II. Academic Regulations

II.A. Full-time and Part-time Students

A full-time student is one who is working full time towards his or her degree objective. This normally means that a full-time student is one who (1) registers for nine or more credit hours of required course work per semester in the academic year or six or more credit hours in the Summer Session or (2) is engaged in dissertation research with an advisor and is registered for a minimum of one credit hour. This second category includes both resident and nonresident students. (See "Continuous Enrollment.") A part-time student is any enrolled graduate student who does not fall within either of the preceding categories. For loan purposes, a half-time student is a part-time student who registers for at least six credit hours per semester in the academic year or three credit hours in the Summer Session.

II.B. Maximal Registration

During the academic year, a graduate student may not register for more than 9 credit hours of graduate courses, i.e., the 500-, 600- and 700-level courses, each semester. An exception to this is the first year of graduate study, during which a graduate student may take up to 12 credit hours, of which 3 hours may be research. In the Summer Session, a graduate student may not register for more than 10 credit hours.

II.C. Changes in Student Class Schedules

A student may add courses only during the first seven class days of the semester. Students may add courses after this time only on recommendation of the department and with approval of the Graduate School.

A student may drop courses during the first seven class days of the semester. To drop a course after this period and up to the midsemester point (see the Graduate School Calendar for the exact date), a student must have the approval of the chair of the department offering the course, the student's advisor and the Graduate School. A course may be dropped after the midsemester point only in cases of serious physical or mental illness. Courses dropped after this date will be posted on the student's permanent record with the grade of "W."

A course taken for credit can be changed to an audit course after the midsemester point only in cases of serious physical or mental illness.

II.D. Course Numbers

No graduate credit is allowed for courses below the 400 level. The advanced undergraduate course:   No graduate credit is allowed for courses below the 400 level. The advanced undergraduate courses numbered 400 through 497 may, with the approval of the department chair and the Graduate School, be taken to satisfy up to 6 hours of graduate credit requirements.

Courses numbered 500 through 599 are first-level graduate courses into which qualified advanced undergraduates may be admitted with the permission of the instructor and the approval of the chair. Courses numbered 600 and above are advanced graduate courses open only to those who have completed the undergraduate and graduate prerequisites.

II.E. Graduate Grades

Listed below are graduate grades and the corresponding number of quality points per credit hour.
A . . . . . . .  4
A-. . . . . . .  3.667
B+. . . . . . .  3.333
B . . . . . . .  3
B-. . . . . . .  2.667
C+. . . . . . .  2.333
C . . . . . . .  2
C-. . . . . . .  0
D . . . . . . .  0
F . . . . . . .  0
I . . . . . . .  0(Until Incomplete is removed)
NR. . . . . . .  None No grade reported
P . . . . . . .  None Pass
S . . . . . . .  None Satisfactory
U . . . . . . .  None Unsatisfactory
V . . . . . . .  None Auditor (graduate students only)
W . . . . . . .  None Withdrew

Quality point values are used to compute the student's grade point average (G.P.A.). The G.P.A. is the ratio of accumulated earned quality points to the accumulated earned semester credit hours. G.P.A. computation takes into account only those grades earned in Notre Dame graduate courses by students with graduate status at Notre Dame. For courses taken in a department or college in the University but outside the Graduate School, or taken outside the University, the grade will not be included in the G.P.A. computation.

If a grade of "C-" or "D" is given to a graduate student for a course taken in any department or college in the University, the grade will be considered equivalent to an "F."

A student receives the temporary grade of "I" when, for acceptable reasons, he or she has not completed the requirements for a 500 or higher level graduate course within the semester or Summer Session. No grade of "I" can be given for courses below the 500 level or to graduating students in the final semester or final Summer Session. The student then must complete the course work for a grade prior to the beginning of the final examination period of the next semester in which the student is enrolled. If a student receives an "I" for a Summer Session course, he or she must complete the course work for a grade before the final examination period begins for the next semester or Summer Session (whichever comes first) in which the student is enrolled.

The University temporarily computes this grade as the equivalent of an "F" in calculating the G.P.A. When the student fulfills the above requirements, the "I" is replaced by the new grade. Should the student not complete the course work as required, the "I" remains on the academic record and is computed in the G.P.A. as equivalent to an "F." The department and the Graduate School will review a student who receives more than one "I" in a semester or an "I" in two or more consecutive semesters, to determine his or her eligibility for continued support and enrollment.

The grade of "P" or pass is awarded only on foreign language reading examinations, comprehensive examinations, candidacy examinations and dissertation defense examinations.

The grades of "S" and "U" are used in courses without semester credit hours, as well as in research courses, departmental seminars, colloquia, workshops, directed studies, field education and skill courses. These courses, if given the grade of "S," do figure in a student's earned semester credit- hour total but do not figure in the computation of the G.P.A. A grade of "U" will not count toward the student's earned semester credit-hour total, nor will it figure in the computation of the G.P.A.

