MS/MBA Program Requirements

MASTER OF SCIENCE/MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM

About the Program

The MS/MBA program combines students' applied interests and training in Engineering with the comprehensive business sense developed in a full-time MBA program. The result is a professional comfortable moving between technical and commercial issues. MS/MBA graduates will be, with appropriate experience, qualified to direct or manage the transition of new products, processes and systems from the laboratory to the board room.

Graduates of the MS/MBA program earn two distinct degrees in one integrated educational experience. In general, students take 21 credit hours in the College of Engineering, 45 hours in the College of Business including a 6-hour capstone project. Up to 9 credit hours appear on the program of study for both degrees, reducing the hours that would be required to complete the two programs separately. The net is a two year MBA and a two year M.S. completed in 2.5 years - a considerable time and cost advantage.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Students in the MS/MBA Program typically find funding sources outside the Department.

Program Administration

The dual degree is jointly administered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the David Eccles School of Business (DESB). The engineering portion of the degree is a Master of Science, non-thesis degree. All MSNT policies and procedures apply to MS/MBA students. Students should also acquire program information from the DESB regarding the MBA portion of the degree.

Application Procedures

Students should apply to both the DESB and to the MSNT simultaneously and separately. Students will have to fill out the University general application twice, in addition to completing both degrees’ departmental application procedures. Application procedures for the MSNT are available at the beginning of this handbook. Application procedures for the MBA are available through the DESB.

Coursework

• 30 Total Credit Hours
  • 21 credit hours in courses relevant to the student's academic program
    • 15 credit hours must be in regular ME EN courses
      • These hours must be in one of the Mechanical Engineering focus areas:
        • Design, Ergonomics, Manufacturing, and Systems
        • Robotics, Controls, and Mechatronics
        • Solid Mechanics
        • Thermal-Fluids and Energy Systems
    • 6 credit hours of electives in Math, Science or Engineering.
      • Elective courses to be counted toward the degree must be graded B- or higher
  • 9 credit hours in courses that are dual-counted
    • 3 MBA Capstone credit hours
    • 3 credit hours from this list: Finance 6380, Finance 6390, Finance 6400, IS 6420, IS 6482, IS 6483, OIS 6425, or OIS 6610
    • 3 credit hours of Mechanical Engineering courses that the MBA program is willing to accept for credit
• No more than 3 credit hours of Independent Study (ME EN 6950) may be used
  • Note that these credit hours do not count as “regular” ME EN courses
• No more than 9 non-matriculated credit hours
• No more than 6 transfer credits
• The student must obtain an overall GPA equal to or higher than a 3.0 from all courses

Table 3 shows the typical course schedule of a dual-degree student. Please note: a week-long orientation and teams course precedes the first fall semester.

Program Procedures

Once students are accepted into the MS/MBA program, they proceed through each degree according to the coursework matrix above. The engineering courses should be chosen by the student in conjunction with his/her ME EN faculty advisor.

By the end of the first year:

• Students should have a permanent ME EN faculty advisor and a DESB mentor to monitor the capstone work
• Students should form a 3-person committee with their ME EN advisor as the chair

During Fall Semester of the second year:

• Submit Capstone proposal to the DESB
• Submit MS Non-thesis Program of Study form to ME EN Advising Office
• Apply for graduation

During Spring Semester of the second year:

• Complete Capstone project
• Obtain sign-off on capstone by their DESB Dual Degree Director
• Schedule, take and pass MSNT final comprehensive exam

by Davey Stevenson

BS-MS Program Requirements

Bachelor of Science/Master of Science Thesis Program Requirements

About the Program
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a BS/MS combined degree program to foster undergraduate research (thesis option), provide an in-depth educational experience in a specific area of interest (thesis and non-thesis options), and to accelerate progress towards the MS degree. The program allows advanced students to complete both their BS and MS degrees in as little as five years; one year earlier than if the degrees were done separately. The program gives students an advantage in the job market by providing them with more training, an advanced degree, more research experience, and increased earning potential.

Program Benefits
Mechanical Engineering BS students are required to take 4 technical elective courses (12 credit hours). BS/MS students may “double count” 2 of the 4 undergraduate technical electives (6 hours) towards both their BS and MS degrees. The double counting of technical elective courses reduces the number of credits required for the MS degree from 30 to 24.

• Domestic students may take 18 credit hours of tech electives during their undergraduate careers and then apply a maximum of 12 credit hours towards their MS, further reducing the MS credit requirement to as few as 18 hours.
• If a student plans to exceed 18 hours of tech electives as an undergrad, they must meet with a Graduate Advisor to explore early admissions to the grad program.
• The BS/MS program is designed for domestic students, however international students interested in the combined program can meet with a Graduate Advisor to see if viable options exist for their circumstance.

BS Program Requirements
Both thesis and non-thesis options lead to a Master’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. The BS and MS degrees are conferred simultaneously following completion of both programs. No student will be awarded a separate MS degree without satisfying all requirements for the BS degree. The requirements for an undergrad student to be accepted into the BS/MS program are:

• Be an engineering major at the University of Utah.
• Have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Be “pre-screened” into the BS/MS Program, undergraduate students must fill out the BS/MS screening application
  • Preferably have Junior status in their major.
  • MS Non-thesis students can be pre-screened during their senior year.
  • Have a faculty advisor/research sponsor if applying for an MS Thesis.
  • Thesis students should include the email address of a potential faculty advisor, if possible.

Students meeting the pre-screening qualifications are given authorization to proceed to take tech electives at the graduate level. All undergraduate classes that will be applied towards the MS degree should be taken at the 6000-level or above and must be numbered 5000 or above. Pre-screening does not guarantee eventual admission to graduate school. Undergrad students must still apply and be formally admitted to the program for the semester following what would be the final semester of their undergraduate program.

