TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Mechanical Engineering
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
2
Mechanical Engineering Department
Administration
Andreas A. Polycarpou
Department Head
Meinhard J. Kotzebue ’14/Professor
Office: 100 MEOB
Email: apolycarpou@tamu.edu
Arun Srinivasa
Associate Department Head
Holdredge/Paul Professor
Office: 505 & 202 MEOB
Email: asrinivasa@tamu.edu
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
3
Mechanical Engineering Department
Graduate Program Office
Dr. Daniel McAdams
Graduate Director/Assoc Professor
Office: 212 & 411 MEOB
Email: dmcadams@tamu.edu
Research: http://gta.tamu.edu/
Tandilyn Phillips
Senior Graduate Advisor
Office: 210 MEOB
Email: tphillips@tamu.edu
Sandra Havens
Graduate Program Coordinator
Office: MEOB 211
Email: shavens@tamu.edu
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
4
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Graduate Advising Office
Services Provided:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Orientation
Assistantships & Fellowship opportunities.
Qualifying, Preliminary, and Final Examinations
Program Assistance (degree progress, academic forms
etc.)
Interface with the Office of Graduate & Professional
Studies (OGAPS)
Graduate Seminar Series
Social Events/ Social Media Networking
5
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Graduate Advising Office
Questions which can be directed towards this office:
– Qualifying, Prelim, and Final Exam Registration/Details
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Degree Requirements & Degree Plan Submission
Registration (i.e. Dropping or Adding classes, Q-drops)
Transferring & Substitution Coursework
Academic Enrollment Verification Letters
MEEN 681 Seminar Course/Submit make-up for Seminar
Join Graduate Email list & Facebook Group
How do I apply for a Teaching Assistantship and/or Fellowships
6
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
7
Graduate Mechanical Engineering Degrees
1. Master of Science (MS) (32 credit hrs. with thesis)
http://engineering.tamu.edu/mechanical/academics/degre
es/graduate/ms
2. Master of Engineering (MEng) (30 credit hrs. nonthesis)
http://engineering.tamu.edu/mechanical/academics/degre
es/graduate/meng
3. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) (64 credit hrs./96
credit hrs. without a Master’s Degree)
http://engineering.tamu.edu/mechanical/academics/degre
es/graduate/phd
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Master of Science Requirements
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with the thesis option requires a minimum of 32
semester credit
hours. http://engineering.tamu.edu/mechanical/academics/degrees/graduate/ms
1
With the approval of student’s thesis advisor ²These courses may include up to two
MEEN senior (400 level) electives (6 semester credit hours), and up to 4 semester
credit hours of MEEN 685, and other graduate courses with the approval of the
student's advisory committee and the Graduate Program Director.
8
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Master of Science Requirements (cont.)
Core and Suggested Mathematics CoursesRequired to take 2 of the following designated core courses:
MEEN 603– Theory of Elasticity
MEEN 607– Polymer Physical Properties, or MEEN 635– Flow and Fracture of Polymeric Solids
MEEN 608– Continuum Mechanics
MEEN 613– Engineering Dynamics
MEEN 615– Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics
MEEN 617– Mechanical Vibrations
MEEN 621– Fluid Mechanics
MEEN 630– Intermediate Heat Transfer
MEEN 651– Control System Design
MSEN 601– Fundamental Materials Science Engineering
Suggested Math Courses:
MATH 601 – Methods of Applied Mathematics I
MATH 603 – Methods of Applied Mathematics II
STAT 601 – Statistical Analysis
MEEN 602– Modeling & Analysis of Mechanical Systems
9
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Finding a Permanent Faculty Chair
•
•
•
•
•
Take classes from faculty of interest
Search Faculty Research groups/centers on MEEN website
Directly reach out via email/phone/appointment with Faculty
Talk to other Current Graduate Students
Take Core Course(s)
*Graduate students should have a permanent faculty
advisor/chair by the end of their first semester.
If not, please make appointment with Dr. McAdams,
Graduate Program Director.
10
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Who should be on my Degree Plan Committee?
•
•
1 Faculty Chair
2 Faculty Committee Members = Total 3
Faculty Chair/Advisor MUST BE from the MEEN
department
• Committee Members:
• A professor from the student’s area of study
• A professor from outside the Mechanical Engineering
Department
•
11
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Degree Plan
Document Processing Submission System
You must submit your degree plan online through:
https://ogsdpss.tamu.edu/
Before the Fall 2016 semester.
Otherwise, you will be blocked from registration for classes.
If you wish to make changes to your degree plan
•
Submit MDD petition (Change of major, degree, or department)
•
Submit Long form petition (Change of courses, committee
members, waivers etc.)
These forms must be completed and approved online.
12
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
13
Registration for Fall 2015 Classes
Full-time: 3 classes (9 semester credit hours) during the Fall and Spring
semesters and 6 credit hours in the summer (if applicable).
You must be a full-time student to be a teaching or research assistant (TA or RA).
With a TA or RA, your tuition will be paid for you, but only up to 9
semester credit hours, and not the fees.
You may register for your classes online through your HOWDY portal.
You should choose classes in your research area of interest or classes that will help you
with your thesis/dissertation research. To satisfy the course requirement for your
graduate degree, most of the courses on your degree plan should be
MEEN courses.
Your degree plan must be approved by your advisor (chair of your advisory committee)
and other members of your advisory committee, and the graduate program office.
