check with the ECE Graduate Office when registering for “Exam Only” or “Degree Only”
to make certain that you qualify and have met all necessary requirements. You must
have been registered for at least one credit hour of research in the previous semester.
The deadline for “Exam Only” or “Degree Only” registration is one week before
classes begin.

A. DROPPING COURSES

Courses dropped during the first two weeks of classes will not appear on your
permanent record. Courses dropped during weeks 3 and 4 will be recorded as a “W”
grade on your permanent record. Courses dropped during weeks 5 through 9 require
the signature of the instructor and the ECE Graduate Coordinator. At this time, the
instructor must assign a grade of “W,” “WF,” or “WN.” You must then take the completed
registration form to the Registrar’s Office. The end of this period is the final deadline for
withdrawing from a class.
A “W” simply records the fact that the student withdrew after the second week of the
semester. A “WF” records that the student was failing a graded course; “WF” grades are
included in computing the cumulative GPA. A “WN” records failing status in a course
being taken Pass/No Pass. (Pass/No Pass grades are not permitted for courses on
your plan of study.) “W,” “WF,” and “WN” grades are recorded on your permanent
record.

1 How to register for your first semester is covered in Section I above.

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B. ADDING COURSES

Courses added during the first week of the semester require a signature from the ECE
Graduate Office. Courses added during weeks 2 through 4 require the signature of the
instructor and the ECE Graduate Coordinator. Courses may be added during weeks 5
through 9, but only under extraordinary circumstances, and require the signature of the
instructor, the ECE Graduate Coordinator, and for non-ECE courses, the head of the
department where the course is offered. You must then take the completed registration
form to the Registrar’s office.

C. SUMMER SESSION

The calendar for dropping and adding courses during the summer session is
accelerated due to its shorter duration. You can check these dates on the bulletin board
outside the ECE Graduate Office so that you do not miss any important deadlines.

ÌRESIDENCY AND LOAD

A. SEMESTER LOAD

To qualify as a full-time student, you must satisfy one of the following criteria:

¿ Be registered for nine credit hours or more (course work plus research hours
combined)
¿ Hold a research or teaching assistantship (1/2 time) and be registered for at least six
credit hours
All international students must be full-time in order to maintain their visa status.

Any student holding a teaching or research assistantship is expected to register for

at least six credit hours (3 hours in summer). ECE Teaching Assistants may register for
a maximum of nine credit hours of coursework.

No student may register for more than one Computer Science course per semester.

B. RESIDENT STUDY REQUIREMENTS

The total number of hours of academic credit used to satisfy the residency requirements
of the Graduate School consists of all course credit hours that appear on the plan of
study, other graduate course credit hours with grades of “C” or better that appear on the
Purdue transcript, and research hours with grades of “S” that appear on the Purdue
transcript.

¿ At least 90 total credit hours are required.

¿ A Master’s degree from any accredited university is considered to contribute 30

credit hours toward satisfying this residency requirement.

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¿ At least one-third of the total credit hours used to satisfy degree requirements must
be earned, while registered for Ph.D. study, in continuous residence on the West
Lafayette Purdue campus. Course credits obtained via televised instruction are
considered to have been obtained in residence on the campus from which the
course was broadcast.
In fulfilling these requirements, a maximum of 15 credit hours will be allowed from any
one semester (8 hours from a summer session). In general, the ECE Graduate Office
advises thesis students to register for the maximum allowable number of EE 699 credits
each semester as a precaution against falling short of the requirement.

XI. MINIMUM GRADE REQUIREMENTS

As a Ph.D. graduate student, you must maintain a cumulative grade point average
(GPA) of at least 3.30 out of 4.00 over the courses on your plan of study to remain in
good standing. This minimum grade point average is also a condition for graduation.
You will be placed on probation if you complete any semester or summer session with a
cumulative GPA of less than 3.30. Should your cumulative grade point average remain
below 3.30 at the end of the succeeding semester or summer session you may not be
permitted to register for further graduate study. Students concerned about their
academic progress should schedule an appointment with the ECE Graduate
Coordinator.

