Requirements
Graduate education in the University of Utah Department of Mechanical Engineering is available to students possessing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, or from an allied field, acquired from an accredited engineering program. As a prerequisite for admission into the graduate program, students are expected to demonstrate competency at the undergraduate level in the basic engineering and science subjects, as shown in the below table along with the appropriate University of Utah courses.
Minimum Undergraduate Competencies
| SUBJECT | APPROPRIATE UU COURSES |
|---|---|
| Mathematics through Partial Differential Equations | Math 1210, 1220, 221, 2250, 3150 |
| Basic Engineering Physics | Physics 2210, 2220 |
| College Chemistry | Chemistry 1210 |
| Computer Programming | Computer Science 1000 |
| Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering 2210 |
| Engineering Materials and Processes | ME EN 2650 |
| Solid Mechanics | ME EN 1300, 2080, 3300 |
| Basic Engineering Thermodynamics | ME EN 2300 |
| Fluid Mechanics | ME EN 3700 |
| Heat Transfer | ME EN 3650 |
| Mechanical Design/Mechatronics | ME EN 3200 |
If deficiencies exist in these or other areas, as identified by the Graduate Committee, then the student and the Graduate Committee Chairperson (Director of Graduate Studies) must formulate a program of appropriate remedial courses, which is to be completed either before admission to the graduate program of study or concurrently with the program.
With approval of the Graduate Committee, satisfactory completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering examination (FE exam) administered by the ECEES may be used to demonstrate the above competency requirement.
In addition to the above requirements, the graduate applicant is required to have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. U.S. citizens may be conditionally admitted as non-matriculated status to demonstrate their ability to satisfactory complete nine hours of approved graduate course work with a minimum of a B (3.0/4.0) GPA. After satisfactory completion of these nine hours, the student may apply for admission as a fully matriculated graduate student. International students on visas will not be accepted into the graduate program in a non-matriculated status.
A minimum TOEFL score of 560 and a GRE Quantitative score of 70% (in the upper 30%) are required for admission to the graduate program. It should be noted that all of these requirements are necessary but not a guarantee of admission to the graduate program.
Non-matriculated Students
Students who do not qualify for admission to The Graduate School or non-degree-seeking students may enroll in graduate-level classes on a non-matriculated basis. (Some graduate-level courses; however, are restricted because of full enrollment, limited space, prerequisites, etc.) When such students want to be considered for matriculated graduate status, they must apply formally through the Admissions Office. Upon recommendation from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and approval by the University Graduate Admission Committee, the student may qualify for admission. Grades received during non-matriculated status do not guarantee admission into a graduate program. International students on visas are not eligible for non-matriculated status.
Credits earned by non-matriculated students may or may not apply to a graduate degree program. Graduate programs are designed and approved by faculty supervisory committees assigned to supervise each graduate student. Decisions on accepting course credit are made initially by these supervisory committees. Only nine semester hours of non-matriculated work can be applied toward a graduate degree. Applying more than nine semester hours of non-matriculated work to the degree requires approval of the Dean of the Graduate School upon the request of the supervisory committee chairperson and Director of Graduate Studies.
Any requests for exceptions to these general admission policies should be directed in writing to the Department of Mechanical Engineering Director of Graduate Studies.