The graduate program in electrical engineering is designed to be flexible, with few required courses so that you can work with your faculty advisors to select coursework suited to your interests and career goals. Our program offers you the range of education needed to take on leadership roles within electrical engineering as well as conduct original research in the field.
Degrees offered
M.S. in electrical engineering
Ph.D in electrical engineering
Admissions requirements
Minimum GPA: 3.0 (Applicants to the Ph.D. program without an M.S. must have a 3.5)
Minimum TOEFL: 550
GRE is not required for admission into this program but is highly recommended
Application deadlines
Fall enrollment: Feb. 1 (International applicants), May 1 (U.S. applicants)
Spring enrollment: Aug. 15 (International applicants), Nov. 15 (U.S. applicants)
M.S. in electrical engineering
The master's degree program in electrical engineering has two degree options:
Ph.D. in electrical engineering
The doctoral program includes rigorous coursework in your area of specialization as well as completing and defending a Ph.D. dissertation containing original and innovative research work. These research results are to be published in national/international journals or conference proceedings.
You will work closely with a faculty advisor to select courses and conduct research under their guidance. Our faculty are actively engaged in research on a range of topics within electrical engineering, with a particular focus on applications related to biomedical engineering and renewable energy.
If you don't have a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, you must show competency in circuits and signals and systems. You can either complete a specified undergraduate course in these topics or show mastery by completing an exam. Exceptions to these requirements may be made for students who show excellence in one or more areas of electrical engineering. If you do not meet these admissions requirements, you may be admitted by completing certain electrical engineering courses as a graduate special student.
M.S. applicants: A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
Ph.D. applicants: Students with M.S. degree: 3.0. Students applying with only a bachelor's degree must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or greater
M.S. applicants:
Ph.D. applicants:
For international applicants to both the M.S. and Ph.D. program: A minimum TOEFL of 79, IELTS of 6.5, or Duolingo of 115 is required
You can start your application through The Graduate School website, which provides detailed instructions on the application process.
Deadline for applications and fellowship consideration is:
This program is part of the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), a tuition-savings program that makes out-of-state graduate studies more affordable for students. Through WRGP, you will receive a reduced tuition rate, giving you more educational options for your money.
Admission fee-waiver for highly qualified applicants to the Ph.D. in electrical engineering
Domestic students that have a quantitative GRE score ≥ 165 and international students that additionally have a TOEFL ibt score ≥ 102 (or IELTS score ≥ 7.5) are eligible to have their application fee paid by the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering. Contact the program director for additional information.
Your faculty advisor will help you outline a course of study for your graduate degree and may be able to help you find research assistantships.
Master's degree students should identify a faculty advisor no later than then end of their second semester, while Ph.D. students should declare an advisor by the end of their third semester.
You should contact faculty members with research programs that interest you to learn about available assistantships as early as possible. See Electrical & Biomedical Engineering Department faculty and staff.
Graduate faculty in the biomedical engineering and electrical engineering programs
Graduate faculty in the biomedical engineering program can be found in a number of colleges and departments at the University of Nevada, Reno. Find a complete list of graduate faculty for the biomedical engineering program as well as the electrical engineering program on the Graduate Faculty page. Search for "biomedical engineering" or "electrical engineering" to find affiliated faculty.
Program cost
Information about graduate student tuition and fees is available on The Graduate School website.
Graduate assistantships
Graduate students are eligible to apply for a teaching or research assistantship as well as one departmental scholarship.
Teaching assistantships are available to students with a minimum GPA of 3.3 and are awarded by the department. Research assistantships are awarded by individual faculty. You can learn more about graduate assistantships on the Graduate School website.
Students can also apply for The Turner Fellowship. Contact the department at ebme@unr.edu for application information.
Details on graduate research assistantships funded by the College of Engineering are available on the College website.
The Graduate School maintains lists of additional funding opportunities from both University and external sources.
Information about scholarships and financial aid for international students is also available on the Office of International Students and Scholars website.
