Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering - Control Systems

The doctoral degree, i.e. the Ph.D., is primarily intended for students desiring a career in research andor collegiate teaching. The focus is on advanced ECE topics, on learning to perform research and to write research papers, and on making fundamental new contributions to an ECE topic. Students take advanced course work and write a doctoral dissertation, also called a thesis. Program Overview: Students newly admitted to a doctoral program are classified as precandidates. Upon entering a doctoral program, there is a Ph.D. qualifying process, normally completed during the first two years. After all requirements except the dissertation are completed, students become candidates. Students entering the ECE doctoral program with a bachelor’s degree typically become candidates in the third year and and are strongly encouraged to complete the degree within five years. Such students ordinarily complete the requirements for a master’s degree along the way and receive this degree in addition to the Ph.D. A masters thesis is optional. Students who enter the ECE doctoral program with a master’s in the field of their program typically become candidates in their second year and are strongly encouraged to complete the degree within four years. Such students are not ordinarily eligible to receive an additional master’s degree. The field of control systems has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. The advent of low cost microprocessors has enabled control algorithms to be embedded in almost every conceivable type of technology. The development of sophisticated computer aided design software has enabled analysis and controller design for complex multivariable systems. The needs of society for improved transportation safety and a cleaner environment have posed challenges that can only be solved with feedback control. Faculty and students are applying their expertise in control systems to transportation systems, biological systems, networks, production lines, robotics, and much more. Our research advances the state of the art and the classes we teach make these new concepts accessible to students. Specialties: Bio-inspired Control; Cyber-Physical Systems; Discrete Event and Hybrid Systems; Linear Feedback Control; Modeling and Control of Automotive Powertrain Systems; Nonlinear Control; Production Systems Engineering; Stochastic Control.