Course Requirements for MS Mechanical Engineering
In addition to the Graduate School requirements stated in the Graduate School Catalog, all M.S. students in the Mechanical Engineering program are required to take a minimum of four (4) Mechanical Engineering focused courses (if Thesis-Option) or seven (7) courses if Coursework-Only. Overall, at least 21 credits at the 600-level are required. All MS-Thesis and PhD students must also register for the ME Graduate Seminar Course: MIE 689 (not required of coursework-only students). Note that all Accelerated Master’s Mechanical Engineering students are Coursework-Only. Please see the List of Courses section at the end of this Handbook for Mechanical Engineering focused courses. Department Advisors Nauman Tazeem and Kevin Romani will send out a list of graduate courses offered in the upcoming semester during each registration advising period. These lists will clearly indicate which courses are Mechanical Engineering focused.
| Coursework-Only | Thesis-Option |
| 10 Classes Total (30 CR) | 7 Classes Total (21 CR) |
| 600-level (minimum 7 courses/ 21 credits) | 600-level (minimum 4 courses/12 credits) |
| 500-level (maximum 3 courses/ 9 credits allowed) | 500-level (maximum 3 courses/9 credits allowed) |
| Independent Study (MIE 696; maximum 6 credits allowed); Optional | Thesis (9 CR); Required |
Note Many students use earn a Graduate Certificate with their three allowable non-ME focused courses. See Graduate Certificate Options. If you do not wish to earn a certificate, that is fine, but your final three courses must be under a STEM topic at the graduate level. If a course you are interested in is outside of MIE and not listed at the end of the Handbook, please send the course title and description to the Graduate Program Director for approval.
TA positions in the MIE department are limited in number, 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. Please refer to Riccio College of Engineering and Graduate School assistantship and externship policies for additional guidelines