ECE General Exam and Ph.D. Candidacy Policy

This unified and revised policy applies to all students enrolled in the Electrical and Computer Engineering PhD and MS Plan B programs. The new policy will apply starting May 2025.

The MS Plan B comprehensive exam consists of written exams, while the PhD general exam consists of written and oral exams. The written exams are given twice yearly, generally in January and May. Table 1 lists 6 different concentration areas for the written exams. All course/subject selections must be approved by the student’s advisor.

Written Exam:

The MS comprehensive exam will test on four courses that must be selected from Table 1 as follows:

• Three courses from a single concentration area to satisfy technical depth, and
• One course from any other concentration area to satisfy technical breadth. Note: a common course in two different areas counts only once.

The PhD general exam will test on five courses that must be selected from Table 1 as follows:

• Three courses from a single concentration area to satisfy technical depth, and
• Two other courses from any concentration area(s) to satisfy technical breadth. Note: a common course in two different areas counts only once.

For both MS comprehensive and PhD general exams courses can be waived if the following criteria are satisfied:

• The course was taken at UConn and the student scored at least an A- in that course, and
• The course is confirmed to have had a written comprehensive final exam by the course instructor.

Table 1. Concentration areas for MS comprehensive and PhD general exams.

 Written Exam Policies:

1. The exams are open book/open notes or closed book/closed notes depending on exam.
2. No internet access is allowed, and no electronic notes.
3. Each course or subject exam will have a one-hour duration.
4. Passing grade policy: Pass in all subjects: ≥6.5/10
5. Retake policy: If a student fails a subject, then she/he must retake that subject exam during the next semester’s general exam.
6. Number of attempts: Students have a maximum of two attempts to pass the PhD general or MS comprehensive exam. If anyone is unable to pass in two attempts, then he/she will be automatically removed from the corresponding program. Students must take the first attempt of the written exam no later than the end of their fourth semester after starting the graduate program. Students must pass the written exam by the beginning of the sixth
7. There are some previous exams available for studying. These training sets of exams are available to all students from an online repository. They are available for personal use only, please don’t distribute them. These are only examples and there is no guarantee that a future exam will look like a past one.

Oral Exam:

In order to become a Ph.D. candidate, a Ph.D. student must pass an oral component of the general exam in addition to the written exam. The oral exam consists of a presentation of his/her research prospectus, also known as a Ph.D. proposal.

1. Students must complete their first attempt of the research prospectus presentation within one year of completing the written exam.
2. Students will have three attempts and must pass the prospectus exam no later than one year after their first attempt.
3. The prospectus exam committee will consist of the student’s advisory committee plus two other ECE faculty members selected by the department head.
4. Students who do not pass their research prospectus exam by the end of their sixth semester will be given lower priority for department teaching assistantships.

Prior Policy (no longer in effect for new students)

Students who entered the ECE graduate program before January 2025 have the option of completing the old general exam policy.  Except for where noted for each specific area, the exams are to be of the open-book/open-notes variety, and one hour per question is allotted. An oral exam is mandatory for Ph.D. students, and usually takes place shortly after the written exam; for Master's students an oral exam may follow the written exam at the discretion of the student's advisory committee.  Follow the link for details on each concentration or track.

Information, Communication, Decision, and Biosystems Concentration

Electronics/Photonics/Biophotonics Concentration

Computer Engineering Track