Focus Areas

MS Non-Thesis Focus Areas

MSNT students are required to have a focus area for their studies. These focus areas are designed to help guide graduate their coursework. You can find more information about each focus area below.

Advanced Manufacturing

Examining materials produced using innovative technologies, and the leveraging of innovative technologies to create existing and new products.

Aerospace

Fundamental and system-level research toward next-generation aerospace and aeronautical systems.

Biomechanical Engineering

Applying mechanics to biological systems, including the study of how the human body responds to the application of force.

Computational Mechanics in Mechanical Engineering

Developing mathematical models to represent physical phenomena and applying modern computing methods to analyze these phenomena.

Data Science in Mechanical Engineering

Developing and applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate new models and learn governing equations using simulated or physical data sets.

Environmental Fluid Dynamics

Studying the properties of the Earth’s atmosphere and its relation to the science of fluid dynamics, including large scale simulations and field experiments.

Micro/Nano

Investigating problems related to micro/nano scale materials, devices, biological systems, and phenomena occurring at the micro/nano scales.

Robotics

Researching design, construction, operation, and use of robots with strong collaboration between Computing and Mechanical Engineering.

Solid Mechanics

Characterizing, designing, and predicting mechanics of soft and hard structures.

Sustainable Energy

Developing clean energy systems, including direct energy production, energy storage, and the integration of energy efficient technologies.

Systems Engineering

Developing, analyzing, optimizing, and managing complex engineered systems to improve their productivity and efficiency.

Thermal Science

Studies of thermodynamics and heat transfer physics in a wide range of length and time scales that impact engineering and biological applications.

Custom Focus Area

Focus areas that don’t match with the areas above can be approved on a case-by-case basis. Contact your graduate advisor for more details.

by Davey Stevenson

Current Student Forms

Current Student Forms

by Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm

Graduate Student Petitions

Graduate Student Petition Form

For Registrar's Office, Graduate School, or Income Accounting petitions, go back to the Forms page for links to those petition forms (see form below for reasons this form should be submitted to the Department). See these Petition instructions for further instructions (will also be attached to your email confirmation after submitting this form. Email grad@mech.utah.edu with any questions or if you haven't heard back within 14 days.

 

Enter uNID as 8 digits with a zero replacing the 'u' (e.g., 00123456)
Responses will be sent to Umail only. Please check it regularly.
Check the box(es) to indicate you understand the following statements and then upload a justification and any supporting documents in the next field.

Maximum file size: 52.43MB

(1) Write a justification for your petition and upload as a PDF or Microsoft Word document.
(2) Upload supporting documents (e.g., medical records, support letters, etc.) if applicable.

by Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm

Graduate Advising

Graduate Program Advising and Administration

The Graduate Advising team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering is here to guide and support you through your program by ensuring you understand the curriculum, requirements, policies and procedures within the Department and the University.

Michelle Turner, Graduate Advisor

Current MS & PhD Students Last Names (A-L)

Responsibilities: Advises current graduate students (last names A-L) regarding program milestones, programs of study, tuition benefit, graduation, and thesis and dissertation process. Oversees all aspects of graduate stud graduation, including department thesis/dissertation approval. Coordinates the department’s grad distance and certificate programs.

Biography: Michelle has a B.A. in History with an emphasis in Middle Eastern languages and culture from the University of Utah and an M.S. in Library and Information Science and Central Eurasian languages from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Contact Information:
Office: 1569 MEK
Phone: (801) 585-7153
Email Michelle
Book In-Person and Video appointments
Walk-In Hours:
Monday: 11am-12pm
Tuesday: 2-3pm
Wednesday: 2-3pm
Friday: 11am-12pm

Lane Sutton, Graduate Advisor

Current MS & PhD Students Last Names (M-Z)

Responsibilities: Advises current graduate students (last names M-Z) regarding program milestones, programs of study, tuition benefit, graduation, and thesis and dissertation process. Oversees all aspects of the department’s teaching assistant program. Coordinates the department’s PhD Qualifying Exams, current grad student events, and recruiting.

Biography: Lane is originally from Grantsville, UT. He completed his undergrad work at the UofU in Kinesiology and Exercise Science in 2021 and is currently working towards an M.A. in English Education. Before coming to ME, Lane worked at the U as both a College Access Advisor and a Pre-Professional Advisor.

Contact Information:
Office: 1568 MEK
Email: lane.sutton@utah.edu
Book In-Person and Video appointments
Walk-In Hours:
Monday: 2-3pm
Wednesday: 11am-12pm
Thursday: 2-3pm
Friday: 2-3pm

Dr. Mark Fehlberg, Director of Graduate Studies

All BS/MS students and Admissions

Responsibilities: Advises all BS/MS students during their undergrad and graduate programs. Administers the Graduate Program, including creating and enforcing policies, admissions, petitions and advisor supervision.

Biography: Dr. Mark Fehlberg has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah and is also an Assistant Professor (lecturer) in the department.  He was previously the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Advisor and also has many years of industry and military experience.

