Master of Science in Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
About the Program
The program combines academic rigor, rich tradition in mechanical engineering education, and focus on modern technology applications and the skills and practices of the engineering profession. Students learn from PhD faculty engaged in cutting-edge research and from leading industry experts The classes integrate theoretical knowledge with practical challenges through hands-on training, creative design, and problem-solving.
This program may be completed entirely on campus, entirely online, or through a combination of on-campus and online courses. See the "Online Options" section below for more details.
Mechanical engineering laboratories provide students with hands-on experience in various subfields, such as combustion, crash mechanics, battery technology, digital manufacturing, and composite materials. Many laboratories serve both teaching and research purposes. Further information is available on our laboratories.
The program’s faculty are engaged in research in automotive technology, advanced materials, digital manufacturing and twinning, nuclear fusion, computational analysis, and more. Several courses are taught by leading experts from the local industry.
Research and teaching assistantships may be available to exceptionally qualified students.
Program Details
The 30-credit program includes one required course, one or two cognate courses, and 7-8 elective courses from the approved Mechanical Engineering course list. Interested students have the opportunity to complete a research-based master’s thesis under the mentorship of a faculty advisor.
Almost all classes are offered as a combination of on-campus lectures and online asynchronous instruction. On-campus sections are scheduled Monday-Thursday from 6-8:45 PM, except for several classes, which are offered in the late afternoon. Classes are offered in Fall (Sep-Dec), Winter (Jan-Apr), Summer I (May-June), and Summer II (July-Aug) terms. Fall and Winter courses meet once a week, while Summer I and Summer II courses meet twice a week.
MSE-ME Program Goals
To provide students with a strong background in principles of mechanical engineering and a thorough knowledge of the latest technologies in the field which extends beyond the undergraduate experience.
MSE-ME Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to use the latest technologies in the mechanical engineering field.
- Students will be able to formulate, analyze, and solve advanced mechanical engineering problems.
- Students will be able to apply the latest scientific and technological advancements, advanced techniques, and modern engineering tools in their professional endeavors.
An applicant to the program should hold a Bachelor of Science (BS) or equivalent degree in engineering from an accredited program with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). An applicant with a lower GPA, or an applicant with a non-engineering Bachelor degree in science or mathematics, may be considered for admission consistent with the guidelines.
Students with undergraduate degrees not directly related to mechanical engineering are often admitted to the program but in some cases may be required to take preparatory courses or advised to take a certain path through the program. It is suggested that such students have their background reviewed prior to submitting an application. Please contact the graduate program coordinator for more information at [email protected].
Standardized tests, such as GRE, are not required.
At least 2 letters of recommendation are required as part of the application. These should come from people who know you as an engineer, either academically (professor or research advisor) or professionally (supervisor or manager). Letters of reference from peer employees or personal sources are invalid and will not be considered.
The program may be completed entirely online through CECS Online, entirely on-campus, or through a combination of on-campus and online courses. The online courses utilize video streaming of the lectures given on campus. Online students have the opportunity to interact with their instructors and with fellow students (both on campus as well as online) through Canvas, a campus-wide learning management system. The class lectures, notes, and discussions are posted on Canvas for all students' access.
All students may enroll in online courses without an obligation to join the online program. If you reside in Michigan and seek the flexibility to blend on-campus and web-based courses, consider applying to our regular program. You will be able to register for as many online courses as you desire. Please contact the graduate programs coordinator for more information.
The candidate must complete at least 30 semester hours of graduate course work selected in accordance to the program requirements. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for good academic standing and graduation. A course in which a grade lower than C is earned cannot be used to fulfill the degree requirements.
Curriculum
Required Course
ME 518-Advanced Engineering Analysis (must be taken during the first or second semester after enrollment), 3 credit hours.
