Master of Science: Electrical Engineering

Program Description

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) is a 30 Credit Hours graduate degree program, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

The MSEE Degree Program offers different options to help students complete the degree based on their needs and time and financial planning. The MSEE prepares the graduates for a wide range of future opportunities, whether it is corporate research, product development, manufacturing, service sector, the management, or entrepreneurial endeavors. It also prepares graduates for doctoral studies. The overall goal is to put graduates into a position to be leading technology developers and innovators.

Degree Options

  • The MSEE Degree Program is open to both full-time and part-time students.
  • The MSEE Degree Program admits both domestic and international students. International students must comply with the US Federal Government’s restrictions on the number of online classes.   
  • The MSEE Degree Program offers two academic options: Thesis and Non-Thesis (Course) options. In the thesis option, the students have the opportunity to engage in research that builds upon the coursework to investigate the state-of-the-art and emerging challenges and topics in the chosen area.
  • One-Year Expedited MSEE Degree Option: The MSEE students can select the option to complete the Non-Thesis (Course-Option) degree in one (1) year by taking four (4) courses in Fall, four (4) courses in Spring, and two (2) courses in Summer semester. Few points to consider before selecting the One-Year Expedited MSEE Degree option:
    • This option is suitable for the students who have the backgrounds and prerequisites for the offered courses for the MSEE program in a particular year.
    • Please check with the advisers to ensure that the prerequisite requirements (if any) of the selected classes are satisfied.
    • Students under this option may not get the chance to take all the desired courses from a specific emphasis area in one year. However, at least four (4) courses from each area will be offered every year.
    • Not all of the desired courses may be available online.
       

MSEE Emphasis Areas at UMKC

The MSEE Degree Program at UMKC has the following six Emphasis Areas:

1)    Computer, Embedded Systems, and Microelectronics

2)    Nanotechnology

3)    Electromagnetics and Radio Frequency (RF) Circuits and Systems

4)    Communication, Networking, and Signal Processing

5)    Computer Vision, Multimedia, and Machine Learning

6)    Power, Renewable Energy, and Control

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the MSEE at UMKC should have a GPA of at least 3.0 on the scale of 4.0 in the last 60 semester hours of relevant undergraduate coursework in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, and other related engineering programs. However, if the GPA is below 3.0 but more than 2.75, and if other academic indicators promise success in the program, rules may still allow probationary admission. Some students may have to take additional core electrical engineering prerequisite courses if they do not have the necessary background for any specific graduate course or emphasis area. The following documents are required for consideration for admission:

  1. Completed application form for graduate (masters) admission.
  2. Official transcripts of all college work.
  3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required.
  4. Two letters of recommendation are needed for applicants with an overall GPA of less than 3.0 in the last 60 hours of their undergraduate degree program.
  5. Professional students with work experiences in relevant industries can petition for the waiver of some of the admission requirements.
  6. For international applicants, a minimum test score of 79 (TOEFL iBT) or 6.0 (IELTS) is necessary (the older TOEFL and CBT scores are no longer accepted).
  • TOEFL/IELTS Waiver/Exemption:
    • International students from English speaking countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand do not need TOEFL or IELTS.
    • International students from the following Non-English speaking countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa, and Singapore, where the medium of college education in the STEM disciplines is English, do not require TOEFL or IELTS.

Degree Requirements

  1. MSEE students at UMKC must complete at least 24 Credit Hours (equivalent to 8 regular courses) from ECE topic areas (ECE designated graduate courses). For some of the emphasis areas, the CSEE designated graduate courses will also be counted towards this 24 Credit Hours requirement. MSEE students can take the remaining 6 Credit Hours (equivalent to 2 regular courses) from any related discipline, including ECE.
  2. MSEE degree program has two options:
    1. Course-Option: 10 Courses (8 ECE Courses + 2 courses from any related discipline).
    2. Thesis-Option: 8 Courses (6 ECE Courses + 2 courses from any related discipline) + MS Thesis (6 Credit Hours).
  3. Students of the MSEE Degree Program are typically required to take 5000-level graduate classes. However, students can petition to take up to six (6) Credit Hours of 400-level coursework for the MSEE degree.
  4. Course Transfers: MSEE students can transfer a maximum of six (6) Credit Hours of graduate-level courses from any other accredited domestic and international institutes according to the rules and regulations set by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at UMKC.
  5. For the minimum GPA and other requirements (for the domestic and international students) to complete the MSEE Degree, the rules and regulations set by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and the International Student Affairs Office (ISAO) will be followed. Students are advised to consult with the advisers and relevant faculty members periodically.