Contact Information:
Office: 1340 MEK
Phone: (801) 585-9293
Email: m.fehlberg@utah.edu
Book In-Person and Video appointments

by Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm

Frequently Asked Questions-Graduate Future Students

Graduate Program Frequently Asked Questions

(Prospective and New Student)

How Do I Apply to the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program
Thank you for your interest in our graduate program! Please visit our Future Students page to view more information on the application process and our admission requirements.
How Do I Check the Status of my Application

Log back into the ApplyYourself application to check if your application is complete and if a decision has been entered. If you don’t see a decision after several weeks, keep in mind the following:

  • Your application could be incomplete. Check in ApplyYourself to make sure all required documents have been received.
  • If you are a PhD applicant, we require a two-way match with a faculty member to be admitted (i.e. a faculty makes you an offer and you accept) or if you have external funding you can also potentially be admitted if you can find a faculty supervisor. If you haven’t communicated with any faculty and none have contacted you, you might want to email faculty who might be a good fit and find out if they’re looking for students. Your application will remain pending unless an offer is made and accepted and your application will be denied and closed at the end of the admission period (end of prior semester to the semester you’re applying for) if an offer wasn’t made to you.
  • Most Master’s students who meet the Graduate School admission criteria should be admitted but international students may need to show they have funding for at least travel to the U.S. and the first year’s expenses because not much funding is available for Master’s students.
  • All Master’s students that are admitted are admitted as non-thesis by default. If you find and confirm an advisor and research topic, you can be considered for admission into the M.S. Thesis Program.


Why Does It Say My Application Is Incomplete
Four items are required for your application to be complete: application fee payment, 3 letters of recommendation, upload of unofficial transcripts, and upload of personal statement. Please allow at least 2 working days after submission of these items for your application to show a complete status. If all items have been uploaded and your application still shows incomplete after 2 working days, please contact me again.

Is the GRE Exam Required?
In a normal year, we require a score of 80th percentile or higher on the GRE Quantitative section to be admitted to our graduate program, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the GRE exam is optional for 2021 and 2022 admission but recommended if it will enhance your application (e.g. like if your GPA is a little low).

Send scores using Institution Code 4853 (U Utah) Department Code 1502 (Mechanical Engineering).


What if My Recommenders are Having Problems Receiving the Form or Submitting Their Recommendation?

  1. Log in to ApplyYourself
  2. Edit your Application
  3. On the Left Sidebar under Important Links, select Recommendations
  4. Check the email address. If it is correct, click Resend. If it is incorrect, delete the recommender and add a new recommender with the correct email address.
  5. Reach out to the ApplyYourself vendor’s technical support team. There is a link for technical support at the bottom of the main login page and at the top if an applicant is logged into the application.
  6. If the person is not receiving the email, you can try to get a different email address for your recommender and add a new recommender listing using the new email address and see if the request goes through.
  7. If nothing else works, contact us about alternative submission methods.


What are the Steps for Being Admitted Once my Application is Complete
The Mechanical Engineering Department reviews your file first and recommends you for admission to the Graduate School and the decision is forwarded to University’s Office of Admissions for review. Acceptance by the Office of Admissions is contingent upon their verification of your meeting the Graduate School’s minimum requirements for admissions. If they concur with our decision, a formal letter of acceptance will be sent from the University Office of Admissions.  The whole process can take several weeks, or potentially longer if you applied close to an application deadline.

What if My GPA or GRE Scores (If Required the Semester You're Applying For) Are Too Low For Admission?

If your GPA or GRE scores (if required the semester you’re applying) are too low, domestic students may be invited to apply to the University as a non-matriculated student and re-apply to the graduate program for a future semester. You can take up to 9 credits as a non-matriculated student and transfer them to your degree with a B or higher (9 credits total can be transferred so if you already have some graduate credit this may not apply).  If you want to re-apply for the next semester, we can just defer your current application and you will not need to fill out a new one. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies for more information.

If a faculty member wants to recommend you for admission, we may be able to admit you with lower GPA or GRE than required on an appeal. Contact Director of Graduate Studies for more information if you have a faculty member interested in hiring you in their lab.

You can also retake the GRE to try to get a higher score, if it’s required for the semester you’re applying for (currently optional for 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19).


How Do I Accept My Admission Offer

You should have received an email from the Admissions Office notifying you of your admissions offer. To accept the offer and begin the enrollment process, please complete the following steps:

  1. Log in to ApplyYourself
  2. At the bottom of the page, click link for Decision Status Available
  3. Open and view the letter
  4. Click the link at the bottom of the letter and fill out required info

What Funding is Available for Graduate Students?
Graduate students in Mechanical Engineering receive financial support from several different sources including assistantships, tuition waivers, scholarships and financial aid. Assistantships are paid appointments awarded on a semester or annual basis to qualified graduate students. Assistantships are highly sought after because of the number of benefits it can provide such as relevant research/work experience, expansion of networks, flexible schedule, and financial assistance. Below please find information on assistantships offered through our department. Please be mindful that funding is not guaranteed.