All Graduate Mechanical Engineering students must take a mathematics/statistics
course or MEEN 602- Modeling & Analysis of Mechanical Systems
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Probation Policy
Students with an overall GPA less than 3.0 are on Academic Probation.
•
Full-time students who earn individual semester GPAs below 2.00
twice cannot continue in the Mechanical Engineering Graduate
degree program.
•
Full-time students who earn individual semester GPAs below 3.00 in
two successive semesters (fall or spring) cannot continue in the
Mechanical Engineering Graduate degree program.
•
Full-time students who earn a cumulative GPA less than 3.00 will
have two following long semesters to raise their GPA above 3.00 to be
able to continue the Mechanical Engineering Graduate degree
program
14
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Payment of Tuition and Fees
Pay the balance of your tuition and fees before the payment deadline.
Spring 2016 Payment in Full Due Date
If you chose to pay your tuition and fees in full: Tuition and fees due in full by 5:00 PM on
February 2, 2016
Spring 2016 Installment Due dates If you enrolled in the installment plan:
•
1st payment due by 5:00 PM on February 2, 2016
•
2nd payment due by 5:00 PM on February 29, 2016
•
3rd payment due by 5:00 PM on March 21, 2016
•
4th payment due by 5:00 PM on April 4, 2016
Installment Plans can be added through 5:00 PM on February 10, 2016
Access your statement through the Howdy Portal and pay online!
If you have a TA or RA position, or will receive other financial assistance: After the proper
fellowship/scholarship amount is credited to your payment account and/or non-resident tuition waiver is
entered (could be as late as the 12th class date in some cases), you will receive a refund.
15
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
16
Office of Graduate and Professional Studies
(http://ogs.tamu.edu)
Want to know how to…..
•Student forms
•Fulfill degree requirements
•Submit a degree plan
(https://ogsdpss.tamu.edu/)
•Meet requirements/deadlines for
graduation
•Fellowships and grants
•Professional development workshops
•Submit Petitions (https://ogsdpss.tamu.edu/)
•Records processing & degree progress
information
•Get involved on campus
•Confidential advice and problem solving
•Prepare thesis or dissertation
•Thesis preparation support
•Graduate Catalogs
•Address an academic concern regarding policy,
process, or regulation
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
17
Office Graduate Studies Deadlines
All students should be aware of the various deadlines published on the Office
of Graduate Studies calendars
http://ogs.tamu.edu/current-students/dates-and-deadlines/
You are responsible for meeting these
deadlines so that you may complete
your degree in a timely fashion!
• This means you must turn in your forms to
the Graduate Advising Office BEFORE the
OGAPS deadline for processing time!
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
How to apply for a research assistant
(GAR) position?
• In order to apply for a RA, a student must contact the
professor in their area of interest.
• The professors handle funding and will be able to inform
students about openings for research positions.
Visit http://ogs.tamu.edu/funding-information/graduateassistantships/
18
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
19
What does a research assistant (GAR) do?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Research
Project usually externally funded (federal, industry)
Lab experiments
Data reduction/analysis
Write reports and papers
Attend conferences
Write a thesis (MS) or dissertation (PhD) for a degree
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
How to apply for a teaching assistant
(GAT) position?
• About two months prior to a new semester, applications are
distributed to all the graduate students through the
Mechanical Engineering department newsletter.
• In order to apply for a TA, complete the application and
submit it online through the link provided by the graduate
office.
Visit for more info: http://ogs.tamu.edu/fundinginformation/graduate-assistantships/
20
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
21
What does a teaching assistant (GAT) do?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teach
Teach lab sections
Run experiments
Teach discussion sections
Grade lab reports
Prepare homework solutions
Grade homework
Hold office hours
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
International Student TA Requirement
• International students whose native language is not English and
who wish to apply for a TA position must fulfill an English
Proficiency Certification requirement.
• The English Proficiency Certification is required before a graduate
student is eligible to serve as a TA or in any other position
considered to be a teaching position.
• It is best to meet this proficiency requirement early in a student’s
program.
Contact the Data & Research Office at (979) 845-0532, to arrange a
test. Email testing@tamu.edu
Visit http://www.dars.tamu.edu for more information
22
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
23
Performance Review for TA & RA
As a TA or RA, you must perform your duties satisfactorily.
Your supervisor or thesis/dissertation advisor will review your
performance regularly and report poor performance in writing
to the graduate program office, which will inform you of the
poor performance reviews and will discuss with you on ways to
improve.
If you do not improve after two of these poor performance
reviews during a semester, and there is a third poor
performance review, you may not continue as a TA or RA.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
24
Continuation of Teaching Assistant Appointment
For you to continue to be a TA, you must:
1.
Perform your duties satisfactorily
1.
Maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above for all
of the courses you take
Pass all of the English Language Proficiency Exams (ELP
Exams) before the end of the Fall 2015 semester (if you are an
international student).
2.
You should attempt to obtain an RA from one of the professors so that you
may begin your thesis/dissertation research and complete your graduate
study as soon as possible.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
25
Cheating and Dishonesty
We have a departmental “Zero Tolerance” policy on cheating in graduate
courses, including MEEN 691 Research and MEEN 685 Directed Studies (for
instance, plagiarism in the preparation of a thesis/dissertation or a report).
The Aggie honor code:
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.”
Any student who is caught cheating in a graduate course will receive an F* for the
course.
A second violation could result in the immediate dismissal of the student from the
mechanical engineering graduate program.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Questions?
26