Project Track Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Overview

The project-track Master’s degree program in Electrical and Computer Engineering, designed with significant input from industry, will allow you to develop technical and professional skills to accelerate your career advancement in industry or prepare you for success in Ph.D. studies. The 2-semester Ideas to Innovation Project courses (I2I-1, I2I-2) provide an opportunity to develop technical depth via a team project that is comparable in scope to a six-credit MS thesis but focused on engineering design rather than research. Through the I2I courses and other track-specific courses, you will also develop project definition, project management and writing/presentation skills which are highly valued in industry.

Professor David Janes poses for a portrait in the atrium of the MSEE building.

Director's Newsletter

Fall 2023: It’s Not Your Seniors Project Track

A number of significant changes/additions have been made for 2023-2024 and we have welcomed a large and diverse cohort of students.

This year’s cohort has a healthy mix of students with a few year’s of industry experience and students straight out of undergraduate programs. A number of students have shared insights from their professional experiences and their motivation for joining the Project Track program. This has included interests in learning how to define an overall scope for a project and see it end-to-end, building expertise in a different technical field and developing broader perspectives on the context and challenges associated with defining and solving an engineering problem.


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Marcus Weldon and project track master's students sit in a circle to discuss modern engineering education

Fall 2023 Highlights

Dr. Marcus Weldon, Neil Armstrong Distinguished Visiting Professor, presented lectures on September 25 and 26 . I2I students participated in interactive panels following his talks and presented pitches of their project topics to Dr. Weldon.

“Dr. Weldon's August visit was a great opportunity for our students to think about how they can excel in their careers,” said David Janes, Professor of ECE and Director of the Project Track program. “The student panelists and audience participants were able to build on his concepts; this was great engagement with our new students.”


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Program Highlights

  • Ideas to Innovation Project Course: A special highlight of the program is the 2-semester design course in which you start with a general topic provided by Purdue’s world-class faculty and industry mentors, refine it into a specific project focus/goals and develop a state-of-the-art solution to a real-world problem.
  • Interact with Industry Leaders: Company mentors and Purdue faculty suggest project topics and provide technical mentorship for project teams. There are opportunities to interact with distinguished guest lecturers.
  • Build Technical Depth and Breadth: Design a plan of study that matches your interests; take one-credit courses from a rich suite of options to develop breadth at the edges.
  • Rise Above Your Peers: Develop your professional skills, including teamwork, communication, and project definition/management skills.
  • Learn and Network: Request a travel grant of up to $1,000 to attend a conference or technology expo.
  • Prepare for the Next Step: Take advantage of career advice, placement services, and tight connections to industry and to the Purdue alumni network.
  • Semiconductor Concentration: Earn our graduate concentration in Microelectronics and Advanced Semiconductors as you earn the MSECE.

About

Highlights

Curriculum

People

Ideas to Innovation Project

You will begin your immersive design experience during the fall semester. Each team identifies, proposes, and initiates work towards their project using proven techniques from industry.

  • Team Formation: Projects will require expertise in multiple areas with ECE (i.e., software, circuit design, power, etc.), so teams will include students with different backgrounds and technical areas of concentration.
  • Project Selection: Ideas for project may come from ECE faculty or from other sources. You do not need to identify a project before the Ideas to Innovation course begins.
  • Become a “Technology Maestro”: Gain technical, product-development, project-management, and professional skills that will set you apart from your peers.

Degree Requirements

This MS track requires students to take the following coursework:

  • One ECE core course (3 credits)
  • One math course (3 credits)
  • Ideas to Innovation coursework:
    • Ideas to Innovation I and II (6 credits total)
    • Communication for Engineering Leaders (1 credit)
    • Additional 2 credits of coursework from a selected list on topics such as innovation, entrepreneurship, project management, leadership, communication, etc.
  • An additional 13 credit hours of ECE or other technical coursework

See full details on our Project Track Degree Requirements page.

A students tests a prototype of a adjusting insole that responds to changes in foot pressure

Application Deadline

For Fall Start:

  • Priority consideration, December 1
  • Final, April 1

Admissions Guide

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