Master’s Degree Requirements

A total of 30 credit hours of approved graduate coursework are required. Students select one of the following two options after completing no more than 18 credit hours.

Option A: Thesis

Successful completion of 24 credit hours of graduate-level coursework and 6 credit hours of thesis research.

Coursework (24 credit hours)

  • Mathematics Courses (6 credit hours)
    Select two Mathematics Courses from the list below.
  • Concentration Courses (12 credit hours)
    Students complete 12 credit hours from one of five concentrations or the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering Concentration. Refer to lists below.
  • Elective Courses (6 credit hours)
    Select two courses from the Concentration Core Courses or Elective Courses lists below. If more than 6 credit hours of elective courses are proposed to be taken from outside the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, Director of Graduate Programs approval is required. No more than 6 credit hours may be in Individual Study (MEGR 7892).

Thesis (6 credit hours)

6 credit hours of thesis research is required.

  • MEGR 7991 – Graduate Master Thesis Research (1 to 6)

Degree Total = 30 Credit Hours


Plan of Study

Students must formulate and submit a plan of study. The plan of study must be submitted after no more than 18 credit hours. The decision as to whether the MS degree program will include a thesis or coursework-only is to to be made on an individual basis by the student and graduate faculty advisor at the time the student’s plan of study is filed. Submit your MS Plan of Study here.

Thesis Committee

The student must establish a thesis committee that is composed of at least 3 members of the graduate faculty, with up to one member from outside the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science. The faculty advisor serves as the chairperson of the committee.

Admission to Candidacy

Students must hold a proposal defense for approval of their thesis topic (the proposal defense format is left to the discretion of the advisor).

Thesis Defense

A copy of the thesis should be distributed to each member of the program committee at least two weeks prior to the defense. Students should make a public announcement of the defense within the department to allow attendance by interested faculty members and students.


Option B: Non-Thesis/Project

Successful completion of 30 credit hours of graduate-level coursework.

Coursework (30 credit hours)

  • Mathematics Courses (6 credit hours)
    Select two Mathematics Courses from the list below.
  • Concentration Courses (12 credit hours)
    Students must declare a concentration and take 12 credit hours of courses listed in that concentration. Refer to lists below.
  • Elective Courses (9 credit hours)
    Select three courses from the Concentration Core Courses or Elective Courses lists below. No more than 6 credit hours may be taken from outside the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science.​ No more than 6 credit hours may be in Individual Study (MEGR 7892).
  • Capstone Course (3 credit hours)
    Select one course from the Capstone Courses list below.

Degree Total = 30 Credit Hours


Mathematics Courses (6 credit hours)

Select two of the following:

  • MEGR 7172 – Computational Methods in Engineering (3)
  • MEGR 7174 – Engineering Analysis I
  • MEGR 7175 – Engineering Analysis II

Concentration Courses (12 credit hours)

Dynamics and Control Concentration

Select four of the following:

  • MEGR 5143 – Mechanical Vibrating Systems (3)
  • MEGR 5237- Introduction to Control Systems (3)
  • MEGR 7145 – Advanced Topics in Dynamics (3)
  • MEGR 7148 – Stability and Control of Nonlinear Systems (3)
  • MEGR 7222 – Mechatronics (3)
  • MEGR 7223 – Mathematical Concepts for Dynamics and Control (3)
  • MEGR 7224 – Analytical Mechanics (3)

Machine Learning in Mechanical Engineering Concentration

Select four of the following:

  • MEGR 7090- Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering (3)
  • MEGR 7090- Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering (3)
  • EMGT 6113 – Cluster Analysis and Application (3)
  • EMGT 6912- Computational Intelligence (3)
  • EMGT 6952- Engineering Systems Optimization (3)
  • ITCS 5111- Introduction to Natural Language Processing (3)
  • ITCS 6156- Machine Learning (3)

Metrology and Manufacturing Concentration

Select four of the following:

  • MEGR 5280 – Advanced Manufacturing Processes (3)
  • MEGR 6181 – Engineering Metrology (3)
  • MEGR 7182 – Machine Tool Metrology (3)
  • MEGR 7191 – Introduction to Optical Fabrication and Testing (3)
  • MEGR 7283 – Advanced Coordinate Metrology (3)
  • MEGR 7284 – Advanced Surface Metrology (3)