The grade of "V" has neither quality-point nor credit-hour values. It is the only grade available to the registered auditor who requests at the beginning of the semester that it be made part of his or her permanent record and who attends the course throughout the entire semester. The grade of "V" cannot be changed to a credit-earning grade. The grade of "W" is given for a course that a student is allowed to drop after the midsemester point.
 

II.F. Examinations;

Unexcused absence from a scheduled final examination results in an "F." An absence excused in advance results in an "I" (incomplete).

II.G. Academic Good Standing ;

Continuation in a graduate degree program, admission to degree candidacy, and graduation require that the student be in academic good standing. This is defined as maintenance of at least a 3.0 (B) cumulative G.P.A. and a semester G.P.A. of at least 2.5. A student may be dismissed from the department or program if the G.P.A. in any one semester is below 2.5 or if the cumulative G.P.A. is below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters.

A student whose cumulative G.P.A. drops below 3.0 is not allowed to register for thesis or dissertation research credits until this deficiency is removed. Also, a student whose cumulative G.P.A. is below 3.0 is not allowed to defend his or her thesis. A student must be in academic good standing to be eligible for new or continued financial support.
 

II.H. Director of Graduate Studies;

The Director of Graduate Studies advises all new graduate students concerning the various aspects of graduate study in the Department of Electrical Engineering. The Director of Graduate Studies also takes care of all procedural aspects of a student's program and is an ex-officio member of the Graduate Committee.

II.I. Faculty Advisor;

Every graduate student will be assigned a faculty advisor by the Department Chairman. The advisor will assist the student in setting up a course plan and in choosing a thesis or dissertation topic. If the student's research interests differ from those of the advisor, the student may request a change in advisor from the Department Chairman. Changing advisors more than once is discouraged.

II.J. Major Area ;

The course work and research in Electrical Engineering can be divided into two broad areas:

  • Electronic Circuits and Systems (ECS): communication systems, control systems, signal  and image processing.

  • Electronic Materials and Devices (EMD): solid-state materials and devices, including optoelectronics.

    Normally each student will select one of these areas as the major area of concentration.
     

    II.K. Qualifying Examination;

    The Qualifying Examination is normally taken by all full time graduate students at the end of their first year of graduate study in the Department. The Qualifying Examination is offered twice each year, typically in May and in November.

    The purpose of this examination is to determine the student's potential and readiness to complete the M.S. and Ph.D. programs. The examination functions as both the Master's Comprehensive Examination and the written part of the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination.

    The examination is written and closed book, consisting of ten (10) questions --- five (5) from the ECS area five (5) from the EMD area.   The student may work any of these questions, but must specify which five (5) problems he/she chooses to have graded. The questions are designed to test the student's ability to reason through a problem and are based on undergraduate and first year graduate level courses. The student is given five hours to complete the examination.
     

    A member of the graduate committee serves as the Examination Coordinator (EC) and is  responsible for the administration of the examination. The EC chairs an examining board consisting of the Graduate Committee and the Area Committee chairs. This board receives and approves five questions from each of the areas. Notice of the examination date for each semester will be issued by the EC near the end of the previous semester.

    After the students have taken the examination, each question is graded and an evaluation is forwarded to the EC. The EC compiles the results and reports them to the Department Faculty. The faculty as a whole determines whether the student has:

            (1) Demonstrated Ph.D. capability
            (2) Demonstrated M.S. capability
            (3) Not demonstrated graduate level capability.

    This result is made available to the Graduate Committee to aid in its determination of the student's future status. The student may retake this examination a second time only
    with permission of the department.

    Results of the examination are communicated to the student by a letter from the Chair of the Department.

    The Qualifying Examination should be passed at the Ph.D. level by the end of the student's third semester in order for the student to receive continued financial support from the department.
     

    II.L. Visitors at Oral Examinations

    All oral examinations in the department are open to all Electrical Engineering faculty. Faculty members who are not part of the examining board are free to ask questions of the candidate but do not vote in any recommendations arising from the examination.

    II.M. Progress Toward a Degree

    A student who commences on an Electrical Engineering degree program is expected to demonstrate continuous progress toward that degree. This regulation is in addition to the
    constraints imposed by the graduate school. A student's Advisor will monitor his or her
    continuous progress.

    II.N. Continuing Status;

    Students who are admitted to the graduate program are assured of at least two semesters of graduate student status. During that time, they will take the Qualifying Examination. If they do not demonstrate graduate level capability on that examination, they must meet with the Graduate Committee to discuss the continuation of their graduate student status. Similarly, students who do not finish their M.S. program within four semesters must also meet with the Graduate Committee to discuss continuation.

    The Graduate Committee may make recommendations to the Department Chairman and the Graduate School concerning a student's status and financial support. These recommendations are based on a student's course grades, graduate examinations, and other factors. The department will not continue financial support for any student not making satisfactory progress towards a degree. The Graduate Committee may make recommendations to the Department Chairman and the Graduate School concerning a student's status and financial support. These recommendations are based on a student's course grades, graduate examinations, and other factors. The department will not continue financial support for any student not making satisfactory progress towards a  degree.



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