MS Program Requirements
Once students are admitted to the BS/MS program, they have several milestones they must pass in order to graduate with both degrees.

• MS Thesis students should refer to the MS Thesis Program Requirements
• MS-Non Thesis students should refer to the MSNT Program Requirements
• Students should also contact their Undergrad Advisor for any remaining requirements for their BS degree.
• Once admitted to the graduate program, all classes should be taken at the 6000-level or above when possible.

General MS Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 Total Credit Hours is required for both the thesis on non-thesis options.

• Majority of course credit hours must be in ME EN (6000 or above)
  • Minimum of 3 credit hours in ME EN classes at the 7000 level
  • Remaining credit hours from Math, Science, or Engineering (including ME if desired)
  • Students following established MS tracks (e.g., Robotics) may deviate from the majority of credits in ME EN based on the track’s requirements
• No more than 3 credit hours of Independent Study (ME EN 6950)
  • An Independent Study with a student’s MS advisor must be separate from their thesis topic and must be approved by the department’s Graduate Committee
• No more than 3 Seminar credit hours
• Note: a student’s research advisor or supervisory committee may require additional course credit hours

• Additional course guidelines
  • No more than 9 non-matriculated credit hours graded B or better
  • No more than 6 transfer credits hours graded B or better
  • Only courses in engineering, mathematics, and science are acceptable
  • The student must obtain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from all courses used on their Program of Study

Thesis Option:

• Minimum of 21 credit hours in courses relevant to the student's academic program (graded B- or better)
• Minimum of 9 credit hours of ME EN 6975, Master’s Thesis Research (graded CR/NC)
• All additional research credit hours must be ME EN 6975

Non-Thesis Option:

• Minimum of 30 credit hours in courses relevant to the student's academic program (graded B- or better)
  • 15 credit hours must be in one of the Mechanical Engineering focus areas
  • 15 credit hours of electives in Math, Science or Engineering (including ME if desired)

Additional Program Requirements

• Formation of the MS Supervisory Committee
• Process BS/MS Request for Grad Credit
• Successful completion of coursework associated with an approved program of study
• MSNT: successful completion of an exit exam
• MS-Thesis: successful completion of an approved research program
  • Successful Oral Defense of the MS Research
  • Successful approval of a written Thesis
  • Successful approval of a written Thesis

Faculty Advisor
Each student should have a faculty advisor at the time of admission. If not, the student must select an advisor by the end of the first semester of MS degree work. The advisor oversees the MS student’s program, gives recommendations for selecting courses, and supervises the thesis research. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the advisor must be a tenured/tenure-track faculty member within the department.

Supervisory Committee
By the end of the student's second semester, a three-member Supervisory Committee is selected. The chair of this committee is the student’s permanent advisor. The committee chair selects the other members of the committee in consultation with the student. The Graduate Committee may make recommendations regarding committee membership. The Supervisory Committee must be approved by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies and the Grad School. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the majority of the committee must be tenure-line faculty members from the department. Failure to form a supervisory committee by the end of the student's first year will result in the student being placed on probation for failure to make due progress.

*Note: MS-Thesis students may submit a petition for exception to policy for either the chair of the committee or the majority, but not both.

MSNT students may opt to choose either the department's "Standing Committee" or select the individual committee members.

• The MSNT Standing Committee is comprised of 3 Mechanical Engineering faculty determined by the department’s Graduate Committee
• If using the MSNT Standing Committee, students must notify the Graduate Advising office. In this case, they do not need to obtain committee member signatures on Committee and Program of Study forms.
• If a student opts to select their own committee members, they must follow these rules:
  • The student’s advisor serves as the chair of the committee and must be regular (tenure-line) faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • The remaining two committee members must also be regular (tenure-line) faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • MSNT Students may not petition for exception to policy regarding their committee.
  • The student will obtain approval and signatures from committee members on all paperwork.

Program of Study
The Program of Study and thesis work is completed under the direction and approval of the supervisory committee. The committee chair (usually the student’s advisor) should assist the student in planning the Program of Study and should encourage breadth by selecting of one or more courses outside of the department in areas such as basic mathematics, science, and other engineering topics. The cumulative GPA of courses listed on the program of study must be greater than or equal to a 3.0 with no grades lower than B-.

Preliminary Program of Study Approval
By the end of their first semester, the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the MS (Thesis or Non-Thesis) Preliminary Program of Study form.
• Select graduate courses after consultation with their temporary or permanent advisor.
• List all taken and planned classes on the form that are to count toward the MS, including research hours.
  • Clearly indicate which classes are being shared with the student's BS
  • Obtain signature approval from their advisor and then submit the form to Graduate Advising.

  The Graduate Advisor will obtain approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before filing the form in the student’s departmental records. If the form is not approved, the Graduate Advisor will return the form to the student.

  Final Program of Study Approval
  Upon registering for their final course(s), the student must:

  • Obtain and fill out the MS (Thesis or Non-Thesis) Program of Study form.
  • List all classes that are to count toward the MS, including research hours.
  • Gather signature approval from their committee members, unless using the MSNT Standing Committee, and then submit the form to Graduate Advising.

  The Graduate Advisor will input the information from the form into the electronic records system via CIS. The Director of Graduate Studies will electronically approve the Program of Study.

  MSNT Research and/or Project Opportunities
  There are no research and/or project requirements for the BS/MSNT program. A non-thesis student desiring to conduct a project must first find a faculty member willing to sponsor it. After finding a sponsor, they may register for up to 3 credit hours of ME EN 6950 – Independent Study course. Should a project be undertaken, no formal presentation or defense is required. Under no circumstance may a project defense be substituted for the Comprehensive Final Exam requirement.

