ECE PhD Qualifying Exam

The ECE PhD Qualifying Exam is administered by a panel of three faculty members, selected by the student and major advisor but not including the student’s major advisor. It comprises:

a written critical review of current literature on a research topic selected by the student under guidance of his/her major advisor and approved by the administering faculty, and
a presentation on the approved topic, including an oral examination covering the topic and related fundamental knowledge.

Students must take the Qualifying Exam within twelve months of entering the PhD program. A second and final attempt is allowed within 24 months of entering the PhD program. Attendance is limited to the student and the administering faculty.

The graduate committee advises that the written report is no more than 10 pages, which should be submitted to the examination committee at least one week prior to the oral examination, and the oral examination is one hour long, including student presentation and Q&A.

Upon completion of the examination, the panel faculty must fill out the Pass/Fail Form. The student should print this form and bring it to the examination.

PhD students in computer engineering and electrical engineering are required to take and pass the Qualifying Exam. PhD students in computer science are not required to take the Qualifying Exam. Please consult your major professor and the departmental catalog for further instructions.

View more information on conducting a literature review.

Register for the ECE PhD Qualifying Exam

The form below must be completed at least one month prior to the intended date of the examination. After submitting this form, you and your indicated committee members will receive an email to confirm the information and establish a date and location for the exam.

Questions should be directed to Chris Franco at cfranco@utk.edu or by phone at 865-974-5427.
Name*
First Last
Email*
Student ID Number*
Major Advisor*
Area of Study*
Exam Research Topic*
This topic should be selected by the student, with approval from the major advisor.
Committee Members

Three committee members, not including the student's major advisor, should be indicated below. These members should be contacted prior to completing this form to confirm their willingness to serve on the committee.
Committee Member One*
Committee Member Two*
Committee Member Three*
Area of Study*
- (EE) Electrical Engineering
- (CpE) Computer Engineering
Attempt*
- First
- Second
Date of First Attempt
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Date of Entrance to PhD Program*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Estimated Date of Exam*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Tickle College of Engineering

ECE PhD Qualifying Exam

ECE PhD Qualifying Exam

Register for the ECE PhD Qualifying Exam

Committee Members