Concurrent B.S./M.S. Degree
The Mechanical Engineering Department is pleased to announce a new five-year concurrent BS/MS degree program, whereby a student currently planning on a 4-year B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering can obtain an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering at the end of the fifth year of their study. Note that the M.S. degree normally takes three full semesters to complete after a B.S. degree. This is an exciting program that we would like to encourage all our junior/senior year undergraduate students to consider. In this program students will have an opportunity to work closely with one or more faculty members on current research projects and gain valuable research/project experience. It is particularly suited for students with strong academic background and interests in pursuing independent research.
The requirements are simple: A cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the time a student applies for the program, usually during the first semester of the junior year. No student can be both a concurrent degree student and a double major.
Students can plan to pursue either a Plan I M.S. (includes a Master's thesis) or a Plan II M.S. degree (coursework only). A significant benefit in terms of cost and time for the student is that up to six credit hours of graduate-level coursework can also apply to the B. S. degree. Typically students accomplish this by taking graduate level classes as technical electives during their senior year. They can also engage in research in the senior year. Students can thus gain significant project and advanced course experience in a specialized area such as bioengineering, MEMS, environmental engineering, materials processing, etc.
There is a wide assortment of opportunities available to undergraduate students who are interested in research. Students can earn technical elective credit via Independent Study or may obtain a paid research assistant position. Many ME professors welcome undergraduates in their research programs. Interested students should browse the listing of faculty research interests and individual faculty web pages, and then make an appointment directly with the faculty whose interests match the student's. (Faculty are always happy to discuss their research.) Information on the research programs in the department can also be found at the various research center websites.
For more information, contact the Undergraduate Coordinator, Molly Conroy or the Graduate Coordinator, Sharon Anderson.