BU ECE hosts an array of groundbreaking research labs lead by world-renowned faculty at the cutting edge of some of the most exciting and challenging fields in engineering today (and beyond). As a doctoral student, you’ll be right in the thick of a fast-paced, innovative environment, connecting with like-minded investigators across disciplines and forming connections and partnerships across industry and academia in fields like quantum computing, dynamic imaging, nanophotonics, synthetic biology, deep learning, custom hardware design, cloud-based data management, next-gen sensing technologies, and much more.

Questions? Contact the Graduate Programs Office for more information!

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Research Areas

ECE’s $44M research program offers the opportunity to work in a broad and diverse array of investigative directions, collected loosely into the five categories described below. Within each area are numerous potential avenues for fresh exploration and experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and mentorship from experts in their respective fields.

Photonics, Electronics and Nanotechnology
Photons, the fleeting particles of light, are the communicators of the universe. They let us still see the remnants of the Big Bang, and are instrumental in carrying the information load of the internet at blazing speeds. They are our most sensitive fine-toothed probes in both space and time into the world around us, from radio astronomy to microscopic biological imaging and semiconductor chip fabrication.
Data Science and Intelligent Systems
The abundance of sensors around us, from traffic cameras to wearable sensors, open unprecedented opportunities for smart cities, smart homes, and smart healthcare. By integrating intelligent computation, data science and machine learning, this wealth of sensor data can help us mitigate highway congestion, reduce HVAC energy use, develop visible-light communication, and deliver personalized medicine.
Mobile/Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity
Computational and network sciences play a central role in tackling the challenges arising from pervasive computing across different scales such as cloud and mobile computing. Compared to the stationary, local computing of the past, this new computing diversity has created new challenges in terms of reliability and energy efficiency, but also in terms of security and privacy.
Imaging and Optical Science
Today, novel light-sensing modalities help us discover new biological phenomena, empower vision for driverless cars, and facilitate recognition of human activities without violating an individual’s privacy. Tomorrow’s technology will allow us to “see” through walls and measure heart rate without contact. These advances are made possible by integrating novel sensing materials, optoelectronic devices and computational algorithms.
Bio-ECE and Digital Health
While fully understanding and interacting with biological systems has been a seemingly unreachable, longstanding ambition for humanity, the modern tools and methods of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) appear to be on the cusp of a breakthrough. Today’s Bio-ECE techniques strive to gain better insight into the human brain, design artificial neural systems inspired by modern neuroscience, develop new biomaterials and biosensors, and deliver smart healthcare.

Internship Experiences

In addition to on-site research pursuits in the department’s many labs and groups, ECE doctoral students intern at industry-leading companies, research centers and organizations around the world. These on-the-ground opportunities give students the chance to take their skills and ideas further, contributing to exciting, up-to-the-minute developments in their fields. Learn about some of those experiences  here.

Connections & Resources

Location, Location

Boston University is situated in the midst of a namesake city which ranks high in technology and business. Opportunities for collaboration with other world-class research institutions and industry leaders abound within a metaphorical stone’s throw of campus. Beyond your ECE focus, Boston also offers a rich tapestry of fine and performing arts, a vibrant sports culture, some of the oldest and most significant historical sites in the United States, and much more. Learn more about your new home here!

Beyond the Doctorate

BU ECE graduate students have the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge research, working with some of the finest minds in their fields and making interdisciplinary connections across academia and industry. Doctoral research has propelled our graduates into ongoing careers characterized by groundbreaking discoveries, joining or founding leading companies, game-changing inventions and innovations, and more. How will you change the world?

Department Statistics

ECE Students in the News:

  • January 31, 2024

    High Performance From BU ECE At SC23

    BU ECE researchers, both faculty and students, made a major impact at SC23, the premier conference in high-performance computing. [ More ]

  • January 18, 2024

    ECE CHIPS In: Minuscule Hardware, Maximum Impact

    In many ways, Professor Rabia Yazicigil is the very image of the kind of scientist and engineer called for by the CHIPS Act: productive, inventive, application-focused, collaborative- and service-minded, and an active mentor cultivating similar values and capabilities in a younger generation of innovators. [ More ]

  • December 20, 2023

    ECE CHIPS In: The Computing Power of Light

    This is the second article in our series highlighting BU ECE’s contributions to research and education under the umbrella of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, and our faculty’s collective investment in the national effort to build a robust and innovative semiconductor industry. [ More ]

  • November 10, 2023

    ECE CHIPS In: Efficiently Secure Computing

    This article is the first part of a series highlighting BU ECE’s contributions to research and education under the umbrella of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, and our faculty’s collective investment in the national effort to build a robust and innovative semiconductor industry. [ More ]

  • August 15, 2023

    This Tiny Capsule Can Warn You When Inflammation Is Imminent

    A novel technology could change the way inflammatory bowel diseases are diagnosed and monitored. [ More ]