Seven-eight mechanical engineering courses from the following list (21-24 credit hours)
All courses are 3 credit hours
- ME 510: Finite Element Methods
- ME 512: Structural Dynamics
- ME 513: Advanced Biomechanics (crosslist: BENG 570)
- ME 514: Advanced Mechanics of Materials
- ME 516: Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering
- ME 521: Dynamics & Thermodynamics of Compressible Flow
- ME 522: Advanced Fluid Mechanics
- ME 523 Sustainability Science and Engineering
- ME 525: Computational Fluid Mechanics & Heat Transfer
- ME 526: Microfluidics (crosslist: BENG 551)
- ME 530 Modeling of Automotive Systems
- ME 532: Combustion Processes
- ME 535: Advanced Thermodynamics
- ME 538: Vehicle Thermal Management (crosslist: AENG 566)
- ME 540: Mechanical Vibrations
- ME 542: Advanced Dynamics
- ME 543: Vehicle Dynamics
- ME 545: Acoustics and Noise Control
- ME 547: Automotive Powertrains I (crosslist: AENG 547)
- ME 548: Automotive Powertrains II
- ME 549: Mechanical Wave Vibrations
- ME 552: Sustainable Energy Systems (crosslists: ESE 500, ECE 541)
- ME 553 Structural Design and CAE analysis for electric vehicle batteries
- ME 555 Computational Uncertainty Quantification for Engineering Applications
- ME 556: Stress & Strength Cons. in Design
- ME 558: Fracture & Fatigue Cons. in Design
- ME 559 Battery Materials, Manufacturing and Recycling
- ME 562: Energy Management of Electrified Vehicles
- ME 564: Linear Systems Control
- ME 565: Mechatronics (crosslist: ECE 566)
- ME 566: Materials Thermodynamics and Kinetics (crosslist: MTSE 501)
- ME 568: Computational Materials Design
- ME 569: Introduction to Materials Characterization (crosslist: MTSE 502)
- ME 570: Powertrain NVH of Electrified Vehicles
- ME 574: Advanced Heat Transfer
- ME 576: Battery Systems Modeling and Control (crosslist: AENG 576)
- ME 577: Energy Conversion (crosslist: ESE 501)
- ME 580: Advanced Engineering Materials
- ME 582: Injection Molding
- ME 583: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
- ME 585: Cast Metals in Engineering Design
- ME 586: Materials Consideration in Manufacturing
- ME 589: Composite Materials
- ME 591: Degradation of Materials
- ME 592: Fundamentals of Fuel Cells
- ME 593: Powder Materials and Processing
- ME 595: Digital Manufacturing (crosslist: BENG 595)
- ME 596: Internal Combustion Engines I (crosslist: AENG 596)
- ME 597: Internal Combustion Engines II
- ME 598: Engine Emissions
- ME 610: Finite Element Methods--Nonlinear (pre-req: ME 510)
- ME 611: Modeling of Engineering Materials (pre-req: ME 518)
- ME 622: Advanced Topics in Fluid Mechanics (pre-req: ME 522)
- ME 674: Advanced Topics in Heat Transfer
- ME 675: Predictive Control of Dynamic Systems (pre-req: ME 564 or ECE 560)
One-two cognate courses per guidelines below (3-6 credits)
- One non-mechanical engineering course (3 credit hours): any 500-level non-ME course excluding ENGR 500, 501.
- Optional: an additional cognate course (3 credit hours): any 500-level course from the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), excluding the following courses: ENGR 500, 501; EMGT 500, 505, 510, 515, 530, 535, 541, 545, 550, 560, 570, 580; IMSE 5010, 515, 516, 517, 520, 5275, 5655, 570, 579.
A student, who is interested in an in-depth faculty-guided study of a specific topic or a faculty-guided research, may enroll in independent study or thesis courses. The earned credit will be counted toward the Mechanical Engineering courses area. The enrollment requires approval by the faculty advisor and special permission by Department. Please see the thesis guidelines for details regarding this option.
- ME 600: Study or Research in Selected ME Topics (1-3 credits)
- ME 601: Experimental Research in Mechanical Engineering (1-3 credits)
- ME 602: Guided Study in Mechanical Engineering (1-3 credits)
- ME 699: Master's Thesis (6 credits)