ECE Graduate Tracks Provide Additional Structure to Curriculum

The ECE department recently added academic tracks to its graduate curriculum. This pilot program offers students the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of electrical and computer engineering—an incredibly broad and expansive field—without the addition of a minor or a certificate of study.

The addition of optional academic tracks is an effort to assist students in planning their programs of study. Students will design their plans of study to broaden their knowledge of foundational disciplines and to provide deep knowledge in one or more ECE tracks. Regardless of whether a student intends to join industry or academia, the concepts and techniques learned in foundational courses will be essential for graduates to continue to learn and adapt to new technical knowledge and technologies in their fields. The addition of academic tracks allows the graduate student to customize their chosen area of depth. This combination of depth and breadth will serve students well for their professional lifetimes. Students have the option of pursuing multiple tracks.

An expected benefit of academic tracks is improved clarity for potential employers. Rather than struggling to determine a graduate’s particular expertise based on coursework or thesis title, a potential employer can simply see the particular track(s) with which the student graduated.

More information on graduate tracks, including requirements and application form, can be found on the graduate tracks page in the graduate academics area of ECE’s website.