The cumulative grade point average referred to above is calculated using the courses
on the Ph.D. plan of study, excluding courses taken as part of the Master’s program. If a
course is taken more than once while you are enrolled as a graduate student, only the
most recent grade received in the course will be used in computing the grade point
average. Transfer courses and graduate-level courses taken while an undergraduate
student are not included in the computation of the cumulative grade point average.
University requirements state that no grade of “D” or “F” is allowed in a course on the
plan of study. Any plan of study course in which a grade of “D” or “F” is received must
be repeated and completed successfully; it cannot be dropped from the plan of study.

XII. CHANGES IN ACADEMIC PROGRAM

It is recognized that as a student’s program progresses there may arise conditions that
make it desirable to change it, and indeed, such changes, when based upon sound
academic reasons, are encouraged. However, some regulations have been found
necessary in order to prevent this privilege from being abused. Specifically:

¿ A course may not be removed from a plan of study once it has been taken and a
grade of “D” or lower received.

¿ The deadline for submitting a request to the ECE Graduate Office to delete a course
in which you are currently enrolled from your plan of study is the end of the ninth
week of the semester, or the end of four and one half weeks in the summer session.

¿ Any change to a plan of study requires approval of the student’s advisory committee
and the ECE Graduate Coordinator.

To fill out a “Request for Change to the Plan of Study” form, go to the Graduate School
website:
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 www.purdue.edu/GradSchool/

On the right side of the page, click on “Forms and Reports.” From the list of forms
available online, click on the “Change to Plan of Study” form GS-13. The Change to the
Plan of Study form is also used to request a change of Major Professor or other
committee members. Complete the form, including a valid academic reason for each
change, sign it, then have the Major Professor sign it. If you are adding or deleting
committee members, they must also sign. Retain a copy of these forms for your file, and
deliver the originals to the ECE Graduate Office.

In the case when the ECE requirements for the Ph.D. degree program change, there is
no need for you to revise your previously approved plan of study to conform to the new
rules. All approved plans of study will remain valid. You have the option to request to
change your plan of study to conform to the new rules, but are not required to do so.

XIII. QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

The Qualifying Examination (QE) is a written examination required of all ECE doctoral
students, and must be attempted before the start of the fourth semester (sixth semester
for direct Ph.D. students). The QE is offered twice each year, typically on the Thursday
of the week preceding the start of classes in the Fall and Spring semesters. You must
register for the exam before the end of the fifth week of the Fall or Spring semester
preceding the QE. This examination is a four-hour closed-book examination, consisting
of questions from the material covered in each of the ECE core courses and questions
from each of the eight ECE graduate Research Areas. Each area will usually prepare
“Basic” and “Advanced” questions. You may select which questions to answer subject to
the following restrictions. You must answer:

a) At most four questions.

b) A core course question from outside your Primary Area. (If your Primary Area is
VLSI and Circuit Design (VC), you must declare EE 606 or EE 608 as your
Primary Area course prior to the exam.)
c) At least two questions from your Primary Area, one of which may be the Area
core course question.
d) At most one Advanced Question from your Primary Area.

A score of 280 out of 400 is required to pass the QE. Students who do not pass the QE
must take the QE again on the following offering of the examination. Failure to take the
QE by the deadline results in automatic failure of that attempt of the QE. The program of
students who fail their second QE attempt will be terminated, unless they request and
are granted permission to take the QE a third time. Under no condition may a student
take the QE more than three times. The content and administration of the QE are
described in more detail in the “School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Rules
and Procedures for the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination.”

XIV. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
The Preliminary Examination is given to determine whether you are adequately
prepared to conceive and undertake a suitable research topic. You may not schedule

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your Preliminary Examination until after you have passed the Qualifying Exam and
submitted your final plan of study. The Preliminary Exam may include a written exam if
the Doctoral Advisory Committee desires, but it must include an oral part and a written
thesis proposal. You must complete your Preliminary Examination at least two
academic sessions (summer or academic year) for which you are registered before
taking the Final Examination. Since one goal of the Preliminary Examination is to allow
your Doctoral Advisory Committee members the opportunity to provide you research
direction and feedback, you should take it early enough to allow the Doctoral Advisory
Committee to make an effective contribution. During the Preliminary Examination, you
should exhibit:
¿ 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 entire thesis research.

