BS/MS Non Thesis Program Requirements

Bachelor of Science/Master of Science Non Thesis Program Requirements

About the Program
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a BS/MS combined degree program to foster undergraduate research (thesis option), provide an in-depth educational experience in a specific area of interest (thesis and non-thesis options), and to accelerate progress towards the MS degree. The program allows advanced students to complete both their BS and MS degrees in as little as five years; one year earlier than if the degrees were done separately. The program gives students an advantage in the job market by providing them with more training, an advanced degree, more research experience, and increased earning potential.

Program Benefits
Mechanical Engineering BS students are required to take 4 technical elective courses (12 credit hours). BS/MS students may “double count” 2 of the 4 undergraduate technical electives (6 hours) towards both their BS and MS degrees. The double counting of technical elective courses reduces the number of credits required for the MS degree from 30 to 24.

• Domestic students may take 18 credit hours of tech electives during their undergraduate careers and then apply a maximum of 12 credit hours towards their MS, further reducing the MS credit requirement to as few as 18 hours.
• If a student plans to exceed 18 hours of tech electives as an undergrad, they must meet with a Graduate Advisor to explore early admissions to the grad program.
• The BS/MS program is designed for domestic students, however international students interested in the combined program can meet with a Graduate Advisor to see if viable options exist for their circumstance.

BS Program Requirements
Both thesis and non-thesis options lead to a Master’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. The BS and MS degrees are conferred simultaneously following completion of both programs. No student will be awarded a separate MS degree without satisfying all requirements for the BS degree. The requirements for an undergrad student to be accepted into the BS/MS program are:

• Be an engineering major at the University of Utah.
• Have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Be “pre-screened” into the BS/MS Program, undergraduate students must fill out the BS/MS screening application
  • Preferably have Junior status in their major.
  • MS Non-thesis students can be pre-screened during their senior year.
  • Have a faculty advisor/research sponsor if applying for an MS Thesis.
  • Thesis students should include the email address of a potential faculty advisor, if possible.

Students meeting the pre-screening qualifications are given authorization to proceed to take tech electives at the graduate level. All undergraduate classes that will be applied towards the MS degree should be taken at the 6000-level or above and must be numbered 5000 or above. Pre-screening does not guarantee eventual admission to graduate school. Undergrad students must still apply and be formally admitted to the program for the semester following what would be the final semester of their undergraduate program.

MS Program Requirements
Once students are admitted to the BS/MS program, they have several milestones they must pass in order to graduate with both degrees.

• MS Thesis students should refer to the MS Thesis Program Requirements
• MS-Non Thesis students should refer to the MSNT Program Requirements
• Students should also contact their Undergrad Advisor for any remaining requirements for their BS degree.
• Once admitted to the graduate program, all classes should be taken at the 6000-level or above when possible.

General MS Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 Total Credit Hours is required for both the thesis on non-thesis options.

• Majority of course credit hours must be in ME EN (6000 or above)
  • Minimum of 3 credit hours in ME EN classes at the 7000 level
  • Remaining credit hours from Math, Science, or Engineering (including ME if desired)
  • Students following established MS tracks (e.g., Robotics) may deviate from the majority of credits in ME EN based on the track’s requirements
• No more than 3 credit hours of Independent Study (ME EN 6950)
  • An Independent Study with a student’s MS advisor must be separate from their thesis topic and must be approved by the department’s Graduate Committee
• No more than 3 Seminar credit hours
• Note: a student’s research advisor or supervisory committee may require additional course credit hours

• Additional course guidelines
  • No more than 9 non-matriculated credit hours graded B or better
  • No more than 6 transfer credits hours graded B or better
  • Only courses in engineering, mathematics, and science are acceptable
  • The student must obtain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from all courses used on their Program of Study

Thesis Option:

• Minimum of 21 credit hours in courses relevant to the student's academic program (graded B- or better)
• Minimum of 9 credit hours of ME EN 6975, Master’s Thesis Research (graded CR/NC)
• All additional research credit hours must be ME EN 6975

Non-Thesis Option:

• Minimum of 30 credit hours in courses relevant to the student's academic program (graded B- or better)
  • 15 credit hours must be in one of the Mechanical Engineering focus areas
  • 15 credit hours of electives in Math, Science or Engineering (including ME if desired)

Additional Program Requirements

• Formation of the MS Supervisory Committee
• Process BS/MS Request for Grad Credit
• Successful completion of coursework associated with an approved program of study
• MSNT: successful completion of an exit exam
• MS-Thesis: successful completion of an approved research program
  • Successful Oral Defense of the MS Research
  • Successful approval of a written Thesis
  • Successful approval of a written Thesis

Faculty Advisor
Each student should have a faculty advisor at the time of admission. If not, the student must select an advisor by the end of the first semester of MS degree work. The advisor oversees the MS student’s program, gives recommendations for selecting courses, and supervises the thesis research. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the advisor must be a tenured/tenure-track faculty member within the department.

Supervisory Committee
By the end of the student's second semester, a three-member Supervisory Committee is selected. The chair of this committee is the student’s permanent advisor. The committee chair selects the other members of the committee in consultation with the student. The Graduate Committee may make recommendations regarding committee membership. The Supervisory Committee must be approved by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies and the Grad School. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the majority of the committee must be tenure-line faculty members from the department. Failure to form a supervisory committee by the end of the student's first year will result in the student being placed on probation for failure to make due progress.