  1. Assistantships (to obtain, contact faculty with whom you share common research interests and attempt to get one of them to sponsor you in their lab)
    1. Teaching Assistantship (TA) – TA positions are available primarily to MS Thesis and PhD students. These awards are determined by the recommendation of a faculty sponsor. Once admitted, MS Non-Thesis students can apply through our TA database and upload a resume so that professors can view and select qualified applicants for their courses.
    2. Research Assistantship (RA) – RA positions are available to MS Thesis and PhD students only. These positions are by recommendation of a professor and are awarded during admissions.
    3. Graduate Fellowships (GF) – GFs are by nomination and are typically given to PhD candidates. GFs usually perform the work of RAs.
  2. Scholarships
    1. http://financialaid.utah.edu/
    2. https://www.coe.utah.edu/students/financial-aid
    3. https://www.coe.utah.edu/students/fellowships/
    4. https://isss.utah.edu/scholarship/ (international students)
What if I Haven't Heard Back from a Faculty Member About Funding/Research Assistantships?
You are welcome to direct any questions to the Graduate Advisor or Director of Graduate Studies but they may not have current information as to the status of which faculty are still looking for students.  Please be mindful that our faculty are extremely busy and receive a lot of inquiries and many of them may have already recommended students for assistantship positions. If you have not been made an offer, PhD applicants will not be admitted and Master’s students will have to wait to apply to our teaching assistant (TA) database once you are enrolled in our program. TA application submission will become available around mid-summer for Fall semester and the end of Fall semester for Spring semester positions. Once you are in the University of Utah mailing system you can be added to our graduate student list serve and receive my email notifications.
Do All Admitted Graduate Students Get Funding/Assistantships?
Please know that we do not automatically provide financial assistance to all students that are admitted to our graduate program. Unless indicated explicitly in the letter, there is no financial aid associated with your admission offer. To receive financial support as a Research Assistant (RA), Graduate Assistant (GA) or a Teaching Assistant (TA), you must be recommended by a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah. If a financial aid offer becomes available in the near future you will be notified separately.

Does Being an International Student Affect Funding/TA Assistantships At All?

All incoming international students must provide proof of financial responsibility in order to be accepted to the University of Utah (can include RA funding from faculty). Please visit International Graduate Admissions for more details. In order to receive a tuition benefit for a TA position, graduate students whose first language is not English must be certified by the International Teaching Assitant (ITA) Program prior to beginning their assignment. This program is offered through The Graduate School and begins with an evaluation of spoken English for admission to an ITA workshop. The workshop is designed to facilitate ITA’s acquisition of skills in oral English and cultural awareness of higher education in the United States.

Students who are not cleared before the semester begins will be ineligible to receive a tuition benefit under the TA job code. Work as an RA or GA does not require the ITA clearance; however, we highly encourage all international students to participate in an ITA workshop. You must be recommended by the Department of Mechanical Engineering in order to attend the ITA workshop. Priority is given first to students already on campus, then to students who submitted all application materials by the December 1 deadline.

What is the Best Way to Find Faculty Who May Be Hiring?
We suggest that you look at our recent funding highlights for professors that have received recent funding. Professors with new funding are generally the ones that are hiring. We also suggest that you look at the professor’s lab website (links here: https://mech.utah.edu/faculty/). When you look at the websites, try to familiarize yourself with their research and look for professors with recent publications. Professors without recent publications are generally no longer active in research and aren’t looking to hire new students.
Am I Required to Complete an Orientation?
All international students must attend an orientation, which typically takes place a week before classes start. Information regarding orientation, and also crucial dates, visas and living in Salt Lake City can be found on the International Student & Scholar Services website. Domestic students are not required to attend an orientation.

A department-specific new student orientation is available to all students typically the first week of classes but is optional. This orientation typically lasts 2-3 hours.

When Can I Register for Classes?

To view the assigned registration date, log in to the Campus Information Services, click on the “Registration” tile on your Student Homepage, and then click on the “View Your Registration Dates’ link. For more detailed information, see our View Your Registration Dates Tutorial (PDF).

Newly admitted students register fairly late compared to current students but for your second semester on, you will register on the first 1-2 days of the published registration period.


When Do Classes Start for the Next Term?

For a listing of classes available by semester, see the Class Schedule.


How Many Credits Can I Take in a Semester?
9 credits is considered full time for a graduate student.  Most graduate students probably enroll in 9-12 credits.  Campus Information Services limits registration to 16 credit hours. To register for more than 16 credit hours, a graduate student should work with his/her department to get permission on letterhead from the dean of the Graduate School. The Graduate School forwards the approval to our office and it is the student’s responsibility to register for these classes during the open enrollment period.

Where Can I View My Current Class Schedule?
To view the classes for which you are currently registered, log into the Campus Information Services and select “view your class schedule” under the registration menu; you will need to specify which term you wish to view.

How Do I Add and Drop Classes?

Here’s a tutorial about how to add a class.

Here’s a tutorial about how to drop a class.


How Do I Used Schedule Builder?
Log in to CIS, click the “Registration” tile on your Student Homepage, click on the “Add Class” link, select your term (if needed), and then click “Schedule Builder” and create your own optimized, personalized class schedule. Instructions available here.

by Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm

Virtual Grad Expo

Thursday, February 18th
10am-2:30pm and 6-7pm Mountain Standard Time

Grad Expo Agenda (PDF with details and locations)

Event Start Time
Welcome and Instructions 10:00-10:05am
Dean Richard Brown remarks 10:05-10:15am
Department Chair Bruce Gale remarks 10:15-10:25am
Director of Graduate Studies Mark Fehlberg remarks

General info about grad programs

 10:30-11:15am
Short Faculty research presentations (see list in the FAQs below) 11:15am-12:00pm (~5-10 minutes each)
Lunch break 12-12:30pm
Research Expo (see more details in the FAQs below) 12:30-1:30pm
Student panel 1:40-2:00pm
Faculty panel 2-2:20pm
Closing remarks and last questions 2:20-2:30pm
“Happy Hour” social with current students and faculty 6:00-7:00pm (faculty will join around 6:30)

