Best Electrical Engineering Master’s Programs in Tennessee
Power electronics can be studied through several different graduate finishes at Tennessee Knoxville. The electrical MS offers thesis, project and coursework-only options within a thirty-credit degree. Its optional Power Electronics concentration lists courses on converters, electric vehicles, semiconductor devices, packaging and electric drives. An applicant can therefore discuss both a technical direction and the kind of final work they want to complete.
Our 2026 selection of electrical engineering master’s programs in Tennessee reviews UT Knoxville’s thesis route. It combines twenty-four coursework credits with at least six thesis credits and ends with an oral examination. The 2026–27 catalog establishes the course rules, while departmental advising guidance explains when students need a permanent advisor and when graduation paperwork must be filed. Those details are particularly useful when planning an individual research project.
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How we ranked electrical engineering master’s programs in Tennessee
This Tennessee selection covers the MS in Electrical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The review follows the thesis option, with the current catalog controlling its degree requirements. The department’s admission, student guidance and financial-aid pages provide the separate application and appointment details.
Tennessee Knoxville is selected for a defined electrical thesis plan and a documented power-electronics course concentration. The review weighs research supervision, limits on outside courses and the timing of candidacy and defense enrollment. The project and coursework-only options are useful alternatives to discuss, but they have their own finishing requirements.
EECS assistantships provide monthly stipends, tuition-and-fee waivers and health-insurance benefits under the appointment terms. Teaching assistantships are selected by a committee and admitted students may self-nominate; faculty members select research assistants. Positions commonly involve ten or twenty hours of work weekly and are competitive.
Tennessee Knoxville’s electrical MS offers a clear thesis structure: twenty-four coursework credits and six thesis credits, followed by an oral examination. Its optional Power Electronics concentration gives an applicant a more focused starting point through courses on converters, electric drives, wide-bandgap devices and related systems. The current catalog also limits outside-department credits, so an interdisciplinary research interest still needs a course plan rooted in electrical engineering. A permanent advisor is established during the first semester even though MS admission does not require one in advance.
Where it stands out
This route suits students who want a supervised electrical research project alongside a defined graduate course load. Applicants interested in power conversion can use the concentration list to identify relevant course and faculty questions. The separate project and coursework options offer different finishes within the same thirty-credit degree.
What to weigh
A faculty relationship and a funded appointment are separate decisions. Teaching positions are selected by a committee, while research positions depend on faculty grants. Background courses may also be necessary for applicants from other disciplines. Thesis students should plan candidacy paperwork and defense-semester enrollment early enough to avoid delaying the final examination.
The thesis option requires thirty graduate credits: twenty-four coursework credits and at least six ECE 500 thesis credits.
At least two-thirds of the total credits must be at the 500 level or above. No more than six graduate credits outside the department can count, with major-advisor consultation.
The optional Power Electronics concentration lists four courses selected from subjects including high-frequency electronics, converter modeling, electric vehicles, wide-bandgap devices, packaging and electric-drive control.
Admission & progression
The catalog expects a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field and at least a 3.0 GPA both overall and in the senior year.
The department requires three academic or professional references and a personal statement. GRE scores are not required; applicable English-proficiency requirements and exemptions are administered by the Graduate School.
MS applicants do not need an advisor before admission. Applicants without the required engineering background may need selected undergraduate preparation under the catalog’s admission rules.
Research & project requirements
Thesis students select a permanent advisor during the first semester. Research assistants normally work with the faculty member providing their appointment.
The thesis culminates in a final oral examination. Students file admission-to-candidacy paperwork before their final semester and enroll in at least three thesis credits during the defense semester.
The separate project option requires twenty-seven coursework credits and three project credits, with a written report and/or presentation determined by the advisor and committee.
What matters in electrical engineering master’s programs in Tennessee
A defined thesis allocation
Twenty-four coursework credits and six thesis credits form the standard thirty-credit research route.
Power-electronics depth
The optional concentration lists advanced subjects from converter control to packaging and semiconductor devices.
Early graduate advising
A permanent advisor is selected during the first semester, followed by candidacy and defense milestones.
Course planning for power electronics and other electrical interests
The current electrical MS catalog requires at least two-thirds of the total credits at the 500 level or above. At most six graduate credits outside the department may count, chosen in consultation with the major advisor. These rules keep the plan centered on advanced electrical study while leaving some room for relevant work elsewhere. A proposed interdisciplinary thesis needs to fit those limits as well as the advisor’s research expectations.
The optional Power Electronics concentration lists four selected courses. Possibilities include High Frequency Power Electronics, Power Electronic Circuits, Modeling and Control of AC Three-phase PWM Converters, Electric Vehicles, Wide Bandgap Device Characterization, and advanced courses in drive control, packaging and power semiconductors. Discuss the intended course combination with the advisor and confirm offerings before planning a semester. A list of approved subjects does not mean that every class will be available in every term.
Advising in electrical engineering master’s programs in Tennessee
The department’s current-student guidance directs thesis and project students to find a permanent advisor during the first semester. A research assistant normally works with the faculty member funding the appointment. Admission does not require an MS applicant to secure an advisor in advance, but the first semester is a practical deadline for turning a general technical interest into a supervised plan. Early conversations should address the project’s scope, available methods and expected written work.
Thesis students complete a final oral examination and file admission-to-candidacy paperwork before the final semester. The department also requires at least three thesis credits during the defense semester. The project alternative uses twenty-seven coursework credits and three project credits, followed by a written report and/or presentation determined by the advisor and approved by the committee. The coursework-only route completes thirty coursework credits without a comprehensive examination. Choose the intended finish with its academic obligations in view.
Admission preparation and assistantship selection
The catalog expects an electrical or related bachelor’s degree and at least a 3.0 GPA overall and in the senior year. The department requires three academic or professional references and a personal statement; GRE scores are not required. Applicants lacking the necessary engineering preparation may need selected undergraduate courses. International applicants should follow the Graduate School’s applicable English-proficiency and exemption rules, including restrictions that can affect a preparatory non-degree arrangement.
Teaching assistantships are chosen by a committee, and admitted students may self-nominate. Faculty members select research assistants through their funded work. The department’s funding page describes monthly stipends, tuition-and-fee waivers and health-insurance benefits under the appointment conditions. Positions are competitive and commonly involve ten or twenty hours of work weekly. Compare the actual support period, assigned duties and required registration before treating an appointment as sufficient for the full degree.
Questions, answered
What else should you know?
Which electrical engineering master’s programs in Tennessee are reviewed here?+
This page reviews Tennessee Knoxville’s MS in Electrical Engineering with a focus on the thesis option. The program also offers project and coursework-only finishes, and an optional Power Electronics concentration is available across the listed options.
How many credits are required for the thesis MS?+
The degree requires thirty graduate credits, including twenty-four coursework credits and at least six thesis credits. At least two-thirds of the total must be at the 500 level or above, and outside-department credits are limited.
Must an MS applicant find an advisor before applying?+
No. The department does not require an advisor before MS admission. Thesis and project students must establish a permanent advisor during their first semester, making early faculty conversations useful even though they are not an application prerequisite.
Is a teaching assistantship included with admission?+
No. Teaching appointments have a committee selection process, while faculty select research assistants. Admitted students can self-nominate for teaching consideration. An applicant should rely on a confirmed appointment and its terms when calculating graduate costs.
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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.
