Mechanical Engineering, M.S.

1. Non-Thesis:

Total credit hours required: 32

2. Thesis:

Total credit hours required: 30

Accelerated Master of Science Option

The Mechanical Engineering Department has an accelerated M.S. degree option for academically motivated students.  Students admitted to the accelerated program may apply up to nine (9) credits of 400/500/600 (see note below) level coursework taken as an undergraduate for M.S. degree requirements to either the thesis or non-thesis option.  All elective courses must be approved in advance of registration by the major professor or program coordinator.  Students must apply for normal graduate school admission and notate their desire for the accelerated option on the application.  In order for credits to be double counted, students must be admitted into the program before beginning the courses.

Curriculum Notes

1. 300 level acceptable if outside department and on approved blanket waiver list.
2. Students may enroll in 300/400 level courses only if 500/600 level courses within the major are not being offered or by written permission of the student’s major professor and the department head.

Within the first semester in residence, each student is requested to carefully evaluate their preference of study after discussion with the mechanical engineering faculty, and a decision must be made shortly after the beginning of the second semester in residence. In either case the student must by then choose a major professor, and with the major professor‘s assistance develop a plan of study. The plan is due by the mid-term of the student’s second semester in residence. The plan will be submitted to the program coordinator, who will disseminate to :

1. Graduate office
2. The department head
3. Major professor
4. Copy to the student

Each master‘s degree candidate must select an advisory committee. In addition to the candidate’s major professor, the committee must consist of at least one other mechanical engineering professor and a graduate office representative. The graduate office representative, whose appointment must be approved by the graduate dean, must be selected from outside of the mechanical engineering department. The student and his/her supervising professor will nominate the out-of-department committee member after the student has received the nominee‘s consent.

The core curriculum required of all M.S. students includes:

• ME 673 Applied Engineering Analysis I Credits: (3-0) 3
• ME 773 Applied Engineering Analysis II Credits: (3-0) 3

In addition

Students should select one course from each of the three areas listed below (or approved substitutions) for a total of five core courses.

Additional Information

The details of the actual course selections must be developed by the student, the student’s academic advisor, and the student’s committee.

Entering students usually have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Qualifying examinations may be required of entering students. A minimum GPA of 3.00 is expected for regular (non-probationary) admission. Applicants who are graduates of institutions that are not accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have their scores submitted prior to consideration for admission.

Final Examination (MS Thesis Program)

Upon completion of the thesis, mechanical engineering graduate students electing this option will be examined orally over the written thesis and coursework as prescribed in the Graduate section of the academic catalog. A mechanical engineering graduate student with an accumulated GPA of 3.4 or better in the courses in their graduate program will have their coursework exam combined with the thesis defense. For students having an accumulated GPA of less than 3.4 in the courses in their graduate program, a separate focused coursework oral examination will be administered by the student’s graduate committee. The GPA will be computed using midterm grades for the semester in which the student is currently enrolled. The coursework examination will examine primarily concepts and fundamentals of the courses in the studen’ts program of study, rather than the mechanics of problem solution and will, in general, attempt to establish the student’s in-depth knowledge of the course content. The student’s graduate committee will select specific courses from the student’s graduate program in which the student has indicated possible deficiencies. The major professor will inform the student no less than three weeks prior to the examination what courses have been selected. However, it is the student’s responsibility to secure this information from the major professor.

Final Examination (MS Non-Thesis Option)

Mechanical engineering MS graduate students selecting a non-thesis option will be required to pursue a special investigation under the direction of a faculty member. The report on this study will be written and formal although not of thesis quality nor extent. Upon the completion of the special investigation and with the approval of the directing faculty member, the student will be given a formal oral examination over the investigation. Rules concerning an oral examination over coursework taken by the student in their graduate program will be identical to the rules stipulated above for those students taking the thesis option.