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Electrical and Computer Engineering

Doctorate
What is the Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering?
Who is this Program For?
How Do You Apply?
What Will You Study?
Why Study Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts?
What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering?
Frequently Asked Questions
Apply Request Info
Application Deadlines
Fall: Jan 15 (extended deadline)
Spring: Sep 15
Summer: n/a
School/Department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Contact
gradadmissions@tufts.edu
Format
On-campus
Commitment Options
Full-time
Part-time (Daytime)
Average Duration
3 - 5 years
Credits
Varies

Overview

What is the Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering?

The Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University is a research-focused doctoral program for students who want to advance knowledge in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and related interdisciplinary fields. Students combine advanced coursework, advisor-guided research, qualifying and proposal milestones, and a publicly defended doctoral dissertation.

Offered through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the program is available on campus in Medford/Somerville. Full-time and part-time study options are available, and the average duration is 3–5 years.

 Who is this Program For?

This program is designed for students who want to pursue advanced research in electrical and computer engineering. Applicants are expected to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related discipline such as computer science, physics, or mathematics.

The program may be a strong fit for students interested in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer architecture, embedded systems, signal and image processing, communications, biomedical devices, robotics, energy systems, nanotechnology, photonics, microfabrication, and sensors. 
 

Application Requirements

  • Application Fee
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • GRE General Test scores are not required
  • Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (if applicable)
  • Portfolio (optional)

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 What Will You Study?

Doctoral study in electrical and computer engineering combines advanced coursework with independent research. Students work with a faculty advisor to develop a research direction and assemble a research committee to guide their progress.

Ph.D. milestones include coursework, advisor-guided research, an annual progress review, formation of a research committee, a qualifying or preliminary proposal, a Ph.D. proposal, dissertation committee review, pre-defense, and public dissertation defense.

Research areas include:

  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning
  • Biomedical devices, bio-MEMS, circuits, and systems
  • Computer architecture and computer systems
  • Control, energy systems, and robotics
  • Electro-optical materials and renewable energy
  • Integrated circuits and VLSI
  • Microfabrication, nanotechnology, and sensors
  • Signal and image processing
  • Wireless communications and networks

About the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University is an interdisciplinary engineering department with research and education across a wide range of electrical and computer engineering subfields.

Faculty research connects core and emerging areas of electrical and computer engineering, from AI, embedded systems, and communications to robotics, hardware security, energy systems, nanotechnology, photonics, and sensors. 

Apply  Request Info 

 Why Study Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts?

 

Research-Oriented Doctoral Training

The Ph.D. is designed for students who want to conduct original research in electrical and computer engineering. Students develop research independence through faculty-guided investigation, committee feedback, proposal milestones, dissertation work, and public defense.
 

Interdisciplinary Engineering

Electrical and computer engineering at Tufts connects computation, electronics, materials, energy, robotics, biomedical systems, communications, sensing, and data-driven methods. This breadth helps doctoral students pursue research questions that cross traditional engineering boundaries.

Faculty Mentorship

Doctoral students work under the direction of a faculty advisor and receive guidance from a research committee. This structure supports individualized study, sustained mentorship, and regular review of research progress.
 

Boston-Area Location

Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus is located near the technology, robotics, life sciences, healthcare, clean energy, semiconductor, and research communities of Greater Boston and Cambridge. This setting can support professional connections, research exposure, and access to a broader engineering innovation ecosystem.

 What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering?

A Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering can support advanced research, teaching, technical leadership, and innovation-focused career paths. Graduates may pursue opportunities across academia, industry, government labs, research, technology, startups, and interdisciplinary engineering. 

Potential paths may include:

  • University faculty member or postdoctoral researcher
  • Electrical, computer, AI/ML, or systems researcher
  • Signal processing, wireless communications, robotics, or controls researcher
  • Semiconductor, photonics, biomedical device, hardware security, or VLSI researcher
  • Research and development engineer

 

What is the Career Outlook?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment for  electrical and computer hardware engineers is projected to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034. The median annual wage for computer hardware engineers was $155,020 in 2024.

 Frequently Asked Questions

 

What academic background do I need?

Applicants are expected to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related discipline such as computer science, physics, or mathematics.
 

Are scholarships or financial aid available?

Full-time PhD students within the School of Engineering often receive a tuition scholarship. Applicants should review current tuition and aid information and contact gradadmissions@tufts.edu with questions.