  BS/MS Request for Grad Credit

  MS Thesis Defense
  The required final examination for the Master of Science-Thesis is an oral defense of the thesis. The Thesis requirement reflects the research orientation of this degree. The research work associated with an MST should involve close collaboration with the student’s advisor and committee. The thesis typically represents two years of research. Specifically, in a clearly documented manner the Thesis must:

  • Reflect an understanding of the current and past state of knowledge in the chosen research area through a comprehensive literature review of the subject.
  • Clearly state the goals of the research and justify the value of the research results to the engineering and/or scientific community.
  • Result in a substantive contribution to the engineering and/or scientific community.

  The student is required to defend their Thesis and research work at a formal oral presentation that is open to the public.

  Scheduling the defense

  • At least three weeks before this defense, the student should submit an acceptable thesis draft to the committee chair (generally their research advisor).
  • Committee members should receive a copy of the thesis draft at least two weeks before the examination date.
  •  During the manuscript review period, the student will coordinate with their supervisory committee to determine a defense time and date.
    • Students must schedule their defense at least two weeks in advance.
    • The defense is open to the public and the student must submit a Request for Public Defense Announcement form to the Graduate Advisor no less than one week before the defense date.

  Conducting the defense

  • The chair of the student’s committee will also chair the defense. The chair will at a minimum:
    • Open the defense session by introducing the student and their research topic.
    • Announce any specific rules pertaining to the defense (e.g., hold questions until the end of the presentation).
  • The student’s public presentation of their research should will generally last at least approximately 45 minutes.
  • After the oral presentation, a question and answer period must be allowed.
  • At the conclusion of the public participation, the committee may excuse the public and conduct further questioning on the student’s research and Thesis.
  • After concluding their examination, the committee will excuse the student to deliberate the outcome of their defense.
  • The outcome of the thesis defense is reported on the MS-Thesis Report of the Final Oral Exam form. ○ The student will receive a “Pass on the defense if the majority of the committee members concur.
    • The student will receive a “Pass with Corrections” if the majority of the committee requires minor changes to the student’s Thesis but do not feel that the student needs to publicly defend their research again. In this case, the committee will also decide if the chair or the entire committee needs to verify that the requested changes have been made.
    • The student will receive a “Fail” if the majority of the committee requires changes to the Thesis and agree that the student must publicly defend their research again.
  • The chair of the committee must return the completed form to the Graduate Advisor within one week of the defense.

  After the defense

  • Once the committee approves the Thesis content, students must submit their manuscript to the Graduate Advisor for a format review before obtaining the Department Chair’s approval.
    • The student will also provide a Grammarly report showing that no major grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors are in the manuscript. ○ The Graduate Advisor and Department Chair must be allotted at least one week to review and approve the manuscript.
  • After the Department chair approves the Thesis, the Graduate Advisor will notify the student to submit their manuscript to the Thesis Editor for approval and publication. See instructions here:
  • Thesis must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than eight months from the date of the thesis defense. This eight-month deadline includes thesis corrections, final supervisory committee approval, department chair approval, and final approval by the thesis office and graduate school. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the thesis will be voided, the student will have to re-register for one thesis credit, and re-submit and re-defend the thesis.
  • Once format corrections are finished, the student must then work with the Thesis Office to submit their manuscript to ProQuest (or USPACE) for online viewing.
  • After all of these steps are completed, the student will be cleared for graduation. Please note that a student is not considered “graduated” for merely passing the defense. The thesis must also successfully pass corrections and be published before a degree may be awarded.

  Students can monitor their degree progress and milestones by logging into CIS, locating the Graduation panel under their Student Information, and clicking on “Graduate Student Summary.” It is the responsibility of the student to monitor and ensure the correctness of their online records.

  MSNT Final Examination

  • Each department establishes its own policy on the structure of the examination (i.e., written, oral, or both; conducted by supervisory committee or uniform departmental exam).
  • The exam may be taken early in the program as a comprehensive qualifying exam, or late in the program as a final comprehensive exam separate from the thesis defense.
  • May consist of course work only or involve an independent project. In either case, a final exam that covers breadth and integration of material in the field is required.
  • The examination may be written, oral, or both, and is conducted by the supervisory committee or the department.

  Financial  Aid Opportunities
  Students in the BS/MS Program may receive financial support in the form of an hourly position during the fourth year. After students are admitted to the Graduate School and classified as an M.S. student, they may receive funding as a research or teaching assistant and are eligible for the University of Utah Tuition Benefit Program.

  Program Procedures
  Once students are accepted into the BS/MS program, they have several checkpoints they must pass in order to graduate by their fifth year with two degrees. These checkpoints are designed to keep students on track:

  Between Junior and Senior Years:

  • Thesis students are encouraged to begin their research for the M.S. degree if pursuing the thesis option.
  • Students should confirm what B.S. degree requirements remain with their undergraduate advisor.
  • Take the GRE at least 2 months prior to applying to the graduate school to allow the scores enough time to be processed and received by the Department.

  Senior Year:

  • Enroll for a minimum of two (6 hours) and a maximum of four (12 hours) 6000-level technical electives (if extra space is available in the student’s final year).
  • Apply for graduate status by the posted deadlines found here: https://www.mech.utah.edu/academics/grads/admissions/. This must be done in accordance to the application procedures for all ME EN graduate students, with the following rules:
    • The statement of purpose should be 1-2 pages and focus on the student’s academic and career goals.
    • An updated resume should be uploaded to the application.
    • Three letters of recommendation are required. One letter must come from the student’s research advisor.
    • If the GRE quantitative score is less than the 80th percentile, the student will need to retake the GRE and achieve that score if the GRE is required for admission to the graduate program (was optional during COVID).
  • Discuss future course options with research advisor (thesis option), and/or decide what classes to take your first semester in the graduate program.

