EE Power Area Graduate Advising
Courses to Register for...

1) Work through a curriculum advisor.  Confirm that the courses you plan to take will satisfy your MSECE or Ph.D. degree requirements and provide the foundation appropriate for your research/project and career plans. Our department's graduate advisor is the default advisor for students who do not yet have a faculty advisor.

Power Area graduate faculty* can become your advisor by mutual agreement. They can provide detailed advice on area curriculum and career options.

2) Plan and track your degree progress (these links and info need to be updated).  The graduate school posts the most current "M-Forms and "D-Forms."  Use the M-3 or D-3 form to plan and track your coursework -- update this and bring with when you visit your advisor.  (Note: International "Masters Path" students also need to file the form MP-1: Masters Path Bridge Courses ).  As you near completion of your degree, you'll need to submit finalized course of study using Forms M-4 or D-5.  See required forms for PhD and for MSEE to make sure you and your advisor are submitting the correct forms on time.

3) Take regularly-offered EE Power Area graduate courses (click here for .pdf summary) which typically make up one or two courses each semester.  Some standard pieces of advice are:
4)  Select the remaining courses each semester from non-power ECE courses, or courses from other departments such as CS (Computer Science), MA (Math), MEEM (Mechanical Engineering), PH (Physics), etc.  Some popular courses are listed in the following table.  There are many possible choices.  EE Power and Energy Conversion is a very broad area, and you can benefit from knowing more in other EE specialty areas, and also in computer engineering, computer science, math, physics, etc. Look carefully at pre-req requirements!  In some cases, especially for Plan D Masters, it may be appropriate to consider a course in energy economics, energy policy, business, etc. Get approval from your advisor, i.e. make sure the course is acceptable and will satisfy your MSEE or PhD degree requirements.  To verify that a course is offered, read the course description, and to see if the section still has open seats for registration, click here.  Important: Register for 4000-level courses as soon as possible, as these sections can quickly fill up! 

Fall Semester
 Spring Semester
 EE 4231 - Physical Electronics  EE 4232 - Electronic Applications
 EE 4252 - Signal Processing Applications w/Lab
  EE 4253 - Real-Time Signal Processing
 EE 4250 - Communications Theory  
 EE 4272 - Network Communications
 EE 4411/5410 - Engineering Electromagnetics
  EE 4262 - Digital and Nonlinear Control w/Lab
 EE 5455 - Cybersecurity of Industrial Control Systems
 EE 5715 - Linear Systems Theory & Design
  
 PH 4210 - Electricity & Magnetism I
 PH 4211 - Electricity & Magnetism II
 MA 4330 - Linear Algebra
  MA 4515 - Intro to Partial Diff. Eqns.
 MA 4535 - Nonlinear Dynamics & Chaos
  MA 4520 - Integral Trans & Series Meth
 MA 4525 - Applied Vector & Tensor Math  MA 4610 - Numerical Linear Algebra
 MA 4635 - Numerical Methods, Integral Eqns
  MA 5627 - Numerical Linear Algebra
 MA 4720 - Design/Analysis of Experiments
  MA 5630 - Numerical Optimization
 MA 5545 - Applied Integral Equations
  BA 5650 - Project Management
 UN 5390 - Scientific Computing I
 UN 5395 - Scientific Computing II
 EC 4640/5640 - Natural Resource Economics
  EC 4620/5620 - Energy Economics
 CM 5760 - Vehicle Batt Cells and Systems
  EC 5400 - Advanced Engineering Econ
 ENG 5510 - Sustainable Futures I   ENG 5520 - Sustainable Futures II
 MEEM 5650 - Advanced Quality Engineering
  MEEM 4200 - Principles of Energy Conv

 MEEM 4240 - Combustion & Air Pollution
 MEEM 4700 - Dynamic Systems & Controls w/Lab
  MEEM 4700 - Dynamic Systems & Controls w/Lab

 MEEM 5680 - Optimization I
 
  MEEM 5715 - Linear Systems

 SS 3800 - Energy Technology & Policy



5) Research or project credits: You can begin taking one or more credits per semester when your advisor approves the beginning of this phase of your graduate degree.  Make sure to register for your advisor's section, fill out the Special Approval form, have your advisor sign it, and deliver it to the Registrar's office.  Important note to MSEE students: Plan D (Coursework Option, no defense) does not require research or project credits.  Choice between Plan A or Plan B must be made before you begin taking research or project credits, eg. you cannot start out as Plan A and then switch to Plan B later.
6) Intern or Grad Co-op Opportunities: Plan D (Coursework Option) MSEE students who are self-supported may take summer internships provided it does not significantly delay their progress toward degree.  Provided your advisor and the ECE Graduate Program Chair approve, you may be able to use one or two credits of Grad Co-op toward your degree.  You may also be able to take one or more MTU online courses while you are off campus.  Note: Ph.D. students and MSEE Plan A or Plan B, especially if you have a GTA or GRA, may not have this flexibility since it could impact your research project and progress toward degree and you may no longer have an assistantship when you return from internship.  Discuss this with your advisor first!

7) Taking a job and leaving campus before you defend is highly discouraged (for PhD and MSEE Plan A and Plan B).  This is tempting to do if you start the application and interview process too soon. Employers are eager for you to start work immediately and they may give false reassurances such as "it should be no problem to finish your dissertation or thesis while you are working for us."  The reality is that you will be working 50+ hrs/wk and may not have time.  You'll be separated from your advisor, your labs, and the advice needed to finish your project.  There is a risk that you may never finish your degree. Abandoning an ongoing research project may jeopardize the research contract, the reputation of MTU, and the ability to obtain funding for future graduate students. Note that some employers may financially take advantage of you -- you have most of the technical skills of the degree you are working toward, but they need pay you only for the degree you have earned.  Better: stay on campus for the add'l month or semester needed, finish your degree, and make a clean undistracted start to your career.  Solution: don't start the job search process too early, coordinate with your advisor to schedule a realistic defense date, and be firm with the employer when negotiating a start date.

Last Updated: 21 Aug 2023        Maintained by: bamork@mtu.edu