Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Program Overview

The Mechanical Engineering Department offers a program leading to the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Major areas of specialization within the department are:

• Thermal-Fluid Mechanics and Energy Systems
• Mechanical Systems and Design
• Control Systems
• Mechatronics, and
• Modeling and Simulation in Sustainable Energy Systems

The program structure is flexible and may be tailored to individual career goals in order to meet the needs of the broad spectrum of engineers in general, and particularly those in the highly industrialized Greater Cleveland area. Numerous and continuous opportunities exist for exposure to the engineering problems and developments within the industrial/research complex of Northeastern Ohio. In addition to substantial interdisciplinary research activities occurring across the College of Engineering, faculty and students participate in research programs of the Department of Energy, the NASA Glenn Research Center, and local industry. The educational programs of the department are designed to stimulate creativity, to provide a deep understanding of the basic physical phenomena involved in mechanical systems, and to provide an ability to use modern techniques in the analysis, control, and design of mechanisms, machines, and fluid/thermal systems.

Students may enter the program immediately after receiving a bachelor's degree or after a period of employment in industry. In either case, students may pursue their studies on a full-time or part-time basis.

       

 

Financial Assistance

The department offers a limited number of graduate assistantships and research assistantships. Additional opportunities for research assistantships exist through the Ohio Aerospace Institute. Information about these assistantships may be obtained by contacting the Department of Mechanical Engineering at (216) 687-2567.

Career Information

Upon successful completion of the requirements of the program, students will have a solid education based upon the fundamentals of engineering science and will be prepared for practical applications of engineering design, analysis, and research.  Graduates are, therefore, well prepared for employment in industry or research laboratories.

Admission Information

Admission to the graduate program in mechanical engineering is open to qualified students with a baccalaureate degree in mechanical engineering or other fields of engineering. A minimum baccalaureate grade-point average of 3.00 (or 2.75 for students from EAC/ABET-accredited programs) normally is required. Students without a degree in mechanical engineering are required to take prescribed undergraduate courses in mechanical engineering to ensure adequate preparation for the required graduate-level courses. These courses are available both day and evening from the Mechanical Engineering Department and other departments in the University. Undergraduate courses taken to remediate deficiencies do not count toward graduate degree requirements.

The GRE General section is required if one or more of the following conditions is true:

• The undergraduate degree was awarded by a college or university outside of the United States or Canada, or by a Canadian institution not accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.
• An unaccredited college or university awarded the undergraduate degree.
• The student's undergraduate cumulative grade-point average is below 2.75.
• The year of the baccalaureate degree precedes the date of application to the College of Graduate Studies by more than six years; however, in this case, the examination requirement may be waived, with program approval, if the applicant's undergraduate grade-point average is 3.00 or above.

To facilitate the admission process, it is strongly recommended that applicants use the online application system at https://grad.engagecsu.com/apply. The processing time for paper application forms is longer.

Degree Requirements

Within the framework of the College of Engineering requirements for the M.S. degree, the Department of Mechanical Engineering offers two program options. The thesis option requires a minimum 30 credit hours of course work and master's thesis research. The non-thesis option requires a minimum 33 credit hours of course work and Master's project. The Department of Mechanical Engineering further restricts the content of each student's master's program to contain:

• A minimum of 20 credit hours of course work in the department's 500- or 600-level courses, which includes a minimum of four credit hours of advanced engineering analysis or applied mathematics. (Completion of one course from among MCE 501, MCE 504, MCE 509, or approved substitutes meets this requirement.)
• A maximum of nine credit hours of graduate course work transferred from other universities.

The graduate program must include thesis or project work on a topic approved by the student's graduate advisor and thesis committee. The project or thesis work typically should start only after the student completes 16 credit hours or more of approved course work at the master's level. A thesis proposal approval form must be submitted before registering for MCE 699 (thesis).

At least one semester prior to graduation, an application-for-graduation form must be submitted to the department.

Thesis Option

In the thesis option, a student will plan and carry out a research project which may lead to possible publication in a refereed journal. The requirements are:

• A minimum of 30 credit hours with a grade-point average of 3.00 or better. This includes a minimum of 24 credit hours of course work and at least 6 credit hours toward the master's thesis.
• Selection of a major advisor and an advisory committee and approval of a program of study and the research project by the major advisor and advisory committee.
• Completion of all requirements under "Degree Requirements" above.
• Continuous enrollment from the time the research plan is approved until the thesis is defended.
• Defense of the thesis before the advisory committee.

Non-Thesis Option

The non-thesis option is intended only for those students who have already had the equivalent of a thesis experience. The evaluation of the equivalence of such an experience must be approved by both the student's advisor and the department chairperson. Students in this option may earn the M.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering by completing the following requirements:

• A minimum of 33 credit hours with a grade-point average of 3.00 or better. This includes a minimum of 28 credit hours of course work and at least 5 credit hours toward the master's project.
• Selection of a major advisor to supervise and approve a program of study.
• Fulfillment of all requirements under "Degree Requirements" above.
• Completion of the master's project report for review by the major advisor and two additional faculty members of the department.

BRIDGE COURSES

The students who has an undergraduate degree from non-mechanical engineering program may be required to take additional undergraduate courses, called bridge courses.  Please click here to review courses and consult with the graduate program director for the course selection.