  First Semester of M.S.

  • Turn in Request for Graduate Credit Form
  • Submit Program Declaration Form
  • Form Supervisory Committee (thesis option; non-thesis option can use Department default committee and have a program of study form signed by Dr. Mark Fehlberg)
  • Submit B.S./M.S. Program of Study (see Grad Advisor after registering for final semester or by first week of final semester)
  • Apply to graduate in CIS or by using the Graduation Application form

  Final Semester

  • Thesis Defense (thesis masters only)
  • Work with your committee to arrange a date and time
  • Work with the graduate advisor to schedule a room in MEK
  • M.S. Thesis Announcement Template (due 2 weeks prior to defense)
  • M.S. Thesis Oral Defense Form
  • M.S. Thesis Approval Forms
  • M.S. Non-thesis-complete exit interview with graduate advisor

  Thesis Process (thesis Master’s only):

  • The student is encouraged to meet with his/her faculty advisor to ensure that thesis milestones are met in a timely manner.
  • Once the committee approves the thesis content, students must submit their manuscript - with signed thesis sheets - to the Department Chair for approval. The chair must be allotted at least one week to review and approve the manuscript.
  • After the chair approves the thesis and signs the Final Reading Approval, the student must submit their manuscript and sheets to the Thesis Editor to begin format approval. This must be done in accordance with Graduate School deadlines in order to graduate in a given semester: http://gradschool.utah.edu/current-students/graduation-overview-for-masters-candidates/.
  • Thesis must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than eight months from the date of the thesis defense. This eight-month deadline includes thesis corrections, final supervisory committee approval, department chair approval, and final approval by the thesis office and graduate school. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the thesis will be voided, the student will have to re-register for one thesis credit, and re-submit and re-defend the thesis.
  • Once format corrections are finished, the student must then work with the Thesis Office to submit their manuscript to ProQuest (or USPACE) for online viewing.
  • After all of these steps are completed, the student will be cleared for graduation. Please note that a student is not considered “graduated” for merely passing the defense. The thesis must also successfully pass corrections and be published before a degree may be awarded.

  Both thesis and non-thesis options lead to a Master’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Both the B.S. and M.S. degrees are conferred simultaneously following completion of the program. No student will be awarded a separate M.S. degree without satisfying all requirements for the B.S. degree.

  Transfer from undergraduate to graduate status occurs after completion of the B.S. degree requirements. A student is eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program administered by the Graduate School after graduate status is conferred.

by Mark Fehlberg

MSNT Program Requirements

Master of Science-Non-Thesis Program Requirements

The Master of Science-Non-Thesis (MSNT) degree is a coursework-orientated degree. It provides an in-depth educational experience in a specific focus area and more breadth at an advanced level through elective courses in complementary areas. An MSNT student is required to take more classes than MST students, but there is no required research component. Students desiring some research experience may enroll in an independent study with a research faculty member. Students desiring rigorous research experience or who are planning to pursue a Ph.D. degree are encouraged to pursue the MST instead of the MSNT.

Additional information on MS student policies can be found on the University's Graduate School website.

Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 Course Credit Hours (graded B- or better)

• Majority of course credit hours must be in ME EN (6000 or above)
  • Minimum of 3 credit hours in ME EN classes at the 7000 level
  • Remaining credit hours from Math, Science, or Engineering (including ME if desired)
  • Students following established MS tracks (e.g., Robotics) may deviate from the majority of credits in ME EN based on the track’s requirements
• No more than 3 credit hours of Independent Study (ME EN 6950)
• No more than 3 Seminar credit hours
• Additional course guidelines
  • No more than 9 non-matriculated credit hours graded B or better
  • No more than 6 transfer credits hours graded B or better
  • Only courses in engineering, mathematics, and science are acceptable
  • The student must obtain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from all courses used on their Program of Study

Additional Program Requirements

• Formation of the MS Supervisory Committee
• Successful completion of coursework associated with an approved program of study
• Successful completion of an exit examination

Faculty Advisor
Each student is assigned the Director of Graduate as their faculty advisor at the time of admission. Prior to graduation, the student may instead select any tenure-line faculty member within the department to be their advisor. The advisor oversees the MS student’s program and gives recommendations for selecting courses. The advisor must be a tenured/tenure-track faculty member within the department.

Supervisory Committee
By the end of the student's second semester, a three-member Supervisory Committee is selected. MSNT students may opt to choose either the department's "Standing Committee" or select the individual committee members.

• The MSNT Standing Committee is comprised of 3 Mechanical Engineering faculty determined by the department’s Graduate Committee
• If using the MSNT Standing Committee, students must notify the Graduate Advising office. In this case, they do not need to obtain committee member signatures on Committee and Program of Study forms.
• If a student opts to select their own committee members, they must follow these rules:
  • The student’s advisor serves as the chair of the committee and must be regular (tenure-line) faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • The remaining two committee members must also be regular (tenure-line) faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
  • MSNT Students may not petition for exception to policy regarding their committee.
  • The student will obtain approval and signatures from committee members on all paperwork.

Program of Study
The Program of Study and thesis work is completed under the direction and approval of the supervisory committee. The committee chair (usually the student’s advisor) should assist the student in planning the Program of Study and should encourage breadth by selecting of one or more courses outside of the department in areas such as basic mathematics, science, and other engineering topics. The cumulative GPA of courses listed on the program of study must be greater than or equal to a 3.0 with no grades lower than B-

Preliminary Program of Study Approval
By the end of their first semester, the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the MS Non-Thesis Preliminary Program of Study form.
• Select graduate courses after consultation with their advisor or the Director of Graduate Studies.
• List all taken and planned classes on the form that are to count toward the MSNT.
• Obtain signature approval from their advisor and then submit the form to Graduate Advising.

