School: Missouri University of Science and Technology Program:  Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering Description: “Missouri S&T’s mechanical engineering graduate program offers comprehensive study in thermal science, fluid mechanics, energy conversion, composite materials, control systems, engineering mechanics and manufacturing automation.”  — Dr. Robert Landers, Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Where is it:  Rolla, Missouri Format: Online and On Campus Degree you get:  Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related discipline    Size of the Program:  Approx. 100 Credit hours: 30 credit hours Thesis: Optional How long will the program take? Students have up to 6 years to complete the program When to apply: No set application deadline.  Program is semester-based: Spring (January), Summer (June) and Fall (August) Tuition: $1,230.35 per credit hour ($36,910.50 total tuition) Minimum Admission Requirements: Bachelor’s degree with GPA 3.0 or higher in aerospace or mechanical engineering, or related engineering or science field. Transcripts Yes Cumulative GPA 3.0 or higher TOEFL Yes Minimum score TOEFL IBT 88 or higher, or satisfactory completion of an approved English Language Institute program   Essay (statement of purpose) Yes Resume Optional No minimum experience for MS program; prefer 12 months of work experience for certificate program Letters of Reference Yes, three (3) GRE Yes, if entering directly into the master’s program; GRE V+Q 302 or higher (1100 based on previous scale) and GRE AW 3.5 or higher. If entering through graduate certificate first, GRE is not required. Who should take this course? Working engineers looking to gain knowledge and prepare themselves for advancement in the mechanical engineering field. Things to Consider about the Program: Most classes do not require live attendance through the Internet, but there can be course-specific exceptions, i.e., live presentations to the class over video. Claim to fame: Thesis-based option is available for online students to gain training in research. No core course requirements allow students to structure their studies in the way best suited to their career goals.

Mechanical engineers are some of the most versatile and most sought-after engineering professionals in the labor market. Their broad base of skills and knowledge makes them suitable for work across various industries, including automotive, aerospace and robotics, to name just a few.

A mechanical engineering master’s degree is one of the most versatile and beneficial degree programs for the same reason.

An MSME degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology is an in-depth course of study that gives its students a comprehensive graduate education in mechanical engineering.  Offered by the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the degree program covers topics including dynamics and controls, materials and structures, thermal and fluid systems, as well as manufacturing and mechanical design.

The program is offered both on campus, and online through Missouri S&T’s distance education, making this degree accessible to students working remotely and giving them the flexibility to work around their own schedules. Students can also pursue a research-based master’s degree, which requires seven courses and a thesis.

 

There are many directions within the MSME degree in which students can specialize, depending on their desired career path. These includes:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Alternative energy systems
• Combustion and I. C. engines
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Computer-aided design
• Design methodologies
• Dynamics and control
• Heat transfer
• Laser-aided manufacturing
• Manufacturing and machining processes
• Materials and structures
• Mechanisms and robotics
• Mechatronics
• Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
• Micro-fluidics
• Optics and photonics
• Thermal-fluid and energy systems
• Rapid prototyping
  
  

Why Take an Online Master’s of Mechanical Engineering with Missouri S&T?

Many working engineers would benefit from a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, but not every engineer can take a year or two away from work to do so.

This is what makes a distance program such as Missouri S&T’s invaluable, as it enables working engineers to prepare themselves for more rigorous analysis and design work, and to move upward in their careers while maintaining full-time employment, according to Dr. Robert Landers, associate chair for graduate affairs for the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department at Missouri S&T.

“The program is an ideal fit for engineers wanting to expand their knowledge and skills in mechanical engineering in areas including control systems, composite materials and structures, engineering mechanics, energy conversion and transport or manufacturing automation,” Landers added. “The program also allows working engineers to pursue a thesis-based master’s degree where they will receive training in the conduct of research, positioning them for exciting opportunities in research and development.”

Missouri S&T’s distance programs cover the same content and offer students the same opportunities for collaboration with their peers as those taught on campus. Distance program students can participate in live classes over the Internet, giving them direct access to their instructors and classmates, and enabling them to ask and answer questions in real time. 

Distance students also have the flexibility to watch lectures and review course content at any time during the semester, as all classes are recorded, archived and made available online for students to access at their convenience.

Most classes won’t require live attendance, though there can be exceptions depending on the individual instructor running the course. For example, students may be required to give a live presentation via video to the other members of their class.

Distance programs are great for professional engineers returning to school for a master’s degree after spending some time working, explained Landers. “We usually recommend taking one class per semester, especially at the start, until you calibrate the balance between classes, work and family life.”

Versatility in Structuring Your Studies

Unique to Missouri S&T is the option to start with a graduate certificate program before proceeding to the full master’s degree program.  These certificate programs are specialized topics of study that are a good way for professional engineers to ease back into the academic world if they have been out of school for some time. It’s also worth noting that admission to the graduate certificate programs does not require completion of the GRE.