Motorsports Engineering Concentration

Select four of the following:

  • MEGR 5210 – Automotive Power Plants (3)
  • MEGR 5211- Road Vehicle Dynamics (3)
  • MEGR 5240 – Advanced Automotive Power Plants (3)
  • MEGR 5242- Applied Vehicle Aerodynamics (3)
  • MEGR 5244 – Tire Mechanics (3)
  • MEGR 7136 – Automotive Materials (3)
  • MEGR 7214 – Turbulent Shear Flows (3)
  • MEGR 7215 – Turbulence Modeling and Simulations(3)

Solid Mechanics and Materials Science Concentration

Select four of the following:

  • MEGR 6141 – Theory of Elasticity I (3)
  • MEGR 6166 – Mechanical Behavior of Materials I (3)
  • MEGR 7108 – Finite Element Analysis and Applications (3)
  • MEGR 7163 – Materials Characterization and Analysis (3)
  • MEGR 7172 – Computational Methods in Engineering (3)
  • MEGR 7173 – Engineering Design Optimization (3)

Thermal Science and Fluid Mechanics Concentration

Select four of the following:

  • MEGR 7113 – Dynamics and Thermodynamics of Compressible Flow (3)
  • MEGR 7114 – Advanced Fluid Mechanics (3)
  • MEGR 7117 – Statistical Thermodynamics (3)
  • MEGR 7213 – Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics (3)
  • MEGR 7214 – Turbulent Shear Flows (3)
  • MEGR 7215 – Turbulence Modeling and Simulations (3)

Interdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering Concentration

In consultation with the faculty advisor or the Graduate Program Director, students select four courses from different concentrations and courses listed above.

  • MEGR 5271 – Orthopedic Biomechanics (3)
  • MEGR 5272 – Mechanics of the Human Locomotor System (3)
  • MEGR 5273 – Regenerative Neural Engineering (3)
  • MEGR 5274 – Bioelectronic Medicine (3)
  • MEGR 7119 – Thermal Applications in Biomedical Engineering (3)

Dual Concentration
Students may request to complete two concentrations. However, an additional 12 credit hours are required with no course double-counting towards two concentrations.

Elective Courses

Select three of the following. No more than 6 credit hours may be taken from outside the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science. No more than 6 credit hours may be Individual Study.

  • Any MEGR 5000, 6000, 0r 7000-level curse
  • ECGR 6115 – Optimal Control Theory I (3)
  • EMGT 6924 – Lean Six Sigma Practice and Management (3)
  • ENER 6120 – Energy Generation and Conversion (3)
  • NANO 8102 – Nanoscale Phenomena (3)
  • NANO 8104 – Fabrication of Nanomaterials (3)
  • NANO 8301 – Nanomedicine (3)
  • NANO 8351 – Nanoscale Materials for Energy Applications (3)
  • NANO 8354 – Solar Applications of Nanomaterials (3)
  • OPTI 5371 – Waves and Optics (3)
  • OPTI 6206 – Physical Optics Design and Simulation (3)
  • OPTI 6241 – Optical System Function and Design (3)

Capstone Courses

A capstone course has a class project component. No capstone course can be double-counted to also satisfy a Concentration or Elective course requirement.
With prior approval from the Graduate Program Director, an offering of MEGR 7892 that includes a project may be approved to count as the required capstone course.

Select one of the following:

  • MEGR 7108 – Finite Element Analysis and Applications (3)
  • MEGR 7172 – Computational Methods in Engineering (3)
  • MEGR 7173 – Engineering Design Optimization (3)
  • MEGR 7186 – Data Analysis and Uncertainty (3)
  • MEGR 7213 – Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics (3)
  • MEGR 7214 – Turbulent Shear Flows (3)
  • MEGR 7215 – Turbulence Modeling and Simulations (3)
  • MEGR 7222 – Mechatronics (3)
  • MEGR 7284 – Advanced Surface Metrology (3)