CSE MAS WES Program

The Masters of Advanced Study Degree (MAS) in Wireless Embedded Systems (WES)

 

About MAS WES:


The next step in the wireless revolution is the connection of everyday devices through wireless technology. Embedded wireless technology is expected to explode in the next decade, and touch nearly every market sector, from personal electronics and medical devices, to the transportation infrastructure and manufacturing.

Next generation embedded wireless devices have unique requirements that dictate a holistic approach to their design. Their form factor, cost, and power consumption must be dramatically lower than existing cellular phones. The design of these devices requires a unique interdisciplinary background in systems, software, hardware, and communication theory.

The Master of Advanced Studies Degree (MAS) in Wireless Embedded Systems offers a new cross-disciplinary education paradigm, designed to provide high-level training for professional engineers who plan to become technical leaders in the burgeoning field. The degree is conferred by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and is managed by the departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering at UCSD.

WES Program Support

MAS WES Student Handbook and Checklist

WES MAS Student Handbook

The Handbook contains a variety of resources and information for navigating the WES program. 

The Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) has put together a checklist of items to take care of before beginning your educational journey at UC San Diego.

Please note, some components in the GEPA checklists may not apply to everyone. You will need to reach each section in-detail to determine if something (i.e., opting in to the university's health insurance (SHIP), signing up for graduate housing, or submitting international transcript evaluations) applies to you.  

WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE ON CAMPUS

WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON CAMPUS

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT GUIDE

Important Points of Contact - Advising Services

WES Advising Support Email: cse-grad-wes@ucsd.edu

CSE Master's Advising Office

  • The CSE MS Advising Team serves as the information hub for current students. If you need information not found in this Handbook, you are welcome to connect with an advisor at CSE Graduate Advising Services. 
  •  CSE Graduate Advising Services is your go-to group for assistance on:
    • Academic advising
    • Policies and procedures
    • Student conduct
    • Student life
    • Financial questions

WES Degree Requirements and Registration

UCSD Catalog Overview of MAS Program

UCSD Catalog 

Course Requirements 

The WES Course Requirements are as follows. For the full course descriptions for each course, please refer to the Catalog Descriptions here.

  • WES 237A, four units, Introduction to Embedded Systems Design
  • WES 237B, four units, Software for Embedded Systems
  • WES 237C, four units, Hardware for Embedded Systems
  • WES 265, four units, Wireless Communications Circuits and Systems
  • WES 267, four units, Digital Signal Processing for Wireless Embedded Systems
  • WES 268A, four units, Digital Communications Systems I
  • WES 268B, four units, Digital Communications Systems II
  • WES 269, four units, Codesign of Hardware and Software
  • CAPSTONE: The program requires completion of a capstone project that includes a presentation and final report as documented by completion of the following capstone course:
    • WES 207, four units, Capstone Project: Wireless Embedded Systems
Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

  • Course Requirements:
  • GPA Requirements:
    • Students must have a 3.0 or above for their Cumulative GPA.
  • Unit Requirements
    • Minimum unit requirements defined by each program must be met: Part-time WES 36 units
    • Each Course, including the Captsone requirement, is 4 units each

MAS Requirements

  • The degree of Master of Advanced Studies will be granted on the conditions found in the UC San Diego Catalog.

Degree Time Limits

  • Students pursuing a Master of Advanced Studies degree must adhere to their program’s specific time limitations as outlined below.
  • Part-time WES 7 academic quarters, including a summer quarter
  • Students are obligated to graduate in the quarter in which they complete degree requirements. Any modifications to the program schedule require program approval. Please reach out to your Program Manager for more information.
Good Academic Standing

Good Academic Standing

  • Good academic standing is determined by graduate students meeting departmental and graduate studies standards; a GPA of 3.0 or above, in upper-division, graduate and professional course work; and having no more than a total of eight units of "F" and/or "U" grades. 
  • Good Academic Standing is a requirement for:
    • Holding academic and staff appointments.
    • Receiving scholarships, financial aid, or employer reimbursements/payment.
    • Applying to a PhD program
    • Going on a leave of absence
    • Obtaining a graduate degree from UC San Diego.

Academic Probation

Course Registration

Quarters

  • The University of California operates within the quarter system. Quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer) are eleven weeks long with the last week dedicated to final exams. Specific dates regarding quarter start, end, and important deadlines can be found on the Registrar’s site. MAS program calendars have unique class structures, so you will need to reference your cohort calendar for specific class dates. However, we still follow university deadlines form payments and grade submission.

Course Enrollment

  • All students in the MAS programs are enrolled by their Program Managers. Information will be provided prior to enrollment each quarter.
  • All MAS classes are restricted to MAS students in their respective programs. As such, your Program Manager needs to pre-authorize your enrollment in every class, every quarter. 
  • Course materials will also be provided prior to or at the start of each quarter. You do not need to purchase course materials unless advised otherwise or if you prefer a format we do not offer.

Required Courses

  • Each MAS program has its own set of courses that are required for graduation. The objective of these types of courses is to provide competency in foundational topics.

Capstone Courses

  • In addition to core courses, students are required to take a capstone course to complete their program.

Course Auditing

  • Course auditing is only permitted when a student has not met the minimum mastery of course content or has approval from their program manager. The program manager will obtain instructor approval before placing a student in a course.
  • Alumni course auditing allows students to audit courses offered at the Jacobs School upon program completion. Graduating students are not eligible to audit courses until their degree is officially conferred through the University.

