Road to the PhD
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in EECS is a milestone-based graduate program. Associated with each milestone is a timeline, or recommended number of terms (or semesters but not including the summer sessions) for completion of the milestone. The timelines are viewed as reasonable ensuring steady progress to the PhD degree.
The milestones are identified as listed below and are completed in a prescribed order:
- Technical Qualification Evaluation (TQE)
- Master of Science (SM) Proposal — In parallel with TQE
- Master of Science (SM) Technical Thesis
- Research Qualifying Examination (RQE) — After completion of TQE
- PhD Proposal and Establishment of PhD Committee — After TQE & RQE
- PhD Defense and Thesis
- Minor Program — Completed in parallel
- Professional Perspective Requirement — Completed in parallel
- Teaching Assistant Requirement — Completed in parallel
- Registration in 6.9900 Teaching in EECS is required (10 units for a 50% appointment or 20 units for a 100% appointment)
- Additional possibilities are available to complete this PhD activity
- PhD Committee Meetings — Carried out after milestone #5
- MIT requires all doctoral programs to have a minimum of four semesters in residence working on campus
Academic Milestones of PhD in EECS Program
The Academic Milestones of PhD in EECS provide academic credit during the semester in which a graduate student completes a milestone. These PhD milestones have a subject associated with their completion: the Master of Science thesis proposal, the Master of Science thesis, the research qualifying exam (RQE), the PhD proposal (and creation of PhD committee), and activities associated with meeting with the PhD committee in preparation for scheduling the defense and completing the thesis. Below, the new Academic Milestone subjects and their MIT Bulletin listing are provided. Each EECS PhD student (and their research supervisor and graduate counselor) can find all information regarding the milestones and timelines by accessing the PhD status page, or by clicking the links below.
For Course 6 graduate students, a technical proposal is required as part of the Master of Science (SM) degree; the SM degree is a milestone of the EECS PhD degree. This subject provides academic credit for the preparation of the SM proposal. A properly formatted SM proposal, approved by the thesis supervisor is required. Proposals subject to departmental approval.
For additional information on submitting a successful thesis proposal, please visit the EECS Communications Lab’s Thesis Proposal Page.
For Course 6 graduate students, a thesis is required as part of the Master of Science (SM) degree; the SM degree is a milestone of the EECS PhD degree. This subject provides academic credit for the preparation of the SM thesis. A properly formatted SM thesis, approved and signed by the supervisor, is required. Theses are subject to departmental approval.
The second component of the qualification process for the doctorate is the Research Qualifying Examination (RQE). The purpose of this examination is to assure that students in the doctoral program have demonstrated the ability to carry out research effectively and to communicate the results in written and oral form.
For Course 6 graduate students, a thesis proposal is required as part of the doctoral degree; the proposal is a milestone of the EECS PhD degree. This subject provides academic credit for the preparation of the technical proposal for the PhD degree. A properly formatted PhD proposal, approved and signed by the supervisor, is required. In addition, the PhD committee is formed by the submission of thesis reader agreement forms. PhD proposals are subject to departmental approval.
For additional information on submitting a successful thesis proposal, please visit the EECS Communications Lab’s Thesis Proposal Page.
For Course 6 graduate students, following the submission of the PhD proposal, convening of the PhD thesis committee is expected on an annual basis. This subject provides academic credit for the preparation of materials needed for the PhD committee meeting.
Technical Qualifying Evaluation
The second component of the qualification process for the doctorate is the Technical Qualifying Evaluation (TQE). The purpose of this requirement is to assure that students in the doctoral program have both the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary to carry out research effectively.
Plan & 4 Subjects:
Technical Qualifying Evaluation (TQE)
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Recommended Completion Time:
Apply Beginning of 2nd Term + Complete in 5 Terms
Four subjects across three different groups (2 from one group, 1 from two other groups) are required to complete the TQE.
The TQE is fulfilled when:
- The TQE plan is submitted via the PhD Status Portal and approved by the EECS Graduate Office
- The TQE courses are registered for and appear on your transcript with at least 3 As and 1 B
Professional Perspective
Graduate students are increasingly working in areas that span multiple disciplines or technological areas. These different methods of approach are often able to provide advances or contributions to many disparate current problems or to make inroads to numerous new applications. As such, students are eager to understand career options that may be available to them, either in areas well aligned to their specific research or in areas that differ from their focused graduate research engagement.
6.9940 & 6.9950:
Professional Perspective Requirement (PPR)
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Recommended Completion Time:
6.9940 — During SM | 6.9950 — During PhD
For Course 6 graduate students, industrial or academic activities (1 for Dual-SM students, 2 otherwise) are required for students to gain professional perspective on experiences in research, academia, and/or industry in electrical engineering, computer science, and artificial intelligence + decision-making.
The PPR is fulfilled when:
- The PPR plan(s) are submitted via the PhD Status Portal and approved by the EECS Graduate Office
- The PPR course(s) are registered for and appear on your transcript with grades of P
Minor
Each student in the EECS doctoral program must complete a minor program, approved by the Committee on Graduate Students, consisting of two subjects. The intent of the minor program is to provide a broadening experience, and therefore the minor program field must not be directly related to a student’s research.
The two subjects in the minor program should constitute a coherent study within a single discipline. At least one of the subjects must involve study at an advanced level (a graduate subject).
The minor requirement is fulfilled when:
- The subjects are submitted via PhD Status Portal and approved by the Committee on Graduate Students
- The minor subjects appear on your transcript with grades of A or B