The New Ph.D. General Exam

The New General Examination in the Department of Electrical Engineering consists of two components: a written exam to be taken during the first year of study followed by a research presentation and oral exam to be completed prior to the end of the second year of study. The evaluation of the general examination is a composite of all components. The faculty administering the exam make a recommendation to the department and the final decision on whether a student passes or fails is made by the faculty of the department.

There is an additional requirement that prior to graduation the student complete a minor in an area distinct from their research.

The Written Component

The written exam is offered twice a year in January and in May. This academic year there are SIXTEEN questions on the written exam and you will be asked to answer any SIX questions subject to the requirement that at least two questions are from Part A and at least two are from Part B. The topics covered by the exam are listed below:

The Research Seminar and Oral Exam Components

The research seminar and the oral exam are evaluated by a committee consisting of at least three Princeton faculty. The committee is selected by the research advisor in consultation with the student. The research of one member of the committee should be outside the immediate research area of the student. The research seminar and oral exam must be completed before the end of the fourth semester of enrollment in the Ph.D. program.

Research Seminar: The research seminar is a 45 minute presentation of research accomplished at Princeton. The seminar is intended to indicate that you are capable of independent research and have made a start on a research topic that has the potential to lead to a doctoral dissertation. A written outline of the presentation, with references, and a list of at least three supporting Princeton graduate courses should be provided to the committee at least one week prior to the seminar.

Oral Exam: The oral exam is administered by the examining committee and is held within the periods set aside by the Graduate School for the general exam and not more than one month after the representation of the research seminar. The questions asked are based on the topic of the research seminar and the material covered by the three listed supporting courses. The duration of the exam is at the discretion of the committee but is nominally sixty minutes.

The Minor Area Requirement

Prior to submitting your thesis you must complete a minor area of study. This can be completed either by: (i) achieving a GPA of at least 3.3 in two or more coherent courses approved by the oral exam committee; or, (ii) attaining a result acceptable to the committee in an examination (administered by a department other than Electrical Engineering) that is based on at least two coherent courses. In both cases the courses must be in an area distinct from the student's research and distinct from the PART B questions answered on the written examination.

Content and Level of Written Exam Topics

PART A

1.        Circuits

Undergraduate circuit analysis. See, for example, Introduction to Electrical Circuits, Dorf and Svoboda, 4^th Edition, chapters 1-10, 13-16.

2.        Signals and Systems

Undergraduate signals and systems. See, for example, Signals and Systems, A. Oppenheim and A. Willsky, 2^nd Edition, chapters 1-7,9,10.

3.        Probability

Undergraduate Probability Theory. See, for example, A First Course in Probability, S. Ross, 5^th Edition, Chapters 1-8.

4.        Logic Design

Basic Undergraduate Logic Design. See, for example, Contemporary Logic Design, R. Katz, Chapters 1-10.

5.        Algorithms

Basic algorithm analysis and design. See, for example, Algorithms in C, R. Sedgwick.

6.        Electromagnetic Field Theory and Optics

Static and dynamic electromagnetic fields, including wave propagation, Maxwell's equations at interfaces, waveguides, interference, and diffraction. See, for example, Fields and Waves in Communication Electronics, S. Ramo, J. Winnery, and T. Van Duzer, and Optics, E. Hecht.

7.        Classical and Quantum Physics

Basic undergraduate physics (mechanics and electricity and magnetism) together with the principles of quantum mechanics with emphasis on semiconductors. See, for example, Physics, Resnick and Halliday, and Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Ö, Eisberg and Resnick.

PART B

8.        Linear System Theory

Advanced linear system analysis. State space equations, stability, observability, controllability, feedback. See, for example, Linear System Theory, Wilson J. Rugh.

9.        Random Processes

Probability and random processes in electrical engineering. See, for example, Probability and Random Processes, A. Leon-Garcia.

10.     Computer Architecture

CPU and memory design, including pipelined, superscalar, and out-of-order issue processors. See, for example, Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, 2^nd Edition, John L. Hennessy and David A. Patterson; Chapters 1-5.

11.     Switching and Sequential Systems

The theory of digital computing systems. See, for example, Switching and Finite Automata Theory, Z. Kohavi, 2^nd Edition.

12.     Electronic Devices

The operating principles and physics of semiconductor devices, including their application in electronic circuits. See, for example, Solid State Electronic Devices, B. G. Streetman.

13.     Solid State Physics

The properties of solids: free electrons, crystal structures, bonding, lattice dynamics, and optical/thermal properties. See, for example, Solid State Physics, Ashcroft and Mermin.

14.     Optical Electronics

Laser theory including optical resonator design and mode locking. Electromagnetic waves, gaussian beams, and the interaction of light and matter. See, for example, Optical Electronics, A. Yariv.

15.     Photonics and Lightwave Communications Fiber optic communication systems including receiver design, detection methods, and optical amplifiers. Coherent optical communication, multi-wavelength channels, and soliton communication systems. See, for example, Fundamentals of Photonics, B. E. A. Saleh and M. C. Teich.

16.     Materials

The structure and behavior of materials: atomic bonding, crystal structure, thermodynamics, phase diagrams, defects, microstructure, diffusion, phase transformations, coarsening, glasses, deformation, fracture, processing, composites optimization. See, for example, the reading list for MSE 501.