Combined BS & MS Degree Program

As a premier research institution and technological leader in the mountain west, the College of Engineering at the University of Utah offers unique educational research opportunities for undergraduate students. Students are given the opportunity to participate in ongoing research at a variety of levels, including undergraduate research and honors projects, participation in graduate student and faculty research projects and in guest lectures delivered by leaders in the field and discussions of cutting edge research.

For undergraduate students interested in vigorous pursuit of research, the Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a combined B.S./M.S. degree program intended to foster undergraduate research and to accelerate progress toward the M.S. degree. The combined program is designed to be completed in five years and to culminate with the simultaneous conferral of the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. Students in the combined program begin their research early and complete advanced level courses during the senior year. These activities can accelerate completion of the combined program by a full year relative to enrollment in sequential B.S. – M.S. programs. Students are encouraged to begin research in the summer following their third year of the four-year undergraduate program and may receive research assistant financial support. Students in the B.S./M.S. program who are working on extramurally funded research projects are eligible for the University of Utah Tuition Remission program for 5000 level and above classes after they are admitted to the Graduate School and classified as an M.S. student.

Features of the combined B.S./M.S. program include the following:

Students complete a minimum of 152.5 semester credit hours of qualified study for both degrees. A minimum of 30 semester credit hours must satisfy the M.S. (thesis option) degree requirements of the Department, while a minimum of 122.5 semester credit hours must meet the B.S. requirements of the Department. The minimum number of semester credit hours for the combined programs is 6 less than that required for the traditional B.S. and M.S. degrees obtained separately.

Transfer from undergraduate to graduate status occurs after completion of 122.5 semester credit hours of qualified studies. A student is eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program administered by the Graduate College after graduate status is conferred.

Both the B.S. and M.S. degrees are conferred simultaneously following completion of the program.

Requirements for the combined B.S./M.S. program include the following:

Students must complete a minimum of 152.5 semester credit hours of qualified study for both degrees. A minimum of 30 semester credit hours must meet the M.S. (thesis option) degree requirements of the University of Utah Graduate School, the College of Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. A minimum of 122.5 semester credit hours must meet the B.S. requirements of the University of Utah, the College of Engineering, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Undergraduate students must apply to the program through the Department of Mechanical Engineering Student Services Office by May 1 of the third year in the four-year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering program. Students expecting to graduate during the following calendar year (in May, August, or December) should apply in May of the current year. The Graduate Committee makes recommendations for admission to the program to the Graduate School by June 1 each year. Entrance criteria for the combined B.S./ M.S. program include a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater and a minimum of 90 semester credit hours completed out of the 122.5 semester credit hours required for the B.S. degree.

Within one semester after admission to the program, students must have selected a graduate advisor and formed an M.S. supervisory committee. These actions are documented by the submission of the Request for Supervisory Committee Form to the Department’s Student Services Office.

Within one semester after admission to the program, students must submit a B.S./M.S. program of study by submitting the Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree Form to the Department’s Student Services Office. All forms are available at the Graduate School web site (www.utah.edu/graduate_school/) and should be submitted electronically to candacec@mech.utah.edu. Students wishing to exit the combined program can apply qualified coursework toward the traditional B.S. and M.S. (or ME) degree requirements without penalty.

No student will be awarded a separate M.S. degree without satisfying all requirements for the B.S. degree.

Students must apply for graduate status during the semester in which 122.5 semester credit hours of course work (applicable to the B.S. degree) is completed. Students will follow the regular University of Utah Graduate School application process. All university requirements for graduate admissions must be met except posting of an undergraduate degree. The referral sheet that indicates that the student is recommended for graduate admission must note that the student has been accepted to the combined B.S./M.S. program. Graduate Admissions will then approve admission without the B.S. completed.

The supervisory committee must conduct a mid-program review after 2 semesters in the program.

Degrees will be awarded when all work is completed. A Masters of Science degree will not be awarded under this program if all requirements for the B.S. are not completed.

The only graduate degree that students may pursue in the combined program is the Masters of Science (thesis option). Students may not be awarded graduate degrees of Master of Engineering or Master of Science (non-thesis option) in the combined B.S./M.S. program.

Only 6 credit hours of technical electives are required for the B.S. degree in the combined program. This is the only means by which a student may reduce the total number of required semester credit hours from 128.5 for the traditional B.S. degree to the 122.5 semester credit hours for the B.S. degree in the combined program.

Courses listed at both the 5000 and 6000 level must be taken at the 6000 level if they are to be applied to the M.S. degree.

Students are encouraged to begin their research work for the M.S. degree during the summer between their third and fourth years of the four-year undergraduate program. Research work may be incorporated into the Senior Capstone Design Sequence.

Examples of potential ways to combine research and other course requirements during the senior year are given below:

  • Take ME EN 4000 Engineering Design I: Conceptual Design and Prototype Testing and ME EN 4010 Engineering Design II: Final Product Design. Projects begun in these courses may form the foundation for the research required for the M.S. degree. Students expecting to specialize in Design and Manufacturing at the graduate level may be best suited for this alternative.
  • Take ME EN 4000 Engineering Design I: Conceptual Design and Prototype Testing and ME EN 4010 Engineering Design II: Final Product Design. In this case, the project need not provide a means to fast-start the research efforts. Instead, students could either a) work independently with their graduate advisor on research, or b) take ME EN 6950 Independent Study and begin research with their advisor in a formal manner. Note that only 3 semester credit hours of ME EN 6950 may be counted toward the M.S. degree.
  • Take ME EN 4005 Design of Complex Continuum Systems I and ME EN 4015 Design of Complex Continuum Systems II in place of ME EN 4000 and ME EN 4010. The Design of Complex Continuum Systems courses allow students to pursue design with a research focus. Students may tailor their design projects so that they are aligned with their graduate research projects. Students expecting to specialize in the thermal fluids, energy systems, or mechanics area may find this to be an attractive alternative.
  • Take ME EN 4005 Design of Complex Continuum Systems I and ME EN 4015 Design of Complex Continuum Systems II in place of ME EN 4000 and ME EN 4010. In addition, students could concurrently take ME EN 6005 and M EN 6010, the graduate versions of the Design of Complex Continuum Systems series. Students would be required to work on a team-based project for the undergraduate courses, but could structure the graduate level individual project so that it is aligned with their intended research. Students intending to specialize in thermal fluids, energy systems, or mechanics may want to consider this alternative.