M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Program Description

The M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (MSME), integrates in-depth knowledge of core areas in mechanical engineering such as mechanics, thermal science, materials and manufacturing, control systems, and product design and development with advanced study in computing and physical sciences. This integration is critical for multidisciplinary areas such as bio and manufacturing engineering, robotics, nanotechnologies, and energy systems. Tools ranging from computer simulation and systems modeling to advanced experimental techniques are developed and applied in order to provide a profounder understanding of fundamental phenomena, processes, and system characteristics in these areas.

The (MSME) prepares students for leadership roles in industry, government and private research. The program also prepares students who desire to pursue further graduate work leading to a Ph.D. degree. Graduates with MS degrees in mechanical engineering pursue careers as product designers, research and development engineers, analysts, consultants, educators and more.

Additionally, to be considered for admission, international students must have an iBT TOEFL score of at least 85, or a Paper-Based TOEFL score of at least 527.

Students who do not meet admission requirement options A, B, or C are welcome to apply, and their applications will be considered for admission on a case by case basis. The program admission recommendation will be decided by the MSME degree program coordinator based on a combination of GRE scores and level of performance in undergraduate engineering coursework.

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria but have an undergraduate engineering degree are welcome to apply as non-degree seeking students and take classes toward their MSME degree. If the student has a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.30 in his or her first 9 credit hours of CECS MSME courses, that student may re-apply to the university to be considered for admission to the MSME degree program.

Eligibility to take the PE exam is based primarily on completion of an ABET accredited undergraduate engineering degree in most states. Completion of a MSME graduate degree at an institution with an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree does not fulfill that requirement to take the PE exam.

The program leading to the MSME requires completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours (SCH) of approved course work consisting of no fewer than ten courses. A thesis based on either experimental, computational, or analytical research is optional and may be counted in lieu of up to 6 SCH of course work. In general, attainment of the degree requires two or three semesters of full-time study, although it may also be undertaken on a part-time basis over a correspondingly longer period.

Degree Requirements

Each degree candidate is required to complete at least 30 graduate credit hours, depending on the “option” chosen below (thesis, or coursework only), with a cumulative Grade Point Average of

3.0 for the courses included in the student’s Plan of Study. At least one-half of the minimum required hours for the degree must be earned in classes numbered 600 or above.

Each degree-seeking student must file an approved “Plan of Study,” developed with a faculty advisor, before the student registers for the 12th credit hour. The M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering requires a student to take a sequence of courses that shows a “clearly discernible specialty or concentration.” In consultation with his/her advisor, an M.S. student can develop a concentration specifically tailored to his/her interests and objectives, Focus areas include sustainability, materials and manufacturing, bio-mechanical engineering, thermal science, mechanics, design, robotics, and vibrations, controls, and power generation/energy systems. At least three of the Elective Courses (9 CR) must be within the student’s Focus Area at the 600-level.

Students may choose to complete either the “thesis option,” or the “coursework only option” after consultation with their academic advisor

Thesis Option (30 Hours)

The thesis option involves the completion of 6 HR of research (ME699 or ENGR 681) under the direction of an advisor on an approved research project. The student must prepare a formal thesis proposal (including a statement of work, extensive literature search, and proposed timeline) in consultation with their advisor and present the proposal to their graduate thesis committee, which is formed in consultation with their advisor. The thesis proposal must be defended and approved by the thesis committee prior to the final semester of study (typically completed during first semester of ME699 or ENGR 681). Students must then summarize their research work in the form of a formal, written thesis and successfully defend it before their thesis committee in order to fulfill the requirements for the degree (typically completed during second semester of ME699 or ENGR 682). Thesis work is typically conducted over two semesters.

Coursework Only Option (30 Hours)

Students can complete 30 hours of coursework and then complete a comprehensive examination within the last two semesters of graduation to fulfill the requirements of their degree. Examinations will be administered once per semester for all students.

Sample Of Existing Courses

• ME 515 – Vehicle Dynamics
• ME 520 – Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics
• ME 530 – Renewable Energy
• ME 545 – Nano-Materials
• ME 560 – Automation and Control
• ME 617 – Additive Manufacturing
• ME 621 – Corrosion Engineering
• ME 625 – Tribology
• ME 628 – Applied Biomaterials
• ME 630 – Manufacturing Systems
• ME 635 – Advanced Vibrations
• ME 640 – System Modeling
• ME 645 – Nonlinear Dynamics
• ME 649 – Sustainable Energy Management