*Note: MS-Thesis students may submit a petition for exception to policy for either the chair of the committee or the majority, but not both.

MSNT students may opt to choose either the department's "Standing Committee" or select the individual committee members.

• The MSNT Standing Committee is comprised of 3 Mechanical Engineering faculty determined by the department’s Graduate Committee
• If using the MSNT Standing Committee, students must notify the Graduate Advising office. In this case, they do not need to obtain committee member signatures on Committee and Program of Study forms.
• If a student opts to select their own committee members, they must follow these rules:
  • The student’s advisor serves as the chair of the committee and must be regular (tenure-line) faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • The remaining two committee members must also be regular (tenure-line) faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • MSNT Students may not petition for exception to policy regarding their committee.
  • The student will obtain approval and signatures from committee members on all paperwork.

Program of Study
The Program of Study and thesis work is completed under the direction and approval of the supervisory committee. The committee chair (usually the student’s advisor) should assist the student in planning the Program of Study and should encourage breadth by selecting of one or more courses outside of the department in areas such as basic mathematics, science, and other engineering topics. The cumulative GPA of courses listed on the program of study must be greater than or equal to a 3.0 with no grades lower than B-.

Preliminary Program of Study Approval
By the end of their first semester, the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the MS (Thesis or Non-Thesis) Preliminary Program of Study form.
• Select graduate courses after consultation with their temporary or permanent advisor.
• List all taken and planned classes on the form that are to count toward the MS, including research hours.
  • Clearly indicate which classes are being shared with the student's BS
  • Obtain signature approval from their advisor and then submit the form to Graduate Advising.

  The Graduate Advisor will obtain approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before filing the form in the student’s departmental records. If the form is not approved, the Graduate Advisor will return the form to the student.

  Final Program of Study Approval
  Upon registering for their final course(s), the student must:

  • Obtain and fill out the MS (Thesis or Non-Thesis) Program of Study form.
  • List all classes that are to count toward the MS, including research hours.
  • Gather signature approval from their committee members, unless using the MSNT Standing Committee, and then submit the form to Graduate Advising.

  The Graduate Advisor will input the information from the form into the electronic records system via CIS. The Director of Graduate Studies will electronically approve the Program of Study.

  MSNT Research and/or Project Opportunities
  There are no research and/or project requirements for the BS/MSNT program. A non-thesis student desiring to conduct a project must first find a faculty member willing to sponsor it. After finding a sponsor, they may register for up to 3 credit hours of ME EN 6950 – Independent Study course. Should a project be undertaken, no formal presentation or defense is required. Under no circumstance may a project defense be substituted for the Comprehensive Final Exam requirement.

  BS/MS Request for Grad Credit

  MS Thesis Defense
  The required final examination for the Master of Science-Thesis is an oral defense of the thesis. The Thesis requirement reflects the research orientation of this degree. The research work associated with an MST should involve close collaboration with the student’s advisor and committee. The thesis typically represents two years of research. 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 student is required to defend their Thesis and research work at a formal oral presentation that is open to the public.

  Scheduling the defense

  • At least three weeks before this defense, the student should submit an acceptable thesis draft to the committee chair (generally their research advisor).
  • Committee members should receive a copy of the thesis draft at least two weeks before the examination date.
  •  During the manuscript review period, the student will coordinate with their supervisory committee to determine a defense time and date.
    • Students must schedule their defense at least two weeks in advance.
    • The defense is open to the public and the student must submit a Request for Public Defense Announcement form to the Graduate Advisor no less than one week before the defense date.

  Conducting the defense

  • The chair of the student’s committee will also chair the defense. The chair will at a minimum:
    • Open the defense session by introducing the student and their research topic.
    • Announce any specific rules pertaining to the defense (e.g., hold questions until the end of the presentation).
  • The student’s public presentation of their research should will generally last at least approximately 45 minutes.
  • After the oral presentation, a question and answer period must be allowed.
  • At the conclusion of the public participation, the committee may excuse the public and conduct further questioning on the student’s research and Thesis.
  • After concluding their examination, the committee will excuse the student to deliberate the outcome of their defense.
  • The outcome of the thesis defense is reported on the MS-Thesis Report of the Final Oral Exam form. ○ The student will receive a “Pass on the defense if the majority of the committee members concur.
    • The student will receive a “Pass with Corrections” if the majority of the committee requires minor changes to the student’s Thesis but do not feel that the student needs to publicly defend their research again. In this case, the committee will also decide if the chair or the entire committee needs to verify that the requested changes have been made.
    • The student will receive a “Fail” if the majority of the committee requires changes to the Thesis and agree that the student must publicly defend their research again.
  • The chair of the committee must return the completed form to the Graduate Advisor within one week of the defense.