FAQ

We will be using a virtual event platform called Gather. Go to this website to enter the event space at anytime between now and March 12th: https://gather.town/app/IDUwpR2Wz0ALgYFX/mechU

Gather works best with Google Chrome. It does not work Safari and sometimes seems to have audio problems in Firefox. There is also a desktop app you can try https://gather.town/download

Participants will join us in a 2D world with 8-bit graphics, walking around the space by moving your avatar with your keyboard’s arrow keys.  If you approach another avatar, that person’s webcam will appear at the top of your screen and you can talk to them or keep walking. There are websites, PDFs and images imbedded throughout the site and if something highlights yellow and/or you see a message at the bottom of your screen above your name such as “press x to watch this video”, then if you press your x key you can look at the item. Press the x in a white circle at the top right of the document/website to close it again.

We made a document to help you here.

Yes, from 9-10am and from 12-12:30 (lunch break) there will be current students in the Student Lounge, as well as at the Happy Hour from 6-7pm in the Rooftop Lounge and there will be a student panel from 1:40-2pm.  Students should have their name and “(Student)” in their avatar name. If you get close to a student’s avatar their webcam will pop up and you can talk to them. If a group of students is in a common area such as a rug/couch area you will see all those people’s webcams and can chat.

In the Research Hall from 12:30-1:30pm we will have short presentations of an overview of research in our 4 “divisions” (how we currently classify our faculty, research and classes), including Robotics and Controls, Solid Mechanics, Thermal, Fluid and Energy Systems (TFES), and Design, Ergonomics, Manufacturing and Systems (DEMS, and includes MEMS). There will also be a few short live lab tours where you can open a zoom link directly from the space, as well as research posters, videos and websites placed throughout the area that you can access by clicking the ‘x’ key.

  • 12:30-12:45 Robotics division research overview presentation (by Professor Jake Abbott of the Telerobotics Lab) in the carpeted area with chairs
  • 1:00-1:15 Live Bionic Engineering Lab demonstration (by Professor Tommaso Lenzi and students), click x over by the “Live Lab Tour” image in the top left corner to access the zoom link (you will temporarily leave Gather but when you close it you will return to that space).
  • 12:30-1:30 interact with research posters, videos and websites placed throughout the area that you can access by clicking the ‘x’ key when the icons highlight yellow.
  • Also feel free to check out other division rooms
  • 12:30-12:45 Solid Mechanics division research overview presentation (by Professor Rob Parker of the Dynamics & Vibrations lab) in the carpeted area with chairs
  • No live tours but watch their research and facility overview video and recorded interviews by pressing the ‘x’ key as you encounter them in their room.
  • 12:30-1:30 interact with research posters, videos and websites placed throughout the area that you can access by clicking the ‘x’ key when the icons highlight yellow.
  • Also feel free to check out other division rooms
  • 12:30-12:45 DEMS division research overview presentation (by Professor Jiyoung Chang of the Wearable NEMS (NanoElectroMechanical Systems) Laboratory) in the carpeted area with chairs
  • 12:45-1:00 Live Ergonomics and Safety Lab presentation (by Professor Andrew Merryweather and students), click x over by their “Live Lab Tour” image in the top left corner of this room to access the zoom link (you will temporarily leave Gather but when you close it you will return to that space).
  • 1:00-1:15 Live Biomedical Micro/Nano Systems Lab presentation (by Professor Jay Kim and student), click x over by their “Live Lab Tour” image in the top left corner of this room to access the zoom link (you will temporarily leave Gather but when you close it you will return to that space).
  • 12:30-1:30 interact with research posters, videos and websites placed throughout the area that you can access by clicking the ‘x’ key when the icons highlight yellow.
  • Also feel free to check out other division rooms
  • 12:30-12:45 No division research overview presentation so far but check out their division overview video in the space by finding the icon and clicking ‘x’ to watch.
  • 1:00-1:15 Live Fluid and Biomechanics Lab presentation (by Professor Henry Fu’s students); Watch their pre-recorded video and ask them questions live in the carpeted area with chairs.
  • 12:30-1:30 interact with research posters, videos and websites placed throughout the area that you can access by clicking the ‘x’ key when the icons highlight yellow.
  • Also feel free to check out other division rooms

Our Graduate Student Advisory Committee has created a Things I wish I had asked before I went to Grad School document that might be helpful before deciding on a graduate program.  We have also created a Discord Server (similar to Slack) for you to post questions about anything at all. Current students will be joining the server to answer your questions and also to post their own questions as we build this online community. Start posting questions now!

That’s okay! Attend as much or as little as you want. You can also enter the space at any time until March 12 to see videos, websites, recordings and posters. If anyone is in there you can talk to them! Or not…

Navigate to the Rooftop lounge from 6-7pm Mountain time to chat with current graduate students in our program. Students will be labeled as ‘student’ in their name above their avatar.  Some faculty may join around 6:30pm. Everyone on the same flooring type can hear and see each other. If you want to chat with someone specific you can ask them to go to another seating area. This is your chance to socialize and get a feel for how the program really is, how it is to live in Utah, etc.