The requirements, structure, and administration pertaining to the Preliminary

Examination are described below.
1. No more than six semesters can elapse after entering the doctoral program before
you take the Preliminary Examination (eight semesters for direct Ph.D. students).
Any student not meeting this requirement must request an extension of the deadline.
A form for this request is available in the ECE Graduate Office. On this form, you
must describe the reason(s) for the violation and list specific actions to be taken to
remedy the situation. This form must be signed by every member of your doctoral
advisory committee and the ECE Graduate Coordinator each semester past the
deadline to allow your course registration to be processed.
2. Once you and Doctoral Advisory Committee have agreed upon the scheduling and
you have scheduled the room (see the secretary in the main office, EE 122), you
should request the ECE Graduate Office to formally schedule the Preliminary
Examination. This must be done at least three weeks before the proposed date of
the exam. At the time of scheduling, you should supply the ECE Graduate Office
with the following in electronic form via email to the Administrative Assistant to the
Graduate Program:
a) Student’s name.
b) Title of the Research.
c) Student’s Primary Area.
d) Names of Doctoral Advisory Committee, with the Major Professor designated.
e) Faculty identifiers (Appendix B) and areas—in case of faculty outside of the
ECE Department, please supply the person’s department and campus
address.
f) Date, time and place of the Preliminary Examination.
g) An abstract (no more than 250 words) of the thesis proposal clearly defining
the problem and its significance.

3. You should submit your written thesis proposal to all members of your Doctoral
Advisory Committee at least two weeks before the Preliminary Examination.

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4. If you pass the Preliminary Examination, the Doctoral Advisory Committee certifies
that you have passed the Examination by signing the “Report of the Preliminary
Examining Committee” furnished by the ECE Graduate Office.

5. If you fail the Preliminary Examination at least one academic session (academic
year or summer) must elapse before a re-examination is permitted.

XV. DOCTORAL THESIS RESEARCH AND REVIEW PROCEDURES

The doctoral program is highly research oriented, hence the thesis is the most important
single aspect of the program. Doctoral research work must be an original contribution in
the candidate’s area of specialization, and it should be of sufficient importance to merit
publication.

As a doctoral student, you are expected to make satisfactory progress on your research
each semester/session for which you are registered for EE 699. Unsatisfactory progress
results in a grade of “U” in EE 699. If you earn a “U” grade in two consecutive sessions
of EE 699, the school of ECE is required to take formal action and inform you and the
Graduate School with regard to discontinuation or conditions for continuation of your
graduate study. The ECE Graduate Coordinator will conduct a Formal Review of your
program (see Section XIX “Formal Review”) in order to assess the circumstances
contributing to your performance and to determine the future of your program. The ECE
Graduate Coordinator may require you to convene your Doctoral Advisory Committee to
conduct a Formal Review Examination. The purpose of the Formal Review Examination
is to allow your Advisory Committee to determine whether continuation of your doctoral
program is merited. The Committee will recommend 1) continuation of your program,
possibly with specific changes designed to promote progress towards your research, or
2) changing your project or transferring to a new Major Professor, or 3) termination of
your program upon receipt of a grade of “U” in EE 699 in a future semester. In any
event, your progress should be reviewed each session by the ECE Graduate
Coordinator. The Graduate School may also review your progress. Should you fail to
perform in either coursework or research on a level acceptable to your advisory
committee, the ECE Graduate Coordinator, or the Dean of the Graduate School, your
doctoral program may be terminated.

XVI. FINAL EXAMINATION

Upon completion of your thesis research you must submit a first draft of your thesis to
your Major Professor no later than six weeks before the end of the semester, and the
completed thesis no later than three weeks before the end of the semester.

The Final Examination is given after the thesis and all other requirements have been
completed. The Final Exam covers primarily the thesis and related topics. The Final
Examination Committee is the Doctoral Advisory Committee; however, the Dean of the
Graduate School reserves the right to appoint additional Committee members.

There must be at least two academic sessions (counting regular semesters and
summer sessions for which you are registered) between the Preliminary Examination
and the Final Examination. You must take your Final Examination within five calendar
years of passing your Preliminary Examination, or before the end of your eighth year of
your doctoral program (ninth year for direct Ph.D. students), whichever comes first.

