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Master of Science Admission Requirements
An applicant for admission to any of the MS programs offered by the departments of the College of Engineering is expected to have earned a BS degree from an approved program, or its equivalent. The basic admission standards for each department are the same: undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, total of at least 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) along with a 3.5 score on the analytical writing portion of the test, and three letters of recommendation from faculty familiar with the academic ability of the applicant. International students must score at least 550 (213 computer-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Further information about each department’s MS program is included in the departmental listings.
Fulfilling the above minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Conversely, an applicant who does not meet the above minimum requirements, but appears to have reasonable potential for success as a graduate student, may be admitted to provisional standing. Her/his status may be changed to full standing after satisfying requirements specified by the department at the time of admission.
Master of Science Degree Requirements
A master’s degree is a certification that the recipient is able to read with understanding and apply with profit the literature of his/her field. The general requirements for an MS degree are the same for all departments: development and completion of a program of study which includes a minimum of 24 semester hours of course credits and at least 6 semester hours of thesis. All pertinent regulations of the Graduate School apply.
Listed below are College of Engineering regulations that are clarifications of, or additions to, those promulgated by the Graduate School. Additional information can be found in the listings of the individual departments.
Advisory Committee
Every master's student is required to have an advisory committee having a minimum of three members. The student is responsible for identifying, in consultation with the departmental chairperson, a faculty member who is willing to chair his/her advisory committee. In consultation with the chairperson of the committee, the student is responsible for identifying at least two other faculty members who are willing to serve on his/her committee. Advisory committees may include more than three members. If desired or required, two members of the committee may serve as co-chairs of the committee rather than the committee having one chair. If a student is not able to identify a sufficient number of faculty who are suitable and willing to serve on his/her advisory committee, the student will be advised by the departmental chairperson that he/she should either change his/her area of research interests to more closely match those of the available faculty or consider selecting another major. Failure to be able to form a committee is cause for transfer to nondegree status. Further regulations concerning the membership, appointment and responsibilities of a student's advisory committee are given in other sections of the catalog, including the sections on "Organization of the Graduate School" and "Degree Requirements."
Thesis/Comprehensive Examination
A thesis is required. A candidate for a master's degree must submit a thesis in writing and orally present and defend the thesis to his/her advisory committee. The meeting at which the thesis presentation and defense occurs also serves as the time for the student's final oral comprehensive examination over any or all aspects of the student's master's program. On the form on which the chairperson of the student's advisory committee reports the results of the thesis defense, the chairperson also reports the results of the comprehensive examination, including a brief synopsis of the examination.
Limitations on Financial Aid
A master's student may receive support during the first two calendar years after initial enrollment. This time limitation does not imply a student will receive support during his/her first two years. Whether or not a student receives support depends on the availability of funds and the suitability of the student to carry out the responsibilities associated with the support. Support beyond the stated limits requires justification, which must be reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Studies and Research prior to the implementation.
Page last updated: 7/30/04
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