Is the GRE required?

No. GRE General Test scores are not required.
 

How do I apply?

Applicants can apply online through Tufts Graduate Admissions Portal. Required materials typically include transcripts, a resume or CV, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. International applicants may also need to submit English proficiency documentation. Visit the admissions page for current deadlines and application requirements.

Faculty

faculty photo

Thomas Vandervelde

Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Interaction of light with matter, physics of nanostructures and interfaces, metamaterials, material science, plasmonics, and surfactants, semiconductor photonics and electronics, epitaxial crystal growth, materials and devices for energy and infrared applications.
faculty photo

Shuchin Aeron

Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Machine Learning, Statistical Signal Processing, Information Theory, Optimal Transport
faculty photo

Steven Bell

Associate Teaching Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Engineering education, embedded systems, camera systems and computational photography
faculty photo

Marco Donato

Assistant Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
emerging technologies, non-volatile memories, SoC design, hardware for machine learning, noise modeling and reliability
faculty photo

Mark Hempstead

Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
computer architecture, computer systems, power-aware computing, embedded systems, mobile computing, computer systems for machine learning, workload characterization, quantum computing, learning sciences and computer systems for human subjects research
faculty photo

Valencia Koomson

Associate Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
design of silicon-based mixed-mode VLSI systems (analog, digital, RF, optical), analog signal processing, and optoelectronic system-on-chip modeling and integration for applications in optical wireless communication and biomedical imaging
faculty photo

Sunil Kumar

President, Tufts University and Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
President's Office
Performance evaluation and control of manufacturing systems, service operations, and communications networks, Optimization methods and control theory
faculty photo

Yingjie Lao

Associate Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
trusted AI, hardware security, electronic design automation, VLSI architectures for machine learning and emerging cryptographic systems, and AI for healthcare and biomedical applications.
faculty photo

Ron Lasser

Professor of the Practice
Electrical and Computer Engineering
digital image processing, computer animation, swarm robotics, innovation, engineering method & design
faculty photo

Peter Lu

Assistant Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Scientific machine learning: physics-informed ML, representation learning, generative modeling, interpretability; Complex systems: nonlinear dynamics, chaos, interacting quantum systems, materials science, fluid turbulence Website: https://petery.lu
faculty photo

Eric Miller

Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Statistical- and physics-based signal and image modeling and processing, tomographic image formation and object characterization, and inverse problems. Applications explored include human performance assessment, materials science, airport security, medical imaging, environmental monitoring and remediation, unexploded ordnance remediation, and automatic target detection and classification.
faculty photo

Aseema Mohanty

Assistant Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
nanophotonics, optical beam shaping, neuroengineering, chip-scale imaging and microscopy, quantum information systems Research Website: https://sites.tufts.edu/amohanty/
faculty photo

Karen Panetta

Distinguished Professor and Dean of Graduate Education
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Signal processing; image processing; simulation modeling
faculty photo

Paul Simmonds

Associate Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Experimental development of novel semiconductor nanostructures for quantum information sciences. Tailoring crystal symmetry and strain at the nanoscale to produce next generation optoelectronic devices. AREAS OF RESEARCH EXPERTISE • MBE growth, chamber maintenance, and system support. • Low-temperature, high-field magnetoresistance quantized carrier/spin transport (quantum Hall effects, Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, 1D quantized conductance, 0.7 structure, etc.). • Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry, Rutherford back scattering, etc. • Cleanroom-based micro/nanofabrication including photo- and e-beam-lithography, metallization, and device packaging
faculty photo

Sameer Sonkusale

Jon A. Levy School of Engineering Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Bioelectronics, Biomedical microdevices, Wearables, Ingestibles, Biomedical circuits and systems, micro and nano fabrication, lab-on-chip microsystems, global health and precision medicine, CMOS image sensors for scientific imaging, analog to information converters, analog computing, brain inspired machine learning, active metamaterial devices, circuits, and systems, terahertz devices and circuits
faculty photo

Mai Vu

Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
machine learning, applied optimization, wireless communications and networks, 5G/6G systems and techniques
faculty photo

Corey White

Visiting Assistant Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
(opto)electronics and photonics, compound semiconductors, emerging materials, epitaxial growth, hetero- and nano-structures, applications in sensing, integrated photonics, and quantum information systems

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