Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 SDSM&T Academic Catalog 
    
2018-2019 SDSM&T Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mechanical Engineering, MS


Contact Information

Dr. Pierre Larochelle
Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Civil Mechanical Building Room #129
(605) 394-2401
Email: Pierre.Larochelle@sdsmt.edu

Dr. Karim Muci
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Civil Mechanical Building Room #171
(605) 394-2430
Email: Karim.Muci@sdsmt.edu

Leslee Moore
Senior Secretary
Civil Mechanical Building Room #129
(605) 394-2401
Email: Leslee.Moore@sdsmt.edu

MS in Mechanical Engineering

The Master of Science degree program in mechanical engineering can be pursued using either of two (2) equal options, a thesis option or a non-thesis option.

SD Mines students accepted to the Accelerated MS option may apply up to 9 credits of 400/500/600 level courses taken as an undergraduate toward both the BS and the MS degrees.

Degree requirements for thesis option


Distribution of credits


Core requirements: 15 credits
Research or project requirements: 6 credits
Elective requirements: 9 credits
Total credits: 30

A maximum of 9 credits may be taken at the 400/500 level.

Core requirements


  • Credits: (3-0) 3
  • Credits: (3-0) 3
  •  

  • Students are required to take one course from each of the three areas listed below (or approved substitutions) for a total of five core courses. The details of the actual course selections must be developed by the student, the student’s academic advisor, and the student’s committee.

Manufacturing and Controls


Research or project requirements


The completion of a master’s thesis, approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Education, is required for this degree.

  • Credits: Credit to be arranged. **
  • ** At least 6 credits of ME 798 are required.  No more than 6 credits of ME 798 may be counted toward the degree.

Elective requirements


  • At least 9 credits of elective courses approved by the student’s committee

300 level courses are acceptable if outside department and on approved blanket waiver list. 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.

Examinations


A thesis defense and an oral final examination are required for this degree. 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 student’s 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.

Additional requirements


In addition to these degree-specific requirements, the student must also meet the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education.

Degree requirements for non-thesis option


Distribution of credits


Core requirements: 15 credits
Research or project requirements: 4 credits
Elective requirements: 13 credits
Total credits: 32

No more than 9 credits may be taken at the 400/500 level.

Core requirements


  • Credits: (3-0) 3
  • Credits: (3-0) 3
  •  

  • Students should also select one course from each of the three areas listed below (or approved substitutions) for a total of five core courses. The details of the actual course selections must be developed by the student, the student’s academic advisor, and the student’s committee.

Manufacturing and Controls


Research or project requirements


The completion of a master’s project, approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Education, is required for this degree.

Elective requirements


All electives must be approved by the student’s advisor or advisory committee.

Examinations


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.

Additional requirements


In addition to these degree-specific requirements, the student must also meet the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education.