MS-ECE Program of Study

The MS-ECE program requires the completion of a total of thirty-two semester hours including a Culminating Experience. The culminating experience can be completed in one of two different options: (1) a 3-unit Design Project, or (2) a 6-unit Research and Thesis.

The unit break down for the MS-ECE program is as follows:

The Entrepreneurship course is a unique collaboration between the Department of Engineering and the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University. The goal of this course is to train engineering students in key technology commercialization and customer development concepts. The course provides students with the tools needed to better understand their customer segments and how to deliver value that is truly relevant to their target market. Other key considerations of launching a new venture such as distribution channels, customer acquisition, revenue and pricing models and key costs/activities are also covered in the course.

The Culminating Experience requirement can be completed in one of two different ways: (1) by taking a 6-unit ECE 599 (Research & Thesis), referred below as Plan A, (2) by taking a 3-unit ECE 595 (Design Project), referred below as Plan B. Regardless of the plan, all culminating works will be archived in the library for general public to view. We recognize that one of the recurring themes in any entry level job search is lack of experience. "Where do I get experience if no one is willing to hire me?" The answer is simple: Get an internship! Through the Internship course (ECE 591) our students will have the opportunity with an industry, R&D laboratory, government organization, or a laboratory or center at an academic institution to gain professional training, teamwork experience, communication skills and project opportunities that will prepare them for a successful career in the real world.

Students registering for the Culminating Experience (ECE 599: Thesis (Plan A) or Project (Plan B)) are required to complete their work by the end of the semester.

Registering for the Culminating Experience requires Graduate Coordinator’s signature. Make sure you complete the MS-ECE Academic Status Form and receive the coordinator’s signature.

If the student is unsure about the possibility of completing the work within a semester (and the subsequent Summer), we recommend that the student registers for only one or two units of Culminating Experience, rather than full three units. The Culminating Experience should be completed within ONE year. Please remember that students who have not registered for more than two semesters will be automatically dropped out of the program and must reapply to the University and pay the admission fee (see Admission to MS-ECE).

To register for Culminating Experience, complete the Application for Design Project (ECE 595) or Thesis (ECE 599) form available at the Engineering department Forms page. Deadlines to complete 591, 594, 595, 596, and 599 forms are the first day of registration for the respective semester. These dates are usually mid-March for Summer, mid-April for Fall, mid-October for Winter, and mid-November for Spring. Please check the SSU’s Academic Calendar for the actual dates. Students must receive verbal approval from the respective course instructor or advisor before completing these forms. Please email completed forms to Kate Evans. The department will route the forms for e-signatures. Once all parties have signed the form, students will either be placed in the course they requested or they will receive a permission code to register themselves. You must ALSO complete the GSO-1 form in Graduate Program Forms & Deadlines and receive all the required signatures (Note that no student will be allowed to register for the Culminating Experience without completion of the GSO-1 form.)

MS-ECE Internship: Please refer to Jobs & Internship.

The Graduate Seminar is organized for the benefit of graduate students to learn about the latest advancement in various high tech fields including communications, computational biology, computing, networking, photonics and fiber optics, solar energy and robotics. The speakers in the graduate seminar are selected among the top industry and academia experts. To learn more about high tech businesses and industries in Sonoma Country see North Bay Business Journal.

Sample Plan Starting in the Fall Semester

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Sample Plan Starting in the Spring Semester

For full description of courses refer to MS-ECE Course Descriptions.

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