  After the defense

  • Once the committee approves the Thesis content, students must submit their manuscript to the Graduate Advisor for a format review before obtaining the Department Chair’s approval.
    • The student will also provide a Grammarly report showing that no major grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors are in the manuscript. ○ The Graduate Advisor and Department Chair must be allotted at least one week to review and approve the manuscript.
  • After the Department chair approves the Thesis, the Graduate Advisor will notify the student to submit their manuscript to the Thesis Editor for approval and publication. See instructions here:
  • Thesis must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than eight months from the date of the thesis defense. This eight-month deadline includes thesis corrections, final supervisory committee approval, department chair approval, and final approval by the thesis office and graduate school. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the thesis will be voided, the student will have to re-register for one thesis credit, and re-submit and re-defend the thesis.
  • Once format corrections are finished, the student must then work with the Thesis Office to submit their manuscript to ProQuest (or USPACE) for online viewing.
  • After all of these steps are completed, the student will be cleared for graduation. Please note that a student is not considered “graduated” for merely passing the defense. The thesis must also successfully pass corrections and be published before a degree may be awarded.

  Students can monitor their degree progress and milestones by logging into CIS, locating the Graduation panel under their Student Information, and clicking on “Graduate Student Summary.” It is the responsibility of the student to monitor and ensure the correctness of their online records.

  MSNT Final Examination

  • Each department establishes its own policy on the structure of the examination (i.e., written, oral, or both; conducted by supervisory committee or uniform departmental exam).
  • The exam may be taken early in the program as a comprehensive qualifying exam, or late in the program as a final comprehensive exam separate from the thesis defense.
  • May consist of course work only or involve an independent project. In either case, a final exam that covers breadth and integration of material in the field is required.
  • The examination may be written, oral, or both, and is conducted by the supervisory committee or the department.

  Financial  Aid Opportunities
  Students in the BS/MS Program may receive financial support in the form of an hourly position during the fourth year. After students are admitted to the Graduate School and classified as an M.S. student, they may receive funding as a research or teaching assistant and are eligible for the University of Utah Tuition Benefit Program.

  Program Procedures
  Once students are accepted into the BS/MS program, they have several checkpoints they must pass in order to graduate by their fifth year with two degrees. These checkpoints are designed to keep students on track:

  Between Junior and Senior Years:

  • Thesis students are encouraged to begin their research for the M.S. degree if pursuing the thesis option.
  • Students should confirm what B.S. degree requirements remain with their undergraduate advisor.
  • Take the GRE at least 2 months prior to applying to the graduate school to allow the scores enough time to be processed and received by the Department.

  Senior Year:

  • Enroll for a minimum of two (6 hours) and a maximum of four (12 hours) 6000-level technical electives (if extra space is available in the student’s final year).
  • Apply for graduate status by the posted deadlines found here: https://www.mech.utah.edu/academics/grads/admissions/. This must be done in accordance to the application procedures for all ME EN graduate students, with the following rules:
    • The statement of purpose should be 1-2 pages and focus on the student’s academic and career goals.
    • An updated resume should be uploaded to the application.
    • Three letters of recommendation are required. One letter must come from the student’s research advisor.
    • If the GRE quantitative score is less than the 80th percentile, the student will need to retake the GRE and achieve that score if the GRE is required for admission to the graduate program (was optional during COVID).
  • Discuss future course options with research advisor (thesis option), and/or decide what classes to take your first semester in the graduate program.

  First Semester of M.S.

  • Turn in Request for Graduate Credit Form
  • Submit Program Declaration Form
  • Form Supervisory Committee (thesis option; non-thesis option can use Department default committee and have a program of study form signed by Dr. Mark Fehlberg)
  • Submit B.S./M.S. Program of Study (see Grad Advisor after registering for final semester or by first week of final semester)
  • Apply to graduate in CIS or by using the Graduation Application form

  Final Semester

  • Thesis Defense (thesis masters only)
  • Work with your committee to arrange a date and time
  • Work with the graduate advisor to schedule a room in MEK
  • M.S. Thesis Announcement Template (due 2 weeks prior to defense)
  • M.S. Thesis Oral Defense Form
  • M.S. Thesis Approval Forms
  • M.S. Non-thesis-complete exit interview with graduate advisor

  Thesis Process (thesis Master’s only):

  • The student is encouraged to meet with his/her faculty advisor to ensure that thesis milestones are met in a timely manner.
  • Once the committee approves the thesis content, students must submit their manuscript - with signed thesis sheets - to the Department Chair for approval. The chair must be allotted at least one week to review and approve the manuscript.
  • After the chair approves the thesis and signs the Final Reading Approval, the student must submit their manuscript and sheets to the Thesis Editor to begin format approval. This must be done in accordance with Graduate School deadlines in order to graduate in a given semester: http://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/graduation-overview-for-masters-candidates/.
  • Thesis must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than eight months from the date of the thesis defense. This eight-month deadline includes thesis corrections, final supervisory committee approval, department chair approval, and final approval by the thesis office and graduate school. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the thesis will be voided, the student will have to re-register for one thesis credit, and re-submit and re-defend the thesis.
  • Once format corrections are finished, the student must then work with the Thesis Office to submit their manuscript to ProQuest (or USPACE) for online viewing.
  • After all of these steps are completed, the student will be cleared for graduation. Please note that a student is not considered “graduated” for merely passing the defense. The thesis must also successfully pass corrections and be published before a degree may be awarded.

  Both thesis and non-thesis options lead to a Master’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Both the B.S. and M.S. degrees are conferred simultaneously following completion of the program. No student will be awarded a separate M.S. degree without satisfying all requirements for the B.S. degree.

