Graduate Program in Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
The program for the Master of Science (M.S.) degree requires a minimum of 30 credits. Two options are available:
1) Plan A--with thesis: 24 course credits and 6 research credits;
2) Plan B--no thesis: 30 course credits.
Plan B is the recommended option for professionals working in industry or government. It is not available to students who receive financial support.
Note: It is possible for a student to enroll in the M.S. program, select the Plan B option and receive the M.S. degree in one year. For more details, contact the Graduate Director.
With Plan A the student must take a minimum of five MAE (650) graduate courses, and with Plan B the student must take a minimum of six MAE (650) graduate courses. Both plans of study include a final comprehensive examination. Plan B students are also required to submit an essay.
Although the department offers several broad areas of specialization which include Design and Control; Fluid Mechanics; Solid Mechanics, Materials and Structures; and Thermal Processes, the M.S. program allows a student to include in his/her program of study related courses from any of the areas of specialization, as well as relevant courses offered by other programs in the Graduate School.
A total of 12 credits, or four courses, are required for all students. These are as follows:
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642:527
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Methods of Applied Mathematics
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Plus three of the following courses:
The M.S. program assumes that the student's preparation in applied mathematics is equivalent to that covered in an advanced calculus course. A student whose background does not include this material should take 640:42l or an equivalent course before taking 642:527. The program also assumes that the student has a working knowledge of a high-level computer programming language, preferably FORTRAN or C, as well as some experience with programs such as MAPLE and MATLAB. A student whose background does not include computer programming may take 650:231 or an equivalent course on a non-credit basis.
Candidates for an M.S. degree are expected to earn grades of B or better in their coursework. No more than six credits with the grade of C or C+ may be used in meeting the requirements for the M.S. degree. No more than two undergraduate courses may be counted toward the course requirements for an M.S. degree. A student who wishes to register for an undergraduate course must have the approval of the Graduate Director. A student whose grade point average falls below 3.0 may be dropped from the graduate program. A student in the M.S. program may register for only one Independent Study (650:601, 602) course.
A semester or so before the anticipated completion date of the M.S. degree the student should meet with the Graduate Director and confirm that the student has met (or is going to meet) all graduation requirements. A checklist for this purpose is provided here.
Students who have nearly completed their program (with or without thesis) should notify the Graduate Director by completing the forms entitled: Application for Admission to Candidacy and the Graduate Diploma Application. These forms are available from the Graduate Secretary, Room B-234.
Guidelines for the Final Examination:
1. A student who is submitting a thesis (Plan A) will be examined in the areas covered by his/her thesis.
After the research has been completed under the supervision of a member of the Graduate Faculty, a thesis is written in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the booklet, Style Guide for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation (available from the Graduate Secretary (B234) or the Graduate School). When the advisor approves the thesis, he/she will notify the graduate director, who will, in turn, appoint two other faculty members as readers of the thesis and as members, with the advisor, of the student's Thesis Examination Committee. After these committee reviewers recommend approval of the thesis, the graduate director will schedule a final public thesis defense.
2. For those students not submitting a thesis (Plan B), the examination will generally consist of a written examination. The examination is based on the courses taken from the choices given above. The duration of the examination is decided by the Examination Committee and communicated to the students taking the examination. The written examination may be substituted by an oral examination at the discretion of the Master's Examination Committee.
Each portion of the examination may include material from lower level courses that are prerequisites to those listed. Thus, for example, the applied mathematics portion may contain questions based on a course in advanced calculus.
The Master's Examination is generally given during April and November. Students will be notified of exact dates. Requests to take the Master's Examination must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Director at the beginning of the semester in which the examination is to be taken.
If a student fails any or all portions of the Master's Examination, it can be retaken for a second and final time within one year after the first attempt.
Rutgers Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Graduate Program Home Page
