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See how our online master's programs can help you keep up with the pace of innovation in the fields of computer engineering, systems engineering, and more.
Whether you're looking to increase your salary, earn the opportunity to work on higher-level projects, or simply need to keep up with the pace of innovation, CSU's electrical engineering master's degree can help you get there.
The program offers a customizable curriculum that you can tailor to meet your interests and career goals, with the flexibility to study from wherever you are.
Electrical engineering is a broad discipline that is essential to our everyday lives. Our professors will teach you to think like an engineer to drive what’s next in technology and create a better world for all, from advanced medical devices to self-driving cars to smart homes.
Online graduate degree programs in Electrical Engineering at Colorado State University produce leaders who engage, imagine, and invent. Offering a highly flexible curriculum that can be tailored to your needs, our coursework will give you depth and breadth of knowledge to advance your career, as well as the skills and mindset to keep pace with innovation.
Topics of study include:
Who is a good fit for this program?
As an online student, you will be part of ECE’s close-knit department – a community that thrives on innovation and diversity in thought. Whether online or on campus, electrical engineering graduate students learn from faculty who are pushing the frontiers of engineering and science.
ECE professors are responsible for 35% of the university’s issued patents since 2015, and they are a leading contributor to CSU’s research environment, an enterprise that has grown by nearly $100 million in the last decade. The department’s research runs the gamut, from developing satellites designed to improve our understanding of the conditions inside hurricanes to microscale nuclear fusion to the development of virtual non-invasive medical biopsies. This variety in research means that no matter what field you work in—or wish to pursue in your future career—you will learn from faculty at the forefront of technology and innovation.
In addition to being the headquarters of the Engineering Research Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology, ECE is home to the CSU Information Science and Technology Center (ISTeC), the CSU-CHILL National Radar Facility, and the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere. The ECE department is also part of national and international collaborations through LaserNetUS, a Department of Energy Consortium of ultra-high-power lasers, and LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Detector Scientific Collaboration.
Online students take the same engineering courses from the same faculty and receive the same electrical engineering degree as students in our on-campus program.
Electrical engineers are consistently listed at the top of the salary range with incomes of $95k-$129k for mid-career professionals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.com.
Electrical engineering is a discipline that spans many industries, with opportunities for rewarding careers in aerospace, health, power and energy, telecommunication, computing, military and defense, consumer electronics, and others. Apply your knowledge and skills for use in commercial, industrial, military, or scientific fields.
Explore career options for electrical engineers.
Students have 2 degree options to choose from within the computer engineering program:
The program curriculum is highly customizable, with a broad list of courses offered through CSU's Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics departments. These master's degrees are non-research oriented and focus on enhancing the expertise of electrical engineering professionals. Review the requirements and curriculum to learn more.
You can earn a guaranteed admission recommendation from the department, if you meet the conditions below.
If you do not meet all the requirements, online students may still be eligible to take coursework before being admitted to the graduate program. Contact an ECE advisor to discuss individual exceptions to these guidelines. The Department can review and admit students with unofficial transcripts. Students will however be required to submit their official transcripts during the first semester of attendance, if they had not included them in their application.
Electrical engineers are in demand across virtually every industry, allowing you to pair your passion with this advanced education. Designed with input from industry leaders, the electrical engineering curriculum has been designed to meet modern workforce needs and has the flexibility to evolve as job sectors continue to shift.
The demand for electrical engineering jobs increases as technology advances. Global competition for jobs and specific sectors is becoming more competitive and global collaboration is more commonplace than ever.
The online master's programs prepare students for a wide-variety of electrical engineering careers in diverse industries, including, but not limited to:
Electrical Engineering Master's graduates are consistently in the top five most coveted degrees for employment according to the latest National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook report.
Engineering and computer occupations are expected to grow from 7.3 million to 8.2 million jobs between 2016 and 2026, an increase of 853,600 (11.7%) jobs over the 10-year period. This growth rate is higher than the growth rate projected for all occupations. (Source: U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce: Recent, Current, and Projected Employment, Wages, and Unemployment, November 2017)
Electrical engineers are consistently listed at the top of the salary range with incomes of $95k-$129k for mid-career professionals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.com.
Learn to apply in-depth knowledge, creativity, and research experience to analyze, design, develop, and improve computer systems. Students will gain experience in state of the art design tools, methods, and theories applicable to computer engineering.
Students complete 30 semester credits, 21 of which must be completed after formal admission to Colorado State University. This degree is coursework only; neither a thesis nor oral exam is required.
Select 30 credits from the following courses.
Select 27 credits from the following courses and complete an MS Plan B-Portfolio.
Can manipulate and solve ordinary equations (ODEs). Can compute via (pulse) transfer functions.
Digital communication (source coding; modulation and detection; channel coding), analog communication (modulation).
The objective of the course is to provide students with a solid foundation in computer design. Modern computer technology requires professionals to understand both hardware and software concepts. Accordingly, this course focuses on the interaction between hardware and software at a variety of levels to promote a deep understanding of the fundamentals of computing. Topics that will be covered include instruction set architectures, computer arithmetic, RISC CPU and pipelining, memory hierarchy, networks on chip, parallel programming models, multicores and multiprocessors, graphics and computing GPUs, and game console architectures (such as Xbox360, PS3, Wii).
Today's global information infrastructure consists of various systems and devices interconnected via the Internet. Cellular and wired phone networks as well as TV (cable, dish) networks also play a key role in providing access. Where information resides has become less important compared to ubiquitous and quick availability of information. The quality of service experienced by a user or an application depends on the underlying network hardware (e.g., links, routers), protocols (e.g., TCP/IP) and characteristics (e.g., network traffic, access times and interference). Internet is a dynamically evolving systems held together by a set of protocols, in contrast to many other systems (e.g., microprocessors, workstations) that are designed by a close-knit group of designers. EE 456 introduces computer and communication networking principles and technologies that make such a complex global information infrastructure possible. Course will also provide an overview of sensor networking, an emergent technology that has the potential to dramatically change our interaction with physical world the way the Internet changed how we access information.