  Transfer from undergraduate to graduate status occurs after completion of the B.S. degree requirements. A student is eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program administered by the Graduate School after graduate status is conferred.

by Mark Fehlberg

Changes to Supervisory Committee and Committee Member Dismissal

Changes to supervisory committee rules:

• The student will fill out a Change of Committee form listing all committee members.
• The student will clearly indicate which committee member(s) are being replaced by each new member.
• The student will obtain approval from the chair and the new member(s).
• The student will notify the replaced committee member(s) that their service is no longer required.

The student will then submit the Committee change form to Graduate Advising. Their Graduate Advisor will input the committee into the electronic records system via CIS. The Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate School will electronically approve the Committee or return it to the student for correction.

Committee member dismissal rules:

This policy only applies after the PhD proposal defense. Before their PhD proposal or MS defense, the student and Advisor may reform the committee by following the changes to supervisory committee rules above. After the PhD proposal, the student or their PhD Advisor may request to remove and replace a committee member. The request must be submitted to the Graduate Director in writing and provide a rationale for the requested change.

The Graduate Director reviews the request and can take one of two actions:

1. The Graduate Director accepts the request. The Graduate Director informs the committee member to be dismissed, in writing, of the change in the committee. If the committee member does not want to be dismissed, the Graduate Director must refer the request to the Graduate Committee (option 2).
2. The Graduate Director refers the request to the Graduate Committee. The Graduate Committee reviews the case and makes a recommendation on whether to grant the request. If the request is granted, the chair of the Graduate Committee (who may also be the Graduate Director) informs the committee member to be dismissed of the Graduate Committee’s decision. If the request is not granted, the chair of the Graduate Committee informs the PhD student and Advisor of the Graduate Committee’s decision not to grant the request.

The decision of the Graduate Committee is final. If the removal of the member in question results in a committee consisting of less than 5 members for a PhD committee or 3 members for an MS committee, the student must then add another member to the committee.

A committee member may also request to be removed from a committee. This request is made to the Graduate Director who will usually grant the request and inform the student and Advisor that a replacement member is needed. If the replacement occurs after a PhD student has defended their proposal, the student must present the proposal information to the new member.

by Mark Fehlberg

Qual Exam Handbook

EXAM INSTRUCTIONS

I. Qualifying Exam Overview

To advance towards a degree in the University of Utah’s Department of Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. program, students must pass the department’s Qualifying Exam. The Qualifying Exam consists of two mandatory written examinations and oral follow-ups if required (see Section III).

• • Students must take their Qualifying Exam no later than their third semester in the Ph.D. Program. Summer does not count as a semester. During the first week of the semester, students will submit a Notification of Intent to Take the Qualifying Exam.
  • Exams will be administered during the 12th week of the Fall and Spring semesters. Exams are not offered during Summer. Each Subject Area (see Table I) will be scheduled on a specific date and time. No exceptions to the date, time, and location of the exams will be made unless the student has a Center for Disability and Access (CDA) approved accommodation that specifically addresses the department’s Qualifying Exam. Students must ensure that all accommodations are in place at least 2 weeks before the exam dates.
  • Each Subject Area will have at least two proficient examiners (exam writers and evaluators) selected from the department’s faculty. The examiners will be selected by the Organizing Group that administers the exam for the corresponding Subject Area.
  • Students are allowed two attempts to pass the Qualifying Exam. Students that do not pass the exam on their first attempt, must retake the exam in the subsequent semester. Students who do not pass the exam on their second attempt will be dismissed from the Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. program.
  • Students may petition the department’s Graduate Committee for an extension before taking the exam, if extenuating circumstances have left the student at an unfair disadvantage. Students may petition for a one-semester extension during the first week of the semester.

The exam is designed to:

• • Evaluate the student’s mastery of selected core areas of Mechanical Engineering.
  • Evaluate the student’s ability to work through complex engineering problems.
  • Identify areas that need strengthening as the student works towards their Ph.D.

Before the exams, we recommend that students have taken relevant coursework and are proficient in concepts related to their chosen exam topics.

II. Written Examination Format

Students will select two Subject Areas from Table I that support their Ph.D. research. Students (except for those enrolled in the Robotics Track) can pick topics within a single Organizing Group or across Groups. Each exam will cover material related to the Subject Area. The exams are closed book format. The time limit to complete each Subject Area exam is two hours. Students may refer to a corresponding Study Guide for each Subject Area to prepare for the written exams.

Table I: Written Exam Subject Areas

III. Optional Oral Follow-up Format

An oral follow-up may be required for any Subject Area under certain circumstances.

• • Some Subject Area examiners may opt to require an oral follow-up for all students taking that Subject Area’s exam.
  • The examiners may also opt to hold an oral follow-up for a student if they are uncertain whether the student should receive a pass or fail.
  • An oral follow-up is mandatory for students that have failed the written portion of a Subject Area on their second attempt.
  • Oral follow-up sessions should occur no later than the Friday of the week following the written exam and may be up to 45 minutes per Subject Area.

IV. Qualifying Exam Results

Each Subject Area examiner has a distinct pass or fail vote. Students must receive all pass votes from the examiners to pass each Subject Area. Exam results will be provided to students no later two weeks after the exams.

