Electrical and Systems Engineering
The Ph.D. program in Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE) welcomes candidates with a strong background in science and engineering who are interested in pursuing an academic doctoral degree. The objective of this program is to help students develop skills needed to perform independent research and teaching in an exciting intellectual environment.
Our students work with world-class faculty advisors and our research laboratories provide ample opportunities for students to work with other students and faculty to develop cutting-edge theories and technologies in collaboration with other departments and schools within the University.
Ph.D. Students
Primary Faculty
Graduate Group Members
The Ph.D. requirements include the completion of a 8+2 graduate level courses. Doctoral students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Additional requirements include:
Cumulative GPA requirements: above 3.0. Doctoral students must enroll in 3 CU’s per semester to maintain full-time status.
8 CU + 2 Requirement Overview: (See Course Requirements below for more details)
or
Faculty will sign-off if they want doctoral students to complete the 2 additional CUs in depth.
Trainings:
Depth (Minimum of 3; faculty can request that their student take 5 depth instead of 3 Depth + 2 ESE 9999) and Breadth (Minimum of 2) requirements. Students will consult their faculty advisors to determine which courses best suit their depth and breadth requirements.
Electives (Minimum of 1): Any remaining courses approved by your faculty advisor may fulfill this category.
ESE 9999 Independent Study Research Courses: (Minimum of Two) Independent Study Research courses with your faculty advisor.
Modeling and Probabilistic
Scientific Computing
There are three core research thrusts: Nanodevices and Nanosystems; Circuits & Computer Engineering; Information Design Systems – with two qualifier courses per area. Each doctoral student can select two (2) qualifiers from any of the six available options and should be selected in consultation with their faculty advisor.
Areas
System-on-a-Chip (Fall)
Linear Systems Theory (Fall)
Physics of Solid State
Energy Devices (Spring)
Analog Integrated Circuits (Fall)
Elements of Probability Theory (Fall)
Thresholds for qualifier pass/fail are generally higher than the grade for that course.
Students must pass two (2) qualifiers by the end of the spring of the second academic year of their doctoral study.
Students may take each qualifier up to two times. If a student fails to pass the qualifier the second time , the student has failed to fulfill this requirement and may need to withdraw from the PhD program.
Teaching Practicum: Participation of graduate students in the teaching mission of the department will help to develop teaching, presentation, leadership, and interpersonal skills while assisting the department in discharging its teaching responsibilities. All doctoral students are required to participate under faculty guidance in the teaching mission of the department. This requirement will be satisfied by completing two 0.5 course units of teaching practicum (ESE 8950)
Third-year students are registered for a no cost/no credit S/U progression unit in the fall term of their 3rd years. To complete this course requirement, they are required to form their dissertation committees by end of the spring semester. If they do not complete this course by the spring semester deadline, they will receive an incomplete. Forming for the dissertation committee, ensures doctoral students meet the following timeline:
Dissertation Committee Composition:
Each committee must be composed of at least 3 members: The Chair, Supervisor, and a Reader. Advice for forming your committee:
Additionally, the following rules must be adhered to for all PhD Committees:
Doctoral students will submit their committee information in BP Logix for ESE Departmental Review.
Frequently asked questions:
1. Can a professor outside of Penn serve on my committee? Yes. Other committee members can be external to the ESE Graduate Group. BP Logix will request outside committee members to provide their CV.
2. Can my industry contact serve on my committee? Yes. Qualified industry researchers with a doctorate are eligible as external members. BP Logix will request outside committee members to provide their CV.
3. Once I form my committee, what am I required to do? You will complete your Candidacy Exam by the end of your 4th or 5th year. Before then, you will meet with your dissertation committee on an annual basis.
4. Can I change or add/members to my dissertation committee? Yes, doctoral students can add or remove dissertation committee members after the dissertation committee is formed. Reminder: half of the of the members need to remain in the ESE graduate group.
Please contact your ESE PhD Program Coordinator if you have any questions regarding this process.
