High Speed Digital Engineering Subplan, Professional Master's Program

The High Speed Digital Engineering (HSD) subplan prepares students for thriving careers in the rapidly growing fields of signal integrity (SI), power integrity (PI), and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

This 10-class, 30-credit-hour program bridges the gap between academic theory and industry application. Students complete five core courses and tailored electives taught by university professors and local industry experts. Our curriculum balances fundamental theory with cutting-edge simulation tools and hands-on measurement practices. This closed-loop, "measurement-based model" approach directly replicates the workflows used by the world’s leading hardware companies.

What sets the HSD program apart is its deep practical focus. Starting with applied Maxwell’s Equations, students master the electromagnetics necessary to eliminate crosstalk, ground bounce, voltage droop, reflections, and high-speed serial link issues.

By equipping students with the specialized skills to solve complex design problems on day one, the program serves as a direct pipeline to elite tech giants. Past graduates have launched successful careers at Apple, AMD, Broadcom, Cisco, Google, Marvell, NVIDIA, Tesla, and dozens of other premier hardware companies.

Core Courses

  • ECEN 5224 High Speed Digital Design
  • ECEN 5514 Principles of EM for HSDE
  • ECEN 5524 Principles of Computational Electromagnetics for Signal and Power Integrity
  • ECEN 5534 Practical Signal IntegrityÌýMeasurements
  • ECEN 5730 Practical PCB Design and ManufactureÌý

Elective Courses

  • ECEN 5544 EM Signal Modeling for HSDE using Ansys HFSS and Q3D
  • ECEN 5554ÌýDesigning PCB Memory Systems using Keysight ADSÌý

*All courses are taught in person on the °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï campus and there is no option for online/distance coursework.

*All courses are 3 credits.Ìý

The HSD courses are a subplan in the Professional Master of ScienceÌýdegree. Students must apply and be admitted to the Professional MS program and the HSD subplan.Ìý

HSD MS subplan requirements:

  • Complete all five HSD core courses.
  • Complete one HSD elective course.
  • Complete four open 5000-level electives, either HSD elective,Ìýother ECEE,Ìýor other technical coursework in College of Engineering and Applied Science departments (must be approved by academic advisor).
    • Students may take one nontechnical elective, if approved by academic advisor.Ìý

Students graduate with a Master of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Subplan: High Speed Digital Engineering.

Professor Melinda Piket-May serves as the Director of the HSD subplan.Ìý

No, the High Speed Digital Engineering subplan is in-person only.Ìý

High-Speed Digital Engineering Alumni Testimonials

ÌýHigh Speed Digital Engineering Master's degree was pivotal in expanding my expertise into signal Integrity. The program deepened my practical understanding of high-speed measurements and SI best practices elevating my overall approach to hardware design.Ìý

Vishwas B Navada
Hardware Signal Integrity Engineer, Google

ÌýThe HSD program gave me a strong foundation to build my career in Signal Integrity. The fundamentals I learned throughout the program have given me the confidence to tackle any SI challenge I encounter.Ìý

Suprreth Ly
System Engineer, Apple

ÌýWhat sets the High Speed Digital Engineering Subplan apart is how closely it mirrors real industry work. The coursework in schematic capture, PCB layout, and signal integrity didn't just build my technical knowledge, it built my confidence to walk into a hardware DE role and contribute from day one.Ìý

Spandana Mahendra
Hardware Engineer, Cisco

ÌýAs an embedded systems engineering professional masters student, I took several courses from the HSDE program and what I learnt there broadened my insight and horizons both academically and professionally. I feel more confident and complete as an electrical engineer and I understand the challenges of bleeding edge systems, thanks to the brilliant faculty and equally brilliant peers.Ìý

Hardik Minocha
Hardware Engineer, Amazon