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Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME)
Darrell E. P. Hoy, Interim Chairperson
DEPARTMENTAL FACULTY: Stephen L. Canfield; Jie Cui; Glenn T. Cunningham; Corinne M. Darvennes; Samuel S. M. Han; Darrell E. P. Hoy; Stephen A. Idem; Glen E. Johnson; Jeffrey A. Marquis; Sastry Munukutla; Mahesh Panchagnula; Sally J. Pardue; John Peddieson, Jr.; Joseph D. Richardson; Robert Randall Soper; Kwun-lon Ting; Christopher D. Wilson; Dale A. Wilson; Ying Zhang; Jiahong (John) Zhu.
DEPARTMENTAL OVERVIEW
The Mechanical Engineering Department offers courses and research projects leading to the Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and enthusiastically participates in the Doctor of Philosophy Degree offered in the College for those doctoral students focusing their work in the mechanical engineering area. The MS program is administered by the Department and the Ph.D. program is administered by the Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Studies and Research. Both degrees are research-oriented.
Participation in graduate education is consistent with the Department’s goals and objectives of:
- to provide quality instructional programs and research experiences in mechanical engineering subjects that are at a level of sophistication compatible with professional norms;
- to maintain a competent, dynamic faculty, expert in the various facets of mechanical engineering that strive to motivate the student and that practices effective educational techniques;
- and to provide instructional and research facilities, equipped with up-to-date apparatus, which are conducive to the education of mechanical engineering graduate students.
A graduate student may customize his graduate courses in one of several areas subject to the approval of his/her graduate advisory committee. Areas of specialty include acoustics, controls, dynamics and vibrations, energy systems encompassing the thermal sciences, machine design, materials and manufacturing, measurements and experimental system design, and mechanics. Graduate course offerings are arranged, year by year, to meet the needs of the graduate students. Graduate students may carry out their research for their thesis/dissertation in any one of the aforementioned areas under the supervision of a faculty member, who is also a member of the graduate faculty, having expertise in that area. Individual programs of study are developed for each student depending on his/her career goals and thesis research interest. Faculty advisors assist graduate students in the development of their individual programs of study depending on their career goals and thesis/dissertation interests. The advisor chairs the student’s advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee is the advising body and monitor of the student’s work.
The research and graduate education within the College are enhanced by three Centers of Excellence: the Center for Electric Power; the Center for Manufacturing Research and Technology Utilization; and the Center for the Management, Utilization, and Protection of Water Resources. The Mechanical Engineering Department is much more involved with the first two. Faculty actively interact with the Power and Manufacturing Centers in seeking external funding for research. The Centers complement the faculty efforts by supporting graduate students and via administrative support. The interaction involves a strengthening through sharing of resources and personnel.
DEPARTMENTAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Minimum requirements for admission are consistent with those applicable to the University and stated in the College of Engineering listing. A graduate with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from an approved undergraduate program meeting the minimum criteria would readily be admitted. The minimum requirements for full standing admission into the MS program in ME are the same as those for any MS program in the College of Engineering and are stated under the College of Engineering listing. Similarly, the minimum requirements for full standing admission into the Ph.D. program with a major in ME are the same as those for the Ph.D. program listed in the College of Engineering section. The Department has a Departmental Admissions Committee who reviews and evaluates each application individually for unique merits and for the applicant’s potential success in the graduate program and makes admission recommendation to the appropriate administrator. Students who do not meet the minimum admission requirements or whose potential for success is not evident from the application may be considered for provisional standing. These students will be reclassified to full standing once they satisfy the conditions specified in the provisional admission statement. Occasionally, highly qualified students not having their BS degree in mechanical engineering may be admitted on a provisional basis with the stipulation of satisfactorily completing a specified set of undergraduate courses before achieving full standing.
DEPARTMENTAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The MS degree in ME requires a thesis and the Ph.D. requires a dissertation. Minimum requirements for the MS degree consist of 24 semester hours of course work as specified on the approved program of study and 6 hours of satisfactory thesis credit for work done under the supervision of the graduate advisor. The thesis requirement includes research, the findings of which must be submitted in writing subject to the policies and satisfaction of the Graduate School Office and the advisory committee. In addition, each student must defend his/her research work before the advisory committee. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is also required.
The requirements for the Ph.D. are stated in the College of Engineering section.
Page last updated: 5/1/06
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Graduate Studies
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