Electrical Engineering, MSEE

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Fenn Hall 332
(216) 687-2589
http://www.csuohio.edu/engineering/ece/academics/graduate.html

Fuqin Xiong, Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering 
Nigamanth Sridhar, Graduate Program Director

Areas of Study

• Communication Systems
• Computer Systems
• Control Systems
• Power Electronics and Power Systems
• Nanobiotechnology

Introduction

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering program integrates theory and applications. Courses are typically scheduled in the late afternoon and early evening to serve the needs of both full-time and part-time students. The program is suitable for students planning to continue their studies at the doctoral level, as well as those who do not plan formal studies beyond the master’s degree. Each student plans a program of study in consultation with an advisor appointed by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The program includes required courses and an integrated selection of courses in the student’s field of interest. The following areas of specialization are offered for graduate study and research:

• Communication Systems
• Computer Systems
• Control Systems
• Power Electronics and Power Systems

Facilities

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department maintains the following laboratories for instructional purposes:

• Communications and Electronics Laboratory-Fully equipped to conduct experiments in analog and digital electronics and analog and digital communications, such as analog modulation and demodulation (AM and FM), digital modulation and demodulation (ASK, PSK, FSK), phase-locked loops, and baseband transmission.
   
• Power Electronics and Electric Machines Laboratory-Equipped with line-frequency single- and three-phase converters, and switch-mode converters, which in combination with synchronous, induction, and DC machines allow for the experimental study of feedback-controlled motor drives

• Embedded Systems Laboratory- Equipped with PCs for writing and implementing microcontroller-based assembly code software, which allows for the experimental study of real-time interrupt handling, analog-to-digital conversion, serial port reception/ transmission, data acquisition, communicating with external devices, and other issues associated with embedded systems.

• Control Systems Laboratory- Equipped to conduct experiments and projects in real-time data acquisition and control, including the capability for modeling and computer control of electromechanical and liquid-level systems.

• Digital Signal Processing Laboratory- Equipped to conduct experiments in real-time DSP, using A/Ds, D/As, and DSP boards.
   
• Distributed Computing Systems Laboratory-Equipped with Pentium Xeon dual-processor servers, Pentium Dual-core workstations, and a number of laptops. The research is focused on studying the security, dependability, and concurrency of enterprise-distributed computing systems and platforms, such as CORBA and Web services.
   
• Mobile Computing Laboratory-Equipped with a number of laptops, more than ten PDAs (iPAQs), a dozen wireless sensor nodes, and high performance network simulators. Studies energy efficiency, capacity, mobility support, and interoperability issues in wireless networks, such as mobile ad hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, wireless mesh networks, and pervasive computing systems.
   
• Digital Systems Laboratory- Equipped with logic analyzers, testing equipment, prototyping boards, and workstations running synthesis and simulation software. It is used to conduct basic digital circuit experiments, as well as to design, create prototypes, and test large systems.
   
• Computer Networks Laboratory- Equipped with sixteen workstations and one server computer running the Linux operating system, four Cisco routers, and numerous switches. This lab is used to conduct various computer network experiments and projects, for example, ARP, DHCP, Internet routing, TCP performance evaluation, and IP multicast. It is fully reconfigurable, a luxury that few universities provide.
   
• Software Engineering Laboratory- Equipped with sixteen workstations and one server. The workstations run both Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux operating systems. The workstations run a variety of software program suites such as Microsoft Visual Studio, Rational Rose, and Eclipse that are used in a number of Software Engineering courses.
   
• Communications Senior Design Laboratory- Equipped with electronics and communications instruments (such as digital oscilloscopes, arbitrary waveform and signal generators, power supplies, multimeters, spectrum analyzers, logic analyzers and power meters), personal computers, simulation software packages, tools, protoboards and components, this laboratory can accommodate up to five independent groups working on a variety of senior design projects in communications.
   
• Network Security and Privacy Laboratory- Configured to emulate real network defense systems. The lab can equip students with real world experience on defending security attacks launched from networks and preserving privacy.

The following facilities also are available to support research:

• Applied Control Research Laboratory- Equipped to conduct joint research projects with industry, giving students the opportunity to apply state-of-the-art technology in real-world problem solving.
   
• Digital Communication Research Laboratory-Equipped with electronics and communications instruments, high-speed workstations, and computer-simulation packages (such as Matlab-Simulink) to conduct research projects in digital modulations, error-control codes, satellite communications, mobile wireless communications, and spread-spectrum communications.
   
• Digital Systems Research Laboratory- Equipped with work-stations and testing equipment to do prototyping and implement research projects.
   
• Embedded Control Systems Research Laboratory- Focuses on the theoretical development and real-time implementation of control and signal processing algorithms. Theoretical directions that are of particular interest include optimal control, Kalman filtering, H-infinity control and estimation, neural networks, and fuzzy logic.
   
