AREAS OF CONCENTRATION

Requirements for Master’s and Doctoral Degrees

Students receive the program regulations, containing all the requirements and deadlines, upon registration for the course.

It is recommended that students enrolled on the program obtain at least 12 credits in disciplines associated to their area of concentration (see list below). However, students may submit a study plan with an alternative, justified list of disciplines to the Graduate Education and Research Committee (CPGP) for appraisal. Students wishing to take disciplines that are not from the electrical engineering offer (denominated “ELE”) must obtain approval by their supervising professor and the committee, except for the disciplines on the recommended list.

Field of concentration and related research areas

Applied Electromagnetics

• Antennas: Development of numerical and analytical methods for the synthesis and analysis of antennas and radiating structures for both fixed and mobile terrestrial as well as satellite communication systems.

• Quantum Communication: Study and development of techniques of manipulation and transmission of quantum information via optical fibers and free space.

• Optoelectronics: Nanodevices and nanomaterials, optoelectronic devices: detectors, lasers, sensors, solar cells, new materials.

• Optoelectronics and Instrumentation: Electro-optical devices, optical fibers and optical system components. Instrumentation techniques.

• Radio Propagation: Propagation channel characterization, radio meteorology, cellular communication systems, cognitive radio.

Decision Support Methods

• Computational Intelligence: Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic, Evolutionary Computation, Hybrid Intelligent Systems.

• Linear and Nonlinear Statistical Models: Stochastic processes, Time series and econometric models, State space models. Applications: energy, economy and finance, insurance and commodities.

Signal Processing, Automation and Robotics

• Electronic Instrumentation: Development of new electronic techniques, which make it possible to solve several experimental problems in engineering.

• Signal processing: Adaptive signal processing; statistical signal processing; signal decompositions; exploitation of prior knowledge. Applications: communication systems; electronic systems; sensor and defence systems; image analysis.

• Robotics: Remotely operated robotic systems, autonomous systems, adaptive signal processing, image processing, signal decomposition, embedded electronics, sensors and actuators, automation, reinforcement learning, motion planning, parallel processing, computational intelligence; theory, modeling and control of robotic systems.

Communication Systems

• Signal processing for communications: Development of digital signal processing techniques for communication systems.

• Digital Transmission System: Studies analyses and development of techniques for modulation and transmission, parameter estimation and detection in digital transmission systems.

Power Systems

• Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems: Application of probabilistic models and methods to evaluate the past, present and future performance of electric power systems. Not only conceptual aspects are duly studied, but also practical issues that will define new techniques and criteria for planning the expansion, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the performance of current power systems.

• Planning and Operation in Power Systems: Security in power system operation, voltage stability, unit commitment model, generation dispatch and energy market, transmission expansion, distribution and generation; integration of renewable energy; electricity market; technologies for metering control system.