No, since everything is virtual, we decided to invite all applicants and those who had started an application and treat it more like an info session or open house. Check your status in ApplyYourself Application system but admissions processing times are a little long due to the pandemic and economy (more people go to grad school in higher unemployment situations). PhD applicants basically need an offer from a faculty (or possibly external funding) to get an offer so do some networking if you haven’t already.

What is the inversion I keep hearing about in Salt Lake City? Is it really that bad?

  • A temperature inversion traps cold air under warm air and pollution particulates get trapped in the valley.
  • Some years are worse than others (can sometimes compare to Los Angeles or some areas of India or China) and some years it’s hardly noticeable.
  • People with asthma or other medical conditions may be more affected than others.
  • It usually lasts from around November or December to around February.
  • Some people wear masks in the winter if it bothers them. More people will probably continue doing that now that they’re used to wearing face masks.
  • There is basically no noticeable pollution any other time of year. Clear blue skies and sunshine a lot of the time and some winters are very nice and clear as well. You would not notice the pollution up in the mountains but sometimes you can see a layer over the city/valley.

Will Fall semester be online or in person?

  • 35-45% of our classes will be in-person and the rest will be online (but what we call IVC, which is online classes at a certain time so you watch the lecture live).
  • The University wants to make a decision on the percentage by March so it won’t change after students register because last summer we kept increasing the percentage of online classes and students didn’t like the constant changes.
  • We won’t know about Spring 2022 for a few months.

What funding is available?

  • PhD students need to get funded by a professor’s research grants or startup funds (like new hires), or have a fellowship or external funding (i.e. government sponsorship) to be admitted. If you have external funding but no faculty advisor yet, contact the Director of Graduate Studies to see if he can help find you an advisor and admit you (contact info to the right).
  • Some financial information is available on our website.
  • Teaching assistant and grader positions are posted in the summer for Fall semester and in the Fall for Spring semester and any student can apply to them. If you receive one of those positions, you’d be eligible for our Tuition Benefit Program but position availability is not guaranteed and varies from semester to semester.
  • We have some fellowships available through the College of Engineering that faculty will be nominating top applicants for.

Should I do a thesis or non-thesis master’s?

  • It’s up to you, they are both the same Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
  • You might consider doing a thesis Master’s if you want to get a PhD eventually or work in a research lab or research and development job.
  • The non-thesis Master’s is probably fine if you just want the degree for career advancement, higher salaries, or more in-depth knowledge in a more specific area than maybe you were able to study in your undergraduate major or if you’re switching fields and want a degree in that field without doing another B.S.

by Davey Stevenson

Application Deadlines and Instructions

Application Deadlines and Instructions

Announcements:

  • The application fee for Domestic PhD applicants is $0. See below for fee waiver instructions.
  • While the GRE is not required, we strongly encourage applicants to take the exam and officially report their scores to the university. Many faculty consider GRE scores while deciding which students to advise and receive funding support in their research groups. For international applicants, GRE scores are used in part to determine eligibility for application fee waivers. Excellent GRE scores can be beneficial for improving applications that are not as competitive in other metrics, such as GPA or research experience.”

Graduate Program Application Deadlines

Semester Domestic Priority Deadline Domestic Final Deadline International Student Deadline
Fall 1 January 1 May 1 January
Spring N/A 1 November 1 October
Summer N/A 15 March Not Admitted

*Note: International students are typically admitted for the Fall semester only (contact the Director of Graduate Studies to see if an exception can be made if you are already in the United States.

Apply Now

Graduate Degree Programs

  • Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
    • M.S. Thesis
    • B.S./M.S. (Thesis or Non-Thesis)
    • M.S. Non-Thesis
    • M.S./M.B.A. (Must also submit application for Full-Time MBA Program
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering
    • Ph.D. Post-B.S.
    • Ph.D. Post-M.S.

Application Procedures and Information

We accept domestic students year-round on a rolling admissions basis. The majority of funding is given to students beginning in Fall semesters. To be eligible for fall funding, applications are due January 1. Late applications may be accepted on a space-available basis. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies for information regarding late deadlines.

Requirements

  1. Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  2. GRE General Test – admitted students typically have highly competitive GRE scores, particularly on the quantitative section
  3. Proficiency in Allied Fields Mastered Undergraduate Courses before entry into the graduate program
  4. Application Fees: Domestic PhD $0 and Domestic MS $55

How to Apply

Step 1: Take the GRE (Optional, see announcement above)

  1. Register for the General GRE at www.ets.org
  2. General GRE Test Scores must be submitted to the University of Utah directly from Educational Testing Services (ETS)
  3. Send scores using Institution Code 4853 (U Utah) Department Code 1502 (Mechanical Engineering)
    • Photocopies, student copies, and screen shots will not be accepted
    • GRE results must be less than five years old at the time of admission

NOTE: Allow two months for scoring, mailing, and processing. For example, we recommend taking your tests in October to meet the January application deadline.