Course Offerings and Course Information

Course Offerings

Core courses and the capstone courses are only offered once per year. Students must sequentially enroll in these courses in accordance with the offered quarter. Any extenuating circumstances that may affect the scheduling of core courses must be discussed with the Program Manager.

Course Descriptions

For WES Course Descriptions, please view here.

Course Materials

General Materials

  • All MAS students will be provided course materials for the courses they are enrolled in for each quarter.
  • Course materials are distributed prior to or at the beginning of each quarter in physical or digital format depending on availability.
  • Digital course materials will be posted as Canvas links, sent as Kindle books, or emailed as an e-book from the UC San Diego Bookstore or your Program Manager.
  • Limited course materials may be available at the Geisel Library, but availability may not be reliable.

Course Hardware

  • WES students receive hardware in addition to course materials.
  • Students will be notified of distribution of the hardware for each course in advance.

Photocopying

  • Please be aware that photocopying course material and course readers is illegal. U.S. universities take copyright infringement very seriously.
  • Disciplinary or legal action, including expulsion, may result from illegal copying.
  • Please refer to the section on Academic Integrity for more information.
CANVAS

Canvas is your online learning portal where your lectures and content have been uploaded. Access Canvas here. 

IT SERVICES (ITS)
  • IT Services (ITS) provides technology solutions that support UC San Diego’s learning, teaching and research objectives. Most searched IT Services are email, network services, security services, and applications & software.
  • If you need any technology assistance, you can contact theServices Desk at (858) 246-4357 or Submit a Ticket

Tuition/Fees 

Program Costs and Financials

Tuition/Fees

The tuition for 2025 - 2027 is $1,095 per unit (36 units)

  • The Masters of Advanced Study degree programs are entirely self-supporting and receive no state funding. The cost of the Masters program is all inclusive - it includes all instruction costs, administrative costs, textbooks, course materials, on-campus parking and meals on all class days.
  • The per unit tuition does not include mandatory graduate fees which are determined annually by UCSD. It also assumes students waive UCSD student health insurance. Additional information about tuition and fees is available on the UCSD Website.

  • If you are self-funded, you can pay through Student Financial Services. You can also explore repayment through installments using TRIP. For questions, please submit a ticket though the UC San Diego Services & Support portal or call 858-822-4727.

Military-Affiliated Students:

  • Military-affiliated students can find additional information here. Students using veterans' or Military benefits should contact the Student Veteran Benefits Coordinator at vao@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-4480. 

Financial Aid:

Employer Benefits

  • In addition, many employers have benefits programs that help pay for additional education. Contact your HR department to see if your company offers these benefits.

UCSD Student Resources 

General Campus Resources

Campus Enrollment and Registration Calendar

  • General campus dates and deadlines.
  • Please note that if you are using a custom payment plan, your payment due date may fall before the final campus deadline. 
Student Financial Solutions
  • Student accounts and bill pay, Cashier's Office, ID Card office, and other student billing services.
  • You can also sign up for payment installments with TRIP (if self-pay), view your 1098-T for taxes, check your account for hold, and see if you are owed a refund.
Financial Aid Office
  • For questions about loans, grants, and other funding sources. Generally, students using financial aid are not company sponsored.
Military Affiliated Students
  • For students planning to use VA benefits.
Health Requirements and Insurance Waiver

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL STUDENTS

  • All incoming students must be in compliance with the university's health requirements.
  • Specific components of the requirements and their deadlines can be found on the Student Health website's Health Requirements for Students page.
    •  If you have a clinical question, message “Ask a Nurse” in your electronic medical record: MyStudentChart.ucsd.edu/shs/
    • If you are having technical problems, email shstb@health.ucsd.edu and include your student ID number. Do not include any personal medical information as this is not a secure method of communication. 
HEALTH INSURANCE WAIVER
  • The university mandates that all students carry health insurance. As such, all incoming students are, by default, opted-in to the university-sponsored plan, SHIP.
  • Most of our students have health coverage through their employers and are able to waive the annual SHIP plan. You will need to follow the instructions on the SHS website to waive the insurance. The instructions for the waiver and additional contact information can be found at the bottom of the page under "How do I apply for a waiver".
  • The online Health Fee Waiver application is only available through TritonLink during scheduled waiver periods. 
    • Select "TritonLinkTools", then under FinancialTools, select "Health Fee Waiver". The "Health Fee Waiver" link will take you to your SSO, where you will log in. 
    • TIP: If you do not receive an e-mail confirmation from AHP that your waiver was submitted, please contact AHP at (855) AHP CARE or call the UCSD Student Health Insurance Office at (858) 534-2124.
    • All waivers must be received prior to the waiver deadline date. No exceptions.
    • Quarterly Deadline Dates/Information are available here.
Pending Admissions Documents
  • The Pending Admissions Documents section of your applicant portal lists the official documents needed by Graduate Admissions to finalize your admission. All pending documents must be submitted to Graduate Division by September 25, 2025.
  • The current processing time for documents once they arrive to the Graduate Admissions office (by mail or email) is approximately three to four weeks. You can view any updates to the status of submitted documents by logging in to the Slate applicant portal.
  • If you have any questions about your pending documents or think you might have trouble getting the documents, please email Graduate Division Admissions at gradadmissions@ucsd.edu

Non-Majors

Non-Majors - Requests for Course Enrollment

The Master of Advanced Studies program courses are self-supporting and operate under a cohort-based structure. Due to this structure, courses cannot be taken as electives and are only available to students admitted into the MAS programs at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.