The MS EE degree does not have any required research component (i.e. there is no "master's thesis" here), but there is an opportunity to have up to 6 credits of research projects count towards your degree. Research can be a very exciting and rewarding part of your graduate experience, and is particularly valuable if you would like to go on to do a Ph.D. and/or to work in a research environment.
The critical piece required to do reseach as part of your MS degree is a research advisor, who must be approved by the department. This generally means either a faculty member or a research scientist within the engineering school. The supervisor will devise a project with you, discuss your progress, stipulate the required outcomes (e.g. software, hardware, report, presentation), and assign your final grade. Normally you register for projects under one of the umbrella codes ELEN E4998 or ELEN E6001 (see "How do the 'projects classes' (ELEN E4998 etc.) work?").
The important thing to remember is that, while each faculty will typically be supervising many projects at once, each one represents a considerable investment of his or her time, so there is a limit on the number that can be undertaken. If you are interested in doing a research project, it is up to you to identify and approach a potential supervisor, and to convince him or her that it will be worthwhile to undertake the project. Often, excelling in a class taught by a particular professor is a good opening for an individual relationship of this kind.
Research projects conducted by students in the MS program are often highly successful and can lead to publications and an ongoing relationship with the supervisor (and others in the field). It's also a good way to get an actual taste of research if you want to find out how it suits you. If you find the prospect of research interesting, you are strongly encouraged to think about who might make a good research supervisor, and to make contact with him or her as early as possible, if only to find out what prospects there are for such a project.
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