Step 2: Submit Application & Pay Fee

  1. Admissions – Application Guide
  2. Begin Application
  3. Pay nonrefundable application fee
    • This fee is required
      • The Domestic MS fee is $55. The Domestic PhD fee is $0 (Input fee waiver code: DOM2025MEENPHD at the bottom of the Additional Materials tab in Slate before you submit your application)
  4. Input the following information with the online application:
    • Self reported GRE Raw Test Scores (recommended if the scores will enhance your application)
      • Your official scores should be sent well before application submission
    • Statement of Purpose (see #1 Admissions-Application Guide above for guidance)
    • Resume
    • Three Letters of Recommendation
    • Unofficial transcripts
    • One page writing sample of recent research or publication (optional, recommended for PhD applicants)

NOTE: Your University of Utah application will not be considered complete until the online application is submitted and the Admissions Office has received your official GRE test scores and application fee. We recommend submitting this application and sending supporting documents well ahead of the application deadlines to ensure admission consideration.

Step 3: Check Application Status

  1. Review what materials have been received by logging back into the Slate application with your email address and password.
    • If an item isn’t listed on the application home screen, it has not yet been uploaded or received.

Step 4: Processing

  1. The Admissions Office will evaluate your transcripts for completeness. Once the Admissions Office has deemed the application complete, it will forward the application to the department. Please allow two months for Admissions Office processing.
  2. We will begin the review process once the department receives your application from the Admissions Office. Review will take 1-2 months.
  3. The department will notify you of its admission decision informally via email. A formal letter will follow.

If the Department Admits You

  1. The department will send paperwork to the Admissions Office to declare the decision.
  2. The Admissions Office will verify that you meet admissions standards.
  3. They will send you an official acceptance letter via surface mail if you do.
    • Mail Official Transcripts to the Admissions Office
    • University of Utah graduates (B.S. or B.A.) are not required to submit University of Utah official transcripts
    • Do NOT mail transcripts to the department
  4. Congratulations! You’ve been admitted.

International students are admitted for Fall semester only. All materials, including test scores and transcripts, must be received before or on the deadline. Applications that are submitted after January 15 may not be considered. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies for information regarding late deadlines.

Requirements

  1. Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  2. GRE General test – admitted students typically have highly competitive GRE scores, particularly on the quantitative section (Not required for Fall 2023 admissions, but my be required in the future.)
  3. TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo – admitted students typically obtain highly competitive English Proficiency scores. More information on University of Utah minimum English Proficiency requirements.
  4. Proficiency in the following courses:
    • Mathematics through Partial Differential Equations
    • Basic Engineering Physics I and II
    • College-level Chemistry
    • Computer Programming
    • Basic Electrical Engineering
    • Engineering Materials and Processes
    • Solid Mechanics I, II, and III
    • Basic Engineering Thermodynamics
    • Fluid Mechanics
    • Heat Transfer
    • Mechanical Design/Mechatronics
    • Our graduate-level courses are taught assuming that students have mastered all of these skills. No remedial assistance is provided at the graduate level. Students concerned about their preparation should take corresponding U of U courses listed on the second page of our Allied Fields Mastered Undergraduate Courses document before entry into the graduate program (consult your faculty advisor or Director of Graduate Studies to see which courses would be necessary/appropriate for you to take).
  5. Application Fees: International PhD and International MS fee is $65.

How to Apply

Step 1: Demonstrate English Proficiency

Ways of demonstrating English Proficiency:

  1. Obtain a degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university within the past two years.
  2. Obtain a degree from a regionally-accredited or ministry of education-approved international college or university within the past two years from certain English-speaking countries.
  3. Take a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) at www.ets.org, International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) at www.ielts.org, or Duolingo at englishtest.duolingo.com.
    • TOEFL Test Scores must be submitted to the University Admissions Office using Institution Code 4853.
    • IELTS Test Scores must be sent directly to the University of Utah from your testing center.
    • DUOLINGO Test Scores can be sent by logging onto your Duolingo account, selecting “Send Results,” and then selecting the University of Utah as the receiving institution.
    • Photocopies, student copies, and screenshots will not be accepted.
    • Test results must be less than two years old at admission.

NOTE: Allow three months for scoring and processing. We recommend taking your tests in September to meet the January application and funding deadline. Additional details on how to demonstrate English proficiency can be found here.

Step 2: Take the GRE (see Announcement above)

  1. Register for the General GRE at www.ets.org
  2. General GRE Test Scores must be submitted to the University of Utah directly from Educational Testing Services (ETS)
  3. Send scores using Institution Code 4853 (U Utah) Department Code 1502 (Mechanical Engineering)
    • Photocopies, student copies, and screen shots will not be accepted
    • GRE results must be less than five years old at the time of admission

NOTE: Allow two months for scoring, mailing, and processing. We recommend taking your tests in October to meet the January application and funding deadline.

Step 3: Submit Application & Pay Fee

  1. Admissions – Application Guide
  2. Begin Application
  3. Pay nonrefundable application fee
    • This fee is required; the department is not able to waive this fee
    • The application fee for International PhD applicants and International MS applicants is $65.
  4. Upload the following required materials with the online application:
    • TOEFL Raw Test Scores (self-reported)
      • Your official scores should be sent well before application submission
    • GRE Raw Test Scores (self-reported)
      • Your official scores should be sent well before application submission
    • Statement of Purpose (see #1 “Admissions-Application Guide” above for guidance)
    • Resume
    • Previous Research Experience and/or Publications
    • Three Letters of Recommendation
    • Unofficial transcripts

NOTE: Your University of Utah application will not be considered complete until the online application is submitted and the Admissions Office has received your official GRE and TOEFL/IELTS test scores and application fee. We recommend submitting this application and sending supporting documents well ahead of the application deadlines to ensure admission consideration.