The Graduate Advisor will obtain approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before filing the form in the student’s departmental records. If the form is not approved, the Graduate Advisor will return the form to the student.

Final Program of Study Approval
Upon registering for their final course(s), the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the MS Non-Thesis Program of Study form.
• List all classes that are to count toward the MSNT.
• If the student opted for the department’s Standing Committee, they submit the completed form to the Graduate Advisor for departmental approval.
• If the student selected their committee members, they must obtain approval from them, and then submit the form to the Graduate Advisor.

The Graduate Advisor will input the information from the form into the electronic records system via CIS. The Director of Graduate Studies will electronically approve the Program of Study.

Research and/or Project Opportunities
There are no research and/or project requirements for the MSNT degree. A student desiring to conduct a project must first find a faculty member willing to sponsor it. After finding a sponsor, they may register for up to 3 credit hours of ME EN 6950 – Independent Study course. Should a project be undertaken, no formal presentation or defense is required. Under no circumstance may a project defense be substituted for the Comprehensive Final Exam requirement.

Exit Examination
The exam covers the breadth and integration of material in the field and may be written, oral, or both.

• The examination is conducted the department.
• The exam must be completed prior to degree conferral.
• Contact Graduate Advising regarding the current structure of the exam.

Residency Requirement
At least one year of the MS program must be spent in full-time academic work at the University of Utah. This means that for two consecutive semesters, the student must be registered for 9 or more credit hours.

Time Limits
A maximum time of four years is allowed for completion of the MS degree. If the student requires additional time, the student’s advisor must submit a petition to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School requesting an extension with a plan for completing the program.

Students can monitor their degree progress and milestones by logging into CIS, locating the Graduation panel under their Student Information, and clicking on “Graduate Student Summary.” It is the responsibility of the student to monitor and ensure the correctness of their online records.

by Mark Fehlberg

MST Program Requirements

Master of Science-Thesis Program Requirements

The Master of Science-Thesis (MST) is a research-oriented degree. The Thesis requirement reflects the research orientation of this degree. The research work associated with an MST should involve close collaboration with the student’s advisor and committee. The thesis typically represents at least two years of research. A student who intends to pursue the Ph.D. degree at a later stage is encouraged to pursue the MST rather than the Master of Science, Non-Thesis degree because of its research orientation.

Additional information on MS student policies can be found on the University's Graduate School website.

Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 Total Credit Hours

• Minimum of 21 credit hours in courses relevant to the student's academic program (graded B- or better)
  • Majority of course credit hours must be in ME EN (6000 or above)
    • Minimum of 3 credit hours in ME EN classes at the 7000 level
    • Remaining credit hours from Math, Science, or Engineering (including ME if desired)
    • Students following established MS tracks (e.g., Robotics) may deviate from the majority of credits in ME EN based on the track’s requirements
  • No more than 3 credit hours of Independent Study (ME EN 6950)
    • An Independent Study with a student’s MS advisor must be separate from their thesis topic and must be approved by the department’s Graduate Committee
  • No more than 3 Seminar credit hours
  • Note: a student’s research advisor or supervisory committee may require additional course credit hours

• Minimum of 9 credit hours of ME EN 6975, MS Thesis Research (graded CR/NC)
  • All additional research credit hours must be ME EN 6975

• Additional course guidelines
  • No more than 9 non-matriculated credit hours graded B or better
  • No more than 6 transfer credits hours graded B or better
  • Only courses in engineering, mathematics, and science are acceptable
  • The student must obtain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from all courses used on their Program of Study

Additional Program Requirements

• Formation of the MS Supervisory Committee
• Successful completion of an approved research program
• Successful Oral Defense of the MS Research
• Successful approval of a written Thesis

Faculty Advisor
Each student should have a faculty advisor at the time of admission. If not, the student must select an advisor by the end of the first semester of MS degree work. The advisor oversees the MS student’s program, gives recommendations for selecting courses, and supervises the thesis research. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the advisor must be a tenured/tenure-track faculty member within the department.

Supervisory Committee
By the end of the student's second semester, a three-member Supervisory Committee is selected. The chair of this committee is the student’s permanent advisor. The committee chair selects the other members of the committee in consultation with the student. The Graduate Committee may make recommendations regarding committee membership. The Supervisory Committee must be approved by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies and the Grad School. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the majority of the committee must be tenure-line faculty members from the department. Failure to form a supervisory committee by the end of the student's first year will result in the student being placed on probation for failure to make due progress.

*Note: Students may submit a petition for exception to policy for either the chair of the committee or the majority, but not both.

Program of Study
The Program of Study and thesis work is completed under the direction and approval of the supervisory committee. The committee chair (usually the student’s advisor) should assist the student in planning the Program of Study and should encourage breadth by selecting of one or more courses outside of the department in areas such as basic mathematics, science, and other engineering topics. The cumulative GPA of courses listed on the program of study must be greater than or equal to a 3.0 with no grades lower than B-.

Preliminary Program of Study Approval
By the end of their first semester, the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the MS Thesis Preliminary Program of Study form.
• Select graduate courses after consultation with their temporary or permanent advisor.
• List all taken and planned classes on the form that are to count toward the MS, including research hours.
• Obtain signature approval from their advisor and then submit the form to Graduate Advising.

The Graduate Advisor will obtain approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before filing the form in the student’s departmental records. If the form is not approved, the Graduate Advisor will return the form to the student.

