Master's Requirements

A master's student may pursue a thesis program (Plan A) or a non-thesis program (Plan B). However, students who intend to continue for the Ph.D. degree and those students who are receiving financial aid in the form of assistantships must select the thesis program. In plan A, the student must complete 24 credit hours of course work, 6 additional credit hours of thesis work and submit an approved thesis. In Plan B, the student must complete 33 credit hours of course work. A student in both the plan A and plan B option must take a minimum of 3 credit hours of approved math course. A minimum of one-half of the total course work requirement in both plans must be at the 200-level. All students are required to take at least one-half of their total coursework from the Mechanical Engineering course offerings. A maximum of 6 credit hours of graduate level credit from other accredited institutions may be accepted towards the requirements of the degree. Independent Study course work can account for a maximum of 3 credit hours.

Steps in Completing Degree Requirements

Students pursuing the M.S. degree will normally proceed through the following stages:

1. Acceptance into the Graduate School and assignment of temporary Advisor.
2. Selection of a permanent advisor and completion of study plan outline.
3. Selection of thesis committee. (Plan A)
4. Presentation and acceptance of master's thesis outline. (Plan A)
5. Completion of all required coursework.
6. Successful completion of the comprehensive examination.
7. Successful presentation of thesis. (Plan A)

In the semester during which a student plans to complete the requirements for a degree, he/she must fill out an Application for Graduation Form.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee will consist of a minimum of three members; two of these must be tenured (or tenure track) faculty members from within the department. One of these two must serve as the student's thesis advisor. The remaining committee member can be selected from within the College or from outside of the University. The thesis proposal and the completed thesis must be approved by all three of the committee members.

Thesis Defense (Plan A)

The thesis defense takes place during a meeting that is scheduled by the student. The meeting must occur at a date and time that is mutually convenient for all members of the thesis committee and consistent with the calendar of the Graduate School. During the defense, the committee evaluates the integrity of the student's thesis through oral inquiry and ultimately approves or disapproves the work. The committee can also use this examination period to evaluate the student's understanding of previous coursework and to assess the ability of the student to integrate this information into his/her research. The thesis defense must be completed within 6 years after enrolling in the M.S. program.

Important Forms and Directions

• Request to Add a Course, Change a Section, or Change to Audit
• Request to Drop a Course
• Master's Degree Transfer of Credit Request
• Approval for Independent Study Course 295 (Graduate School Form)
• Approval for Independent Study Course 295 (Department Form)
• Thesis/Dissertation Enrollment Permission Form
• Continuous Enrollment Form
• Outline for Dissertation, Thesis, or Professional Project
• Thesis Approval Form
• Graduation Application
• Thesis Professional Project Directives
• Thesis Check List
• Graduation Instructions