University of Maryland Baltimore County

Information for prospective Students in Computer Engineering

UMBC is a major research university located in the Baltimore‑Washington area and offers graduate students an exciting environment for advanced study. With nearly 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students in the liberal arts, sciences, engineering, and public policy, UMBC is large enough to provide students with excellent training and research experience and small enough for close student‑faculty interaction. The University is a growing center for research and development and technology commercialization. Patent applications by UMBC researchers have more than quadrupled in three years and more than forty University‑developed technologies are available for licensing. Adjacent to the campus, the UMBC Technology Center and Research Park house private research, development, and training organizations seeking interaction with University faculty, students, and research facilities.

The Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (CSEE) offers M.S. (Thesis or Non-Thesis option) and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science (CS), in Electrical Engineering (EE), and in Computer Engineering (CE). These programs are strongly supported by the industrial companies in the Greater Baltimore-Washington area, and various collaborative arrangements with governmental and private institutions make state-of-the-art research facilities in the area available to UMBC faculty and students.

Separate admissions committees handle admission to each program. The Department also offers Systems Engineering tracks under the M.S. in EE and M.S. in CS programs.

Fields of specialization in Computer Engineering include:

• VLSI design and testing including mixed signal analog and digital design
• Computer Systems and Architecture
• Computer networks
• Digital Signal Processing

General Application Policy

When seeking admission to the graduate program, applicants must satisfy all entrance requirements of the Graduate School at UMBC.

Applications are not processed until all documents and fees are received. Applicants must submit official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, Graduate Record Examination (GRE General Test) scores, and for foreign students, scores for the TOEFL. Applications are available online.

Statement of Purpose

The graduate admission forms include a statement of purpose. This is where you tell us what your interests are, what you want to study, in what areas you are interested in doing research, and why. It is NOT intended to be a biography. It MUST address your vision of your future career directions and what you want to accomplish by earning an advanced degree.

GRE Requirements and Waiver Requests

M.S. Applicants

Students with a B.S. degree (or degree in progress) in Computer Engineering from an accredited U.S. university and applying to the M.S. degree program and not requiring departmental financial assistance may request a GRE waiver provided at least one of the following conditions are met:

1. A B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from an accredited U.S. university with a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in Computer Engineering courses.
2. A B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from an accredited U.S. university, with a minimum of 1 year of industry experience in computer engineering after graduation. Make sure that at least one of the letters of recommendation comes from your employer/supervisor and talks about your experience and capability in computer engineering.

Ph.D. Applicants

Domestic students with an M.S. degree in Computer Engineering and applying to the Ph.D. degree program and not requiring departmental financial assistance may request a GRE waiver provided all of the following minimum conditions are met:

1. An M.S. degree in Computer Engineering from an accredited U.S. university with a minimum GPA of 3.6 and have met all the required prerequisite courses.
2. Have significant job related experience in Computer Engineering. Make sure that at least one of the letters of recommendation comes from your employer/supervisor and talks about your experience and capability in computer engineering.

How to Request a GRE Waiver

Please complete and include the GRE Waiver Request form with your application materials. GRE waiver requests must be submitted by March 1st for Fall applicants and by September 1st for Spring applicants. The form is available on the CSEE website. Please note that the GRE waiver is not automatically granted. The Graduate Program Director will review other sup­porting materials (letters, statement of purpose, etc.) in making the final decision. You will be notified via email regarding the Graduate Program Director’s decision.

Application Deadlines

Domestic applicants not seeking financial support

Fall Semester: June 1
Spring Semester: November 1

International applicants and permanent residents who are attending or have attended a foreign school; and domestic applicants seeking departmental financial support

Fall Semester: January 1
Spring Semester: July 1 of prior calendar year

The application review process will begin by February 1 for admission to the Fall semester and by October 1 for admission to the following Spring semester. Favorable consideration will be given to applications received early in each review cycle. It is the policy of the Department to admit stu­dents based solely on their academic and research performance.

Prerequisites for Admission

An applicant to the graduate program in Computer Engineering is expected to have a strong back­ground in computer engineering and mathematics courses. This includes Calculus I and II, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations and Probability & Statistics in mathematics. Applicants are expected to have taken the equivalent of the following UMBC courses:

• CMPE 212 Principles of Digital Design
• CMPE 306: Basic Circuit Theory
• CMPE 310 Systems Design and Programming
• CMPE 314 Electronic Circuits
• CMPE 315 Principles of VLSI Design
• CMSC 341 Data Structures
• CMSC 411 Computer Architecture

Students may apply for admission to either the M.S. or the Ph.D. program. Admission to the Ph.D. program is highly selective and only students with excellent credentials will be accepted. Students who plan to pursue the Ph.D. degree but who either do not have extensive research experience during their undergraduate studies (or at work) or do not already have an M.S. in Computer Engineering are advised to apply for admission to the M.S. program.

Admission and financial assistance decisions are based on several factors including undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) academic performance, GRE and TOEFL scores, recommendation letters, statement of purpose, prior research experience and publication history (if applicable). In particular, candidates applying to the Ph.D. program should have a prior research record and also submit a credible statement of purpose clearly describing the research areas of interest and future career goals.

New students will be assigned an academic advisor who can provide advice on choice of courses, degree requirements, and other important matters during the first year. By the end of the first year, students should have a faculty member to serve as the research advisor for the M.S. or Ph.D. research.

Financial Assistance

Financial aid is available on a competitive basis to a limited number of qualified graduate students in the form of graduate teaching assistantships (TAs) and graduate research assistantships (RAs).

There are also nationally awarded fellowship programs for appropriately qualified students. Students are encouraged to apply directly to these programs.

For incoming students, financial assistance decisions are based on the same factors as for admission. After a student has been enrolled for a time, his/her academic performance and faculty recommendations are also considered. Students who have any CMPE or other prerequisite courses unfulfilled will generally not be admitted with TA support, except for exceptionally qualified students.

Note: International students with a Teaching Assistantship must pass the Learning Resources Center Oral Test in English by the beginning of their second semester.

Departmental Financial Aid for Continuing Students

Information on policies for continuing financial aid for presently enrolled students is contained in the CSEE department graduate handbook.

Requirements for M.S. degree

For the M.S. degree in Computer Engineering, the student must earn a minimum of thirty (30) credit hours with thesis option or thirty three (33) credit hours with non‑thesis option.

The time limit is five years from admission into the program. The student must satisfy the GPA and course requirements for his/her field of specialty.

The thesis option in the student’s field requires a minimum of eight (8) graduate‑level courses (24 credit hours) and six (6) credit hours of thesis (CMPE 799). The thesis must be supervised by an approved CSEE graduate faculty member as the thesis advisor and must be defended with an oral exam and accepted by the student’s M.S. thesis committee. A bound copy of the thesis must be submitted to the department.

The non‑thesis option in the student’s field requires a minimum of ten (10) graduate level courses (30 credit hours) and three (3) credit hours of CMPE 698 (Research Project) work resulting in a scholarly paper that must be approved by the advisor and read by another faculty member. A signed copy of the scholarly paper must be submitted to the department.

M.S. Program Guidelines and Timeline

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Course requirements

Each student must satisfy the minimum course requirements of eleven courses totaling thirty-three credits, present a comprehensive portfolio of academic success and research progress, pass a preliminary examination, and complete and defend a thesis with original research results.

Detailed PhD degree requirements are available online.

CSEE Department Computer Engineering Faculty