Graduate - PhD Program

The Department offers a strong Doctoral program. It is possible for students in both the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering tracks to pursue a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

A very important component of the doctoral degree is the research pursued by the student which culminates in a written dissertation, as well as an oral defense of this work. Doctoral students usually publish the result of their research in highly reputable nationally and internationally referred journals. In addition, the students are encouraged to present their work at national and international conferences.

A minimum of 24 credit hours (not including Graduate Seminars) of graduate-level courses beyond the master's degree or equivalent must be included in your doctoral program. Satisfactory completion of at least 48 semester hours of post master's or equivalent level of performance course work, including the dissertation, is required. It is required that at least 15 hours of course work be taken at 800 level. Please review the Graduate Handbook for more information.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of 12 semester hours of graduate credit may be transferred in to a graduate degree program from non-degree status at Old Dominion University or another accredited institution, except in the case of an approved inter-institutional program.

Course Load

The minimum load for a full-time graduate student is 9 graduate credit hours per semester. No more than 12 hours per semester may be carried without the permission of the Graduate Program Director.

Residency Requirement and Maximum Period to obtain Ph.D.

As a doctoral student you are required to spend at least two semesters engaged in full-time graduate study unencumbered by the demands of outside employment. This requirement must be completed within four years from the date of initial registration. Also, all requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within eight calendar years from the date of beginning the initial course following admission to the doctoral program.

Doctoral students are required to submit the curriculum worksheets to their academic advisor. The worksheet must be updated each semester. Upon approval, the advisors are requested to forward the worksheets to the GPD.