Electrical Engineering, PhD
Become part of the next generation of innovators in the world of electrical engineering. Whether you want to become a career researcher or go into academia, obtaining your PhD in electrical engineering is a fantastic option. You’ll be able to niche down into your specific research areas of interest and continue forging a path into the future.
Program overview
Our PhD students delve into their specialized research areas, digging deeper to harness knowledge and make discoveries that will change the world as we know it. As you take courses, you’ll be supervised by leading experts in the electrical engineering field, forging lifelong relationships that will benefit you and your career. In addition to getting support while performing research, our electrical engineering PhD program also offers Graduate Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Research Assistantships to aid you during your time with us.
Concentrations
While you do not have to choose a concentration when you are part of the program, we do offer a couple of options.
Energy Science and Engineering
If you choose to add the energy science and engineering concentration to your degree, you’ll be able to pursue courses in a variety of topics, including:
- Bioenergy and biofuels
- Distributed energy and grid management
- Energy materials
- Nuclear energy
- Transportation sciences
Power Electronics
With a power electronics concentration, you have several paths you can take. You could focus on power electronic circuits, or dive into electric vehicles. There’s also solid state power seminconductors, power electronics package, and wide bandgap (WBG) device characterization.
Why Study Electrical Engineering at UT?
Since you’re considered getting your PhD in electrical engineering, you may be wondering what some of the benefits are. If you plan on going into academia, most universities require their professors to have a PhD. Perhaps you want to increase your compensation potential, or you want to do more in-depth research in a specific area.
What can you do with a PhD in Electrical Engineering after graduation?
Once you’ve earned your electrical engineering PhD, you could go on to work as a professor at a university. If academia doesn’t interest you, you could always become a researcher at a private company or a government entity. Some other potential career paths include:
- Computer network architect
- Instrumentation engineer
- AI engineer
- Electrical and electronics engineer
Featured Courses
Below are some of the courses that students in our program can choose to take. For a list of courses, visit the Graduate Catalog.
511 Introduction to Energy Science and Technology I
Energy basics, history of energy and society, current and future supply and demand, political and environmental aspects of energy production, energy technologies (fossil fuels, biomass, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, solar, wind, geothermal), energy conversion, storage, transportation, and distribution, energy efficiency, and innovation.
ECE 581 High Frequency Power Electronics
This course addresses the motivations and inherent design issues associated with high frequency switched mode power supply design.
ECE 628 Power System Transients
The focus of this course is to train students to effectively simulate electric transients using tools like EMTDC/PSCAD in power systems and to provide students with the ability to analyze electric transients in power system circuits and applications.
ECE 631 Advanced Topics in Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuit Design
Design and analysis of mixed-signal integrated circuits for data acquisition and other applications requiring combined analog and digital functionality. Design and simulation techniques using modern industry-standard tools.
Related Programs
Still trying to decide what program is right for you? Here are some similar programs to electrical engineering:
Admissions and Aid
Choosing the right university to pursue an engineering degree is an important decision—and a significant investment. We want to make sure that you have the information you need to both apply and make attending UT affordable.
Ready to Join Us?
See yourself on Rocky Top? We’ve made it easier than ever to apply for admission. Learn more about our admission requirements and the steps to apply to be an Engineering Vol.