• • If a student fails one or both Subject Areas on their first attempt, they must retake the Qualifying Exam in the subsequent semester. Students failing one Subject Area may retake that subject or may choose to attempt a different subject. Students failing both subjects may retake the same subjects or may choose to attempt different subject(s).
  • If a student fails the exam on their second attempt, they will be dismissed from the department’s Ph.D. program. Regardless of whether a student chooses to retake the same area(s) or attempt different area(s), any Subject Area failure on the second exam attempt will cause dismissal from the program.
  • Students that fail the Qualifying Exam on their second attempt may opt to start an MS-Thesis program in Mechanical Engineering. After successfully defending their MS thesis and with the recommendation of the student’s supervisory committee, a student may opt to reenroll in the Ph.D. program and attempt the Qualifying Exam for a third time. If a student fails their third attempt, they will be dismissed from the Ph.D. program with no options to return.
  • Students wishing to appeal their exam result should first meet with the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. If unable to resolve the exam outcome, the student may appeal to the Department Chair. If the student or the examiners disagree with the Department Chair’s decision, either party may make an appeal to the College of Engineering’s Academic Appeals and Misconduct Committee. Please refer to Policy 6-400: Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities for more details and the timeline of the appeals process.

by Mark Fehlberg

PHD DEFENSE INSTRUCTIONS

PHD DEFENSE INSTRUCTIONS

I. Purpose/Background

PhD students intending to defend must start this process not less than 8 weeks prior to their planned Public Defense. Students are encouraged to start the process as early as possible to prevent any delays in their targeted graduation. During this time, the student should begin coordinating their planned Public Defense date with their Committee.

1. 1. Deadlines
      1. The deadline to submit your dissertation and graduate in the same semester in which you defend is typically 3 weeks prior to the end of that semester’s classes.
         1. Thesis Office Target Dates
         2. Semester Calendar
      2. To graduate in the current semester, the Public Defense must be held at least 1 week before the Thesis Office’s Target Dates to allow time for department format review.
      3. The last day to defend in a semester is the last week day before the next semester’s classes begin.
         1. The student will graduate in the following semester if they missed the Thesis Office’s Target date.
         2. The student is not required to enroll in classes for semesters following their defense.
   2. Preliminary Review of Dissertation Format
      1. Prior to the 11th week of the semester, the student must schedule a Preliminary Review of their dissertation to the Thesis Office.
         1. The deadline to conduct a Preliminary Review is typically 5 weeks prior to the end of that semester’s classes.
         2. The Preliminary Review can be done once the student has completed at least one chapter of their dissertation.
      2. Proof of a Preliminary Review by the Thesis Office is required for Department dissertation format approval.

II. Dissertation Approval

The approval process starts when the student’s Committee Chair, typically their Research Advisor, agrees that the draft dissertation is ready for Committee Review

1. 1. Determination of Private Defense
      1.  A Private Defense can be used by the Committee to approve the dissertation’s content prior to the Public Defense.
      2. The Committee Chair will survey the Committee to determine if a Private Defense is required.
         1. If possible, the Chair and Committee should determine if a Private Defense will be held well in advance of the event (e.g., by division or lab policy).
         2. A Private Defense must be held if any Committee Member asks for it.
         3.  If held, the Private Defense must be scheduled within 2 weeks of the Committee receiving the dissertation.
   2. Committee Approval
      1. The student will provide their dissertation to the remaining Committee Members.
      2. The Committee is allotted 2 weeks for their review.
      3.  Regardless of whether a Private Defense is held, the dissertation review must still occur within the 2-week review period.
   3.  Dissertation Review with Private Defense
      1. The Committee Chair will coordinate the date, time, and location of the Private Defense.
      2. Committee Members are not required to attend the Private Defense, but if they do not attend, they must provide a review of the dissertation as outlined in Section II.d.
      3. After the Private Defense, Committee Members will indicate whether the student’s dissertation is Accepted, Requires Revisions, or Rejected using the PhD Dissertation Content Approval Form. 4. The Committee Chair informs the student of the Committee’s decision and submits the Dissertation Approval Form to Graduate Advising.
   4.  Dissertation Review without Private Defense
      1. Each Committee Member will review the student’s dissertation individually.
      2. Within the 2-week period allotted for their review, Committee Members may request to meet individually with the student.
      3.  After their review, Committee Members will indicate to the Committee Chair whether the student’s dissertation is Accepted, Requires Revisions, or Rejected.
      4. The Committee Chair informs the student of the Committee’s decision and submits the Dissertation Approval Form to Graduate Advising.
   5. Dissertation Revisions
      1. If the dissertation is Requires Revisions, the student has 1 week to respond to the required revisions and return a corrected draft to their Committee.
         1. After receiving the revised dissertation, the Committee has 1 week to verify the revisions.
         2. The Committee may defer to the Committee Chair to ensure that the revisions have been made.
         3. Once all requested revisions are satisfied, the student may proceed with planning their Public Defense and the Committee Chair submits a revised Dissertation Approval Form to Graduate Advising.
         4. If the revisions are not satisfied, the student must make the required revisions and then begin the dissertation review process from the beginning.
      2. If the dissertation is Rejected, the student must make the required revisions and then restart the dissertation review process from the beginning.

