How We Ranked These Online Electrical Engineering Master’s Programs
We included reviewed U.S. electrical and electrical and computer engineering master’s programs whose own catalog or department page documents online completion, and left out programs where online study depends on individual approval or on a focus area we could not confirm. Each program earns one point for each of five checks: online completion documented without a required campus visit, asynchronous delivery, no GRE required, a published per-credit tuition figure, and an online route that is not limited to one specialty or plan. Programs are listed from most checks met to fewest, with ties in alphabetical order. This is a fit score for working students, not a measure of research reputation. Program details were checked October 2, 2026.
Read our engineering ranking methodology for sourcing and editorial standards.
Online Electrical Engineering Master’s Programs Compared
| School and Degree | Checks Met | Credits | Online Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, MEng in ECE | 4 of 5 | 32 semester | Asynchronous, no required campus visit |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MS in ECE | 3 of 5 | 30 semester | Fully online Plan C, coursework only |
| North Carolina State University, MS in Electrical Engineering | 3 of 5 | 31 semester | Non-thesis distance track |
| Auburn University, MS in Electrical Engineering | 2 of 5 | 30 semester | Distance options for thesis and non-thesis |
| Michigan Technological University, MS in ECE | 2 of 5 | 30 semester | Online focus on power systems |
| Mississippi State University, MS in ECE | 2 of 5 | 30 semester | Online through BCoE Learning |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology, MS in Electrical Engineering | 2 of 5 | 30 semester | Non-thesis option by distance education |
| Arizona State University, MSE in Electrical Engineering | 1 of 5 | 30 semester | Online except control systems |
| Kansas State University, MS in ECE | 1 of 5 | 30 semester | Coursework-only option online |
Best for Fully Asynchronous Study With No Campus Visit
1. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Master of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- 32 Semester Credits
- Asynchronous Online
- Meets 4 of 5 Checks
Illinois offers its 32-credit ECE MEng fully online and asynchronously, with recorded lectures, virtual office hours and optional discussion sessions. It is a non-thesis degree built from twelve 500-level credits, four professional-development credits and sixteen electives, with at least eighteen ECE credits drawn from no more than three focus areas. GRE scores are not required.
Who Should Consider This Program?
A natural pick for a working electrical or computer engineer who wants the campus degree on a self-directed schedule.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The MEng is self-supported, so it is not eligible for Illinois assistantships that carry tuition waivers, and online application windows differ from campus ones.
Read University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Master of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering Details →Best for a Coursework-Only Online Degree
2. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- 30 Semester Credits
- Online Plan C Through UNITE
- Meets 3 of 5 Checks
Minnesota’s MSECE can be completed fully online through UNITE Distributed Learning in the coursework-only Plan C: thirty credits with eighteen in electrical engineering, six outside electrical engineering and six more of either kind. Full-time and part-time loads are both supported, and GRE scores are optional. Strong technical preparation is expected, but an electrical bachelor’s degree is not strictly required.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Consider it if you are coming from physics, math or another engineering field and want a taught degree.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
A thesis is not available through the online route, and fall priority and spring deadlines differ, so check the date for your start term.
Read University of Minnesota-Twin Cities’s Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Details →Best for Recorded Lectures on the Campus Calendar
3. North Carolina State University
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
- 31 Semester Credits
- Non-Thesis Distance Track
- Meets 3 of 5 Checks
NC State’s online electrical MS follows a 31-credit non-thesis plan with recorded campus lectures and the regular academic calendar. Requirements include a one-credit orientation, 21 core credits and nine more approved credits, with at least fifteen credits in electrical engineering. GRE scores are not required for the online MS, and up to twelve approved graduate transfer or nondegree credits may count.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Works for an engineer who likes the structure of a semester schedule and wants the same content campus students receive.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
Full-time employed distance students can take at most two courses per semester, and all in-class exams must be proctored.