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Students unable to complete their thesis research and dissertation in this time must
petition the ECE Graduate Coordinator for an extension. This request will initiate a
Formal Review by the ECE Graduate Coordinator. See Section XIX, “Formal Review”’
Your request for an extension must detail the reasons for the delay, and explain what
actions you are taking to prepare to take the Final Examination at the earliest
opportunity. Your Doctoral Advisory Committee members must sign your request,
indicating whether or not they support your request, and are invited to comment on your
progress. The ECE Graduate Coordinator may either 1) grant an extension of one
calendar year, or 2) require you to convene your Doctoral Advisory Committee to
conduct a Formal Review Examination. The purpose of this Formal Review Examination
is to allow your Advisory Committee to determine whether continuation of your doctoral
program is merited. The Committee will make a recommendation for or against a one-
year program extension. A recommendation against continuation will result in
termination of your program. The format of the Formal Review Examination is the same
as that for the Preliminary Examination, and includes both a written proposal and an
oral presentation. Any requests for a subsequent extension (one year maximum per
request) will require a Formal Review Examination.

When scheduling your Final Examination, please furnish the ECE Graduate Office with
information regarding the time and place of the Examination and the thesis title at least
three weeks before the Final Examination. The ECE Graduate Office must then submit
to the Graduate School Office a request for approval for the Doctoral Advisory
Committee to conduct the Final Examination. At the time of scheduling, you should
supply the ECE Graduate Office with the information:

a) Student’s name.
b) Title of the Research.
c) Student’s Primary Area.
d) Names of Doctoral Advisory Committee, with the Major Professor designated.
e) Faculty identifiers (Appendix B) and areas—in case of faculty outside of the
ECE Department, please supply the person’s department and campus address
f) Date, time and place of the Preliminary Examination.
g) An abstract (no more than 250 words) of the thesis proposal clearly defining the
problem and its significance.

The Doctoral Advisory Committee must report the results of the Final Examination to the
ECE Graduate Coordinator within 24 hours after the Examination has been taken. Not
more than one dissenting vote is acceptable in certifying the candidate to receive the
degree. If the student is to receive the degree during the session in which the
Examination is taken, the report must be received in the Graduate School office not less
than three days before the last day of classes. If the examination is unsatisfactory, at
least one semester or summer session must elapse before the Final Examination is
repeated.

The time and location of the Final Examination will be distributed to the entire ECE
faculty, and posted on the ECE Graduate Office bulletin board in the EE Building.
University regulations permit visitors to attend the Final Examination. Such visitors are
permitted to ask questions of the candidate, after having been recognized by the Chair
of the Doctoral Advisory Committee (Major Professor), but they may not be present
while the Doctoral Advisory Committee deliberates on its decision.
XVII. THESIS PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION

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ÌTHESIS PREPARATION
You should pick up a copy of the “Graduate School Manual for the Preparation of
Graduate Theses” and the School of Electrical Engineering “Thesis Format: A Style and
Notation Guide for the Preparation of Graduate Theses” in the ECE Graduate Office.
Both documents are also available on the web at:

http://www.ece.purdue.edu/~andy/thesis.html

1. Before proceeding to write your thesis, you are strongly encouraged to meet the
Thesis Format Advisor for ECE to review your plans to prepare your thesis and get
answers to any questions about the document formatting requirements.

2. Two weeks prior to oral exam, deliver your thesis to the members of your examining
committee.

3. The final exam must be completed before the last week of classes, but we strongly
recommend you do not wait until this late date. Those who are registered for “Exam
Only” must complete their final exam by the eighth week of classes (fourth week of a
summer session).

4. On the day of the Final Exam, your Major Professor should pick up your file from the
ECE Graduate Office. The file will contain two forms that need to be signed by your
committee: “Report of the Final Examination,” Graduate School Form 11 and “Thesis
Acceptance,” Graduate School Form 9. The “Report of the Final Examination” must
be signed and returned with your complete file by your Major Professor to the ECE
Graduate Office immediately after your exam.

5. Keep the “Thesis Acceptance” Form 9 until you have made all revisions that were
requested by your committee, and obtained the signatures of all committee
members. Please Note: ECE format approval can only be done by the Thesis
Format Advisor. The Graduate School will not accept Form 9 unless it is signed by
the Thesis Format Advisor. Your Major Professor is not responsible for format
approval; and he/she should not sign Form 9 at the bottom under “Format Approved
by.”

6. You should schedule an appointment with the Thesis Format Advisor as early as
possible to allow time to make any changes necessary to bring your thesis in
compliance with format requirements.

