Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Compulsory Courses

• 0402700Advanced Statistics3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Topics include hypothesis testing, statistical inference, single and multiple linear regression, logistic regression, parametric and non-parametric statistical tests.

• 0402701Advanced Numerical Analysis3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Initial-value problems for ordinary differential equations. Approximation theory. Numerical solutions of nonlinear systems of equations. Boundary-value problem solution for ordinary differential equations. Numerical solutions to partial differential equations. Engineering applications.

• 1502702Advanced Modeling and Simulation3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course provides an in-depth exploration of advanced concepts and techniques in simulation and modeling. Topics include foundational principles, such as the classification of systems, physical and mathematical modeling, and the complete modeling and simulation process. Students will delve into discrete event simulation, continuous system modeling, statistical models, and Monte Carlo methods, gaining hands-on experience with pseudo-random number generation and random variate generation. Advanced subjects like modeling complex adaptive systems, queueing systems with Markov processes, and optimization via simulation are also covered.

• 0402797Ph.D. Qualifying Examination0 credits

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

• 0402798Doctoral Research Proposal3 credits

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

• 0402799Ph.D. Dissertation27 credits

Elective Courses

Elective Courses: 15 credit hours. Note that the student is allowed to take up to 6 credit hours of electives from the 500 and/or 600 level elective courses.

• 0402710Advanced Topics in Control and Automation3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course covers the tools and methods for modeling and control systems. The focus will be on system modeling via Lagrange methods, state-space representation, controllability, and observability, controller design using state feedback, pole placement, stability existence, and characterization using the direct Lyapunov method, controller design using the direct Lyapunov method, and basic facts on stochastic systems.

• 0402711Advanced Topics in Non-linear Control3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course covers the tools and methods for nonlinear control systems. The focus will be on advanced analysis of uncertain nonlinear systems, stabilization of nonlinear systems. Design methodologies for complex interconnected nonlinear systems. Adaptive back-stepping and control-Lyapunov function techniques. Applications of nonlinear and adaptive control design to aerospace and robotic systems.

• 0402712Advanced Topics in Power Systems3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  The major focus of this course is to train graduate students for developing research projects related to power system operation, control, and dynamics through lecturing or group projects. Students will study and analyze power system dynamics for active and reactive power flow, frequency and voltage control, voltage and angle stability, power system oscillations. Students will study the transmission system and distribution system control using different controllers including different versions of controllers starting from passive controllers to nonlinear controllers. Students also will learn about advanced power system applications such as distributed generation systems, microgrids, and smart grids. Students are required to use Simulink or other tools for simulation aspects for the projects.

• 0402713Advanced Topics in Electric Machines3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Advanced dynamic modeling and parameters identification of electric machines. New application areas of electric machines, modeling of dynamic loads. Advanced control strategies of electric drive systems, Digital implementation issues of drive systems. Model parameters and uncertainty issues.

• 0402714Advanced Power Electronics Applications3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  The major focus of this course is to train graduate students in developing research ability related to the operations of advanced power electronics converters and their modeling, advanced modulations, and control dynamics through lecturing or group projects. The performance of the advanced controllers on the power converter will be discussed for different applications. The necessary concepts are widely reviewed, and a complete model in the Matlab-Simulink environment is developed for obtaining simulation results.

• 0402715Advanced Topics in Autonomous Robotics3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course covers the tools and methods for kinematics and dynamics and analysis and control for robots. The focus will be on open-chain articulated manipulators, but other types of mechanisms will also be covered, including closed chain manipulators such as multi-fingered hands and parallel robots and nonholonomic systems such as wheeled robots. The emphasis of the course will be on developing a systematic, analytical understanding of the basic principles in the analysis and control of robotic systems.

• 0402720Special Topics in Communication3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Advanced and emerging topics are selected from the area of communications. Contents of the course will be provided one semester before it is offered.

• 0402721Information Theory and Coding3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Entropy and Information, Information Channels, Source Coding, Data compression Algorithm, Channel Coding, Error-Correcting Codes, Block and Cyclic codes, BCH, Reed-Solomon, Golay, and Fire codes. The algebraic decoding algorithms. Convolutional codes, encoding, and decoding algorithms are given, principles of interleaving and concatenation, The principles of Turbo Codes.

• 0402722Radiation and Propagation of EM Wave3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  EM radiation principles, polarization, antenna characteristics, dipole, horn and microstrip antennas, antenna arrays, scattering by objects, computational methods, EM wave propagation, waveguides, and optical fibers.

• 0402730Advanced Signal Processing3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Parametric signal modeling. Spectral estimation. Multirate processing of digital signals. Efficient Fourier transform and convolution algorithms. Fundamentals of adaptive signal processing. Short-time Fourier transform. Two-dimensional signal processing. Some advanced topics in filter design.

• 0402740Advanced Analog Electronics3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  The course serves as an advanced course for electronics students in analog electronic circuits analysis, design, and simulation. The course will focus on delivering important knowledge about the different models of MOS and BJT transistors and the limits of operations of analog circuits, including noise, distortion, and coupling effects. The course will pass quickly on elementary building circuits like amplifiers, current mirrors, cascade circuits, and op-amp basics to make sure our Ph.D. students digested the operation of these circuits. Then, the course will cover advanced analog circuits like Rail to rail input and output amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, continuous-time filters essentials, and single transistor crystal oscillators in addition to the CMOS ADC and DAC Principles.

• 0402741Advanced Digital Electronics3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  VLSI design process; Static and dynamic design; CMOS transistor resistance and capacitance modeling; high-speed gate design, transistor sizing, and logical effort, skewed and symmetric gates; on-chip interconnect types and modeling techniques, cross-talk; sequential logic design and clocking methods, memory and cash design; low power design; design for Manufacturability; design for Testability.

• 0403750Cyber Security and Privacy3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  The objective of this course is to expose students to cutting-edge research topics in information security and its applications.

• 0403751Artificial Intelligence3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Topics include fuzzy logic, neural networks, neuro-fuzzy, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm algorithm.

• 0403752Special Topics in Software Applications3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course covers cutting-edge and advanced topics in software applications. The contents will vary depending on the topic when the course is offered.

• 0403760Advanced Multicore Architectures3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  The primary objective of this course is to present a broad overview of current research topics and interesting developments in the field of computer architecture. In this course, we will mostly read and discuss recent key papers from top computer architecture articles encompassing a variety of topics. The course will be based on advanced topics regarding multicore hardware: core design, Homogeneous vs. heterogeneous cores, memory systems, cache coherence protocols, interconnection networks and Network On a Chip (NOC), and parallel algorithms. In addition to performance, the issues of power, energy, temperature, reliability, and resiliency in the face of process variations in multicore environments are discussed.

• 0403761Advanced Topics in Embedded Systems3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  Topics include hardware/software embedded systems design using Processing system (PS) and Programming Logic (PL) of modern FPGA boards.

• 0403770Special Topics in Communication Networks3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course covers cutting-edge and advanced topics in communication networks. The contents will vary depending on the theme chosen at every offering of the course.

• 0403771Communication Networks Design and Performance3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  The course focuses on modeling and analyzing communication networks, network protocols and applications, using mathematical tools. Topics include queuing models, network delay analysis, optimal routing, capacity planning, and topology design.

• 0402780Contemporary Topics in Electrical Engineering3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course covers emerging and advanced topics in the field of Electrical Engineering. The contents will vary depending on the topic.

• 0403781Contemporary Topics in Computer Engineering3 credits (3-0)

  Prerequisite: Grad. Standing

  This course covers emerging and advanced topics in the field of Computer Engineering. The contents will vary depending on the topic.