• Power Electronics and Electric Machine Research Laboratory- Recently funded by National Science Foundation, NASA Glenn Research Center and Fenn College of Engineering. It consists of seven state of the art test benches such as: Modular Lab-Volt Power Electronics and Electric Machines Training System, DSPACE controller boards, PWM converters, transducers, sensors, induction, synchronous and DC machines as well as instrumentation. It is fully equipped to conduct research in the power area.
   
• Power Systems Research Laboratory- Fully equipped to conduct research projects in power engineering, requiring personal computers, workstations, or mainframe computers.
   
• Mobile Computing Research Laboratory- Fully equipped with a variety of mobile systems including PDAs (iPAQs), wireless sensor nodes, and software radio platforms to conduct research on energy efficiency, network capacity, mobility support, and interoperability issues in mobile ad hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, wireless mesh networks, and pervasive computing systems.
   
• Network Security and Privacy Research Laboratory- Equipped to conduct cutting-edge research in network security and privacy-preserving systems in different network settings including both wired networks and wireless networks.
   
• Secure and Dependable Systems Laboratory- The mission of this laboratory is to advance the state of the art of fault- and intrusion-tolerance techniques for the next generation secure and dependable computer systems.
   
• Advanced Engineering Research Laboratory- Fully equipped to conduct research in digital control, communications, and power electronics applications.
   
• Software Engineering Research Laboratory- This laboratory has the following equipment for conducting research in Software Engineering and Sensor Networks: Six PCs (Pentium) running Windows and Linux connected by a private 100 megabit switched Ethernet, with a server (Xeon) acting as NAT to the Internet via the University’s network; Approximately forty Tmote Sky motes, ten MicaZ motes, and a few Imote2 and Sun SPOT motes. In addition, there are about twenty basic sensor boards suitable for prototyping. The lab also has several custom-built sensor boards for conversion to standard serial-port devices, such as GPS or other data logging units.   A Pentium-class workstation hosts a research web server, which is suitable for distributing software, and disseminating research results.
   
• Laboratories at the NASA Glenn Research Center for students supported by NASA.

Faculty Research and Publications

The members of the Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty are engaged in research in a number of areas suitable for student theses and dissertations. These include computer architectures, reconfigurable computing systems, computer communication networks, bandwidth and power-efficient modulation schemes, error-control coding, multi-carrier communications, spread-spectrum systems, mobile communication systems, robust communications, power systems operation and control, power electronics and motor drives, system identification, advanced control algorithms, and intelligent control systems. Results of research in these areas are published regularly in refereed journals, such as Transactions of IEEE and IEE Proceedings, and are presented at scholarly conferences and symposia.

Current faculty information can be located on the Cleveland State University Faculty Profile page.

Financial Assistance

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers a number of research and teaching assistantships and graduate tuition grants. In addition, internships sponsored by the NASA Glenn Research Center and General Electric, and fellowships awarded by the Ohio Space Grant Consortium are available.

Admission Information

Admission to the graduate program in electrical engineering is open to qualified students with baccalaureate degrees in engineering or science. A minimum baccalaureate grade-point average of 2.75 is required, but this minimum score does not guarantee admission. Applicants should make arrangements to have official transcripts sent directly from their undergraduate institutions to the Graduate Admissions Office. Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the student’s undergraduate or graduate work also are required.

The GRE General section is required if one or more of the following conditions is true:

• The undergraduate degree was awarded by a college or university outside of the United States or Canada, or by a Canadian institution not accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.
• The undergraduate degree was in a discipline unrelated to electrical or computer engineering.
• The student’s undergraduate cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0.
• The year of the baccalaureate degree precedes the date of application to the College of Graduate Studies by more than six years.

If the GRE is required, a minimum score on the Quantitative section of  650 (old grading scale) or 151 (new grading scale) is required, but this minimum score does not guarantee admission.

For applicants whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper-based exam, 78 on the internet exam (including at least 20 in reading, 21 in listening, 17 in writing, and 20 in speaking), 6.0 on the IELTS exam, 5.0 on the iTEP exam, or 213 on the computer-based exam, is required.  Students who do not satisfy these requirements, but who do satisfy the University’s TOEFL requirements, will be tested upon arrival at CSU by the English as a Second Language Program.  Depending on test results, students may be required to take a writing (ESL 502) and/or speaking (ESL 503) course.

There is a preparatory program designed for students without a sufficient background in electrical engineering.

Apply Now: http://www.csuohio.edu/gradcollege/admissions/apply.html

Accelerated Program in Electrical Engineering

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering also offers an Accelerated Program that would enable students to a earn a Bachelor of Electrical or Computer Engineering degree as well as a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering in 5 years. Students are eligible to apply after they have completed sixty credit hours in their undergraduate program, with at least 30 credit hours earned at CSU. Once admitted to the combined program, the student may complete up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses while enrolled in the undergraduate program. These 12 credit-hours count towards both the undergraduate degree and the graduate degree requirements, either as electives or as requirements. For more details, please refer to the department webpage http://www.csuohio.edu/engineering/ece/academics/graduate.html.