Research Expertise

Our faculty are some of the best in the world, conducting the forward-thinking research and exploration that drives innovation at Penn Engineering.

Use our Expertise Directory to meet the faculty in the Electrical and Systems Engineering Department.

You can search by broad research categories or look for specific research areas that the faculty have identified.

Electrical and Systems Engineering Ph.D.

The Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE) is a leader in electroscience, systems science, and network systems and telecommunications. Electroscience includes electromagnetics and photonics, sensors and MEMS, VLSI, and nanotechnology. Systems science covers signal processing, optimization, simulation, control and cybernetics, complex adaptive systems, stochastic processes, and decision sciences. Network systems and telecommunications is concerned with networks, communications, logistics and manufacturing, transportation, and infrastructure engineering.

Electroscience includes electromagnetics and photonics, sensors and MEMS, VLSI, and nanotechnology.

Program Highlights: Access to Electrical and Systems Engineering’s fifteen research laboratories such as the renowned General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Laboratory; The Ackoff Center for Advancement of Systems Approaches; The Distributed Systems Laboratory; The Nanofabrication Laboratory; and The Multimedia And Networking Laboratory

The Ph.D. program welcomes candidates with a strong background in science and engineering who are interested in pursuing an academic doctoral degree. The objective of this program is to help students develop skills needed to perform independent research and teaching in an exciting intellectual environment. The students will work with world-class faculty advisors and mentors. Our research laboratories provide ample opportunities for students to work with other students and faculty to develop cutting-edge theories and technologies in collaboration with other departments and schools within the University.

Electrical and Systems Engineering Ph.D. Requirements

Course Work
Doctoral students must complete a minimum of 20 course units, including graduate-level courses, independent-study courses, and research. At least 16 course units must be non-research graduate-level courses, including no more than 2 independent-study units. The coursework of each Ph.D. student must be grouped into one major area of study and two minors:

Depth major: At least 5 graduate level courses in areas supporting the student’s research.
Breadth minor: At least 2 graduate-level courses distinct from the primary research area. The courses may be thematically linked in sequence or not, but both must be distinct from the primary research area. Independent studies cannot be used in this category.
Critical thinking requirement: At least two graduate level courses satisfying formal analytical reasoning. Courses that satisfy this requirement include graduate courses in Mathematics, Engineering Mathematics, Statistics, or Discrete Mathematics and the following Physics courses: 516, 518, 529/530, 531, 532, 611, 612, 661, 662. Independent studies cannot be used in this category.

Qualifying Examinations: The qualifying examination is a written exam designed to evaluate each student's understanding of fundamentals in eight areas:

Linear systems
Probability
Electromagnetics and optical fields
Solid-state physics and devices
Communications
Networking
Optimization
VLSI and microelectronics

For more detailed information, visit the Electrical and Systems Engineering website.