III. Scheduling the Public Defense

1. 1. Announcing the Public Defense
      1. The student will coordinate their Public Defense date and time with their Committee.
      2. Students are encouraged to schedule their Public Defense as soon as possible assuming that their dissertation content will be approved.
   2. Announcing the Public Defense
      1. The student will meet with Graduate Advising and provide a Public Defense Announcement not less than 1 week prior to the defense. 2. If needed, Graduate Advising can assist the student with scheduling a location for the defense.

IV. Conducting the Public Defense

1. 1. Minimum Committee Chair Responsibilities
      1. Open the defense session by introducing the student and their research topic.
      2. Announce any specific rules pertaining to the defense (e.g., hold questions until the end of the presentation).
   2. Defense Timing
      1. The student’s oral presentation of their research generally lasts 45 minutes.
      2. After the oral presentation, a public discussion period is held, generally lasting 15 minutes.
      3. At the conclusion of the public participation, the Committee may excuse the public to conduct further questioning of the student’s research.
      4. After further questioning of the student’s research, the committee excuses the student and holds a private discussion to decide on the outcome.
      5. The outcome of the defense is reported on the PhD Public Defense Approval Form.
         1. The student will receive a “Pass” on the defense if the majority of the Committee members concur.
         2. Otherwise, the student will receive a “Fail” and must defend their research again.
      6. The Committee Chair informs the student of the Committee’s decision and submits the PhD Public Defense Approval Form to Graduate Advising.

V. After the Public Defense

Once the student has Dissertation Approval and Public Defense Approval, they must submit their dissertation to Graduate Advising for a format review to obtain the Department Chair’s approval.

1. 1.  Department Format Review
      1. Graduate Advising and Department Chair must be allotted at least one week to review the dissertation.
      2. For the format review, the student will provide Graduate Advising with:
         1. An MS Word document or .pdf of their approved dissertation.
         2. A Grammarly report showing that no major grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. c. Proof of Preliminary Review of format from the Thesis Office.
   2. Thesis Office Review
      1. After the Department chair approves the dissertation, Graduate Advising will notify the student to submit their dissertation to the Thesis Office for approval and publication.
      2. The Thesis Once will inform the student if any format corrections are required.
      3. If revisions are required, the student should make them and resubmit their dissertation within 2 days.
      4. The student will continue to work with the Thesis Office until all formatting requirements are met.
      5. The Thesis Office will notify the student that their dissertation is approved and provide them with instructions to submit their dissertation to ProQuest for online viewing.
   3. Dissertation Approval Requirements
      1. The student’s dissertation must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than 8 months after their Public Defense.
      2. The 8-month deadline includes Department format approval, Thesis Office final approval, and the student’s upload of their dissertation to ProQuest.
      3. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the dissertation will be voided; the student will have to reenroll in class, re-submit, and re-defend their research.

VI. Degree Conferral and Graduation

1. 1. Graduation Clearance
      1. The student will be cleared to graduate in the current semester if they have met all requirements before the Thesis Office’s deadline to upload to ProQuest. https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/calendar.php
      2. If the student has not met the deadline to upload to ProQuest, they must apply to graduate in the subsequent semester.
   2. Degree Conferral
      1. Commencement and the College of Engineering’s Convocation occur once a year after the end of the Spring semester, generally in early May.
      2. Students cleared to graduate in Spring may participate in Commencement and Convocation after the end of that Spring semester.
      3. Students cleared to graduate in Summer or Fall may participate in Commencement and Convocation after the end of the following Spring semester.

VII. Checklist

A summary of events is shown below. All events should occur earlier when possible.

• • ☐ Thoroughly review the Thesis Office’s policies and handbook https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/handbook/index.php
    ☐ Conduct Preliminary Review with Thesis Office (before 11th week of semester)
    ☐ Obtain Research Advisor permission to send draft dissertation to Committee
    • ☐ Have Research Advisor coordinate Private Defense requirement with Committee
    • ☐ Determine time, date, and location of Private Defense if applicable
  • ☐ Send draft dissertation to Committee
    • ☐ Allot Committee 2 weeks to review and provide feedback on dissertation content
      ☐ If applicable, Private Defense occurs within 2-week review period
  • ☐ Revise dissertation content as required from Committee feedback
    • ☐ Provide revised dissertation to Committee within 1 week
      ☐ Allot Committee 1 week to review and verify dissertation revisions
  • ☐ Obtain Committee members signatures on PhD Dissertation Content Approval Form once dissertation content is approved
    ☐ Schedule Public Defense
    • ☐ Provide PhD Dissertation Content Approval Form to Grad Advising
      ☐ Determine time, date, and location of Public Defense
      ☐ Provide Defense Announcement to Grad Advising at least 1 week before the scheduled date
  • ☐ Conduct Public Defense
    • ☐ Obtain Committee members signatures on PhD Public Defense Approval Form
      ☐ Provide PhD Public Defense Approval Form to Grad Advising
  • ☐ Allot 1 week for department Format Review
    • ☐ Provide copy of approved dissertation, Grammarly report, and proof of Thesis Office’s Preliminary Review to Grad Advising
      ☐ Revise dissertation formatting if required
  • ☐ Submit department approved dissertation to the Thesis Office
    • ☐ Obtain e-signatures from Committee members and Department Chair
      ☐ Correct any indicated deficiencies and return revisions within 48 hours
      ☐ Upload Thesis Office approved dissertation to ProQuest

VIII. Example Pathways

A. Complete Process Overview

B. Pre-determined Private Defense with No Issues

C. No Private Defense with Two Revisions

by Mark Fehlberg

Departmental Listings

by Davey Stevenson

Student resources/Support groups

Student Resources

RESOURCES AROUND CAMPUS

The University is divided into several different departments, each with their own focus and specialized knowledge. It is the student’s responsibility to know who to go to for specific assistance. Table 7 describes some of the most common on-campus resources. More resources can be found via the University A-Z Index.