7. After the Thesis Format Advisor has approved your thesis and added his signature
to Thesis Acceptance Graduate School Form 9, you must bind the “Thesis
Acceptance” form into the front of the copy to be deposited with the Thesis
Approval Office and take it to Department Head for his signature. Please Note: the
Department Head will sign only if you follow these steps in this order. You will need
to schedule an appointment with the Department Head (via his secretary in the Main
Office).

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ÌTHESIS DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of final thesis is as follows:
1. Two copies (one bound and one unbound), with the Department Head’s signature, to
Thesis Approval Office, Room 279, Stewart Center, on or before the last day of the
session in which the student is a candidate.

2. One copy to your Major Professor.

3. A copy to any member of your advisory and/or examining committee who wants one.

4. One copy to the ECE Graduate Office (this copy is sent POTR Library).

XVIII. RESEARCH IN ABSENTIA AND OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS

Under unusual circumstances, it is sometimes possible for graduate students to

complete their research in absentia. Permission to do this must be obtained from the
Graduate Council of the University and the request for research in absentia must be
initiated by the student’s Major Professor on forms available in the ECE Graduate
Office. The Graduate School must receive the Request Form at least one month prior to
the beginning of the initial session for which absentia registration is sought. Research
in absentia is not permitted until after you have completed your course work, passed the
Preliminary Exam, and made substantial progress on the Ph.D. thesis research. In
addition to the graduate school regulations governing research in absentia, as outlined
in the Graduate School Bulletin, the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering has
established the following rules to apply to all requests for permission to register for
research in absentia:

1. All requests for research in absentia must be approved by the ECE Graduate
Coordinator.

2. The official request form (Graduate School Form 12) should be accompanied by a
statement, approved by all members of your Doctoral Advisory Committee, clearly
specifying the reasons for the request.

3. If your research requires the use of facilities that are available elsewhere, but not at
Purdue, you should retain your University appointment, register as a regular student
and file a request for “Change of Duty Station.”

4. When approved, permission to register for research in absentia will be valid for an
initial period of one calendar year. Any request for an extension of this time initiates
a Formal Review by the ECE Graduate Coordinator. You must submit a written
progress report and a complete explanation of why the deadline for completion
within one year was not met. In addition you must convene your Doctoral Advisory
Committee to conduct a Formal Review Examination (see Section XIX “Formal
Review”). The committee will make a recommendation for a) a one year extension of
your research in absentia status, b) termination of your research in absentia status
(requiring you to return to Purdue), or c) termination of your doctoral program.
Students granted an extension of the one year limit must submit a written progress
report to their Doctoral Advisory Committee and to the ECE Graduate Office prior to

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 every registration for Research In Absentia. Subsequent requests for an extension
of your research in absentia status are subject to the same review procedures.

5. You must register for research in absentia every semester, not including summer
sessions, from the initial approval until all requirements are completed.

XIX. FORMAL REVIEW

In the case of some students’ program, there may be signs of less than satisfactory
progress towards the completion of the doctoral degree. Examples include:

1. Two consecutive grades of “U” in EE 699.

2. Failure to take the Final Examination within five calendar years of passing the
Preliminary Examination, or before the end of the eighth year of the doctoral
program (ninth year for direct Ph.D. students).

3. Failure to take the Final Examination within one calendar year of beginning
research-in-absentia status.

In these circumstances, the ECE Graduate Coordinator will conduct a Formal Review of
your program. This Formal Review may include any or all of the following:

1. A written explanation by the student of the circumstances that have led to the
academic problems and a proposed remedy,
2. Interviews with the student, members of the doctoral advisory committee, other
faculty, students, or staff who have knowledge of the student’s program,

3. A Formal Review Examination of the student, conducted by the student’s doctoral

advisory committee.

The format of the Formal Review Examination is similar to that of a Preliminary

Examination, and will include a written proposal or thesis and an oral presentation. The
purpose of this examination is to allow the Advisory Committee to recommend for or
against continuation of the student’s doctoral program. If the committee’s
recommendation is in favor of continuation, the committee should also recommend any
changes to the student’s program that may lead to renewed progress.

