PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Develop Your Expertise in a Rapidly Evolving Field

Look toward industry-directing influence with a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Clarkson University. To reach the top of your field or to become a well-rounded academic, expand your understanding of communications and signal processing, power systems, biometrics, metamaterials and more subdisciplines. Devote your studies to developing innovative technologies and conducting groundbreaking, impactful research.

Why Earn a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering From Clarkson University?

You already have the real-world experience and a lengthy list of accomplishments to your name. Apply what you've acquired and continue growing your skills to contribute to new technologies and innovative advancements in electrical and computer engineering.

Your motivation, plus personal attention from our nationally recognized faculty, prepares you to surge ahead. Thrive in a team-based, collaborative and interdisciplinary environment where you'll engage in important, world-class research. Let your ideas flourish while deepening your expertise and tackling complex challenges to become a scholar in your own right.

Our cutting-edge curriculum and state-of-the-art facilities supply the tools. Understand how we make discoveries in our Biomedical Signal Analysis Laboratory, the Clarkson Center for Complex Systems Science and the Smart Power Systems and Controls Lab. We count government agencies and top private organizations as partners, and some of our most groundbreaking projects receive funding from the National Science Foundation.

Tap into our connections to industry leaders and our strong alumni network for professional development. Our award-winning Parker Career Center can also help you chart the next steps toward your future.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Clarkson’s PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering prepares you to lead innovation at the intersection of advanced technologies, from artificial intelligence and machine learning to smart power systems, communications and complex data-driven systems. Through close collaboration with faculty, you’ll engage in interdisciplinary, NSF-funded research in specialized labs and centers, where breakthroughs in areas like AI-enabled systems, biometrics, and next-generation computing directly shape your scholarly experience. The program develops researchers who not only advance emerging technologies, but who bring the creativity, systems thinking and ethical perspective that AI alone cannot replicate. You’ll graduate ready to harness AI as a powerful tool for discovery and innovation, positioning yourself as a leader in shaping the future of engineering.

Learn more about how Clarkson is at the forefront of AI & Machine Learning

What You'll Learn

Start to establish yourself through 90 credit hours, a comprehensive exam and a completed dissertation. The credit hours will be divided into a major field of your choosing, a minor, coursework in other departments and a seminar.

You can specialize in one of the following tracks:

Communication and Signal processing
Computer Hardware
Computer Software
Control Engineering
Electronics and Materials
Power Engineering

For major and minor areas, explore the following subjects:

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation
Biometrics
Complex Systems, Data-Driven Science and Engineering
Computer Architecture
Computer Hardware, FPGA and Digital Circuits & Systems
Computing: High Performance, Heterogeneous, Edge and IoT
Controls and Robotics
Cybersecurity
Dynamical Systems
Embedded Systems
High Voltage Engineering
Metamaterials, Electromagnetic Materials and Structures & Photonics
Micro and Nanoelectronics: Devices, Circuits & Systems
Power Systems and Renewable Energy
Programming Languages, Compilers and Software Engineering
Signal Processing and Communication

For more information, view the course catalog for current program requirements, course numbers and credit hours.

Course Catalog

Coursework

Required coursework includes:

Minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the BS.
Minimum of 39 credit hours of coursework.
Minimum of 15 credit hours in the major field.
Minimum of nine credit hours in the minor field.
Minimum of six credit hours from a department other than the one in which the student's program is housed.
Minimum of six credit hours of seminar.
Two years of full‑time study in residence at Clarkson.
A master’s degree may be accepted in lieu of a maximum of 30 credit hours.

Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive examination for admission to candidacy must be taken within one year after admission to the PhD program or after the completion of 30 graduate credits — whichever comes later. A student will be dropped from the program if the exam is failed twice.

Dissertation

A dissertation must be submitted and defended orally before an examining committee. The examining committee will consist of a minimum of five members. At least three members must hold primary appointments at the rank of assistant professor or higher in the ECE Department. At least one of the faculty members must be from a department other than the advisor’s department.

Research Areas

Engage in research related to micro/nano electronics, including for the following electronics:

Modeling of nanoelectronics devices.
Simulation of electromagnetics structures, quantum devices and spin transistors.
Thermal and electrothermal simulations of solid-state devices and integrated circuits.

We also conduct research in the following software areas:

Applied machine learning
Building energy modeling
Formal methods in computing, especially automated verification
Keystroke dynamics
Parallel, distributed and concurrent computing
Persuasive technologies and data analytics for smart housing
Programming languages
Smart microgrid
Software development environments and tools
Software engineering
Software reuse, software evolution and formal methods

Admissions

A completed application consists of the following:

Online Application Form
Résumé.
Statement of purpose.
Three letters of recommendation.
Official transcripts.
GRE test scores.
- Waived: The GRE requirement will be waived for Fall 2023 applicants.
For international applicants, an English proficiency test is required.
- Minimum test score requirements: TOEFL (80) and TOEFL Essentials (8.5), IELTS (6.5), PTE (56) or Duolingo English Test (115).
- The English language-testing requirement is not waived based on language of instruction, nor do we accept university certificates. English testing is waived if an applicant has a degree from a country where English is the Native Language. Click here to see the list of these countries.

Scholarships

A limited number of one-year and/or partial-year tuition scholarships are available for qualified full-time students. A limited number of stipends are also available. Most scholarships and/or stipends are associated with department assistantships or completion of a master’s thesis as part of the qualified applicant’s plan of study to complete his/her degree program.

Career Possibilities

Direct the pace and advancements of some of the fastest-growing industries. Uncover opportunities to lead and spur innovation for corporations or in government or higher education. Clarkson ECE graduates had a 100 percent placement rate in 2024, and median wages tend to be above $100,000 a year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering graduates start positions in: