Mechanical Engineering Master's Program

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers a program of graduate study leading to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) degree with a focus in mechanical engineering. The M.S.E. program is broad in scope and emphasizes portable concepts in the design and analysis of complex physical systems using modeling, synthesis, and optimization techniques, and bridges interdisciplinary engineering areas such as controls, robotics, electronics, and communications.

Facilities

Graduate students have access to a wide range of modern facilities including classrooms, laboratories and computer systems, interconnected by local and wide area communication networks. Computational facilities include numerous Sun, DEC, and Silicon Graphics fileservers and workstations; X-windowing terminals; and personal computers. Access is also available to the Ohio Super-computer via the Ohio Academic and Research Network (OARNET).

Research

Research in mechanical engineering spans several exciting areas. There is a large program in design optimization addressing large structures, die shapes, flight trajectories, and other applications. Work is also being done in structural dynamics areas including vehicle suspensions and turbine blades. Mechanical design studies include the characterization of carbon-carbon composites. Fluid dynamics research is being conducted both experimentally and via computer computation (CFD). Projects include study of flows in turbine engines and reciprocating compressors. There is also a large thermal science program in the analysis and application of heat pipes and related devices

Research at Wright State is not limited to the laboratory facilities on campus. Several industrial companies, laboratories, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are involved in joint research efforts with the university and have unique facilities that are available for faculty and graduate research.

Collaboration

The Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute provides collaboration opportunities through the graduate engineering courses, faculty, and research resources of the Air Force Institute of Technology, the University of Dayton, The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati.

Graduate Assistantships

Assistantships are available to students on a competitive basis. Students who are awarded assistantship support are eligible for stipends and remission of tuition fees. Interest in financial support should be indicated at the time of application.

Degree Requirements

Students should plan a program of study in consultation with the department chair. The program of study should be finalized by the time the student completes 12 credit hours of graduate study.

The following requirements must be met for the Master of Science in Engineering degree:

• Completion of 45 graduate credit hours in courses that have prior approval by an engineering graduate advisor.
• At least 36 of the total 45 graduate credit hours must be engineering or computer engineering courses. At least 24 of these must be engineering courses.
• At least 12 of the 36 graduate credit hours of engineering and computer engineering must be courses numbered above 700, excluding 899, Thesis. The required courses for Design or Energy concentrations are:* Design: ME 710, ME 712, ME 720 *Energy: ME 730, ME734, ME 736, ME 744.
• At least 6 of the total 45 graduate credit hours must be courses in mathematics, statistics, or computer science.
• Students must choose either a thesis option or advanced course work option. Students employed as teaching or research assistants through the School of Graduate Studies at any time during their degree candidacy must choose the thesis option.

Thesis Option: A thesis satisfying all requirements of the School of Graduate Studies must be completed and successfully defended in an oral examination before the major committee. Up to 12 credit hours of 899, Thesis, may count toward degree requirements of 45 total graduate credit hours and 36 graduate credit hours in engineering or computer science.

Course Option: Students must complete 12 credit hours of courses numbered 700 or above in addition to the 12 hours specified in requirement 3.