Read North Carolina State University’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Details →Best for a Thesis or Non-Thesis Plan With Distance Options
4. Auburn University
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
- 30 Semester Credits
- Distance Thesis and Non-Thesis Routes
- Meets 2 of 5 Checks
Auburn’s current degree table sets 30 semester credits for both thesis and non-thesis routes, each with a distance option, and the department notes that its degrees may be earned online. The non-thesis plan takes 21 major-area credits and nine electives chosen with an advisor. Research areas include controls and robotics, signal processing, wireless systems, microelectronics and power.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Consider Auburn if you want the choice of a thesis or a coursework plan within the same distance structure.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The department prefers applications that include GRE scores, and the fall priority date for financial support comes earlier than the final admission deadline.
Read Auburn University’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Details →Best for Online Power Systems Study
5. Michigan Technological University
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- 30 Semester Credits
- Online Power Systems Focus
- Meets 2 of 5 Checks
Michigan Tech offers its ECE master’s both on campus and online, and the department’s online focus is electrical power systems. The coursework option needs 30 credits, at least eighteen at the 5000 level or higher, with no oral exam, and follows a written advisor-approved plan. The listed rate is $1,645 per graduate ECE credit, and applicants from several technical backgrounds are welcome.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Choose it when your work is in utilities, grid equipment or power electronics and you want advanced courses in that area.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
Online courses center on power, so other specialties may need campus study, and the department does not count 3000-level courses toward the degree.
Read Michigan Technological University’s Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Details →Best for Online Study With a Comprehensive Oral Exam
6. Mississippi State University
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- 30 Semester Credits
- Online Through BCoE Learning
- Meets 2 of 5 Checks
Mississippi State’s catalog states that the ECE master’s is available online through BCoE Learning. Thirty credits finish either with a thesis and defense or a non-thesis plan of fifteen 8000-level credits followed by a comprehensive oral exam. Areas run from communications and controls to power and high voltage and microelectronics, and you can add an optional nine-credit outside minor.
Who Should Consider This Program?
A match for an engineer who is comfortable defending what they learned in an oral exam and wants many areas to choose from.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
Applicants from programs without EAC/ABET accreditation face a GRE condition, and provisional admission is not typically available.
Read Mississippi State University’s Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Details →Best for Six Electrical Emphasis Areas at a Distance
7. Missouri University of Science and Technology
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Non-Thesis Option
- 30 Graduate Credits
- Distance Education
- Meets 2 of 5 Checks
Missouri S&T’s non-thesis electrical MS is available at Rolla and through distance education. It needs thirty graduate coursework credits, with twenty-four in lecture courses and nine at the 6000 level. Six emphasis areas run from circuits and electronics to power and electromagnetics. A zero-credit communications requirement is met through an advisor-evaluated qualification, such as a publication, a communication course or professional experience.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Consider it if you want a broad choice of emphasis areas and an advisor who weighs professional experience.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The department asks for official GRE scores and lists a nominal 3.3 GPA expectation, so confirm current rules before applying.
Read Missouri University of Science and Technology’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Non-Thesis Option Details →Best for a Professional Degree Built From Courses and a Seminar Portfolio
8. Arizona State University
Master of Science in Engineering in Electrical Engineering
- 30 Semester Credits
- Tempe or Online
- Meets 1 of 5 Checks
Arizona State’s electrical MSE is a professional degree of thirty semester credits plus a portfolio based on attendance and review of department seminars, offered in Tempe and online. You need at least five EEE courses and two outside your specialization, with choices spanning analog and mixed-signal circuits, digital systems, power and communications. It is separate from the research-thesis MS.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Suits an engineer who wants a coursework degree without a thesis and a choice across several electrical subjects.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
Control systems is a campus specialization and not an online option, so check subject availability before choosing the format.
Read Arizona State University’s Master of Science in Engineering in Electrical Engineering Details →Best for Online Power or Communications Coursework
9. Kansas State University
Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- 30 Semester Credits
- Coursework-Only Option Online
- Meets 1 of 5 Checks
Kansas State’s department says its coursework-only master’s option is available online for distance students, with specializations in power engineering or communications and network science. The degree totals thirty credits, at least eighteen at the 700 level or above, with two courses from a core in system theory, computer analysis, network theory or applied probability. The coursework option has no culminating experience.
