项目介绍

2022年4月28日

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The doctoral program combines coursework and participation in original research. Most students enter the program with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, computer science, physics, or a related discipline. Some have a master’s degree, but that is not necessary for success in the program. Every admitted Ph.D. student is given financial support in the form of a first-year fellowship. Students in academic good standing are supported by a teaching assistant or research assistant after the first year. Students who remain on campus working with their adviser during the summer will receive summer salary. In addition, all admitted Ph.D. students are automatically considered for the prestigious Wu and Upton Fellowships.COURSES:

In the first year of the program, the main emphasis is on coursework. Students take courses both for proficiency within their specialty as well as for breadth. The program has no specific required courses, but there is a required minimum course count and a required minimum GPA. Students must complete a minimum of six courses in their area(s) of interest in preparation for research and the general examination during the first year. Each student is assigned a first-year academic adviser who assists the student in determining the appropriate courses. Students must complete a minor area of study. This can be completed by achieving a GPA of at least 3.3 in two or more coherent courses approved by the adviser. The courses must be in an area distinct from the student’s research.PRE-GENERALS REQUIREMENT(S):

Research Adviser
Each incoming student to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is assigned an academic adviser to help with course selection and other student concerns. Midway through the fall semester, each student gives a rank-ordered list of preferred research advisers. This information is combined with the faculty’s preference ranking of students and available funding to arrive at the faculty-student pairing. This is usually done by the end of the fall semester in the student’s first year. Students should consult with their academic adviser and the faculty coordinator for guidance during the adviser selection process. Once the adviser and the student have agreed upon the advisee-adviser pairing, the chosen adviser takes over academic and research advising.

Choosing a research adviser is one of the most important steps in the Ph.D. program; it should be done with care. Students should prepare for adviser selection by reviewing research materials for all faculty members in their area of interest and speaking with potential advisers to determine intellectual fit and capability.GENERAL EXAM:

Students are expected to successfully complete the general during the fourth term of their Ph.D. studies. Students are not normally readmitted to a third-year (fifth term) of graduate study unless they have successfully completed the general examination. The general examination consists of a research seminar and an oral exam. The seminar is a 45-minute presentation of research accomplished at Princeton. It is intended to indicate that a student is capable of independent research and has started a research topic that has the potential to lead to a doctoral dissertation. The examination committee administers the oral exam. It is held not more than one month after the research seminar and within the periods set by the Graduate School for the general exam. The research adviser selects the examination committee in consultation with the student.QUALIFYING FOR THE M.A.:

The Master of Arts can be earned by Ph.D. students en route to their Ph.D., after the student has: (a) presented a research seminar approved by the student’s general examination committee and (b) passed the oral general examination. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that these requirements have been met.

Please note, students admitted to the Ph.D. program who do not wish to complete the program may be considered for an M.S.E. degree with approval from the department and the Graduate School. Ph.D. students who have already been awarded the incidental M.A. are not eligible to earn an M.S.E.TEACHING:

Teaching experience is considered to be a significant part of graduate education. Prior to completion of the program, doctoral students must complete at least one assignment as a teaching assistant (TA). To be a teaching assistant, a student must first demonstrate proficiency in English by passing or being exempted from, the Princeton Oral Proficiency Test (POPT). Students are encouraged to satisfy the POPT requirement as early as possible.POST-GENERALS REQUIREMENT(S):

At least six months before the FPO (or with the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies for another time), students must schedule and hold a preliminary FPO with the FPO committee present. At the pre-FPO presentation, students are required to present research progress, results to date and present plans, and a timeline to complete their dissertation work. The pre-PFO is meant to give the student valuable feedback from the committee and is not graded.DISSERTATION AND FPO:

The final public oral examination is taken after the candidate’s dissertation has been examined for technical mastery by a committee and approved by the Graduate School; it is primarily a defense of the dissertation.

The Ph.D. is awarded after the candidate’s doctoral dissertation has been accepted and the final public oral examination sustained.