Information for M.S. Students

Coursework

Research

Candidacy

Thesis/Report

Exit/Graduation

The following may be used as a guideline for obtaining the Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. For complete details on requirements and procedures, see the EECS Graduate Handbook or the Masters Student Services Advisor (Jenn Gardner, JennG@eecs, 205 Cory Hall).

Click on the colored sections below for more information on that topic.

Coursework

• Minimum of 24 units required:
  • 10 units of 200 series (excluding 298, 299) in EECS
  • 4-10 units of 299 for PLAN I or 3-6 units of 299 for PLAN II
  • remainder can be 100 or 200 series (do not have to be EECS courses, excluding 299)
• All courses must be taken for a letter grade, EXCEPT for 299s which are taken for the S/U option.
• Minimum cumulative GPA = 3.0; no credit for "D+" or below.

Research

Tips for Finding an Advisor

Peruse websites and publications to learn about faculty research interests and projects. Then discuss opportunities in office hours or by setting up a meeting (email usually works best, but use other means if you do not get a response). You may also consider starting a conversation about research with one of your instructors, perhaps during office hours or after a lecture. Seminars are another opportunity not only to learn about technology and science but also to meet fellow grad students who can tell you about their experience and introduce you to faculty they are working with. Many groups hold regular meetings where you can get to know team members and their projects. Ask a professor or one of his/her students if you may attend the group meeting. Contact your temporary advisor or Staff Graduate Advisor if you have questions or have not made contact with prospective thesis advisors by the end of the first semester. Inform Jenn Gardner (JennG@eecs) when you have found a permanent advisor and also if you change your advisor (yes, it happens and is OK).

When you have found a Research Advisor and no longer have a temporary one, you must notify Jenn Gardner and the Infrastructure Development & Support Group (idsg-admin@eecs)to update the department records. No other forms or paperwork are required.

Advancement to Candidacy

(Download Graduation checklist here)

Plan I or Plan II?

Most EECS M.S. students submit a Plan II thesis report because of its flexibility. You can learn more by reading the Graduate Division’s guide and/or the EECS Graduate Handbook under Degree Programs 5.2.6.

• For both Plan I and Plan II M.S. students, you need to complete the departmental Advance to Candidacy form, have your research adviser sign it, and submit it to Jenn Gardner in 205 Cory no later than the end of the 2nd week of classes of your final semester.
• If you are planning to use Plan I for your M.S. Degree, you also need to complete this Graduate Division Advance to Candidacy form. Submit this to Jenn Gardner in 205 Cory no later than the end of the 2nd week of classes of your final semester. Candidacy is valid for 3 years.
• Transfer credit may be awarded for a maximum of 4 semester or 6 quarter units of graduate coursework from another institution. Complete a Transfer Credit Petition and submit all supporting documents.

M.S. Thesis/Report

• To submit your thesis or report, you must be registered or on Filing Fee.

Filing Fee Status

If you need to use the Filing Fee option:

• May be used only once in your graduate career.
• Applicant must have been registered in the semester (or in a Summer Session) immediately preceding the one for which Filing Fee status is requested.
• Submit the Filing Fee Application by the end of the first week of classes of the semester in which you intend to file.
• Students cannot hold an academic appointment during the semester Filing Fee is used.
• Filing Fee applies for the length of the semester for which Filing Fee status has been approved, up to the deadline for filing for a degree in that semester. These dates vary but are approximately Dec. 20 and May 25 of each year.

Filing Thesis/Report

• PLAN I (THESIS): (Refer to the Graduate Division's guidelines on Thesis Filing Guidelines)
  • 1 copy sent to edegrees@berkeley.edu. Double check that you follow the Graduate Division guidelines.
  • 1 copy (including signature and abstract) uploaded to the EECS Department Website online submission form.
  • You must also submit to Jenn Gardner the following documents: (1) a copy of the signed signature page, (2) a copy/printout of the title page, and (3) a copy/printout of the abstract.
• PLAN II (REPORT):
  • Produce an M.S. Plan II Title/Signature Page. See samples for EE (Word, postscript, LaTeX 2e) or CS (Word, postscript, LaTeX 2e);
  • There is no special formating required for the body of the Plan II MS report (unlike the Plan I MS thesis which must follow strict Graduate Division guidelines);
  • 1 copy (including signature and abstract) uploaded to the EECS Department Website online submission form.
  • You must also submit to Jenn Gardner the following documents: (1) the signed signature page, and (2) a copy/printout of the abstract.
  • 1 copy to Research Advisor (optional);

Exit Survey & Graduation

• If the M.S. is your final degree at UCB, complete the EECS Exit Survey (this is a departmental graduation requirement). You are also encouraged to complete the Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (which is optional).
• If you are continuing on to the Ph.D. at this time, there is no need to complete the departmental exit survey.
• Check with Jenn Gardner to make sure all coursework, paperwork, and other requirements are completed.

Commencement

• If you wish to participate in the spring commencement ceremony, you need to submit the College of Engineering's Commencement Participation Form. Throughout the spring, details about the ceremony will be updated on the commencement website. If you have any other questions about commencement, please call the COE Student Affairs Office, 642-7594.

Tech Report

• If you would like to produce a Technical Report, please fill out the online submission form. Your manuscript will need to be in pdf format. Once submitted, the report will be assigned a number, given an HTML coversheet, assigned a URL, and added the EECS Technical Reports database. You will be sent its number and URL via email.

Diplomas

• Approximately four months after your degree is conferred, you may pick up your diploma in person at the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall, or request to have it sent to you. For details and more information, please see Transcripts and Diplomas.

Adding the MS in EECS or CS from another Department

Doctoral students in other departments at UC Berkeley may add the MS in EECS or CS to their degree goals. To do this, you need to submit a few forms, complete a research project with an EECS faculty member, and submit the final Plan I thesis or Plan II technical report before filing your PhD dissertation.

Submit the following forms/documents all together to Jenn Gardner in 205 Cory Hall:

• Graduate Petition for Change of Major or Degree Goal - fill out the top part (through student's signature)
• Select a research area from the department website here
• Unofficial copy of Berkeley transcript
• New statement of purpose describing your interest in this MS degree and the related project
• 1 Letter of support from the EECS faculty member agreeing to advise you through degree completion. This letter needs to not only state advising and project support, but also needs to state financial support. Will you be funded through your PhD completely? Are you on an external fellowship? Will this EECS advisor be funding you in any way?

You should turn in these forms no later than the end of the second week of classes in the semester in which you plan to file your thesis/tech report.

Then, once your degree has officially been added, there are a few things you'll need to be part of the EECS department:

• Here is a list of resources and acronyms you'll need to be familiar with. (PDF)
• EECS research account (ask your faculty advisor and/or RSO if you'll need this and how to get it)
• Instructional account - these are your logins for various EECS courses. You will learn how to get these on the first day of class typically.
• Grad aliases - We automatically pull your email address from Bearfacts to add to our EECS grad student email aliases. Learn more here.
• If you will have a specific desk space in one of the EECS buildings, please let me know where that is so that I can add it to your record. We need this for card key access and the department roster.
• Speaking of card key access, you can see the building manager in your building (Mark Davis) to gain card key access to your specific research areas.

You can come see Jenn Gardner in 205 Cory Hall with any questions, and she can help guide you to the appropriate resource. Welcome!

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EECS Graduate Student Affairs