General Information:
The goal of the oral research qualifier is for doctoral students to demonstrate their research progress through the following steps:
Methods of Evaluation:
Outcomes:
The above applies to all students who started in AY 24-25 and beyond
*The ESE Department will share templates of effective Oral Research Qualifiers annually to all third year doctoral students.
Candidacy Exam: Complete in years 4-5.
During the Candidacy Exam, PhD students describe what makes their research proposal new, novel, and adding to the body of scholarly, scientific research. During the 45-minute oral presentation, doctoral students will:
Following the presentation, dissertation committee members will ask questions and offer feedback. For example, committee members may advise that the doctoral student emphasize certain aspects of the research while de-emphasizing others. The presentation and subsequent discussion runs approximately two hours.
Prior to the exam, doctoral students will submit a high-level research proposal describing their research (3-page minimum, single-spaced).
Dissertation/Oral Defense: Typically completed in years 5-6.
Doctoral students are required to submit their benchmarks in BP Logix as they are completed. The benchmarks are connected to their Degree Audit, verified for degree completion and graduation.
To do, please login to Path@Penn and Select Graduate Forms from the right hand side. Update of the following benchmarks as they are completed:
Please contact your ESE PhD Program Coordinator if you have questions regarding this process.
Degree Requirements:
Successful completion of the ESE Research Masters requires the completion of six course units, and 2 ESE 9999 Independent Study Research Units.
Coursework:
Depth and Breadth requirements: students will consult their faculty advisors to determine which courses best suit their depth and breadth requirements.
2 CU’s of Critical thinking from the following options:
All 8 course credit units of coursework required for the degree must be completed in a graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania. Transfer credits are not allowed.
Research Requirement/Scholarly Paper/Thesis
All Research Master’s students are required to complete a research requirement. This research consists of 2 parts: 1) completing a research course or engaging in research supervised by the Graduate Group and 2) preparing a thesis or comprehensive scholarly report in the student’s major field of study.
A thesis or comprehensive scholarly report based on joint work with other researchers is allowed, provided that, in such cases, a unique and separate document is presented by each degree candidate. The candidate must include a concise account of their contribution to the whole work. Authorship of a master’s thesis or comprehensive scholarly report by more than one degree candidate is not allowed.
General Examination
Successful completion of the General Examinations requires passing two written qualifier exams by the end of year two.
Written Qualifying Exams:
Circuits & Computer Engineering
Information and Decision Systems
Nanodevices and Nanosystems
The Graduate Group may substitute other assessment procedures for the general examination as a means of assuring that Master’s students have broad knowledge of the field. Completion of this requirement – whether by general examination or other assessment procedures – must be documented by the Graduate Group for each Research Master’s student.
Please note: the incorporation of the Research Master’s includes restrictions. Please see below for more details.
Research Master’s Restrictions: Doctoral Students cannot earn a Research Master’s if they transferred credits from a completed master’s program to their PhD transcripts. Penn does not allow the triple counting of courses. Please click here for more information on this University of Pennsylvania policy.
PhD Candidates can transfer up to 9 CUs into their PhD Program.
Courses taken under a certificate program, study abroad, or online are not eligible for transfer
Transfer credits must be taken prior to matriculation; Penn students cannot be enrolled in 2 schools at once
Courses are held to a time limit of 5 years from when the course was first taken.
New/incoming students cannot submit transfer requests prior to the semester course selection deadline.
Note: graduate courses on an undergraduate transcript will not be considered for graduate transfer credit unless the student was enrolled in an approved accelerated master’s program-no exceptions!
Submit the transfer credit form your Faculty Advisor for their signature. When complete, send form to the Coordinator for Graduate Chair approval.
Transferring undergraduate credits to the PhD transcript:
Students enrolled in the ESE PhD program cannot transfer courses taken at the undergraduate level to their PhD transcript. This includes:
There are no exceptions to the above policy.
