Master of Science: Thesis Option

The Master of Science (thesis option) is a research-oriented degree. A student who intends to pursue the Ph.D. degree is encouraged to pursue the Master of Science (thesis option) degree rather than the Master of Science (non-thesis option) or the Master of Engineering degree because of its research orientation.

Course Requirements

  • A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.
  • At least 21 credit hours in regular courses relevant to the student's academic program
  • At least 12 credit hours in regular ME EN courses
  • At least 3 credit hours of 7000 level ME EN courses
  • An MS Thesis consisting of at least 9 credit hours of ME EN 6975 - Research and Thesis: Master of Science is required.
  • A maximum of 3 credit hours of ME EN 6950 - Independent Study may be counted towards the degree.

Supervisory Committee

The Master of Science (thesis option) program of study and thesis work is completed under the direction and approval of a supervisory committee. The supervisory committee chairperson (the student’s advisor) will assist the student in the planning of the program of study, and should encourage breadth by selection of one or more courses outside of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in areas such as basic science, statistics, and mathematics. Graduate courses should be selected after consultation with the student's permanent supervisory chairperson, temporary advisor, or the Director of Graduate Studies.

The student must select a permanent supervisory committee chairperson by the end of the second semester in the Master of Science program. As soon as practical, a three-faculty member supervisory committee should be selected, with one member serving as the permanent supervisory committee chairperson.

Thesis Defense

The Master of Science (thesis option) thesis requirement reflects the research orientation of this degree. The research work associated with a Master of Science thesis should involve close collaboration with a faculty member. Specifically, in a clearly documented manner, the thesis must:

  • Reflect an understanding of the current and past state of knowledge in the chosen research area through a comprehensive literature review of the subject.
  • Clearly state the goals of the research and justify the value of the research results to the engineering and/or scientific community.
  • Result in a substantive contribution to the engineering and/or scientific community.

The candidate is required to defend the thesis and research work at a formal oral presentation.