PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Scan and upload an electronic copy of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended via the online application system. Do not mail transcripts and do not submit official transcripts.

Submit recommender email addresses into the electronic application form. This triggers an automatic request to the recommender to submit their letter. We recommend you submit the email addresses at least one month ahead of the deadline in order to give recommenders sufficient time to submit the letters. Your recommenders must submit their letters only via the online application. Letters submitted any other way (email, postal mail) will not be accepted.

This must be uploaded as a PDF, Word, or plain text file to the application.

The statement of purpose describes what motivates you to pursue a career related to Electrical and Computer Engineering and what your objectives are in pursuing a graduate degree. Please focus on the following topics: feel free to expand on any of the following topics that may apply to your situation: 1) Motivation, research experience and academic background What are you interested in studying, and what sparked your desire to pursue graduate studies? What is your career goal? Emphasize what motivated/s you; be concise and to the point. Describe any research you have conducted, if applicable. Indicate with whom, the project’s title/topic, what your specific responsibilities and tasks were, what you have accomplished (avoid copying-pasting information already available on your resume). Include both technical details and why working on the project drew you to your area of interest. (Reviewers with knowledge about your research area read these statements.) Describe any important papers or a thesis project you completed, as well as any projects you worked on beyond your curricular requirements. Discuss any work experience, especially if you were responsible for testing, designing, researching, or interning in an area similar to what you wish to study in graduate school. 2) Research and faculty interests Indicate specific research areas that interest you in ECE or related Departments. Discuss a research question, problem, or theme that you would like to study and how it relates to contemporary research in your field(s). Indicate specific faculty member(s) (a few if applicable) in ECE whose research interests parallel and/or complement yours. 3) Leadership and community service Discuss any leadership roles you’ve held, whether academic (teaching assistantships, tutoring, registered student organizations, etc.), professional (internships, reviewing, workshop organization, etc.), or personal (caretaking, mentorship, nonprofit organization, etc.)). Discuss any roles where you support or serve a community you participate in, past or present. 4) Life experiences, identity, and challenges or hardships overcome Have you experienced significant setbacks or challenges in your professional or personal life that have informed your interest in pursuing a graduate degree? If so, discuss relevant details. Have you overcome challenges or hardships that demonstrate your interest in or commitment to pursuing a graduate degree? If so, discuss relevant details. Do you identify with a group that is underrepresented in engineering? If so, discuss relevant details. We recommend the statement be no longer than three pages double-spaced.