The ECE Graduate Coordinator, after considering all the available evidence, will inform
the student, the Doctoral Advisory Committee, and the Graduate School of the decision
for or against the student’s continuation in the program.
-ENTRY TO THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM
XX. RE-ENTRY INTO THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM

If a student in the doctoral program does not register at the West Lafayette Campus for
three or more consecutive academic sessions, he/she must submit a new application for
re-entry to the doctoral program and obtain approval from the ECE Graduate Office and
the Graduate School before any subsequent registration is permitted. Registration for
research in absentia is considered as registration at the West Lafayette Campus.

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These students are required to submit new applications (ECE application and Graduate
School application) as well as updated transcripts (if the applicant has pursued any
academic studies in the interim). The student may also be required to submit a personal
statement, and new letters of recommendation.

Five-year Rule: Course credits earned by a student whose graduate study and/or
professional activity has been inactive for five years or more cannot be used on a plan
of study for an advanced degree. A plan of study approved prior to such a period of
inactivity is invalid. A Preliminary Examination passed prior to such a period of inactivity
is invalid.

XXI. PETITIONS TO THE GRADUATE COMMITTEE

All graduate students have the right to petition for exceptions to any existing rules if
they feel that the circumstances are sufficiently unusual to warrant special
consideration. The first step is to request an appointment with the ECE Assistant Head
for Education to see if a resolution can be found at that level. If not, the student may file
a petition with the ECE Graduate Committee. The petition should be delivered in
writing to the Chair of the Graduate Committee and should contain the approval (or
disapproval) of each member of the student’s advisory committee.

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APPENDIX A PH.D. DEGREE MILESTONES

Following are milestone events that should be used as a guide to accomplishing needed
tasks:

PRIOR TO FIRST REGISTRATION

¿ Visit with three faculty members for advice on possible courses to take in the first
semester.
¿ Come to the ECE Graduate Office (EE Building, Room 135) to register.

DURING FIRST SEMESTER

¿ Satisfy all admission conditions (such as presentation of your final transcript to the
Graduate School).
¿ Satisfy the English proficiency requirement. If you do not satisfy this requirement in
the first semester, do so in the earliest semester possible.
¿ Select a Major Professor and an advisory committee.
¿ Submit a preliminary plan of study (prior to registration for second semester).
¿ Satisfy the EE 694 seminar requirement. If you do not satisfy this requirement in the
first semester, do so in the earliest semester possible.

THIRD SEMESTER OR EARLIER

¿ Begin research.

BEFORE REGISTRATION FOR FOURTH (SIXTH) SEMESTER

¿ File final plan of study.

BEFORE BEGINNING OF FOURTH (SIXTH) SEMESTER

¿ Take the Qualifying Examination.

BEFORE COMPLETION OF FOURTH SEMESTER

¿ Satisfy English Proficiency Requirement.

BEFORE COMPLETION OF SIXTH (EIGHTH) SEMESTER

¿ Take the Preliminary Examination.

DURING FINAL SEMESTER

¿ Declare candidacy on the registration form when you register for your final semester.
¿ Review your plan of study to ensure that all degree requirements are met.
¿ Obtain thesis format approval from the Thesis Format Advisor prior to scheduling the
final exam.
¿ Schedule final oral exam with your Major Professor, your advisory committee, and
the ECE Graduate Office at least 3 weeks prior to the proposed date of the exam.
The final exam must be completed before the last day of classes, but we strongly
recommend you do not wait until this late date. Those who are registered for “Exam
Only” must complete their final exam by the eighth week of classes (fourth week of a
summer session).
¿ Distribute copies of your thesis to advisory committee at least two weeks before
the oral exam.
¿ See Section XVI, “Final Examination,” for more detailed information on submitting
your request for final exam, and Appendix E for graduate faculty identifier numbers.
APPENDIX B FACULTY DESIGNATORS
Graduate faculty identifiers must be listed on the plan of study following each committee member’s signature. Below is a list of
graduate faculty identifiers. For faculty in other departments or campuses, please check with the ECE Graduate Office.