Who Should Consider This Program?
A match when your goal is a taught power or communications curriculum with no thesis or report.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The coursework plan carries extra ECE and laboratory requirements that may be waived for students entering from an ABET-accredited program.
Read Kansas State University’s Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Details →How Do Online Electrical Engineering Master’s Routes Differ?
Look at what the online route actually covers. Illinois and Minnesota publish a complete online path. Michigan Tech centers its online courses on power systems, Kansas State names power and communications, and Arizona State leaves control systems on campus.
Match that menu to your goal before you apply. If you want protection, drives or grid study, compare this list with our power systems engineering master’s programs, which examine required course sequences in more detail.
Should You Choose a Thesis or a Coursework Master’s Online?
Online electrical master’s degrees lean toward coursework. Minnesota’s online route is Plan C only, NC State’s distance track is non-thesis and Kansas State’s online option has no culminating experience. Auburn is one of the few that describes thesis and non-thesis routes with distance options.
Choose coursework if the goal is new skills for your current employer. Choose a thesis if you plan to pursue a doctorate, and ask the department how an advisor would supervise research from a distance.
What Preparation Do You Need Before Applying?
Most programs expect an electrical or computer engineering bachelor’s degree and a 3.0 GPA, though some welcome physics, mathematics or other engineering backgrounds. Minnesota says an electrical degree is not strictly required. Mississippi State attaches a GRE condition to applicants from programs without EAC/ABET (Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET) accreditation.
Our engineering accreditation guide explains how to confirm your own degree’s status, and the engineering degree cost guide helps you plan the budget.
Where Can You Compare More Electrical Engineering Master’s Programs?
This list is limited to documented online routes. For campus programs and a wider set of schools, see the full electrical engineering master’s rankings. If you want a broader or management-oriented online degree, compare online master’s in engineering programs for working professionals.
The electrical engineering degree guide explains the core subjects if you are still deciding on a specialty.
Questions About These Engineering Programs
Can You Earn a Master’s in Electrical Engineering Fully Online?
Yes at several schools. Illinois describes a fully online, asynchronous route with no required campus visit, and Minnesota says its Plan C coursework option can be completed fully online. Other programs, such as Arizona State, limit which specializations are online.
Is an Online Electrical Engineering Master’s Thesis-Based?
Most online routes are coursework-based. Minnesota’s online students complete Plan C only, and NC State’s distance track is non-thesis. Auburn describes thesis and non-thesis plans with distance options, so ask about supervision before you plan a thesis.
Does an Online Electrical Engineering Master’s Require the GRE?
It depends on the school. Illinois and NC State do not require it for the online degree, and Minnesota lists it as optional. Missouri S&T asks for official GRE scores, Auburn prefers applications that include them, and Mississippi State applies a GRE condition to some applicants.
How Many Credits Does an Online Electrical Engineering Master’s Require?
Most of these programs require 30 semester credits. Illinois requires 32 and NC State requires 31, including a one-credit orientation. Always confirm the current catalog, because required courses and finishing options can change.
How Is Online Electrical Engineering Master’s Study Different for Working Engineers?
Look for recorded or asynchronous lectures, a part-time load and a coursework finish. Illinois is asynchronous, Minnesota supports part-time study, and NC State records campus lectures but keeps the campus calendar and proctored exams.
Official Sources and Review Date
Program and policy sources checked October 2, 2026.
- Illinois ECE MEng Catalog
- Minnesota MSECE Program
- NC State Electrical Engineering MS Catalog
- Auburn Electrical Engineering MS Bulletin
- Michigan Tech ECE Graduate Programs
- Mississippi State ECE Graduate Catalog
- Missouri S&T Electrical Engineering Graduate Catalog
- Arizona State Electrical Engineering MSE
- Kansas State ECE MS Requirements