Mechanical Engineering, MS

Program Requirements

Enrollment in the MS and PhD programs is open to students with degrees in physics, applied mathematics, or any branch of engineering.

Students in the MS degree program may choose the thesis or non-thesis option. Students in the thesis program must complete 30 credit hours of coursework, including six hours of thesis research and write a thesis. Students in the non-thesis program must complete 33 credit hours of coursework. Students in the PhD program must pass a qualifying exam, complete 18 hours of dissertation research and defend a dissertation.

Programs may be selected with concentrations in mechanical and manufacturing systems design (design, dynamics, vibrations, and control, materials and manufacturing), thermal/fluid sciences (computational fluid dynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics and energy systems), or engineering mechanics (solid mechanics, composite materials, numerical computation methods and experimental methods).

Combined BS/MS Mechanical Engineering

Undergraduates at Clemson University may begin their Master of Science (MS) degree program in Mechanical Engineering while completing their Bachelor of Science (BS) degree and use a limited number of courses to satisfy the requirements of both their degrees. The following are required:

Undergraduates must have an overall 3.4 GPA or better and must have completed their junior year courses prior to taking graduate courses for the BS/ MS program.

1. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required as part of the initial application. However, upon final completion of the BS degree, satisfactory GRE scores are required for final acceptance into the graduate degree program. GRE scores help determine graduate assistantships and fellowships.
2. Up to 12 semester credit hours from any 600-800 level Mechanical Engineering courses may be used to satisfy the requirements of their BS degree and also be used for their MS degree. Technical electives may be used.
3. Since approval of the plan of study (GS2 form) by the student’s graduate advisory committee is required, students should consult with their academic advisors before selecting courses to be included in their graduate program.
4. Students in the combined degree program are conditionally accepted to the MS degree program until completion of their BS degree requirements. Students with this conditional acceptance are not eligible for a graduate assistantship until the conditional acceptance is removed.

Undergraduate students who are interested in the combined program should discuss it with their undergraduate academic advisor and the Graduate Director. Applications for this program should be made during the junior academic year. Students should apply through the regular graduate school process. Currently, a paper application is required, with the following written at the top of the form: “Combined BS/MS Program”.