Program Overview

Graduate programs in Mechanical Engineering consist of five options:

• Option A : Dynamics and Control
• Option B : Fluid Mechanics
• Option C : Materials and Manufacturing
• Option D : Solids and Design
• Option E : Thermal Sciences

Master of Science (M.S.) Program

The M.S. program in Mechanical Engineering requires a minimum of 24 credit hours (9 courses) of course work and a Master's Thesis. One mathematics requirement, four core courses (two for selected option, the other two from two different options) and two (elective) courses from the selected option must be completed together with one seminar requirement. The remaining course may be chosen freely from among science and engineering graduate courses approved by advisor. Mathematics requirement is satisfied by taking:

• ME 501 Advanced Engineering Mathematics I

• Opt. A : ME 537 State Space Control Theory - ME 530 Advanced Dynamics
• Opt. B/E : ME 551 Advanced Fluid Mechanics - ME 561 Conduction Heat Transfer
• Opt. C : ME 511 Principles of Materials Science and Engineering - ME 512 Principles of Manufacturing Processes
• Opt. D : ME 521 Engineering Design - ME 523 Elasticity

The other option core courses can also be replaced by either "ME 502 Advanced Engineering Mathematics II" (if ME 501 is taken as the Math course) or "ME 503 Mechanics of Continua I" as a substitute.

In addition to the core course requirement, students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credits ifrom their option’s elective courses. Option courses are listed here for both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs.In addition to the required and option courses, the students have to take the non-credit seminar course: ME 579 Graduate Seminar.
 

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program

The Ph.D. program in Mechanical Engineering includes a minimum of 25 credits of course work and Ph.D. thesis carried out according to regulations of the Institute. The required courses for the program are:

• ME 501 and ME 502 Advanced Engineering Mathematics I and II

Students who have previously taken one of these courses or its equivalent are required to take the second course. Those who have taken either one or both of these courses, or their equivalents may instead take elective courses approved by their advisor and the Institute.Ph.D. students are required to identify a Major field, which corresponds to one of the five Mechanical Engineering options listed above. Three courses for the Major field are chosen among courses not taken in the M.S. program. Subject to the approval of the Advisor, a Minor field, consisting of a sequence of two courses, is also determined. Students complete their course requirement with an elective course complementing their Ph.D. program.