Electrical Engineering|

Roger Dougal, Chair

Faculty	Research Focus Areas
Overview	Programs and Courses
Admission Requirements	Website

Overview

Graduate programs of the Department of Electrical Engineering emphasize research-oriented graduate study through the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Science (M.S.) programs, and professional development through the Master of Engineering (M.E.) program. Financial assistance is available for the EE graduate students pursuing Ph.D. and M.S. degrees, but applicants should be aware that both financial assistance and the availability of faculty to supervise research are decided on a highly competitive basis.

APOGEE (A Program of Graduate Engineering Education) provides a mechanism for qualified engineers to earn a graduate-level degree while maintaining full-time employment. The program delivers graduate courses through a media-based system incorporating television, videotapes, the Internet, digital video, and periodic visits to campus.

The electrical engineering department is currently ranked 1st in both program quality and faculty research productivity in the South (as per National Research Council), and strives to prepare the graduate students for highly successful careers in academia, industry, and government laboratories.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to graduate degree programs in electrical engineering (M.E., M.S., Ph.D.) include the general admission requirements of The Graduate School as well as more stringent departmental requirements, as described below. In general, the admissions process is highly competitive. Admissions decisions are based on the quality of the applicant’s previous university-level academic work (as reflected by grade point average, or GPA), letters of recommendation (at least two letters are required for evaluation), GRE scores, and other evidence of past accomplishments.

For admission to the M.E., M.S., and Ph.D. degree programs in electrical engineering, applicants normally hold the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited engineering program. Students holding B.S. degrees may apply for direct admission to the doctoral program; it is not necessary to complete a master’s degree first. Applicants with degrees (B.S. or higher) in other engineering disciplines or physics may be admitted with additional remedial course requirements in electrical engineering at the undergraduate level. Remedial courses will typically include the prerequisites for required graduate courses, and may include additional courses in mathematics. The detailed specification of course requirements and substitutions of courses from other universities will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

M.S. and Ph.D. applicants are strongly encouraged to distinguish their area of specialization when applying to the Graduate Program in order to identify a Research Advisor. The M.S. and Ph.D. applicants must secure an advisor who is willing to supervise him or her before being admitted into the program

GRE scores must be submitted by all applicants to Electrical Engineering graduate programs. International applicants must also submit TOEFL or IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam scores. All applicants should submit a statement of purpose (or similar essay) that describes the applicant’s background, research interests, and whether or not financial aid is required. For students seeking a research-oriented degree (M.S. or Ph.D.), a preliminary contact with a research advisor is strongly suggested.

Typical successful students have GRE scores of at least 153 (verbal), 155 (quantitative), and 3.0 (analytical). A TOEFL score greater than 80 (internet-based) or 570 (paper-based) is also required by the Graduate School. The typical overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5.

Research Focus Areas

The EE Department’s core research expertise is in the following areas:

• Energy, Power Systems and Control

The energy, power systems and control research group currently consists of the following faculty members: Dr. Roger Dougal, Dr. Andrea Benigni, Dr. Charles Brice, Dr. Herbert L. Ginn III, Dr. Enrico Santi, Dr. Xiaofeng Wang and Dr. Bin Zhang. The group focuses on system level simulations of power systems, physics based semiconductor device modeling of power converters, control of microgrids, future fuel cells, and many other cutting edge power and energy related research topics.

• Microelectronics, Nanoelectronics, and Photovoltaics

This research group currently consists of the following faculty members: Dr. MVS Chandrashekhar, Dr. Asif Khan, Dr. Krishna Mandal, Dr. Grigory Simin, and Dr. Tangali Sudarshan. The research thrust of these faculty members includes novel wide bandgap semiconductor materials, photonic and microelectronic devices and circuits, nanoscale electronics and sensors, and photovoltaics.

• Antennas, Electromagnetics, and Signal integrity

This research group consists of the following faculty members: Dr. Mohammod Ali, Dr. Yinchao Chen, Dr. Paul G. Huray, Dr. David Matolak, and Dr. Guoan Wang. This research group focuses on antennas and microwave circuit design, numerical electromagnetics, computer signal integrity, and mobile multi-media technology.

A complete description of the current research interests of the faculty may be found in the department’s Web page, located at www.ee.sc.edu.
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