Mechanical Engineering, MS

Program Description

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

Within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Master of Science (MS) degree program in mechanical engineering has a thesis option and a non-thesis option.

Combined BS/MS Mechanical Engineering

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. The GRE is not required for admission to the BS/MS program.
2. Up to 12 semester credit hours from any 6000-8000 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 discuss it with their undergraduate academic advisor and receive the approval of program coordinator and the department chair. Applications for this program should be made during the junior academic year. The application form can be located on the website at https://www.clemson.edu/graduate/files/pdfs/GS6-bachelor-to-graduate.pdf.

Summary of Degree Requirements

In general, MS Thesis students are required to complete 24 hours of coursework and six hours of master’s level research credits.

Thesis Option

Students enrolled in the MS thesis option must prepare and defend an MS thesis. The purposes of the MS thesis are to demonstrate the capability of the student to: (1) formulate engineering problems within a research project; (2) utilize engineering knowledge relevant to a meaningful resolution of a specific problem; (3) effectively plan and carry out the work leading to the completion of the project; and (4) report (orally and in writing) the results of the project in concise, precise professional style. Mechanical Engineering degree seeking master’s students are required to satisfy departmental core course requirements. At least three ME core courses must be taken to meet the departmental core.

Non-thesis Option

Mechanical Engineering students enrolled in the MS non-thesis are not required to pass a final examination or defend their thesis (GS-7). These students are required to complete 33 hours of coursework to meet the requirements for graduation candidacy. A non-thesis advisory committee typically comprises the departmental leadership team, with the graduate coordinator serving as the chair.

Similar to MS thesis students, all Mechanical Engineering degree seeking master’s non-thesis students are required to satisfy departmental core course requirements. At least three ME core courses must be taken to meet the departmental core.

Coursework

There are four Subject Area Groups for the purpose of defining core course requirements: Design and Manufacturing (DM), Dynamical Systems and Controls (DSC), Engineering Mechanics (EM), and Thermal and Fluid Sciences (TFS).

Students in the DM, DSC, and EM groups must complete at least three of the following core courses to meet the departmental core requirement:

• ME 8010 - Foundations of Fluid Mechanics 3 Credits  
• ME 8100 - Macroscopic Thermodynamics 3 Credits  
• ME 8180 - Introduction to Finite Element Analysis 3 Credits  
• ME 8220 - Applied Optimal Control 3 Credits  
• ME 8310 - Convective Heat Transfer 3 Credits  
• ME 8350 - Continuum Mechanics 3 Credits  
• ME 8370 - Theory of Elasticity I 3 Credits  
• ME 8460 - Intermediate Dynamics 3 Credits  
• ME 8610 - Materials Selection in Engineering Design 3 Credits  
• ME 8700 - Advanced Design Methodologies 3 Credits  
• ME 8710 - Engineering Optimization 3 Credits  

Students in the TFS group must complete the following five core course requirements:

• ME 8010 - Foundations of Fluid Mechanics 3 Credits  
• ME 8100 - Macroscopic Thermodynamics 3 Credits  
• ME 8120 - Experimental Methods in Thermal Science 3 Credits  
• ME 8310 - Convective Heat Transfer 3 Credits  
• Any MATH course numbered 6000 or above^*or PHYS 8110 - Methods of Theoretical Physics I 3 Credits  or PHYS 8120 - Methods of Theoretical Physics II 3 Credits ^*

^*Students must take either a MATH course at the 6000 level or higher or PHYS 8110 or PHYS 8120 to fulfill the TFS core requirements. Only one of these courses can be used to satisfy the fifth TFS core course.

Outcomes, Learning Objectives, and Graduation Requirements

Students in the MS program attain:

• Ability to apply fundamental knowledge of Mechanical Engineering
• Ability to effectively communicate research through oral presentation
• Ability to communicate research through scholarly publications