Electrical & Computer Engineering: Professional Program

Is this program right for you?

The Electrical & Computer Engineering: Professional program from the University of Wisconsin–Madison is designed to deepen your technical knowledge and sharpen your professional skills for a well-prepared entry into the industry.

The program provides a practical focus through a course-only curriculum, an accelerated and predictable 16-month completion time and a professional development summer session. Along with your academic advisor, you will choose courses that target your academic and career interests. Areas of emphasis include computer engineering, fields and waves, solid state/photonics or energy and power systems. You will also have the opportunity to apply for a summer engineering internship or participate in summer professional development courses.

When you enroll in the professional electrical engineering master’s program, you join a department of accomplished engineers and scholars whose primary goal is to expand your knowledge in new technologies, design methods and analysis techniques. Through this 16-month course-only path to a master of science degree, we help you enter the workforce sooner so you have more time to advance your career and positively impact your industry.

The MS professional program requires 30 credits with a core track of 12 credits in one of the four technical areas:

Computer Engineering

• Computer-Aided Design – This track offers practical insight into the field of computer-aided design and will prepare you to use design tools and develop algorithms and methodologies for simulating, synthesizing and verifying digital electronic systems.
• Embedded Systems – This track offers practical insight into the field of embedded systems and will prepare you to develop low-level programs, tool chains and run-time systems and design and simulate low-power hardware for embedded processors.
• Networking and Security – This track offers practical insight into the fields of networking and security and will prepare you to implement protocols and applications for mobile and wireless networking, as well as assess security threats and apply defenses and best practices for secure hardware and software.
• Computer Architecture – This track offers practical insight into the field of computer architecture and will prepare you to write microprograms, develop parallel applications and design and simulate hardware components for multiprocessors, caches and memory systems.

Electromagnetic (E&M) Fields and Waves – This tracks offers practical insight into the field of E&M fields and waves and will give you a well-rounded foundation in applied electromagnetics with the necessary tools to succeed in industry and help meet the ever-increasing demand for RF engineers.

Energy and Power Systems

• Electric Machines and Drives – This track offers practical insight into the field of electrical machines and drives. This knowledge prepares you for career opportunities in the design and control of electric machines for traction, drone, and other propulsion systems as well as electric generators for wind, high-speed turbines, and other renewable energy systems.
• Power Electronics – This track offers practical insight into the field of power electronics. This knowledge prepares you for career opportunities in the design and control of power electronics hardware for propulsion, renewable energy and charging systems.
• Power Systems – This track offers practical insight into the field of electrical power systems. You will explore the construct of the electric utility as well as power flow control and stability through a variety of modeling and simulation exercises and projects including emerging grid technologies such as microgrids to large-scale power systems dominated by renewable energy sources and power electronics.

Solid State/Photonics

• Semiconductor Device and Fabrication Technology – This track offers practical insight into the field of electronic device operation and fabrication. You will learn the basic principles of electronic devices, solid state physics, and learn industry-relevant simulation technologies such as TCAD and Layout. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to experience (hands-on in a cleanroom) how semiconductor devices are fabricated.
• Photonics Technology – This track offers practical insight into the field of photonics. You will learn the basic principles of optoelectronic/photonics devices such as LEDs and LASERs etc. You will also get hands-on experience with industry relevant practical simulation methodologies for photonics applications.

Tracks in other areas, as well as custom tracks, are available with advisor approval.