Best Electrical Engineering Master’s Programs in Delaware
Delaware's ECE MS changes its advanced-course requirement when a student chooses the non-thesis route. Both plans contain six foundation credits, but the non-thesis plan requires six credits of 800-level ECE coursework compared with three in the thesis plan. The extra course depth accompanies the shift from an original research thesis to a fully course-based degree.
Our 2026 selection of electrical engineering master’s programs in Delaware reviews the University of Delaware's MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering. The department supports optional concentrations in several electrical subjects while allowing multidisciplinary plans without a declared concentration. Compare that flexibility with the course-prefix limits, graduate grade rules and the specific responsibilities of any funding appointment.
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How we ranked electrical engineering master’s programs in Delaware
The University of Delaware ECE MS is the reviewed graduate selection for this state. The departmental degree page establishes the thesis and non-thesis plans, while current graduate admission and funding pages document preparation, academic standing and assistantship conditions. The review preserves the actual ECE award name and its electrical study routes.
Delaware is selected for its shared foundation, explicit advanced-course minimums and optional electrical concentrations. The assessment also considers the thesis requirement for original publishable work and the academic conditions attached to continued graduate study. The selection is based on those verified program details and does not imply an individual funding guarantee.
Delaware offers competitive graduate fellowships and assistantships to entering and continuing full-time students, including strong MS candidates. The department describes stipend, tuition-waiver and subsidized-insurance support. RA work is assigned by faculty and TA work supports instruction, with duties of up to twenty hours per week. Confirm the appointment period and benefits in the actual award.
Delaware's ECE MS retains a common six-credit foundation while changing the advanced-course requirement for thesis and non-thesis students. The thesis route includes six research-thesis credits and at least three credits of 800-level ECE coursework. The non-thesis route is entirely coursework and doubles that 800-level minimum to six credits. Students can select an optional concentration, but multidisciplinary plans do not have to declare one. These rules let an applicant compare a research-focused degree with a broader professional course plan without assuming that both routes distribute their thirty credits identically.
Where it stands out
Delaware is a useful fit for students who want advanced electrical work in signals, controls, devices, electromagnetics or photonics while retaining access to related technical subjects. The thesis option explicitly calls for original publishable research with an advisor; the non-thesis plan devotes more space to advanced coursework.
What to weigh
Optional concentrations add requirements within the overall plan, and courses outside ELEG or CPEG are capped. Graduate coursework must meet the B− grade and 3.0 overall GPA rules. Assistantships are competitive and carry research or teaching duties, so the existence of departmental funding should be separated from an individual offer.
Both routes require 30 semester credits and six foundation-course credits. The thesis route includes at least 24 coursework credits and six thesis credits.
Thesis coursework includes eighteen advanced technical credits, with at least three credits in 800-level ECE courses. The non-thesis plan uses twenty-four advanced technical credits, including at least six 800-level ECE credits.
No more than twelve advanced technical credits may carry non-ELEG/CPEG course numbers. Concentrations are optional and carry their own additional distribution requirements.
Admission & progression
Applicants normally hold an electrical or computer engineering bachelor’s degree or preparation in a related field such as mathematics, physics or computer science, with a B or better undergraduate record.
GRE scores are not required, but the department considers them when submitted. Applicable English-proficiency evidence is required.
Degree coursework requires grades of B− or better and an overall graduate GPA of at least 3.0. Up to nine approved transfer credits may be applied.
Research & project requirements
Thesis students conduct original publishable research with an advisor and write a thesis describing their contributions.
Optional concentration areas include signal processing, communications and controls; materials and devices; electromagnetics and photonics; computer systems and networking; and biomedical engineering.
Students in residence without sustaining status enroll each regular term in an advanced technical course and their area’s research seminar.
What matters in electrical engineering master’s programs in Delaware
Foundation plus advanced study
Both routes retain six foundation credits and specify the level of additional technical work.
Optional electrical concentrations
Students can choose an approved concentration or develop a multidisciplinary plan without declaring one.
Academic and appointment conditions
Course grades, overall GPA and the actual support contract shape a workable graduate plan.
Advanced courses in Delaware’s electrical master’s routes
The MSECE requirements set a thirty-credit total for each option. Thesis students complete at least twenty-four graduate coursework credits and six thesis credits. Their coursework includes six foundation credits and eighteen advanced technical credits at the 600 level or above, with at least three credits in 800-level ECE courses. Up to twelve advanced technical credits can carry course numbers outside ELEG or CPEG.
Non-thesis students complete thirty coursework credits: six foundation credits and twenty-four advanced technical credits. At least six advanced credits must be 800-level ECE work, and the same outside-prefix cap applies. The thesis route instead calls for original publishable research conducted with an advisor and a thesis describing the student's contributions. Use those specific finishing requirements to decide whether supervised research or a larger advanced-course plan better supports your next professional or academic step.
Concentrations and academic rules in Delaware’s ECE MS
Optional concentrations include signal processing, communications and controls; materials and devices; electromagnetics and photonics; computer systems and networking; and biomedical engineering. Students who select a concentration must satisfy its requirements as well as the general MS rules. A concentration is voluntary, so a student developing a multidisciplinary or specialized plan can work without that formal designation when the approved degree requirements are met.
Degree coursework requires B− or better, and graduate students must maintain an overall 3.0 GPA. Courses meeting degree requirements cannot be taken pass/fail. The department allows at most nine approved transfer credits and at most six credits of independent study or special problems. Students in residence without sustaining status also register each regular term for an advanced technical course and their area's research seminar. These rules help turn a broad interest into a degree plan that can actually be approved.
Admission and support for electrical engineering master’s programs in Delaware
Applicants normally bring a bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering or a related subject such as mathematics, physics or computer science, with a B or better undergraduate record. GRE scores are optional and will be considered when submitted. Applicable English-proficiency requirements also apply. Use the application to explain the technical preparation and proposed field of study, then investigate faculty research if a thesis is the intended route.
The department offers competitive support to strong MS students through assistantships and scholarships, describing stipends, tuition waivers and subsidized health insurance. RA appointments involve faculty-directed research, and TA appointments support instruction, with duties of up to twenty hours per week. The funding page describes typical RA contract periods of nine or twelve months, so verify summer coverage in the actual offer. The cost guide helps organize those benefits and remaining expenses. Compare other national electrical master’s selections, read the methodology, and use the Delaware bachelor’s rankings for undergraduate preparation.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Does Delaware offer a current electrical master’s degree?+
Yes. The University of Delaware offers the MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering with thesis and non-thesis routes. Its current department pages document electrical concentrations and advanced ECE course requirements.
How does the 800-level course minimum differ by route?+
The thesis plan requires at least three credits of 800-level ECE coursework. The non-thesis plan requires at least six, alongside the foundation and other advanced technical requirements.
Must every Delaware ECE MS student declare a concentration?+
No. Concentrations are optional. Students choosing one must meet its requirements in addition to the general degree rules, while approved multidisciplinary plans can proceed without a declared concentration.
Is departmental graduate funding guaranteed for MS students?+
Support is competitive. The department identifies funding opportunities for strong MS candidates, but an individual award determines the appointment, benefits and support period. Research and teaching appointments also carry work responsibilities.
Continue your graduate research
Read the degree requirements behind each ranking
Use the school reviews to check how each program structures coursework, projects and research. Our methodology explains how we select programs and assess their fit.