Step 4: Check Application Status

  1. Review what materials have been received by logging back into the Slate application with your email address and password.
    • If an item isn’t listed on the application home screen, it has not yet been uploaded or received.
  2. Check the receipt of your TOEFL scores and transcripts through the International Admissions Office Tracking System

NOTE: You will not need to submit a copy of the 1st page of your passport and Graduate Financial Statement until the Admissions Office has officially admitted you. Admitted students will receive a letter from the Admissions Office with instructions on how to submit these materials.

Step 5: Processing

  1. The International Admissions Office (IAO) will evaluate your transcripts for completeness. Once the IAO has deemed the application complete, it will forward the application to the department. Please allow two months for IAO processing.
  2. Once the department receives your completed application from the IAO, we will begin the review process. Review will take 1-2 months.
  3. The department will notify you of its admission decision informally via email. A formal letter will follow.

***If the Department Admits You***

  1. The department will send paperwork to the Admissions Office to declare the decision.
    • Mail Official Transcripts to the Admissions Office
    • University of Utah graduates (B.S. or B.A.) are not required to submit University of Utah official transcripts
    • Do NOT mail transcripts to the department
  2. The department will send paperwork to the International Admissions Office (IAO) to declare the decision.
  3. The IAO will verify that you meet admissions standards and that all documents have been received. Please check with the IAO to confirm.
  4. If you meet the admission standards and all documents have been received, the IAO will send you an official acceptance letter via surface mail.
  5. The IAO will make the formal request for your I-20. Once they have approval, they will process your I-20. Please allow 2-4 weeks for processing.
  6. Once your I-20 is complete, the IAO will send it to you via surface mail. Please allow an additional 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Step 6: Obtain Your Visa

  1. Ensure you receive your official admissions letter and I-20 from the International Admissions Office.
  2. Take your I-20, along with notice of acceptance and proof of financial responsibility, to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate visa officer of your home country. You may have to make an appointment in advance.
  3. If approved, you are granted a student visa (F1 Student Status) to enter the U.S.
  4. Make travel arrangements to arrive in the U.S. at least 10-14 days before classes start (no more than 30 days before).

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah selects the top candidates (Domestic and International Students in the US only) to attend our Graduate Visitation Weekend. During the visit, prospective students will learn about the department and graduate program, the University of Utah, and the Salt Lake City area. Typically, the majority of visitation weekend attendees receive offers for full funding. Plus, travel expenses are on us!

Questions regarding transcripts, application fees, TOEFL scores, and I-20’s, contact:

Office of Admissions
Phone: (801) 581-8761
Toll-free: (800) 685-8856
Fax: (801) 585-7864
Email: admissions@utah.edu

Domestic Student Admissions
Email: graduate@sa.utah.edu

International Student Admissions
Email: iao@sa.utah.edu

For questions regarding undergraduate pre-requisites, research projects, and graduate classes,
or questions regarding deadlines, application forms, and application procedures, contact:

Mark Fehlberg, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Studies & Assistant Professor
Phone: (801) 585-9293
Fax: (801) 585-9826
Email: m.fehlberg@utah.edu

Lane Sutton, Graduate Advisor
Phone: (801) 581-3197
Email: lane.sutton@utah.edu

Questions regarding the M.S./M.B.A. dual application process and program requirements, contact:

David Eccles School of Business:
Phone: (801) 581-7785
Email: mastersinfo@business.utah.edu

by Davey Stevenson

Virtual Tours

Department Introduction

Buildings and Labs

Faculty Research Presentations

by Davey Stevenson

Systems Engineering Graduate Certificate

Systems Engineering

Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design, integrate, and manage complex systems over their life cycles. The Department of Mechanical Engineering recently hired two Systems Engineering faculty who will teach 5 courses per year each (2 each Fall and Spring and 1 each in Summer). Courses are available at the undergraduate and graduate level and all will be core courses or electives for the Systems Engineering Graduate Certificate.  Students could also essentially have an M.S. in Systems Engineering if they complete the certificate plus additional electives (30 credits required for the Master’s). The program is evolving so check back again soon for updates!

Working professionals may be able to take most classes online without applying to the University.  Contact Todd Easton for more information.

Systems Engineering Graduate Certificate

The Systems Engineering Graduate Certificate program is interdisciplinary and open to all matriculated College of Engineering graduate students or any matriculated or non-matriculated student who has a bachelor’s degree from a recognized engineering program or an allied science (note: some courses may require certain engineering or math courses as prerequisites but many are broad enough that any student can take them). Students may also count courses taken for the certificate towards a Master’s degree but keep in mind that only 9 credits of non-matriculated credit can be applied to an M.S. degree.

Program Declaration Form | Let us know you’re working on the certificate

Certificate Completion Notification Form  | Let us know you’re in your last class and ready for the certificate to be awarded

Certificate Requirements

To obtain the certificate, students must complete 15 credit hours of approved course work with a 3.0 GPA or higher and minimum B- grade in the certificate courses.. The course work is made up of 9 hours of core courses, and 6 hours of electives. The 3 core courses provide engineers with a basic understanding of systems engineering and the ability to develop, analyze, and model systems of all kinds. The electives allow students to choose related courses of interest from a variety of departments from across the University.

Required Core Courses

Pass the following 2 courses with a grade of B- or better (currently special topics courses).

