Electrical and Systems Engineering, PhD
The ESE PhD program is designed to provide sufficient structure to help you build a strong foundation and to have sufficient flexibility to accommodate the direction of your creativity. You will collaborate closely with your faculty advisor on the direction of your research and develop skills needed to perform independent research and teaching in an exciting, intellectual environment. Current concentration areas are circuits and computer engineering, nanodevices and nanosystems, and information and decision systems. ESE research is focused on the development and application of systems theory to the design of physical, biological, and socio-technical artifacts that improve the human condition.
For more information: http://www.ese.upenn.edu/current-students/doctoral/index.php
Course Requirements
ESE Doctoral students must complete a required series of 20 course units (CUs) of graduate-level courses and research units. A minimum of 10 CUs must be graduate level courses. The remaining 10 CUs are composed of Research Units (ESE 9999).
10 CUs of Coursework: these graduate level courses are organized by depth, breadth, critical thinking and elective categories.
The student must discuss with their advisor the courses that would best suit each of these categories for their specific PhD career at Penn. Course plans for ESE PhDs are very individualized and must be approved by their Faculty Advisor.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| EAS 9000 | Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR), Engineering | 0 |
| Depth Requirement | 5 | |
| At least five graduate-level courses in areas supporting the research of the Ph.D. student. | ||
| Breadth Requirement | 2 | |
| At least two graduate-level courses which are distinct from the major research area. 1 | ||
| Critical Thinking Requirement | 2 | |
| At least two graduate-level courses satisfying formal analytical reasoning. 2 | ||
ENM 5000-9999 | ||
MATH 5000-9999 | ||
STAT 5000-9999 | ||
| Electromagnetic Phenomena | ||
| Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics | ||
| Modern Optics and Modern Optical Physics and Spectroscopy | ||
| Quantum Mechanics I | ||
| Quantum Mechanics II | ||
| Statistical Mechanics | ||
| Advanced Statistical Mechanics | ||
| Solid State Theory I | ||
| Solid State Theory II | ||
| Linear Systems Theory | ||
| Electromagnetic and Optics | ||
| The Physics of Solid State Energy Devices | ||
| System-on-a-Chip Architecture | ||
| Analog Integrated Circuits | ||
| Quantum Engineering | ||
| Elements of Probability Theory | ||
| Computer-Aided Verification | ||
| Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos | ||
| Data-driven Modeling and Probabilistic Scientific Computing | ||
| Statistics for Data Science | ||
| Complex Analysis | ||
| Advanced Linear Algebra | ||
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Software Foundations | ||
| Analysis of Algorithms | ||
| Elective | 1 | |
| Any remaining courses approved by your faculty advisor may fulfill this category. | ||
| Research Courses 3 | 10 | |
| Independent Study Research | ||
| Teaching Requirement | ||
| Teaching Practicum | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Total Course Units | 20 | |
University PhD Benchmarks
In addition to Program requirements, the following milestones must be completed:
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying Evaluation | ||
| Candidacy Examination | ||
| Dissertation Defense/Oral Exam | ||
| Dissertation Deposit | ||
For more information view the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs.
- 1
The courses may be thematically linked in a 5000-6000 sequence or may represent two 5000 level courses both distinct from the major research area. Independent Studies cannot be used in this category.
- 2
Courses from other departments may be used provided they have a clear focus on mathematical reasoning and techniques and have been pre-approved. Independent study Research cannot be used in this category.
- 3
Additional Research Units (9999) may be taken in order to maintain a full-time status (see below). Students who have completed their course work will register for 3 CUs 9999 per semester to maintain full time status until they register for 9950.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.