Credits earned for the graduate certificates are directly applicable toward the full master’s degree.  “If you complete all four courses for your graduate certificate with a grade of B or better, you are automatically admitted to Missouri S&T’s master’s degree program in mechanical engineering,” said Landers. 

Graduate certificates are available in specialties including:

• Composite Materials and Structures
• Control Systems
• Engineering Mechanics
• Energy Conversion and Transport
• Manufacturing Automation
  
  

The full master’s degree is available as both a thesis and non-thesis program.

The thesis degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours (at least 21 credit hours of coursework and at least 6 credit hours of research).

The non-thesis degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, up to 6 of which can be from outside the department.

“We don’t have core courses, and the master’s program doesn’t have a specific focus,” said Landers.  “The student can tailor their program to suit his or her own needs.”  This is a highlight of the versatility of a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and Missouri S&T offers an extensive list of courses, which gives each student ample opportunity to pursue the skills and knowledge they need to achieve their goals.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT COURSES

MECH ENG 5131 Intermediate Thermofluid Mechanics (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5135 Fluid Machinery (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5139 Computational Fluid Dynamics (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5205 Lubrication (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5211 Introduction to Continuum Mechanics (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5212 Introduction to Finite Element Analysis (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5214 Applications of Numerical Methods to Mechanics Problems (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5220 Advanced Mechanics of Materials (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5222 Introduction to Solid Mechanics (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5229 Smart Materials and Sensors (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 5234 Stability of Engineering Structures (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5236 Fracture Mechanics (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5238 Fatigue Analysis (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5254 Variational Formulations of Mechanics Problems (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5282 Introduction to Composite Materials & Structures (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5283 Industrial Applications of Composite Materials Technology (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5307 Vibrations I (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5309 Engineering Acoustics I (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5313 Intermediate Dynamics of Mechanical and Aerospace Systems (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5420 Signal Processing for Instrumentation and Control (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5449 Robotic Manipulators and Mechanisms (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 5478 Mechatronics (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 5481 Mechanical and Aerospace Control Systems (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5519 Advanced Thermodynamics (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5523 Transport Phenomena in Manufacturing Processes (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5525 Intermediate Heat Transfer (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5527 Combustion Processes (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5533 Internal Combustion Engines (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5537 Fuel Cell Principles (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5541 Applied Energy Conversion (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5566 Solar Energy Technology (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5567 Heat Pump and Refrigeration Systems (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5570 Plasma Physics I (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5571 Environmental Controls (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5575 Mechanical Systems for Environmental Control (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5606 Material Processing by High-Pressure Water Jet (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5644 Interdisciplinary Problems in Manufacturing Automation (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 5653 Computer Numerical Control of Manufacturing Processes (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 5655 Manufacturing Equipment Automation (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 5656 Design for Manufacture (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5702 Synthesis of Mechanisms (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5704 Compliant Mechanism Design (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5708 Rapid Product Design and Optimization (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5709 Machine Design II (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5715 Concurrent Engineering (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5757 Integrated Product and Process Design (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5758 Integrated Product Development (LAB 2.0 and LEC 1.0)

MECH ENG 5760 Probabilistic Engineering Design (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5761 Engineering Design Methodology (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5763 Principles and Practice of Computer Aided Design (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 5764 Introduction to Decision Analysis (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 5830 Applied Computational Methods (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6040 Oral Examination (IND 0.0)

MECH ENG 6123 Viscous Fluid Flow (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6131 Gas Dynamics I (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6135 Turbulent Flows - Theory, Measurements and Modeling (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6137 Physical Gas Dynamics I (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6212 Advanced Finite Element Analysis (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6222 Theory of Elasticity (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6230 Theory of Plates (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6232 Theory of Shells (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6236 Advanced Fracture Mechanics (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6284 Analysis of Laminated Composite Structures (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6285 Mechanics of Composite Materials (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6307 Advanced Vibrations (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6309 Engineering Acoustics II (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6313 Advanced Dynamics of Machinery (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6447 Markov Decision Processes (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6458 Adaptive Dynamic Programming (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6479 Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanical and Aerospace Systems (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6525 Heat Transfer by Conduction (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6526 Micro-/Nano-Scale Thermophysics and Energy Transport (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6527 Heat Transfer by Convection (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6529 Heat Transfer by Radiation (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6541 Advanced Energy Conversion (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6575 Advanced Environmental Control (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6653 Advanced CNC of Manufacturing Processes & Engineering Metrology (LAB 1.0 and LEC 2.0)

MECH ENG 6655 Modeling and Control of Manufacturing Processes (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6657 Laser Aided Manufacturing and Materials Processing (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6659 Advanced Topics in Design and Manufacturing (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6663 Advanced Digital Design and Manufacturing (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6704 Mechanics of Machinery (LEC 3.0)

MECH ENG 6761 Modern Product Design (LEC 3.0)

 

 

Missouri University of Science and Technology has sponsored this post. All opinions are mine. –Meghan Brown