Adams, George C3066 Lehnert, James C2648

Allebach, Jan C2387 Lindenlaub, John C0764
Bagwell, Philip C3632 Lundstrom, Mark C2194
Bahsir, Rashid C5060 Maciejewski, Anthony C3105
Balakrishnan, V. Ragu C4283 Mazumdar, Ravi C5156
Bell, Mark C3289 Melloch, Michael C2649
Bement, Arden C4095 Meyer, David C2456
Bouman, Charles C3290 Mowle, Frederic C0769
Bourland, Joe C1681 Neudeck, Gerold C0770
Brodley, Carla C4278 Nyenhuis, John C2512
Capano, Michael C5301 Ogborn, Larry C0773
Chen, Chin-Lin C0735 Ong, Chee-Mun C0774
Chong, Edwin C3773 Pierret, Robert C0778
Cooper, James C2508 Pollak, Ilya C5340
Coyle, Edward C2386 Pomeranz, Irith C5363
Datta, Supriyo C2258 Rosenberg, Catherine C5157
DeCarlo, Raymond C1658 Roy, Kaushik C4186
Delp, Edward C2643 Schwartz, Richard C0781
Doerschuk, Peter C3463 Shroff, Ness C4285
Eigenmann, Rudi C4447 Siegel, H. J. C0783
Elliott, Daniel C2644 Silva, L.F. C0785
Ersoy, Okan K. C2822 Sudhoff, Scott C3751
Falsafi, Babak C4885 Swain, Philip C0788
Fortes, Jose C2645 Talavage, Thomas C5018
Friedlaender, Fritz C0741 Tan, Hong C5017
Fuchs, Kent C4628 Vijaykumar, T.N. C4884
Fukunaga, Keinosuke C0743 Wasynczuk, Oleg C2064
Furgason, Eric C0745 Webb, Kevin C3405
Geddes, Leslie C0748 Weiner, Andrew C3904
Gelfand, Saul C2987 Wodicka, George C3286
Ghafoor, Arif C3630 Woodall, Jerry C4189
Givan, Robert C4716 Zak, Stan C2513
Gray, Jeffery C2646 Zoltowski, Michael C2911
Harper, Mary C3285
Jamieson, Leah C0784 Courtesy Appointments in ECE:
Janes, David C3287 Downar, Thomas (Nuc Eng) C2641
Kak, Avinash C0756 Hirleman, Daniel (Mech Eng) C5151
Kashyap, Rangasami C0757 Kotoyiannis, Ioannis (Stat) C5062
Koh, Cheng-Kok C5061 Li, Zhiyuan (CS) C4690
Koivo, Antti C0758 Marinescu, Daniel (CS) C2484
Krause, Paul C0759 McElfresh, Michael (Phys) C3504
Krogmeier, James C3464 Pizlo, Zygmunt (Psych) C3779
Landgrebe, David C0761
Lee, C S. George C2825

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APPENDIX C – SAMPLE PLAN OF STUDY
APPENDIX D – PRELIMINARY EXAM CHECK SHEET

Before you submit your exam request via email, please fill out this check sheet,
sign it, and bring it to the ECE graduate office.

o I have consulted with my advisory committee, and have found a date and time
or my exam that is acceptable to all.

o I will deliver a copy of my thesis to all committee members one week before the
exam.

o All committee members expect to attend the exam, and I will notify the ECE
graduate office of any exceptions.

o I have a final plan of study on file.

Name____________________________________________________________________
Please Print

Date____________________

_________________________________________________________________________
Your Signature

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APPENDIX E – FINAL EXAM CHECK SHEET
Before you submit your examination request via email (coadyl), please fill out this
check sheet, sign it, and bring it to the ECE graduate office.

o I have consulted with my advisory committee, and have found a date and time
for my examination that is acceptable to all. ä

o I will deliver a copy of my thesis to all committee members at least two weeks
before the exam.

o My thesis should be kept confidential.

ä In case a member of your examination committee is on a long-term absence from campus (such as
sabbatical leave), you may hold your examination in their absence, if you make alternate
arrangements for that committee member to examine your work. If this is the case, please explain the
reason your committee member will be absent, and indicate in detail what arrangements you have
made to present your examination.

Please note: this must be approved by the Graduate Office before your examination request will be
processed.

Name_____________________________________________________________________
Please Print

Date____________________

__________________________________________________________________________
Your Signature
APPENDIX F – CONTACT INFORMATION

To schedule a preliminary or final examination (phone preferred):

Contact Marty Countryman in the Main Office (EE 122)

494-3540
[email protected]

To request a preliminary or final examination (must be done electronically):

Linda Coady
494-3374
[email protected]

For thesis format approval (make an appointment first):

Andy Hughes
494-3547
[email protected]

For final thesis approval (make an appointment with his secretary first, Pat Dilts):

Kent Fuchs
43539

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