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The Mechanical Engineering graduate program is student-centered, providing high-quality instruction in both theory and the latest engineering developments. Graduate faculty members hold doctorates in engineering, and most bring significant industrial experience to the classroom. For the working person, our graduate classes are held in the late afternoon and evening. Many of our full-time graduate students obtain paid internships in local industry for one or two terms during their course of study.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering specializes in the following four focal areas:

• Manufacturing Systems
• Mechatronics Systems
• Thermal/Fluid Systems and Alternative Energy Conversion
• Vehicle Systems

Students may choose to concentrate several courses in one focal area or may select a variety of courses across multiple focal areas.

Two graduate degrees are offered:

• Master of Mechanical Engineering
• Doctor of Engineering with a major in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program Outcomes
Graduates from these programs will have:

• an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering principles to mechanical engineering; (Knowledge of mathematics encompasses advanced topics typically including differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.)
• an ability to design mechanical systems, components, or processes to meet desired needs
• an ability to independently identify, research, formulate, and solve mechanical engineering problems
• an ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for mechanical engineering practice

Admission Requirements for the Master of Mechanical Engineering

Traditional Masters Program vs. 5 year Bachelor's/Master's Program
Students may enter the Master of Mechanical Engineering program in one of two ways:

Traditional Students
Students who are not UDM students or UDM students who do not qualify for the 5-year Bachelor/Master program or UDM alumni must apply for graduate school online. Typical minimum requirements include an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline from an accredited university. Although the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required, a strong score on the GRE will strengthen the application. In addition, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if applicable, while not required as part of the application, is encouraged because its results can be useful in facilitating the admission process.

5-Year Bachelor/Master Students
The 5-year Bachelor/Master Degree program is designed to enable completion of both the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and the Master of Mechanical Engineering degrees in five calendar years. The program allows qualified Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering students to take up to three graduate level courses during their final three academic semesters that will meet undergraduate degree requirements while also accruing course credits toward their graduate degree.

More information on the 5-year BME-MME program can be found (FIX LINK AFTER PAGE IS CREATED) here.

The Master of Mechanical Engineering may be completed through either the thesis or the non-thesis option.

MME Thesis Option
The thesis option includes 24 semester-credit hours of course work and six semester-credit hours of thesis effort for a total of 30 semester-credit hours. The thesis effort is a research project conducted under the supervision of a faculty member and is typically spread across two semesters. After a final formal presentation to the College faculty and students, a properly formatted and duly-approved written thesis must be submitted.

MME Non-Thesis Option
The non-thesis option consists of 30 semester-credit hours of course work and a three semester-credit hour capstone design course for a total of 33 semester-credit hours. The project-based design course (MENG 5980) is conducted under the supervision of a faculty member and the guidance of the Departmental faculty. This course assesses the student's ability to synthesize material covered in the graduate curriculum, and culminates in a brief presentation to the Departmental faculty along with a written report.

Course Requirements:
All Master students are required to take two types of courses: required and elective as follows:

Required Courses

• ENGR 5020 Design of Experiments
• One Advanced mathematics course (e.g., ENGR 5300, Advanced Engineering Mathematics, MTH 5270, Probability and Statistics, etc.)
• Thesis option: MENG 5990 Masters Thesis (6 semester-credits)
• Non-Thesis Option: MENG 5980 Capstone Design (3 semester-credits)

Elective Courses
Each student chooses the remainder of his/her courses from the following options (mix or match amongst the focal areas or the other accepted courses):

Focus in Manufacturing Systems
The optional Manufacturing Systems focus allows students to gain knowledge, skills, and practical experiences in modern manufacturing and quality systems, computer integrated manufacturing, and robotics; it may also increase employment opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

Focus in Thermal/Fluid Systems and Alternative Energy Conversion
The optional Thermal/Fluid Systems and Alternative Energy Conversion focus enables the graduate to make substantive contributions to the generation, use and conservation of energy. This focus educates students to deal effectively with the complex thermo-fluids topics including computational methods and in-depth topics related to heat transfer and fluid mechanics. Contemporary topics related to alternative energy sources and energy efficiency and sustainability are emphasized.