Final Program of Study Approval
Upon registering for their final course(s), the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the MS Thesis Program of Study form.
• List all classes that are to count toward the MS, including research hours.
• Gather signature approval from their committee members, and then submit the form to Graduate Advising.

The Graduate Advisor will input the information from the form into the electronic records system via CIS. The Director of Graduate Studies will electronically approve the Program of Study.

Thesis and Oral Defense
The final checkpoint in the MS program is the thesis defense, which is given in the student’s last semester. This defense is open to the public and is an in-depth explanation of the student’s MS research. The defense is the final examination in the MST program. It can be broken down into three parts: a written exam, a public oral exam, and a closed oral exam.

Written Thesis
The thesis manuscript serves as the written portion of the exam. The thesis' contents, results, and conclusions associated with the student's MS research are provided to the supervisory committee for their review and evaluation at least 2 weeks prior to the oral defense. For formatting and organization of the manuscript, please follow the manuscript guidelines outlined by the Graduate School. At a minimum, the thesis must:

• Include a thesis summary that is a succinct description of a student’s accomplishments and the deliverables achieved.
• Reflect an understanding of the current and past state of knowledge in the chosen research area through a comprehensive literature review of the subject
• Clearly state the goals of the research and justify its value to the engineering and scientific community
• Demonstrate a fundamental and original contribution, which significantly advances engineering science in the chosen area of research

Oral Defense Format
The student will coordinate the required public announcement and scheduling of the defense with the Graduate Advising Office. The chair of the student’s committee will also chair the defense. The chair will at a minimum:

• Open the defense session by introducing the student and their research topic.
• Announce any specific rules pertaining to the defense (e.g., hold questions until the end of the presentation).

The defense begins with the student’s presentation of their MS research for approximately 45 minutes. The student will be evaluated on presentation skills as well as the content. Members of the audience must be allowed ask the student relevant questions. After the public question-and-answer session, the audience will be excused. After the open portion of the exam, the closed oral exam begins. The committee may pursue additional discussion and questions with the student. The acceptability of the research effort, the content and conclusions of the thesis , and the student's oral defense are considered along with other factors, as appropriate. The committee then dismisses the student and votes to determine whether the student passes the exam. The chair then meets with the student to inform him/her of the committee’s decision, and the reasons for that decision.

The outcome of the thesis defense is reported on the MS-Thesis Report of the Final Oral Exam form.

• The student will receive a “Pass” on the defense if the majority of the committee members concur.
• The student will receive a “Pass with Corrections” if the majority of the committee requires minor changes to the student’s Thesis but do not feel that the student needs to publicly defend their research again. In this case, the committee will also decide if the chair or the entire committee needs to verify that the requested changes have been made.
• The student will receive a “Fail” if the majority of the committee requires changes to the Thesis and agree that the student must publicly defend their research again.
• The chair of the committee must return the completed form to Graduate Advising within one week of the defense.

Manuscript Approval
The last step to confer an MS degree is formatting and submitting the department approved thesis to the Thesis Office.

• Once the committee approves the thesis content and the student has passed their oral defense, they must obtain department approval by providing Graduate Advising with:
  • their manuscript
  • signed approval and defense forms
  • a Grammarly report showing that no major grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors are in the manuscript
• The student's Graduate Advisor will indicate any required changes to the thesis' formatting
• The student must complete all required changes before submitting it to the Thesis Office.
• Once the manuscript is uploaded to the Thesis Office's submission system, all committee members and the department chair will provide their electronic approval of the thesis.
• Once any Thesis Office corrections are finished, the student must then work with the Thesis Office to submit their manuscript to ProQuest (or USPACE) for online viewing.
• The thesis must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than eight months from the date of the oral defense. This eight-month deadline includes thesis corrections, supervisory committee approval, department chair approval, and final approval by the Thesis Office. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the thesis will be voided, the student will have to re-register for at least one thesis credit, and re-defend the thesis.
• After each of these steps is completed, the student will be cleared for graduation. Please note that a student is not considered “graduated” for merely passing the defense. The thesis must also successfully pass corrections and be published before a degree may be awarded.

Residency Requirement
At least one year of the MS program must be spent in full-time academic work at the University of Utah. This means that for two consecutive semesters, the student must be registered for 9 or more credit hours.

Time Limits
A maximum time of four years is allowed for completion of the MS degree. If the student requires additional time, the student’s advisor must submit a petition to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School requesting an extension with a plan for completing the program.

Students can monitor their degree progress and milestones by logging into CIS, locating the Graduation panel under their Student Information, and clicking on “Graduate Student Summary.” It is the responsibility of the student to monitor and ensure the correctness of their online records.

by Mark Fehlberg

Grad Handbook

Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Handbook

Introduction/Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah! The department’s faculty and staff are committed to educating tomorrow’s engineering leaders and producing leading-edge research.

The mission of the graduate program is to provide a world-class education that instills the professional, technical, critical thinking, and communication skills necessary for students and faculty to make impactful contributions to society. The graduate program has an extensive course list that complements the research mission. Over the last decade, more than 30 new courses have been added to the graduate curriculum in areas of growing demand such as aerospace, systems engineering, experimental and computational mechanics, wearable robotics, and micro/nanoscale systems. Both Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are offered.

Director of Graduate Studies

Dr. Mark Fehlberg
BS/MS and MS-non-thesis Student Advising
Office: 1340 MEK
Email: m.fehlberg@utah.edu
Phone: (801) 585-9293

Graduate Student Coordinators

Michelle Turner
Current Students: Last Names A-L
MS-Thesis and PhD Student Advising
Graduation, Tuition Benefit Program, Quals Exams
Office: 1569 MEK
Email: michelle.turner@utah.edu
Phone: (801) 585-7153

Lane Sutton
Current Students: Last Names M-Z
MS-Thesis and PhD Student Advising
Recruitment, GSAC
Office: 1568 MEK
Email: lane.sutton@utah.edu
Phone: (801) 581-3197

by Mark Fehlberg

PhD Program Requirements

PhD Program

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is designed to give students in-depth study in a particular research emphasis. Compared to our master’s students, a larger percentage of doctorate students receive funding. In the workforce, doctorate graduates generally earn more than graduates with only a Masters degree. They have the flexibility to choose a career in industry, research, or education.