MSEE Degree Emphasis Area Selection Guidelines

  1. The students in the MSEE Degree Program are not required to select an emphasis area. They will obtain the MSEE diploma if they fulfill the degree requirements listed above.
  2. It is strongly recommended to select at least one emphasis area to be prepared for a career in that area.
    1. Employers in a particular sector would like to see that a graduate has a series of relevant courses and training in various topics and tools related to that sector.
    2. It is important to acknowledge that current technologies and industries are very specialized. Most of the time, employers ask for specific skills and academic backgrounds for each new position.
    3. Students are recommended to take at least 12 Credit Hours from a selected emphasis area. These 12 Credit Hours can be covered by four (4) courses or two (2) courses and the MS Thesis in the chosen field.
    4. To expand academic training and increase employability, a student can take courses from two emphasis areas. Taking classes from more than two areas is highly discouraged.
    5. If an MSEE student takes courses from 3 or more different emphasis areas, the employers may not find that student suitable for any of their positions after graduation.
  3. A student can take a minimum of 12 Credit Hours (4 Courses) to a maximum of 30 Credit Hours (10 Courses) from one emphasis area (if courses are available). For example, suppose a student decides to emphasize in the “Power, Renewable Energy, and Control” area. In that case, the student can select all 10 courses from that area because there are more than ten (10) relevant graduate-level courses available at UMKC.


Emphasis Areas

Computers, Embedded Systems, and Microelectronics

E&C-ENGR 5528Advanced Embedded Systems3
E&C-ENGR 5530Digital Electronics3
E&C-ENGR 5535Hdl-Based Digital Systems Design3
E&C-ENGR 5542Introduction to VLSI Design3
E&C-ENGR 5545Advanced Flexible Electronics3
E&C-ENGR 5547Advanced Application-Specific Integrated Circuit Physical Design and Testing3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Advanced Computer Architecture)3
E&C-ENGR 5533Advanced Analog Integrated Circuit Design3
E&C-ENGR 5534Computer Arithmetic3
E&C-ENGR 5537Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuit Design3
E&C-ENGR 5642Advanced VLSI Design3

Electromagnetics and Radio Frequency (RF) Circuits and Systems

E&C-ENGR 5513Principles of Antenna Engineering3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Nanoelectronics and Plasmonics)3
E&C-ENGR 5517Advanced Microwave Engineering3
E&C-ENGR 5519Applied Numerical Analysis3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (RF Experimental Design)3
E&C-ENGR 5512Microwave Remote Sensing3
E&C-ENGR 5518Advanced Radar Systems & Techniques3
E&C-ENGR 5606Electromagnetic Scattering and Antenna Theory3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Terahertz in 6G and beyond)3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Principles of Antenna and RF Design)3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Principles of optics and photonics)3

Communication, Networking and Signal Processing

E&C-ENGR 5570Principles of Digital Communication Systems3
E&C-ENGR 5577Wireless Communications3
E&C-ENGR 5580Digital Signal Processing3
COMP-SCI 5520Network Architecture3
CSEE 5111Network Architecture II3
CSEE 5113Network Routing3
E&C-ENGR 477Introduction to Wireless Networking3

Nanotechnology

E&C-ENGR 5539Advanced Nanoscale Devices & Circuits3
E&C-ENGR 5540Advanced Nanomanufacturing3
E&C-ENGR 5633Nanoelectronics II: Nanoscale Integration & Manufacturing3
E&C-ENGR 5647Emerging Interdisciplinary Research in Nanotechnology3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Nanoelectronics and Plasmonics)3

Computer Vision, Multimedia, and Machine Learning 

E&C-ENGR 5316Deep Learning3
E&C-ENGR 5578Multimedia Communication3
E&C-ENGR 5582Computer Vision3
E&C-ENGR 5586Pattern Recognition3
E&C-ENGR 5584Advanced Digital Image Processing3

Power, Renewable Energy, and Control

E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Power Electronics I)1-4
E&C-ENGR 5536Power Electronics II3
E&C-ENGR 5553Wind Energy System Engineering3
E&C-ENGR 5556Advanced Instrumentation and Control3
E&C-ENGR 5557Fundamentals of Solar Photovoltaic Cells3
E&C-ENGR 5558Automatic Control System Design3
E&C-ENGR 5559Introduction to Photovoltaic Systems3
E&C-ENGR 5560Electric Power Distribution Systems3
E&C-ENGR 5561Advanced Power System Protection3
E&C-ENGR 5563Sustainable Energy System Engineering3
E&C-ENGR 5564Advanced Smart Grid and SCADA Systems3
E&C-ENGR 5565Auxiliary Electric System Design3
E&C-ENGR 5567Power Systems II3
E&C-ENGR 5568Economics of Power Systems3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Advanced Photovoltaic System Engineering)3
E&C-ENGR 5590PQSpecial Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Power Quality)3
E&C-ENGR 5590Special Topics In Electrical And Computer Engineering (Transmission System Planning & Impact Studies)3
E&C-ENGR 5664Lightning and Switching Surges in Power Systems3
E&C-ENGR 5672Power Systems Relaying3