Thesis or Coursework Only Options for ME and IEOR

Incoming students may choose one of the two options for earning their Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering or Master’s of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research: (1) The Thesis option or the (2) Coursework Only option. 

Students must declare which option they are pursuing when applying to UMass. Students are not generally permitted to switch from one option to the other; they may only switch options with the permission of the MIE Graduate Program Director.

Thesis Option for both ME and IEOR

All M.S. students who choose the Thesis Option are required to plan and carry out a research, design, or development thesis (MIE 699) of nine credits, and 21 course credits.

M.S. - Thesis students in Mechanical Engineering must also enroll in the 1-cr 689 Graduate Seminar.

As M.S. - Thesis students conduct research through MIE 699, independent studies do not count towards their remaining 7 courses (21 CR), rather can be taken in addition to coursework/thesis.

MS Thesis Defense and Timeline

Coursework Only Option in IEOR

Coursework Only Option in ME



 

MS Thesis Defense and Timeline

M.S. Thesis

An M.S. Thesis may be a research, design or development project. A copy of the Thesis outline must be approved by the student’s committee and put on file with the GPD and forwarded to the Graduate School at least four months prior to the defense. The thesis guidelines prepared by the Graduate School Handbook must be followed.

Thesis Defense

  • Thesis Advisor: Students must connect with their research advisor in the first semester.
  • Thesis Committee: The student and advisor select the graduate faculty committee for the thesis defense. These names and departmental info are sent to Nauman Tazeem to submit to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval. The thesis committee comprises:
    • at least two MIE faculty members
    • at least one “outside member”, which are not in the MIE Department
    • more than 3 members are encouraged for optimal support and insights.
  • Thesis Proposal: A thesis outline & proposal must be presented to the committee.
    • An oral presentation performed before the committee a min of 4 months prior to defense.
    • The committee must unanimously approve the proposal.
  • Thesis Defense
    • Thesis Date: See the Graduate School Handbook for scheduling regulations.
    • Thesis Draft: The committee must receive the draft 14 days prior to the defense.
    • Oral Defense Notification: Notice must be provided 7 days prior to the defense.
    • Oral Defense: the defense must be held before the entire committee.
      ∗ only a unanimous vote results in a pass

M.S. Thesis Timeline

A suggested timeline for M.S. Thesis. Some deadlines are firm; others are more flexible.

  1. First Semester: Select Permanent Advisor
  2. First Semester: Prepare Program of Study
  3. End of First Year: Register for Thesis Credit
  4. End of First Year: Select Thesis Committee
  5. End of Second Year: Complete Required Courses
  6. Four Months Prior to Defense: Thesis Proposal
  7. Set the Date of Defense.
  8. Two Weeks Prior to Defense: Deliver Thesis to Committee
  9. Seven days before the defense, send Nauman Tazeem the defense details and abstract.

MS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Coursework Only Option

The requirements of the Coursework Only option are:

  1. The student must successfully complete at least 30 graduate (500 level or above) credits. Thesis or project credits do not count towards this total.
  2. At least 21 credits must be at the 600 level or above.
  3. At least 18 credits must be Mechanical and Industrial Engineering courses.
  4. A maximum of 6 credits can be for independent study. Find the form here.
  5. The student must take the seven named IEOR core courses required for the MS Thesis option.

Students enrolled in coursework only graduate programs are typically not provided funding support. TA positions in the MIE department are limited in numbers, and are generally reserved for PhD students. RA positions are decided by individual faculty based on their lab needs, and if you find on-going research that is a good match for your interests and expertise, you are welcome to reach out to see if they have openings. In addition to our departmental policies, please refer to Riccio College of Engineering and Graduate School assistantship and externship policies for additional guidelines.

MS in Mechanical Engineering Coursework Only Option

The requirements of the Coursework option are:

  1. The student must complete at least 30 graduate (500 level or above) credits. Thesis or project credits do not count towards this total.
  2. At least 21 credits must be at the 600 level or above.
  3. At least 21 credits must be Mechanical and Industrial Engineering courses.
  4. A maximum of 6 credits can be for independent study. Find the form here.
  5. The student must take at least four of the ME (not IE) courses at the 600-level or
    higher. 

Students enrolled in coursework only graduate programs are typically not provided funding support. TA positions in the MIE department are limited in numbers, and are generaly reserved for PhD students. RA positions are decided by individual faculty based on their lab needs, and if you find on-going research that is a good match for your interests and expertise, you are welcome to reach out to see if they have openings. In addition to our departmental policies, please refer to Riccio College of Engineering and Graduate School assistantship and externship policies for additional guidelines.