Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Programs
• Degree Programs
– Master of Engineering or M.E. (thesis option)
– Master of Science or M.S. (non-thesis option)
– Doctor of Philosophy or Ph.D.
• APOGEE Program
APOGEE uses distance education technology
to enable students earn graduate credit/degrees
while maintaining full-time employment.
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Mechanical Engineering
Admission Requirements
• Applicants should have a B.S. and a GPA of 3.0/4.0
or better from an ABET accredited mechanical
engineering program. Others, if admitted, may be
required to take certain undergraduate courses.
• Applicants from non-accredited or non-mechanical
engineering programs must take the General Test of
the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and
receive minimum scores of 450 verbal, 700
quantitative, and 500 analytical.
• All applicants whose native language is not English
must take TOEFL and score 600 or above.
• Two reference letters are required.
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Degree Requirements
Mechanical Engineering
• Master of Engineering (M.E.)
– 30 credit hours of broad-based, graded course work
• Master of Science (M.S.)
– 24 credit hours of broad-based, graded course work
– A written thesis and a thesis defense
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
– Qualifying exam in the 1st spring semester
– 18 credit hours of graded course work beyond a
master’s degree (or 30 hours of extra course work)
– Comprehensive Exam within 24 months of admission
(36 months for APOGEE students)
– A written dissertation and a dissertation defense
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Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Course Requirements
• All courses must be at 500 or above
• Half of the courses must be at 700 or above
• No grades lower than C are allowed
• At most 12 credits with grade C and/or C+
• Average grade must be B or better overall and
for courses at 700 or above
• The maximum period allowed for M.S./M.E.
degree course work is six years
• The maximum period allowed for Ph.D. degree
course work is eight years
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Focus Areas for M.S. and M.E.
Mechanical Engineering
• Seven focus areas
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(1) Math (including engineering analysis methods)
(2) Design and Manufacturing
(3) Dynamics and Control
(4) Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics
(5) Fluids
(6) Solids
(7) Materials
• Course requirements for M.S./M.E. students
– Take at least 3 courses from a main focus area
– Take at least 1 course each from 3 combination focus
areas outside the main focus area (1, 2&3, 4&5, 6&7)
– Remaining courses must be from an approved list
(including up to 9 credits in management/business)
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Ph.D. Qualifying Exam
Mechanical Engineering
• Conducted once a year, in the spring semester
• Ph.D. students must take the exam in the 1st
spring semester after admission to the program
• Each student will be examined in 8 out of 12
undergraduate subject areas
• To stay in the program, a student must show
sufficient knowledge in at least 5 areas. The
student must stand additional exams in areas of
insufficient knowledge and take remedial
courses in these areas if necessary
• A student will be admitted to Ph.D. Candidacy
after passing the qualifying exam
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Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam
• Ph.D. students must take the comprehensive
exam within 24 months (36 months for APOGEE
students) of admission to the Ph.D. program and
12 months prior to graduation
• The comprehensive exam is focused on a
student’s proposed dissertation work and
consists of a written part and an oral part
• To pass the written exam, a student must write a
dissertation proposal to the satisfaction of the
student’s dissertation committee
• To pass the oral exam, a student must present
and defend the dissertation proposal to the
satisfaction of the dissertation committee
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Thesis/Dissertation Requirements
Mechanical Engineering
• M.S. Thesis
– A M.S. student must write a thesis based on original
research work by the student and to the satisfaction
of the student’s Thesis Committee
– A M.S. student must present and defend the thesis
work to the satisfaction of the Thesis Committee
• Ph.D. Dissertation
– A Ph.D. student must write a dissertation based on
original research work by the student and to the
satisfaction of the student’s Dissertation Committee
– A Ph.D. student must present and defend the
dissertation work to the satisfaction of the
Dissertation Committee
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Mechanical Engineering
Educational Objectives
1.
The graduates shall have expertise in a core subject area
of mechanical engineering.
2.
The graduates shall have a working knowledge of
various areas of mechanical engineering and in allied
fields, including other engineering disciplines, the
sciences, and mathematics.
3.
The graduates with M.S. and Ph.D. degrees shall gain
exposure to advances at the frontiers of knowledge in
mechanical engineering.
4.
The graduates with M.S. and Ph.D. degrees shall have
the ability to identify pertinent research problems, to
formulate and execute a research plan, to generate and
analyze original research results, and to communicate
those results through oral presentations and written
publications.
5.
The graduates shall have the basic skills needed for lifelong learning and professional development.
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