Applicants for the PhD program with a Bachelor of Science degree may be accepted directly into the Doctoral program without completion of a Master of Science degree. These students are encouraged to pursue the milestone Master of Science (non-thesis) degree as part of their Ph.D. program.

Additional information on PhD student policies can be found on the University's Graduate School website.

Program Requirements

• Selection of a Research Advisor/Committee Chair
• Completion of the PhD Qualifying Examination
• Formation of the PhD Supervisory Committee
• Successful Oral Defense of the PhD Research Proposal
• Completion of an approved Program of Study (coursework and research hours)
• Completion of an approved research program
• Successful Oral Defense of the PhD Research
• Approval of a written Dissertation

Research Advisor/Committee Chair

Each student should have a permanent faculty advisor at the time of admission. If not, the student must select a permanent advisor by the end of the first semester their of Ph.D. degree work. The advisor oversees the Ph.D. student’s program, gives recommendations for selecting courses, and supervises the dissertation research. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the advisor must be a tenured/tenure-track faculty member within the department.

PhD Qualifying Examination

The first checkpoint in a doctorate student’s career is the Qualifying Exam. Students must pass this exam in order to be 'admitted to candidacy' in the Ph.D. program. The exam is directed at testing students’ understanding and application of basic concepts and mastery of technical knowledge in different areas. The exam is administered during the 12th week of each Fall and Spring semester. Students must attempt the Qualifying Exam before the end of their 3rd semester in the Ph.D. program. It is recommended that students attempt the exam earlier in their program whenever possible. Refer to the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Student Instructions for detailed exam information and procedures.

Supervisory Committee

Within one semester of the successful passage of the qualifying exam, a five-member Supervisory Committee is selected (summer does not count as a semester). The chair of this committee is the student’s permanent advisor. The committee chair selects the other members of the committee in consultation with the student. The Graduate Committee may make recommendations regarding committee membership. The Supervisory Committee must be approved by the department's Director of Graduate Studies and the Grad School. Without petitioning the department and the Grad School, the majority of the committee must be tenure-line faculty members from the department. At least one member must be from outside the Department. Failure to form a supervisory committee within one semester of passing the qualifying exam will result in the student being placed on probation for failure to make due progress.

*Note: Students may submit a petition for exception to policy for either the chair of the committee or the majority, but not both.

Research Proposal

The second checkpoint is the research proposal defense, which must be conducted within two semesters of passing the qualifying examination and at least 8 months prior to the dissertation defense (summer does not count as a semester). The proposal defense assesses the student’s research abilities and is administered and evaluated by the student’s supervisory committee. Passing the proposal defense indicates that the student’s proposed dissertation research is approved by the committee and can commence. Failure to propose within two semesters of passing the qualifying exam will result in the student being placed on probation for failure to make due progress.

Students are required to submit a written research proposal and a proposal summary to their supervisory committee 2 weeks prior to the oral defense. The written research proposal must follow either the University Thesis Office's format or a standard format such as those suggested by NSF, DOE, NIH, or other funding agencies as appropriate. The proposal must include a detailed research/project description and an associated bibliography. The student may provide a short bio-sketch and a budget, if relevant. The research proposal must be 15 pages or less, excluding the bibliography. The proposal summary should be about 1 page and includes an abstract, a description of each of the major aims the Ph.D. research, and a timetable of major milestones and events.

Program of Study

The Program of Study and dissertation work is completed under the direction and approval of the supervisory committee. The committee chair (usually the student’s advisor) should assist the student in planning the Program of Study and should encourage breadth by selecting of one or more courses outside of the department in areas such as basic mathematics, science, and other engineering topics. The cumulative GPA of courses listed on the program of study must be greater than or equal to a 3.0 with no grades lower than B-.

Course Requirements (minimum of 47 Total Credit Hours)
Minimum of 33 credit hours in courses relevant to the student's academic program (graded B- or better)

• Majority of course credit hours must be in ME EN (6000 or above)
  • Minimum of 6 credit hours in ME EN classes at the 7000 level
  • Remaining credit hours from Math, Science, or Engineering (including ME if desired)
  • Students following established Ph.D. tracks (e.g., Robotics) may deviate from the majority of credits in ME EN based on the track’s requirements
• Students with a conferred MS degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field may apply up to 21 graduate course credit hours in Math, Science, and Engineering towards the required 33 credit hours, pending Ph.D. Supervisory Committee and Director of Graduate Studies approval
• No more than 3 credit hours of Independent Study (ME EN 6950)
  • An Independent Study with a student’s Ph.D. advisor must be separate from their dissertation topic and must be approved by the department’s Graduate Committee
• No more than 3 Seminar credit hours
• Note: a student’s research advisor or supervisory committee may require additional course credit hours

• Minimum of 14 credit hours of ME EN 7970, Ph.D. Dissertation Research (graded CR/NC)
  • All additional research credit hours must be ME EN 7970

• Additional course guidelines
  • No more than 9 non-matriculated credit hours graded B or better
  • No more than 6 transfer credits hours graded B or better
  • Only courses in engineering, mathematics, and science are acceptable
  • The student must obtain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from all courses used on their Program of Study

Preliminary Program of Study Approval
By the end of their first semester, the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the Ph.D. Preliminary Program of Study form.
• Select graduate courses after consultation with their temporary or permanent advisor.
• List all taken and planned classes on the form that are to count toward the Ph.D., including research hours.
• Obtain signature approval from their advisor and then submit the form to the Graduate Advisor.

