Table of Contents

Subplans and Degrees Offered
Course of Study
Admission Requirements

Academic Advising
Distance Learning
Common Requirements and Policies

At CU Boulder, we have focused our professional master's programs on highly employable disciplines that provide skills based on industry needs.

Subplans and Degrees Offered

Course of Study

A minimum of 30 semester hours of academic work acceptable to the student's advisory committee and within the rules established by the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Graduate School will be required for the ME degree. All of ECEE’s degrees are technical degrees, thus all courses taken towards the degree (with some exceptions) must be technical in nature. If in doubt, consult with your academic advisor or the graduate advisor.

MSEE subplans may have specific course and prerequisite requirements. Refer to those plans' webpages (listed above) for more information.

Admission Requirements

All interested students must apply through the online application through the Graduate School.

The GRE is optional for all MS applicants for Fall/Spring 2024; the GRE is not required for ME applicants. A BS or equivalent background in electrical engineering, math, physics, computer science or another closely-related STEM field is important. 

If an applicant has been out of school for an extended period of time, work experience and supervisor recommendations will be weighed to a greater extent.

Academic Advising

Academic advisors for students pursuing a master's in electrical and computer engineering will be appointed by the director of graduate studies. The academic advisor will be a member of the department's graduate faculty.

Distance Learning

Students in off-campus locations may earn part or all of the credit required for the degree through CU Boulder Distance Learning. This may not be possible for some MSEE subplans, so please make sure to consult the appropriate page listed above.

Common Requirements and Policies

The following requirements and policies apply to all graduate students in the Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering.

Leave of Absence

Students may apply for a leave of absence according to the graduate school rules. This enables a student to leave and return without having to reapply.

Transfer Credit

  • MS/MSEE/ME: A maximum of nine semester hours of acceptable coursework may be transferred from another accredited institution. Work completed at CU as a special student or at another CU campus falls under the nine-hour rule. Transfer courses must have a grade of "B" or better but are not calculated into the GPA.
  • PhD: A maximum of 21 credits of graduate-level coursework earned toward a master's may be transferred. Credits must be approved by the Graduate School and the dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Consult your graduate advisor for the correct forms and process. Credit will be transferred only after the student has passed the preliminary examination. No credit will be accepted that was earned as part of a bachelor’s degree.

Quality of Work

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all coursework. Even courses that do not count toward the degree are calculated into the student’s GPA. A student cannot be admitted to candidacy or graduate with a cumulative GPA below 3.0.