Master of Science in ECE

Uniquely interdisciplinary and flexible: coursework-only, project and thesis options

Miroslave Pajic with students and robot

Program Benefits

The 30-credit Duke Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering degree provides a unique combination of opportunities:

  • World-class research
    Integrated into a project-based learning environment
  • Flexible, individualized curriculum
    You choose: Thesis, Project or Coursework-only options
  • Professional development opportunities
    Take an internship or teaching assistantship
  • Excellent graduate outcomes
    Enter an elite PhD program or launch an industry career

Curriculum

  • ECE Courses in a Study Track—30 credits
    • Project MS option: 3 credits of ungraded research may substitute for standard coursework.
    • Thesis MS option: Up to 6 credits of ungraded research may substitute for standard coursework.
  • Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)—3 training forums
  • ECE Master’s Success Seminar (ECE 701)—0 credits
    Weekly seminar (no tuition). Required for students entering Fall 2024 or later.
Aniket Dalvi

I was looking for that strong university-industry connection. That, along with the flexibility of the coursework, which gave me a lot more bandwidth for research, made Duke the best fit for me, in the end.

Aniket Dalvi ’21 PhD Candidate at Duke University

Choose Your Study Track

Degree Options & Requirements

  • Only graduate-level courses (500 and above) satisfy MS degree requirements.
  • No more than two ECE 899: Independent Study courses may be taken.
  • English for International Students (EIS) courses (EGR 505, 506, 705, 706) do not count toward the 30 total units required for the MS degree.
  • Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA to remain in good standing and to graduate.
  • Course selection is formally approved by submitting a Program of Study form.
  • MS students (except Duke 4+1) are required to take at least three full-time semesters to graduate.
  • Requirements

    • 30 units of graduate-level coursework as determined by the curricular track course requirements
    • ECE 701—ECE Master’s Success Seminar (0 credit, tuition-free)
      Required for students entering Fall 2024 or later.
    • 3 Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training forums in order to graduate.

    Coursework MS Final Exam

    The Graduate School requires a final exam approved by a committee made up of three Graduate Faculty members. The committee must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School at least one month prior to the examination date. The student is not required to generate a written document for the ECE department, and the format of the exam is determined by the department.

  • Requirements

    • 30 units of graduate-level coursework as determined by the curricular track course requirements
    • 3 units of ungraded research (if desired, to substitute for standard coursework)
    • ECE 701—ECE Master’s Success Seminar (0 credit, tuition-free)
      Required for students entering Fall 2024 or later.
    • 3 Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training forums in order to graduate.

    Project MS Final Exam

    For the project option, a written research report and oral presentation are required to be presented to a committee made up of the student’s advisor and two other members of the graduate faculty, one of whom must be from a department other than ECE or outside the student’s main curricular area. The committee must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School at least one month prior to the examination date. The formats of the written and oral project reports are determined by the student’s advisor. The project report is not submitted to the Graduate School; however, a final copy must be submitted to the ECE Department.

  • Requirements

    • 30 units of graduate-level coursework as determined by the curricular track course requirements
    • Up to 6 units of ungraded research (if desired, to substitute for standard coursework)
    • ECE 701—ECE Master’s Success Seminar (0 credit, tuition-free)
      Required for students entering Fall 2024 or later.
    • 3 Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training forums in order to graduate.

    Thesis MS Final Exam

    A written thesis must be uploaded by the guidelines presented in the Graduate School’s Guide for the Electronic Submission of Thesis and Dissertation, and the thesis must be defended orally before a committee composed of the faculty member under whose direction the work was done and at least two other members of the graduate faculty, one of whom must be from a department other than ECE or outside the student’s main curricular area. The committee must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School at least one month prior to the examination date.

Master’s Contacts

Miroslav Pajic, Director of Master’s Studies, Professor of ECE

Krista Turner, Master’s Program Coordinator

Kevyn Light, Senior Program Coordinator

Matt Novik, Graduate Program Coordinator

More Options