A WPI student accepted into the B.S./M.S. program may use 12 credit hours of work for both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. Note that students will not be able to receive an M.Eng. ECE or M.Eng. PSE degree via this particular program. At least 6 credit hours must be from graduate courses (including graduate level independent study and special topics courses), and none may be lower than the 4000-level. No extra work is required in the 4000-level courses. A grade of B or better is required for any course to be counted toward both degrees. A student must define the 12 credit hours at the time of applying to the B.S./M.S. program. Applications will not be considered if they are submitted prior to the second half of the applicant’s junior year. Ideally, applications (including recommendations) should be completed by the early part of the last term of the junior year.
At the start of Term A in the senior year, but no later than at the time of application, students are required to submit to the graduate coordinator of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department a list of proposed courses to be taken as part of the M.S. degree program. A copy of the student’s academic transcript (grade report) must be included with the application.
All students in the B.S./M.S. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering who have completed their B.S. degree must register for at least six credits per semester until they complete 30 credits toward their M.S. degree. If fewer than six credits are required to complete the M.S. degree, then the student must register for at least the number of credits required to complete the degree. If a student double counts a full 12 credits for both the M.S. and B.S. degrees, then the remaining 18 credits must be completed within 3 semesters of graduate work (1.5 years). Students who double count less than 12 credits for both the M.S. and B.S. degree will be allowed an additional semester (2 years) to complete the degree.
All B.S./M.S. students are required to attend and pass one of the graduate seminar courses, either ECE 596A (fall semester) or ECE 596B (spring semester).
Students enrolled in the B.S./M.S. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering may petition for permission to use a single graduate course (3 credits maximum) taken at other institutions to satisfy ECE B.S./M.S. degree requirements. The course must be at the graduate level and the student must have earned a grade of B or better to be considered for transfer credit.
Students enrolled in a BS/MS degree program must complete the Bachelor's and Master's Degree Course Designation Form and have the form signed by the department Graduate Coordinator or Department Head. The form can be found on the registrar's website. www.wpi.edu/offices/registrar/forms
Students intending to graduate with a BS/MS degree at the same time should submit the Bachelor's and Master's Degree Course Designation Form to the registrar's office in the same semester they intend to graduate. Otherwise, the form should be submitted during the first semester after a student graduates with their Bachelor's Degree.