The Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers a program of
graduate study leading to the Master of Science in Computer Engineering
degree. Program strengths include the unique blend of faculty
expertise, the well equipped computer engineering laboratory facilities,
and the balance of theory, practice, hardware, and software. Degree
requirements concentrate in the areas of computer system design and
analysis. Courses for the program are offered in the late afternoon and
evening hours to serve the educational needs of practicing computer
professionals.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Students choose between the thesis and the non-thesis programs of study.
Both options require a total of forty-eight (48) graduate credit hours
in computer science and computer engineering (CS/CEG). The former
option requires satisfactory completion of a master's thesis. The
latter option requires that a larger number of the required credit hours
be earned through formal coursework (as opposed to seminars, independent
study, and thesis research, for example). The specific requirements
for the two options are as follows.
The thesis option requires satisfactory completion of a master's thesis
within a program of study consisting of 48 graduate credit hours in
CS/CEG courses, including:
- At least twenty (20) hours of formal CS/CEG coursework at the
700/800 level, including the Computer Engineering Core (listed
below), and
- No more than twelve (12) hours total of independent study and thesis work.
The non-thesis option requires a program of study consisting of 48
graduate credit hours in CS/CEG courses, including:
- At least thirty-two (32) hours of formal CS/CEG coursework at
the 700/800 level, including the Computer Engineering Core (listed
below), and
- No more than four (4) hours of independent study work.
Courses
- All CS and CEG graduate courses listed in the catalog may be
used to complete the credit hour requirement with the exception of
CS 600 Data Structures and CEG 633 Operating Systems.
- EE 649 Pulse and Digital Circuits, EE 701 Linear Systems, EE 710
Digital Signal Processing, and EE 761 Random Processes may also be
used in completing the credit hour requirement.
- Other courses may be used to satisfy the requirements only if
they are listed in a program of study that has been approved by the
department prior to enrollment in the course.
A formal course is one that meets on a regularly scheduled basis
throughout the term as specified in the quarterly university bulletin.
The Computer Engineering Core consists of the following courses:
- CEG 702 Advanced Computer Networks
- CEG 720 Computer Architecture
- CEG 730 Distributed Computing Principles
- CEG 770 Computer Engineering Mathematics
Time Limit
Students must complete all the requirements for a master's degree within
7 years from the date the student matriculated. Courses older than 7
years cannot be used toward degree requirements.
Three "C" Rule
The department has a "three C rule" for graduate students. A graduate
student who receives nine (9) or more credit hours of grades C, D, F, X,
or U in CS/CEG graduate courses will be recommended immediately for
dismissal from the program. The rule includes prerequisite courses
taken for graduate study, independent study, and thesis or dissertation
research. Dismissal action will be taken by the School of Graduate
Studies.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of twelve (12) graduate credit hours may be transferred after
admission to the program by petitioning the department Graduate Studies
Committee.
ADMISSION
A student may be admitted to the Master of Science in Computer
Engineering program with the equivalent of an ABET accredited bachelor's
degree in computer engineering and satisfaction of the admission
requirements as set forth by the School of Graduate Studies.
Admission Prerequisites
Specific prerequisites for admission to the Master of Science in
Computer Engineering program are shown below. Students may be admitted
conditionally while making up minor deficiencies.
1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with an overall
minimum grade point average of 3.0 for regular graduate status. Students
may be admitted conditionally if they have an undergraduate grade point
average of 2.7 or above and at least a 3.0 grade point average in all
courses in items 2 and 3 below.
2. Computer Science and Computer Engineering prerequisites: courses
covering computer programming, data structures, digital circuits and
circuit design, computer organization, digital system design, operating
systems, linear systems, and electronic devices. The material covered in
these courses should be equivalent to, respectively, CS-400, CS-433, and
CEG-320 at Wright State University.
3. Mathematics and science prerequisites: one year sequences in calculus
and calculus-based physics, as well as knowledge of matrix or linear
algebra, ordinary differential equations, probability, and statistics.
4. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. A minimum
combined score of at least 1050 on the verbal and quantitative sections
is expected.
NOTE: The GRE will be waived in the following cases:
- For applicants with a Wright State University BA or a BS degree from the College of Engineering and Computer Science whose undergraduate GPA is above 3.3, and
- For applicants with a graduate degree in engineering, science, or mathematics from a United States institution.
However, the GRE is highly recommended for applicants who are or will be
applying for graduate assistantships.
To find out whether you qualify for admission to a graduate program
in Computer Science and Engineering at Wright State University, please
complete and submit the Pre-Application Review. The CSE Graduate Program staff will evaluate
your record and let you know of the result within two weeks.
There is no fee for the
Pre-Application Review.
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
Teaching assistantships are available on a competitive basis for
students who have established strong academic credentials and can
demonstrate good communication skills and teaching potential. Research
assistantship availability is dependent upon faculty research grants and
contracts. Candidates are ordinarily chosen based upon credentials
established at Wright State University. Students employed as teaching
or research assistants through the School of Graduate Studies are
required to complete the thesis option.
RESEARCH
Current faculty research areas include networking and mobile computing,
VLSI, FPGAs, RFID, graphics, image processing, distributed systems,
computer security, operating systems, and software engineering. Sources
of research support include federal agencies, military agencies, and
local industries.
Research at Wright State University is not limited to on-campus
laboratory facilities. Several industrial laboratories and Wright
Patterson Air Force Base laboratories are involved in joint research
efforts with the university and have unique facilities that are
available for faculty and graduate research.
Thesis research could be related to one of the on-going research
projects or other topics of mutual interest to the student and a faculty
member.
More information can be found on the Research page.
Descriptions of the Master of Science in Computer Engineering degree
program, courses, and application materials are available on the School
of Graduate Studies web site at http://www.wright.edu/sogs/.
