Best Electrical Engineering Master’s Programs in North Dakota
NDSU prefers electrical MS applicants to work with an ECE professor before arriving in Fargo. The professor can then recommend admission based on the applicant's preparation and relevant work. Applicants without that recommendation follow a separately stated GPA and GRE pathway. The process makes a prospective faculty connection especially useful for someone pursuing a research thesis.
Our 2026 selection of electrical engineering master’s programs in North Dakota reviews North Dakota State's MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Its thirty-credit degree includes twenty-four graduate coursework credits and six thesis credits. The first-year Advanced Research Topics course and limits on independent study establish a course foundation alongside the supervised investigation.
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How we ranked electrical engineering master’s programs in North Dakota
The North Dakota collection reviews NDSU's ECE MS through the 2026–27 catalog. The program entry establishes its thesis structure, course distribution and faculty-supported admission process. Current university assistantship rules provide the basis for discussing base-tuition waivers, appointment size and the charges students may still need to pay.
NDSU is selected for a research master's with early faculty involvement and explicit didactic electrical coursework. The assessment also considers the supervisory committee's role and the first-year research course. Graduate financial support is evaluated using the current waiver policy, which distinguishes full and part-time appointments and limits the credits covered.
Under the current catalog, a twenty-hour weekly assistantship totaling 320 hours per term is eligible for a full base-tuition waiver. A qualifying part-time appointment must meet at least 160 hours per semester and may qualify for a minimum half waiver under college policy. Differential tuition and fees are excluded, and assistants normally enroll in at least six graduate credits in fall and spring.
NDSU's ECE MS connects admission preparation with faculty research before the student arrives. The program prefers applicants to work with an ECE professor who can recommend their admission, while specifying GPA and GRE expectations for applicants without that recommendation. The degree itself totals thirty credits: twenty-four in graduate courses and six in a thesis. Its first-year Advanced Research Topics course, ECE coursework minimum and didactic 700-level requirement give the research plan a defined academic foundation.
Where it stands out
NDSU suits an applicant prepared to establish a faculty connection and pursue a supervised electrical thesis. The limit on independent study preserves a substantial course component, while the committee-approved plan lets students align advanced classes with their intended research area and previous technical preparation.
What to weigh
A professor's interest does not establish an assistantship or tuition waiver. The current waiver policy distinguishes full and part-time appointments, and differential tuition and student fees remain payable. Applicants should also keep the research MS separate from the MEng, whose coursework and capstone arrangement follows different requirements.
The MS requires twenty-four graduate coursework credits and six ECE 798 thesis credits, for thirty credits.
Coursework includes ECE 702 Advanced Research Topics during the first year, at least fifteen ECE credits and at least six didactic ECE 7 xx credits, excluding ECE 796.
Independent study through ECE 796 or ECE 896 is limited to six credits. The supervisory committee approves the course plan.
Admission & progression
The MS program prefers applicants to work with an ECE professor before arrival so that the professor can recommend admission based on relevant preparation and work.
Applicants without a professor’s recommendation must have at least a 3.0 GPA in the latest EE or computer-engineering degree and GRE scores of 145 Verbal and 155 Quantitative. The GRE subject test is not required.
Published deadlines are February 28 for fall and October 15 for spring. Applicable language requirements apply, with higher English-proficiency thresholds for teaching assistantships.
Research & project requirements
The six-credit thesis develops supervised research within an approved electrical-and-computer graduate plan.
Advanced Research Topics is a first-year requirement, helping establish the research component early.
The separate MEng is coursework-based with a portfolio or written-examination capstone; those requirements do not replace the MS thesis.
What matters in electrical engineering master’s programs in North Dakota
Faculty involvement before admission
The program prefers a professor’s recommendation based on relevant applicant preparation and work.
A defined course foundation
The MS requires at least fifteen ECE coursework credits and six didactic ECE 7 xx credits.
Appointment-specific tuition coverage
Current graduate waiver rules distinguish base tuition from differential charges and student fees.
Preparing for NDSU’s faculty-supported electrical MS admission
The current ECE master’s catalog encourages applicants to review faculty research and contact a professor working in their intended area. Each professor can set expectations for the type and amount of work needed before recommending admission. A prospective applicant should be ready to discuss previous technical projects, relevant classes and the research questions that motivate further study.
Without a professor's recommendation, applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA in their latest electrical or computer-engineering degree and GRE scores of 145 Verbal and 155 Quantitative. The subject GRE is not required. The program lists February 28 for fall applications and October 15 for spring. Applicable language requirements also apply, with higher English-proficiency thresholds for teaching assistants. A research connection supports the academic application but does not establish an assistantship offer.
The thesis and coursework plan at North Dakota State
The MS combines twenty-four graduate coursework credits with six ECE 798 thesis credits. Students take ECE 702 Advanced Research Topics during the first year. At least fifteen coursework credits must be ECE courses, and at least six must be didactic ECE 7 xx courses. ECE 796 independent study is excluded from that didactic requirement, so an individually supervised course cannot automatically replace a required advanced lecture class.
Independent study through ECE 796 or ECE 896 is limited to six credits in the course plan. The supervisory committee approves the coursework and helps align it with the thesis. NDSU's separate MEng uses a coursework and capstone structure, with a portfolio or written examination. Applicants should compare those different academic finishes before selecting an award. The national electrical master’s ranking includes other thesis, project and professional programs.
Tuition waivers for electrical engineering master’s programs in North Dakota
NDSU's current graduate catalog makes a full twenty-hour weekly assistantship, totaling 320 hours per term, eligible for a full base-tuition waiver. A qualifying part-time appointment must provide at least ten weekly hours and 160 hours per semester and may qualify for a minimum half waiver under college policy. A fifteen-hour appointment may receive greater coverage when the college applies that practice consistently. Students who do not complete the minimum service hours lose waiver eligibility for that semester.
The waiver covers eligible NDSU graduate base tuition. Differential tuition, student fees and excluded course categories remain payable. Assistants normally register for at least six graduate credits in fall and spring, with program requirements or an approved final-semester arrangement affecting the individual plan. Summer and total degree-credit limits have separate rules. Read the actual offer with the cost guide, consult the methodology and use the North Dakota bachelor’s rankings for undergraduate preparation.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Which electrical engineering master’s programs in North Dakota are reviewed?+
This collection reviews North Dakota State’s thesis MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Fargo. Its thirty-credit requirement includes twenty-four coursework credits and six thesis credits.
Does NDSU require every MS applicant to obtain a professor’s recommendation?+
The program prefers this route but also publishes admission requirements for applicants without a recommendation, including specified GPA and GRE expectations.
Can ECE 796 meet NDSU’s didactic ECE 7 xx requirement?+
No. The catalog excludes ECE 796 from the required six didactic ECE 7 xx credits. Independent study also has its own overall limit in the MS course plan.
Does a qualifying NDSU graduate waiver cover differential tuition?+
No. The current policy covers eligible base tuition and leaves differential tuition and student fees payable. Appointment size, service hours, enrollment and college rules determine the waiver’s scope.
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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.
