Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Guidelines for QE1: Written Eligibility Examination

Objective:
To ensure that students have mastered the fundamentals pertinent to their doctoral
program, and possess the mathematical maturity necessary to undertake doctoral
research.

Process:
Students will take the written examination for either the CISE doctoral program or
the ECE doctoral program. Students will have 6 hours in which to finish the exam.

Timeline:
Doctoral students must take QE1 by the spring semester of the first year in
the Ph.D. program.
A student who fails in the first attempt may retake the exam. in the following
year, but may not receive a full (20 hr/wk) TA appointment during the
second year.
Even students who pass QE1 in the second year are expected to complete
QE2 by the end of the second year.
Matriculation in the PhD program will be terminated for any student who
does not pass both QE1 and QE2 by the second year.

Date & Place of QE1 (for students admitted to the PhD program in 2012):
Monday, January 2013 Date and time to be announced 4-201CST

Materials Available:
o

In our lobby:

the exams given in 2011-2012

On-line: the scope of the exams

CISE
ECE

8/17/12 revised