Focus in Vehicle Systems
The optional vehicle systems focus provides students with deep expertise in several key areas related to the application of Mechanical Engineering to vehicle systems. A focus in vehicle systems prepares students to design quality products in this highly competitive international market.

Other Courses
Additional courses are selected (with approval of the student's advisor) from MENG, ENGR, ELEE, MTH, ENT and CSSE courses (courses from additional departments may be permissible with approval of the advisor). A partial list of commonly accepted courses is:

• MENG 5810 Alternative Energy Systems
• MENG 5880 Reliability in Design
• MENG 5920 Computer Aided Engineering
• ENGR 5080 Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer
• ENGR 5200 Optimization for Engineering Problems
• ENGR 5300 Advanced Engineering Mathematics
• ENGR 5440 Vibrations
• ENGR 5480 Advanced Fluid Mechanics
• ELEE 5200 Autonomous Mobility Robotics
• MTH 5020 Advanced Linear Algebra
• MTH 5270 Applied Probability and Statistics
• ENT 5500 Innovation and Creativity
• ENT 5700 Front End of Innovation

Admission Requirements for the Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
Students may apply to the Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering program upon completion of either a baccalaureate or a master’s degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related field. Typical minimum requirements include an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and a graduate GPA of 3.5 (if relevant). Students who have taken relevant graduate level courses elsewhere (possibly as part of earning a master’s degree) may transfer up to 30 credit hours from their master’s program. Although the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required, a strong score on the GRE will strengthen the application. In addition, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if applicable, while not required as part of the application, is encouraged because its results can be useful in facilitating the admission process.

The Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering requires that students complete the doctoral core courses, discipline specific courses, and 30 credit hours of dissertation. The Doctoral program is divided into three parts: Coursework, Dissertation and Examination.

Coursework
Coursework consists of 51 post-baccalaureate course credits at the graduate level. Up to 30 graduate credit hours can be transferred and at least 21 graduate credits must be earned at UDM. Coursework is divided into:

• Doctoral Core courses
• Discipline Specific courses
• Electives

There are two Doctoral Core courses (or equivalent): ENGR 5020, Design of Experiments; and ENGR 5300, Advanced Engineering Mathematics. Discipline Specific courses are those Mechanical Engineering courses that pertain most closely to the student’s dissertation topic. The required Discipline Specific courses must be agreed upon by the student’s advisor and the Department. Electives are selected (with written approval of the student's advisor) from MENG, ENGR, ELEE, MTH, ENT and CSC courses (courses from additional departments may be permissible with written approval of the advisor).

Dissertation
Dissertation credits consist of research credits accrued under the guidance of a Doctoral Dissertation committee headed by a faculty member who acts as the supervisor. Although Doctoral research is independent, novel and advances the state of the art, the committee members can provide guidance, advice and technical expertise. A minimum of 30 dissertation credits is required for the Doctor of Engineering degree.

Examination
Examinations comprise three stages: Qualifying, Dissertation Topic and Final.

The Qualifying Examination is administered and interpreted by the college-level Engineering & Science Graduate Council. The exam consists of two parts: Mathematics and Discipline Specific (in this case, Mechanical Engineering topics relevant to the individual examinee that may include computer based topics). The Qualifying Examination must be taken as soon as possible after the student has completed the Doctoral Core courses. Students passing the Qualifying Examination are allowed to advance in the Doctoral program. Students can repeat the qualifying exam once. Students failing the Qualifying Examination for the second time are dismissed from the Doctoral program.

Click here for information about the Math Qualifying Examination.

The Dissertation Topic Examination consists of the formal presentation of the dissertation topic to the supervisory committee. The committee provides feedback to the student regarding scope, depth and relevancy of the topic. With approval of the committee, the student can proceed with the research and subsequent accrual of dissertation credits.

The Final Examination consists of the formal and public presentation of the dissertation results. The written dissertation must also be approved and accepted by the supervisory committee and the Dean of the College. The Final Examination, in concert with submission of the approved version of the written dissertation, constitutes the last step in completion of the Doctor of Engineering degree.

Information about the Mathematics Qualifying Exam as well as Masters and Doctoral Thesis guidelines can be found on the Engineering & Science website.