Master of Science in Engineering (Mechanical)

Advisor: Muralidhar K. Ghantasala
All advising is done by appointment in the Engineering Advising Office located in room E-102 Floyd Hall (Call 269-276-3270).

Graduates with the Master of Science in Engineering (Mechanical) look forward to career opportunities at higher levels of responsibility. Areas of opportunity include, but are not limited to, mechanical systems and structural dynamics, system design and controls, smart and biomaterials, mechanics of composite materials, experimental stress analysis, fatigue and fracture of engineering materials, vehicle dynamics, experimental and computational fluid dynamics, thermal and power systems, alternate and renewable energy, fuel cells, combustion, noise and vibrations, finite element analysis, and micro and nano-technology. Opportunities for mechanical engineers continue to develop with the rapid expansion of the knowledge base.

Class sequencing and scheduling (in the evening hours) are arranged so that a working engineer can complete the program in three years while maintaining full-time employment.

Admission Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from an institution with an ABET/EAC accredited program.
Submit results of the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Applicants with degrees in other engineering fields or related disciplines may be considered for admission after they have satisfactorily completed the necessary undergraduate prerequisite courses prescribed by the department’s graduate advisor. At the Graduate Advisor’s discretion, these courses can be all or a subset of ME 2320, 2500, 2560, 2570, 2580, 3560, 3650, 4310, 4320, MATH 2720, 3740.

Conditional admission may be granted to a student with a baccalaureate degree and less than the required academic record, or anyone having a baccalaureate degree from a non-accredited college or anyone needing more than three prerequisite courses. A student admitted on non-degree conditional status may establish eligibility for regular admission by completing the specified prerequisite courses, and securing grades of “B” or better in each course in the first nine hours of graduate work.

A student with a baccalaureate degree who wishes to enroll in courses but does not plan to pursue a program leading to a master’s degree, or is not eligible for regular admission may enroll in courses for which prerequisite requirements are satisfied with Non-degree status. If the student later decides to apply for regular admission, no more than nine hours of work taken under Non-Degree status will be considered part of a degree program.

Program Options and Requirements

Students may choose the Thesis Option or the Non-Thesis Option as described below. A specific program of study for each student is determined in conjunction with and subject to approval of the student’s advisor. Following are the course of study requirements for Thesis and Non-Thesis options.

Thesis Option

This option of the Master of Science in Engineering (Mechanical) consists of 30 hours, of which six must be taken as thesis.

1. A minimum of 30 semester hours of credit

Including 18 hours of approved courses in the area of mechanical engineering, six hours of electives, and six hours of ME 7000: Master’s Thesis.

2. A minimum of six hours must be mathematics oriented.

The mathematics-oriented courses may include mechanical engineering courses (e.g., ME 5600, 5610, 5620, 6350, 6370, 6510, and 6610) or electives selected from any engineering department in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, or in mathematics, computer science, and the physical sciences. Students who choose to take a class outside the ME approved list of graduate courses must obtain the approval of the ME graduate advisor prior to registering for such classes.

3. Satisfactory completion of six (6) hours of the following course

Under the guidance of the thesis advisor and committee

ME 7000 - Master’s Thesis Credits: 1 to 6 hours

Non-Thesis Option

This option of the Master of Science in Engineering (Mechanical) consists of 36 hours, of which up to six may be taken as project.

1. A minimum of 36 semester hours of credit

Including 30 hours of approved courses in the area of mechanical engineering plus six hours of electives.

2. A minimum of six hours must be mathematics oriented.

3. Up to six hours of project as shown below

may be taken as part of the 30 hours of approved courses in the area of mechanical engineering for research conducted under the supervision of a department faculty member

ME 6970 - Problems in Mechanical Engineering Credits: 1 to 6 hours

Practical Training

As part of their course work, Master’s students who have had less than 6 months of prior industrial work experience in the U.S. may choose to register in up to 3 credits of ME 5990 in order to pursue practical training off-campus in industrial and/or other settings. To be eligible, students must be registered in the MAE department, must have completed at least 6 credits toward their graduate degree, and must have approval of the Graduate Programs Director or Department Chair. Students may choose to register for 1 credit of ME 5990 at a time, up to 3 semesters. These students will be classified as having full-time status for the purpose of loan deferments and insurance eligibility. International students may contact the International Services and Student Affairs Office before requesting department approval in order to enroll in ME 5990.