Master of Science in mechanical engineering

The department's mission for the Master's program (MSME) is to provide graduate students with in-depth training in physics-based modeling, analysis and hands-on experience in the broad field of mechanical engineering. The program prepares students for professional practice and/or advanced degrees in mechanical engineering and related fields. 

The mechanical engineering curriculum enables our graduates to work in diverse applied fields such as energy conversion, combustion engines, emissions controls, vehicle dynamics and design, biomechanics, manufacturing, structural analysis, automatic controls, robotics, autonomous systems, continuum mechanics, fluid dynamics, acoustics and noise control, laser diagnostics, composite materials, and emerging areas in fuel cells and batteries. Career possibilities include research and development, design analysis, materials synthesis, manufacturing and production engineering, testing and salesengineering, maintenance and administration. 

MSME students interested in thesis option can conduct their research under the guidance of our faculty who are engaged in the state-of-the-art research in all of the above mentioned fields. 

With all graduate courses offered in the evening, professionals working in local industry and students involved in cooperative programs can pursue graduate degrees on either part-time or full-time basis while being employed. 

We seek to produce future leaders for industry, governmentand society leaders whose vision is founded upon fundamental knowledge, analytical skills, creativity, perspective, and ethics. 

The Mechanical Engineering department has three research thrust areas:

In addition, many Biomedical Engineering courses are cross listed with ME courses and are available for ME Graduate students to take and be considered towards their degree. Graduate students must select a field of study in one of the three thrust areas of the ME Department.

Degree requirements

The master's degree in mechanical engineering is offered under the following options:

  • Plan A (thesis option): A minimum of 32 credits in course work including an eight-credit thesis.
  • Plan C (course work option): A minimum of 32 credits in course work.

MS thesis timeline

Admission requirements

  • Departmental requirements:
    • Students with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 in their BSME degree program may be recommended for regular admission.
    • Students with an overall GPA between 2.8 to 3.0 out of 4.0 in their BSME degree program will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
    • All students must have a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a very similar field. Applicants without a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering are considered on a case-by-case basis.
    • All students who have earned degrees from a country where English is not the native language must have a minimum TOEFL score of 79 from internet-based TOEFL (iBT) or 550 from a paper-based TOEFL (pBT) or IELTS score of 6.5.
    • All applicants for the MSME program whose B.S. degree is not from an ABET-accredited university are encouraged (but not required) to submit scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
    • International applicants are required to submit a WES Evaluation for their transcripts. Note that the official transcript evaluation must be transmitted directly from WES to the Office of Graduate Admissions. 
    • All applicants must pay the $50 Application Fee.