The Graduate Advisor will obtain approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before filing the form in the student’s departmental records. If the form is not approved, the Graduate Advisor will return the form to the student.

Final Program of Study Approval
Upon registering for their final course(s), the student must:

• Obtain and fill out the Ph.D. Program of Study form.
• List all classes that are to count toward the Ph.D., including research hours.
• Gather signature approval from their committee members, and then submit the form to the Graduate Advisor.

The Graduate Advisor will input the information from the form into the electronic records system via CIS. The Director of Graduate Studies will electronically approve the Program of Study.

Milestone Masters
Once the student has passed the Qualifying Exam and completed at least 30 course hours, they may receive a Master of Science, non-thesis degree as a "milestone" MS. The student forms a 3-member committee for the MSNT and completes a program of study with 30 credit hours of coursework. The student then and submits the following completed paperwork to Graduate Advising:

• Request for Supervisory Committee
• Program of Study form

Once this paperwork has been submitted, the MS degree will be awarded the following semester.

Dissertation and Oral Defense
The final checkpoint in the Ph.D. program is the dissertation defense, which is given at least 8 months after the research proposal and in the student’s last semester. This defense is open to the public and is an in-depth explanation of the student’s doctoral research. The defense is the final examination in the doctoral program. It can be broken down into three parts: a written exam, a public oral exam, and a closed oral exam.

View detailed Ph.D. Defense Instructions.

Written Dissertation
The dissertation manuscript serves as the written portion of the exam. The student must receive dissertation content approval (by private/pre-defense if required) before they may schedule and conduct their final oral examination. The dissertation's contents, results, and conclusions associated with the student's doctoral research are provided to the supervisory committee for their review and evaluation. For formatting and organization of the manuscript, please follow the manuscript guidelines outlined by the Graduate School. At a minimum, the dissertation must:

• Include a dissertation summary that is a succinct description of a student’s accomplishments and the deliverables achieved.
• Reflect an understanding of the current and past state of knowledge in the chosen research area through a comprehensive literature review of the subject
• Clearly state the goals of the research and justify its value to the engineering and scientific community
• Demonstrate a fundamental and original contribution, which significantly advances engineering science in the chosen area of research

Because the department values timely dissemination of results, some portion (e.g., a chapter) of the dissertation must have been submitted for publication in a committee-approved, peer-reviewed journal at the time of the defense. Yet, committee members may have differing publication requirements for their students. Therefore, in some cases, students may not qualify to defend until they have met these publication requirements.

Prior to scheduling and conducting their dissertation defense, the student must complete any content corrections recommended by the supervisory committee.

Oral Defense Format
After receiving dissertation content approval, the student will conduct the final oral examination. The student will coordinate the required public announcement and scheduling of the defense with the Graduate Advising Office.

The defense begins with the student’s presentation of the doctoral research. The student will be evaluated on presentation skills as well as the content. Members of the audience may ask the student relevant questions. After the public question-and-answer session, the audience will be excused. After the open portion of the exam, the closed oral exam begins. The committee may pursue additional discussion and questions with the student. The acceptability of the research effort, the content and conclusions of the dissertation, and the student's oral defense are considered along with other factors, as appropriate. The committee then dismisses the student and votes to determine whether the student passes the exam. The chair then meets with the student to inform him/her of the committee’s decision, and the reasons for that decision.

Manuscript Approval
The last step to confer a Ph.D. degree is formatting and submitting the department approved dissertation to the Thesis Office.

• Once the committee approves the dissertation content and the student has passed their oral defense, they must obtain department approval by providing Graduate Advising with:
  • their manuscript
  • signed approval and defense forms
  • a Grammarly report showing that no major grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors are in the manuscript
• The student's Graduate Advisor will indicate any required changes to the dissertation's formatting
• The student must complete all required changes before submitting it to the Thesis Office.
• Once the manuscript is uploaded to the Thesis Office's submission system, all committee members and the department chair will provide their electronic approval of the dissertation.
• Once any Thesis Office corrections are finished, the student must then work with the Thesis Office to submit their manuscript to ProQuest (or USPACE) for online viewing.
• The dissertation must be approved by Thesis Editor no later than eight months from the date of the oral defense. This eight-month deadline includes dissertation corrections, supervisory committee approval, department chair approval, and final approval by the Thesis Office. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the dissertation will be voided, the student will have to re-register for at least one dissertation credit, and re-defend the dissertation.
• After each of these steps is completed, the student will be cleared for graduation. Please note that a student is not considered “graduated” for merely passing the defense. The dissertation must also successfully pass corrections and be published before a degree may be awarded.

Residency Requirement
At least one year of the doctoral program must be spent in full-time academic work at the University of Utah. This means that for two consecutive semesters, the student must be registered for 9 or more credit hours.

Time Limits
A maximum time of seven years is allowed for completion of the Ph.D. degree. If the student requires additional time, the student’s advisor must submit a petition to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School requesting an extension with a plan for completing the program.

Students can monitor their degree progress and milestones by logging into CIS, locating the Graduation panel under their Student Information, and clicking on “Graduate Student Summary.” It is the responsibility of the student to monitor and ensure the correctness of their online records.

by Mark Fehlberg

Program Requirements

Program Requirements

Mechanical Engineering Grad Student Programs

• Ph.D.
• MS-Thesis
• MS-Non-Thesis
• BS/MS-Thesis
• BS/MS-Non-Thesis
• MS/MBA

by Mark Fehlberg