Table 7: Common On-Campus Resources

Departmental Resources

Graduate students can reserve conference rooms, study rooms, and equipment such as microphones, cables, adapters, Surface Pros, cameras, tripods, and speakers by making an online reservation https://www.mech.utah.edu/reservations/ and picking up the item or keycard in MEK 1550.

Graduate School Resources

Events

Event & Workshop Calendar: https://gradschool.utah.edu/events-calendar

Events & Workshops Description: https://gradschool.utah.edu/upcoming-events

Administrative & Records

Graduate Records Office: https://gradschool.utah.edu/graduate-catalog/graduate-records-office

Electronic Graduate Record File: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/electronic-graduate-record-file-tutorial

Awards & Fellowships

Graduate Fellowship Opportunities: https://gradschool.utah.edu/tbp/graduate-fellowship-opportunities

Graduate Student Travel Assistance Award: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/graduate-student-travel-assistance-award

Early Career Professional Development Program: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/graduate-student-travel-assistance-award

Thesis & Dissertation Awards: https://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/awards

Advocacy

Graduate School Office: https://gradschool.utah.edu/

Graduate School Dean: dean@gradschool.utah.edu

Training & Workshop Programs

International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP): https://gradschool.utah.edu/ita

Three Minute Thesis Training & Competition: https://gradschool.utah.edu/3MT

Past Workshops & Trainings: https://gradschool.utah.edu/resource-library/workshops-videos

Research Communication: https://gradschool.utah.edu/science-communication

Writing & Manuscript Editing

Thesis Office: https://gradschool.utah.edu/thesis

Grammarly: https://gradschool.utah.edu/grammarly

University Resources

Graduate Writing Center & Graduate Student Reading Room

More information: https://writingcenter.utah.edu/grad-student-services.php. The Graduate Writing Center is located in the Marriott Library in the Graduate Student Reading Room. To access the Reading Room, students must fill out a Graduate Resources Access Form, found at https://lib.utah.edu/services/education/gradstudents.php. eTutoring for Graduate Writing is also available. Students can sign up for this service at https://writingcenter.utah.edu/graduate-services/e-tutoring.php

University Libraries

In addition to the research offerings, the Marriott Library has events and programs specifically for graduate students. Check https://lib.utah.edu/services/education/gradstudents.php for schedules and more information.

Professional Development

Career & Professional Development Center Graduate Student Career Coaching: https://utah.craniumcafe.com/group/graduate-student-career-coaching

Graduate Student Teaching Training from Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence: https://ctle.utah.edu/events/ctle_events.php

Higher Education Teaching Specialist Program: https://ctle.utah.edu/hets

Student Health, Wellness, & Recreation

Student Health Center: https://studenthealth.utah.edu

University Counseling Center (including Mindfulness Center): https://counselingcenter.utah.edu

John and Marcia Price College of Engineering Counseling Services: https://www.price.utah.edu/students/current/counseling

Center for Student Wellness: https://wellness.utah.edu

Campus Recreation Services: https://campusrec.utah.edu

John and Marcia Price College of Engineering Counseling Services: https://www.price.utah.edu/students/current/counseling

Online Mental Health Screenings:  https://screening.hfihub.com/utah

Huntsman Mental Health Institute (Formerly UNI): https://healthcare.utah.edu/hmhi/programs/crisis-diversion

SafeU: https://safeu.utah.edu/

Student Mental Health Resources: https://studentaffairs.utah.edu/mentalhealth/

Veterans Support Center: https://veteranscenter.utah.edu/

Leadership & Dispute Resources

Dean of Students Office: https://deanofstudents.utah.edu

Faculty Ombudsman: https://academic-affairs.utah.edu/office-for-faculty/facultyombudsman

Graduate School: https://gradschool.utah.edu/contact-us

Support Groups & Services

Center for Disability & Access: https://disability.utah.edu

International Student & Scholar Services: https://ic.utah.edu

Veterans Support Center: https://veteranscenter.utah.edu

by Davey Stevenson

Student Awards/Fellowships/Travel

Student Awards

Department-Specific Awards

The Department of Mechanical Engineering awards Dissertation of the Year, Teaching Assistant of the Year, Researcher of the Year awards to graduate students once per year.

College/University Fellowships and Awards

The College of Engineering gives out a Teaching Assistant and Dissertation of the Year award annually.

The Graduate School awards, fellowships, and scholarships can be found here: https://gradschool.utah.edu/funding/fellowships-scholarships-awards/grad-school-administered/index.php

External Fellowship & Award Opportunities

The University of Utah College of Engineering Fellowships Office is designed to help you find, compete for, and win national and international fellowships and scholarships.  (Note: For information on local / university scholarships, check out the COE scholarships website.) Within the above website, you will find a database of opportunities, guidance on how to build a winning application, as well as information on upcoming events and a list of previous winners.  Note that you can stop by the Office of Fellowships in person and view example winning applications from previous years that students have contributed.