The subject of the course will be focused in describing and analyzing different schemes of interferometers and interferometric measurements. The course will review basic concepts related with light interference such coherence, laser sources, applications, high resolution metrology, etc. Students will be introduced to a number of interferometric techniques and data analysis to extract the information from raw data.
Fundamentals of quantum confinement, nanostructure optical properties, fabrication and characterization.
This course covers deregulated electrical power systems, system security, investments in generation and transmission, ancillary services, and nodal pricing.
Signal processing tools for analyzing power systems, voltage frequency, magnitude variations, unbalance, and wave form distortion are covered in this course.
Discrete time signals and systems, digital filter design and implementation, fast algorithms, quantization effects.
Mathematical and physical modeling pf biological systems. Mass transport in cellular environments. Electrical/mechanical properties of bio-molecules.
Topics may include fundamentals of computer design, multiprocessors and thread-level parallelism, storage systems, and interconnection networks and clusters.
Embedded systems design including system level modeling, design space exploration, hardware-software partitioning, high-level synthesis. This course has online exams that require a proctor.
This course helps students develop a conceptual understanding of the systems engineering life-cycle process and familiarity with analysis techniques used in that process. It also introduces concepts of reliability and robustness, and rigorous tools for analysis and design with them in mind. The course utilizes real-world experience and case studies of working with a system through all phases of the system design process. This class is offered online in a webinar-style format, and can be accessed synchronously or asynchronously. Synchronous means you can log on live and participate in the class as it is occurring on campus, but participation in this format is not mandatory. Asynchronous means you can access the video recording of the class sessions whenever it is convenient for you.
Aspects of integration of wind energy conversion systems (WECS) to electric power transmission grids.
Controller analysis and design for nonlinear and time-varying systems.
Introduction to modern robust control theory techniques for analysis and design of large-scale uncertain multivariable systems.
This course discusses energy networks, including generation, storage, and consumers, and a systems approach to analysis of distribution networks and transition to intelligent grid systems.
Interconnecting power electronic devices and renewable energy sources to power systems.
Advanced concepts in particle beam accelerator technology and engineering, linear accelerators and principles of intense pulsed electron ion beams. Prerequisite/s: (ECE341 with a minimum grade of C) or (ECE342 with a minimum grade of C) or (PH351 with a minimum grade of C).
This course covers link technologies, multiple access, hardware and software for internetwork routing, switching flow control, multicast, performance, and applications.
Microstructures of physically vapor-deposited films; thin-film morphological development; atomistic processes of condensation, nucleation, and growth.
All courses are delivered online via our learning management system, Canvas. Courses allow you to watch recorded, campus-based lectures and engage in course content and communicate with peers online. Courses are asynchronous, allowing you to study at the time that best fits your schedule.
Although the online format of this degree offers flexibility, it still requires the same amount of work and time as an on-campus graduate program. Depending on your learning and studying style, expect to spend nine to twelve hours per week on a three credit course.
Your interactions with faculty depend on the specific course, but generally, your instructors have online or telephone office hours and are available by email or course discussion boards.
This online program allows you to earn your degree while maintaining your busy work and family schedules.
Watch this video to see how online learning works at CSU.
As a student in this program, you receive the same education, learn from the same faculty, and earn the same regionally accredited degree as students on campus. Additionally, you can expect:
Learn more about CSU's rankings and accolades.
| Fall semester | July 1 |
| Spring semester | December 1 |
Note: Application dates published on the electrical and computer engineering prescreening site are for campus-based applicants only.
Start your application online and upload materials directly into the online system. You can save your progress and return any time.
Apply NowThis Master of Engineering (M.E.) and Master of Science (M.S.) requires applicants to have the following, at a minimum:
Note that meeting the minimum department standards does not ensure admission to the program. Admission to Colorado State University graduate programs is based on a number of factors, including prior academic and professional experience and your statement of purpose.
Do you qualify for recommended admission?The standard application process into the program requires a pre-application reviewed by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Students who meet the conditions below and submit a pre-application, will be automatically recommended by the department to the Graduate School at CSU.
Contact Katya Stewart-Sweeney at katya.stewart-sweeney@colostate.edu or by calling (970) 491-7850 if you are interested in the guaranteed recommendation option.
Prepare the materials below and upload when you apply online.
Complete the online graduate application and pay the nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online). As soon as you have completed the required information, please submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until it is complete and all required materials have been received.
CSU's Graduate School offers several application fee waiver opportunities. Visit their website to determine if you are eligible for a waiver.
If you've been recommended to apply by the department, complete the steps below to finalize your application.
Request one official transcript of all collegiate work completed from all institutions attended. Transcripts from Colorado State University are not required. Transcripts must be received directly from the originating institution to be considered official.
Please Note: Students may be unconditionally admitted and registered in their first semester of courses with an unofficial transcript. Official transcripts must be submitted, prior to or during your first semester, before you can register for your second semester of graduate work. Failure to meet this condition will result in your dismissal from the Graduate School.
Electronic (preferred): Digital Transcripts must be submitted by the originating institution using a secure service such as parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse, or e-Quals. Transcripts received via emails are considered unofficial. Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University or gradadmissions@colostate.edu if the secure service requires an email address.
Mail (if necessary) Graduate Admissions Colorado State University – Office of Admissions 1062 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062
Proof of English language proficiency is required for applicants from countries or United States territories where there are official languages other than (or in addition to) English. This includes the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
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