Accelerated programs
You can accomplish a lot in five years
Accelerated Master’s degree programs
Pursue a master’s degree in less time with less financial commitment.
Designed for the dedicated and driven Fulton Schools student, Accelerated Master’s degree programs combine advanced undergraduate work with graduate courses, enabling students to earn both a BSE and MSE in electrical engineering (online and in person), MS in computer engineering (in person only) or MS in robotic and autonomous systems (electrical engineering) (in person only) in five years if attending full time.
Information sessions
Information sessions will be held virtually and bi-weekly during the fall and spring semesters. Students will receive an email from the accelerated master’s coordinator. If you have questions or would like to make an appointment with the accelerated master’s coordinator, please email [email protected].
Degree information
Admission standards for all electrical engineering accelerated programs
The following are the admission standards for all of the electrical engineering accelerated programs. Each program has additional standards as well.
- Students applying to the electrical engineering MSE or robotics and autonomous systems (electrical engineering) MS must have a GPA of at least 3.25 at the time of application.
- Students applying to the computer engineering (electrical engineering) MS must have a GPA of at least 3.0 at the time of application.
- Applicants to the accelerated BSE/MSE program are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) but might be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) if needed. Please consult with a graduate advisor for additional information.
- Submit your application to the Accelerated Master’s degree program coordinator in the semester before you start your 400-level classes.
Campus options and degree requirements
The electrical engineering MSE program is offered in person and online. The electrical engineering MS (thesis program) is only offered in person and requires a faculty member to agree to oversee the student’s research. The computer engineering (electrical engineering) and robotics and autonomous systems (electrical engineering) MS programs are offered in person only.
The credit hour requirements are 120 for the BSE and 30 credits for the MSE/MS. The MSE program requires 10 total classes, which may exceed 30 credits.
Each graduate program has different degree requirements. Students should refer to the handbook for each program when deciding on one to learn the requirements.
Standards and procedures for monitoring student progress
Satisfactory progress in the accelerated degree program is achieved if the student remains in good academic standing by maintaining a GPA of at least 3.0.
All courses on the graduate Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS) must be taken at Arizona State University.
Students must maintain continuous enrollment throughout their graduate programs with no breaks in enrollment. Per ASU’s Graduate College policy manual, graduate-level students need to be enrolled in at least one graduate credit each fall and spring semester in order to maintain continuous enrollment. Should a student need to take a semester off, they need to request a leave of absence request before that semester.
Students should refer to each program’s handbook for additional information on probation policies. Refer to the handbook links above for policies specific to each program.
Filling out the application
Step 1: Submit the internal department application
You must download the application form (links below) and submit the completed paper form to the accelerated master’s coordinator at [email protected]. Even if you aren’t sure about what to write for some sections, give it a try. The application is not set in stone. It can be changed, and it is more of an exercise in understanding the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.There is information below on shared/reserved, which you will need to know when filling out the application.
You will also want to review these resources:
- Recommended prerequisites for EEE classes: Refer to this website for the recommended classes to take before taking a desired EEE class.
- Tentative three-year plan: We try to plan out what classes will be offered for the next three years. This is a tentative plan and could change.
The deadline to submit your application is July 1 for fall semesters and December 15 for spring semesters.
Step 2: Submit the graduate admissions application when instructed to do so
You will receive further instructions from the accelerated master’s coordinator on the process to submit a formal online application to graduate admissions. The application fee does apply. Do not apply to graduate admissions until you receive instructions to do so.
Sharing/reserving classes
While filling out the application, you will be asked to indicate which classes you want to share or reserve.
Sharing means that the classes will count toward both your undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Reserving means that you will take the class while you are an undergraduate student and reserve it for future use in your graduate program, so it will not count toward your undergraduate program.
For our programs, you should aim to share three classes. Those classes might be three or four credits each, so you might share nine to 12 credits.
If you are sharing nine credits (three 3-credit classes), you might want to consider adding a reserved class to your schedule if it allows.
Shared and reserved classes combined must be less than 12 total credits. If you are sharing classes that are four credits, you will not be able to reserve a class, but that is okay; the real benefit of this program is sharing credits.
400 vs 591
All of our 400-level classes have a graduate section, EEE 591. If you want to share a 400-level class, you would register for the 591 version of the class after your application is approved.
You cannot take more than a total of four EEE 591 classes toward your graduate program, so plan accordingly. Use the resources below to determine if you need specific 400/591 classes as prerequisites to graduate classes you want to take and if you need any 591 classes for the comprehensive exam if you are an electrical engineering MSE student.
Exploration System Design BS/Electrical Engineering MSE
In conjunction with the School of Earth and Space Exploration, we have created accelerated programs for students in the exploration system design (ESD) BS degree to earn an electrical engineering MSE degree and for students in the electrical engineering BSE degree to earn an exploration system design MS degree.
ESD BS students should refer to this website to learn about the EE MSE degrees and prerequisite courses.
Students should be aware
- They may have to take extra classes in their undergraduate program as EE courses have specific prerequisites.
- Prerequisites should be taken a semester prior to taking the EEE 4xx/591 course(s). If you are planning to share courses in your 5th semester, you should plan to take the prerequisite(s) in the prior semester.
The EE MSE degree has 6 areas of specialization, each with specific recommended prerequisites. To learn more about the areas of specialization in the Electrical Engineering MSE degree and the prerequisites, meet with your academic advisor: https://sese.asu.edu/student-life/grad-advising or reach out to the ECEE Accelerated program coordinator at [email protected].
Pairings by area of specialization for ESD BS students
Below are the recommended prerequisites based on the area of specialization for the master’s program. The example shared/reserved courses below are just examples and can be changed based on the student’s interests. However, prerequisites need to always be checked. Note that some classes are 4 credits each.
Area of specialization | Recommended prerequisites | Sharing/Reserving |
Mixed Signal Circuit Design | EEE 334, EEE 335 | EEE 425/591, EEE 433/591 |
Signal Processing and Communication | EEE 304 | EEE 459/591, EEE 554 |
Control Systems | EEE 304 | EEE 480/591, EEE 481/591 |
Electromagnetics, Antennas, and Wireless Communication | EEE 341 | EEE 443/591, EEE 445/591 |
Electric Power and Energy Systems | EEE 360 | EEE 460/591, EEE 471/591, EEE 472/591 |
Physical Electronics and Photonics | EEE 304, EEE 352 | EEE 435/591, EEE 436/591 |
Ready to apply?
You must go through the advising office and submit the internal application before you formally apply online to graduate admissions. Do not apply online to graduate admissions until you have been internally approved and instructed to do so. The deadline to submit your paper application to the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering advising team is July 1 for fall semesters and December 15 for spring semesters.
Email your application to [email protected]. You can also call our front desk at 480-965-3424 to schedule an appointment with the Accelerated Master’s degree program coordinator.
Start your application for the accelerated bachelor’s and master’s program.
Sample applications for reference