A list of external fellowships is available at https://gradschool.utah.edu/tbp/external-opportunities, and students also have access to Pivot, a new tool for finding foundation funding. https://osp.utah.edu/news/pivot.php

Student Travel Assistance

There are travel awards offered through the Graduate School - the Graduate Student Travel Assistance Award (GSTAA) and the Early Career Professional Development Program (ECPDP). More information on these awards is available here.

by Davey Stevenson

Access to Common Dept/University resources

Student Access to Physical Resources

Departmental Resources

Graduate student mailboxes are located in MEK 1671. The administrative office staff in MEK 1550 updates the mailboxes every semester. Students can obtain 24/7 MEK building and specific lab access by filling out a building access form at the front desk.

University Resources

University ID Card

 University card information

TRAX Pass

UTA University pass

TRAX Schedules & Maps

Wireless Connections

Onboard to Utah wireless

Software

Grammarly Access

New Student Guide to Digital Resources

Office of Software Licensing

Campus IT Help Desk

Hardware

University Bookstore

Surplus & Salvage

Paychecks & Direct Deposit

HR Paycheck Information

Housing

Graduate Student Housing Resources & Options

Libraries

J. Willard Marriott Library

Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

Meals & Food

Utah Meal Plans

Credit Union

UFirst Credit Union

Arts & Entertainment

Arts Pass

by Davey Stevenson

Research Policies and Training

Research Policies & Training

The Office of Research Education (REd) provides “comprehensive training and learning opportunities and resources for faculty, students and staff engaged in responsible conduct of research at the University of Utah.”  The objectives for REd are to:

• Offer up-to-date classes and workshops that enhance knowledge about research integrity
• Facilitate an interactive learning environment for adult learners to apply ethical skills in decision making about current and future research endeavors
• Provide adult learners with access to resources and tools to implement best practices across the research spectrum

Research Education Courses

The Office of Research Education offers synchronous and asynchronous classes. See more information here: https://education.research.utah.edu/red_classes/index.php

Grant Writing Portal
https://education.research.utah.edu/grant-writing-portal/index.php

Research Mentorship
https://education.research.utah.edu/research-mentoring.php

The Office of the Vice President for Research has additional research resources available: https://www.research.utah.edu/resources/

IRB

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is charged with the review of all research projects that involve humans to ensure they comply with local, state, and federal laws, as well as the high ethical standards set forth in University policy. If you are working with human subjects in your research, you should be familiar with and compliant to IRB rules. More information here: https://irb.utah.edu.

Export Controls

There are a number of United States export laws that directly affect University research, specifically they include:

• The Export Administration Regulations (EAR) controlled by the Department of Commerce,
• The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) managed by the State Department
• The sanction regulations governing the transfer of assets governed by the U.S. Department of Treasury through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

If research involves technological, biological, and chemical and military-related technologies, the government may exert control and supervision of the research and require the University to obtain a license or find and record an exception to the law before allowing foreign nationals to participate in the research, before partnering with a foreign company, or before sharing research results in any manner (including by publication or presentation at conferences) with persons who are not U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens. Licenses are not easily obtained and require careful preparation and an inordinate amount of lead-time.

More information: https://osp.utah.edu/policies/export-controls.php

Radiation Safety

Working with radiation sources at the University of Utah requires appropriate authorization, training, and oversight. All work with radiation sources must be performed under a radiation work permit which is under the jurisdiction of a Responsible Users (RU). https://rso.utah.edu

Occupational Safety

Information about general workplace and office safety, fire safety, laboratory safety, and environmental issues can be found here: https://oehs.utah.edu

Research Misconduct

See the University’s research misconduct policy here: Policy 7-001: Policy for Research Misconduct

Intellectual Property Policies

The university IP policy states that the university owns inventions, discoveries, and improvements made by faculty, staff and certain graduate students as a result of either university employment or through the use of university resources. For additional information, please refer to university policies which can be found here.

Below are links to certain University of Utah policies and guidelines for technology commercialization. Please contact TVC at (801) 581-7792 with any questions.

• Policy 1-006: Individual Financial Conflict of Interest Policy
• Supplemental Rule 1-006: Health Sciences Industry Relations Policy
• Policy 5-204: Remunerative Consultation and Other Employment Activities
• Policy 5-403: Additional Compensation and Overload Policy
• Policy 7-002: Patents and Inventions
• Policy 7-003: Ownership of Copyrightable Works and Related Works
• Policy 7-004: University Faculty Profit-Making Corporations

More information: https://tvc.utah.edu/inventor-resources/inventors-guide

Reporting Safety Issues

All injuries, incidents, accidents, unsafe conditions, and near misses must be reported to your supervisor as well as to EHS (https://oehs.utah.edu/incidentnear-miss-report).

Job-related injuries and illnesses must be reported to Workers Compensation by completing HR Form 122 (https://www.hr.utah.edu/forms/lib/E1.pdf )

by Davey Stevenson

Important Forms/Links to Forms

by Davey Stevenson