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THESIS/PROJECT PROCEDURES

 

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers graduate study leading to a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) and Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering (MSCompE) with a choice of doing a Thesis (Plan A) or a Project (Plan B).  Students need to follow these procedures in the order that is listed.

If there are any questions regarding the forms or obtaining signatures, please contact the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at [email protected].


For Graduate Students Admitted in Fall 2020 and Thereafter

The Division of Graduate Affairs is offering a new electronic resource for students and advisors to track progress toward graduation.  This resource is called the Degree Evaluation (or Degree Audit Report). The report can be found in your Webportal account under the 'Degree Evaluation' menu item.  When you click on the Degree Evaluation, your coursework and other degree requirements will be converted into a customized report. This tool replaces the "POS Review" tool that was previously used in Webportal. The Degree Evaluation is now your official guide for tracking progress toward graduation.

Please see the Degree Evaluation guide for accessing and navigating the Degree Evaluation in Webportal.

Please let the Graduate Advisor at [email protected] know if you have any questions about your Degree Evaluation, or contact Graduate Affairs [email protected].



Thesis 799A (Plan A)

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ:  As the Degree Audit Report defaults to Plan B (Project), students doing Plan A will need to submit a Petition for Adjustment of Academic Requirements (PAAR) form https://sdsuedu.sharepoint.com/sites/GRA/GA/SitePages/Forms.aspx stating they are doing the Plan A (Thesis) option. If this is not done, the student's Degree Audit Report will not reflect the correct courses.

1.  Enrolling in EE797 Research

  1.  In order for the student to do research for their thesis, they must first enroll in EE797 Research. To enroll in EE797 Research, the student must fill out the EE797 Research form, attach the thesis abstract, and have their Thesis Chair sign the form before submitting the form to the Graduate Advisor for signature.

  2. At the same time the student submits the EE797 Research form to the Graduate Advisor, the student should also submit their Program of Study (POS) form for Thesis Plan A. You can use the Course Selection Guidelines to prepare your Program of Study. If you are wanting to use a course outside of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, you will need to submit an Authorization to Take Non-ECE Courses (ATNEC) form along with your POS.

    Please note, all forms must be signed by the Thesis Chair before submitting it to the Graduate Advisor. The Graduate Advisor should be the last person to sign the POS. 

  3. Once the EE797 Research form is approved, the student will get the schedule number to enroll in EE797 Research from their Thesis Chair.

      Submit a copy of the signed EE797 Research form and POS to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at [email protected]. Please submit
      these forms as pdf files.

2.  Enrolling in 799A and Defending the Thesis

      Before the student can defend their thesis, the student must be enrolled in 799A.

  1. To enroll in 799A, the student must have an approved POS on file with the Graduate Affairs office, which the Graduate Advisor submits electronically. The student needs to complete the Temporary Thesis Committee Approval form which the student will download from the Graduate Affairs Form site. Please carefully read the instructions on the Graduate Affairs site.

    If any of the thesis committee members are lecturers, adjuncts, or outside experts,  the student will need to submit the Petition for Lecturers, Adjuncts, and Outside Experts Without SDSU Affiliation to Serve on Thesis Committees form along with the Temporary Thesis Committee Approval form.

    The student will complete the Thesis Committee form and attach The Agreement Between Student and Advising Faculty Member form before submitting to the Graduate Advisor. Click here for a sample of the agreement form. The Graduate Advisor will then email the forms to the Graduate Affairs office at [email protected] and cc the student on the email.

  2. Once the Thesis Committee form has been approved by the Graduate Affairs office, the student can then obtain the schedule number to enroll in 799A. The schedule number is given by the Graduate Affairs office. Please contact the Graduate Affairs office at [email protected].

  3. At the defense, the student must obtain the signatures of all the thesis committee members for the signature page. The signature page will need to be submitted to Montezuma Publishing and a copy needs to be sent to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department.

  4. The student needs to submit a copy of the plagiarism report to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department. The Thesis Chair will generate the plagiarism report.

  5. When the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department receives a copy of both the signature page and plagiarism report, the Graduate Advisor will submit the Final Report of Thesis Defense/Project form to the Graduate Affairs office.

  6. The student will obtain a "CR" grade for 799A once the thesis has been published. The grade is submitted by the Graduate Affairs office.


      Submit a copy of the signed signature page and plagiarism report to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at [email protected].


Project 798 (Plan B)

1.  Enrolling in 798 Project

  1.  In order for the student to do a project, they must first enroll in EE798 Project. To enroll in EE798 Project, the student must fill out the EE798 Project form, attach the project abstract, and obtain the signature of the Project Chair and 2nd Member before submitting the form to the Graduate Advisor for signature.

  2. At the same time the student submits the EE798 Project form to the Graduate Advisor, the student should also submit their Program of Study (POS) form for Project Plan B. You can use the Course Selection Guidelines to prepare your Program of Study. If you are wanting to use a course outside of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, you will need to submit an Authorization to Take Non-ECE Courses (ATNEC) form along with your POS.

    Please note, all forms must be signed by the Project Chair, and if needed, by the 2nd member, before submitting it to the Graduate Advisor. The Graduate Advisor should be the last person to sign the POS.

  3. Once the EE798 Project form is approved, the student will get the schedule number to enroll in EE798 from their Project Chair.

      Submit a copy of the signed EE798 form and POS to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at [email protected]. Please submit the
      forms as pdf files.

2.  Defending and Completing the Project

  1. The student must work with their Project Chair and 2nd Member to set up a time to defend their project.

  2. Once the project has been defended, the student must fill out the EE798 Project Completion form and get it signed by the Project Chair and 2nd Member. The EE798 Project Completion form needs to be submitted to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department.

  3. The student needs to submit a copy of the plagiarism report to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department. The Project Chair will generate the plagiarism report.

  4. When the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department receives a copy of both the EE798 Project Completion form and plagiarism report, the Graduate Advisor will submit the Final Report of Thesis Defense/Project form to the Graduate Affairs office.

  5. The "CR" grade will be submitted by the Project Chair.


      Submit a copy of the EE798 Project Completion form and a copy of the plagiarism report to the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department
      at [email protected].