This course provides an overview of the science of systems engineering, and an introduction to the systems approach and methodological framework for creation and re-engineering of large-scale systems and processes. The student will develop an understanding of the larger context in which requirements for a system are developed, and learn about trade-offs between developing mission needs or market opportunities first (versus accessing available technology first).Techniques for translating needs and priorities into an operational concept and then into specific functional and performance requirements will be presented. The student will develop an understanding of risk management techniques and the circumstances where they are appropriately employed.  Fall 2021 Fundamentals Syllabus

This course provides the student with an understanding of the context and framework for carrying out a systems engineering project and the system-level responsibilities of a systems engineer, through hands-on activity. Topics covered include systems design and development, system test and evaluation, system reliability, system maintainability, human factors and system design, system producibility and supportability, balancing life-cycle cost, schedule, suitability and performance, risk management, and systems engineering project management and control. Types of systems considered will range from small-scale to large-scale and from primarily technical to primarily social-political.  Fall 2021 Systems Integration Syllabus

Three hours in selected Planning or Production of Systems course (3 hours)

ME EN 6960-Engineering Project Management

ME EN 6181 – Systems Definition and Modeling

ME EN 6182 – Design of Production and Service Systems

ME EN 6183 – Discrete Event Systems Simulation

MG EN 6520 – Discrete Event Systems Simulation

CVEEN 6720 – Project Scheduling

Approved Elective Courses

At least 6 credits of electives with a minimum grade of B- and 3.0 minimum GPA in all core classes and electives

Note: Cross listed courses only count toward fulfilling one requirement

  • CH EN 6205 – Smart Systems
  • CH EN 6208 – Machine Learning and Dynamic Optimization
  • COMP 6005 – Programming for Engineers
  • CS 6140 – Data Mining
  • CS 6180 – Clustering
  • CS 6350 – Machine Learning
  • CS 6300 – Artificial Intelligence
  • CS 6630 – Visualization for Data Science
  • CMP 6371 – Complexity and Systems Thinking (3)
  • CVEEN 6115 – Data Science in Civil Engineering
  • CVEEN 6530 – Quantitative Methods Transportation Operation (3)
  • CVEEN 6730 – Project Management and Contract Administration (3)
  • CVEEN 6770 – Design-Build Contract and Risk Management
  • ECE 6020 – Emerging Technologies and Engineering Entrepreneurship
  • ECE 6540 – Estimation Theory
  • ECE 6640 – Power System Security Analysis
  • ECE 6680 – Electrical Forensic Engineering and Failure Analysis
  • ECE 6750 – Synthesis and Verification of Asynchronous VLSI Systems
  • ECE 6810 – Computer Architecture
  • ENGIN 6020 – Emerging Technologies and Engineering Entrepreneurship
  • ENGIN 6790 – The Business of Entrepreneurship
  • ENGIN 6791 – Launching Technology Ventures
  • ME EN 6010 – Principles of Manufacturing Processes (3)
  • ME EN 6030 – Reliability Engineering (3)
  • ME EN 6035 – Design of Experiments (3)
  • ME EN 6040 – Quality Assurance (3)
  • ME EN 6100 – Ergonomics (3)
  • ME EN 6130 – Design Implications for Human-Machine Systems (3)
  • ME EN 6150 – Product-Safety Engineering and Engineering Ethics
  • ME EN 6184 – Operations Research for Systems
  • ME EN 6185 – Data Analytics for Engineers
  • ME EN 6186 –Engineering Economic Analysis
  • ME EN 6205 – System Dynamics
  • ME EN 6210 or CH EN 6203 – State Space Control (3)
  • ME EN 6810 – Thermal System Design (3)
  • ME EN 7110 – System Safety (3)
  • ME EN 7200 – Nonlinear Controls (3)
  • MET E 5690 – Process Engineering Statistics (2)
  • MST 6022 – Production and Operations Management for Scientists (1)
  • MG EN  6370 – Data Management in Engineering and Heavy Industry
  • MG EN 6110 – Operations Research
  • MG EN 6530 – Computational Intelligence
  • Special Topics Summer 2022 (subject to change): ME EN 6960 Project Management;  ME EN 6960 Advanced Engineering Economy

Notes

  • This entire certificate can be completed as a non-degree seeking/non-matriculated student, however if students decide they want to apply the courses towards a M.S. or Ph.D. graduate program, only 9 credits of non-matriculated courses are allowed to count towards the degree so students should apply to the Graduate School prior to completing their 9th non-matriculated credit.
  • This is not considered an online certificate but contact Todd Easton about the possibility of the courses being offered online for your company.

Want to learn more about Systems Engineering?  Watch Info Session recording here!  |  View Powerpoint Slides.

Our new faculty talk about systems engineering as a concept and about their Fall 2021 classes and our systems engineering graduate certificate.

Fall 2021 Classes (click title for draft syllabus):

Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering and Integration
Systems Simulation
Production Systems and Operations (canceled)

Contact Information
Todd Easton
Professor (lecturer)

by Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm

Data Science in Mechanical Engineering Track

Data Science in Mechanical Engineering Track

Objective:  to fulfill an existing workforce need for engineers and researchers with expertise in Mechanical Engineering and Data Science.

Philosophy:  students will complete a multi-disciplinary graduate curriculum by combining Data Science (offered in CS and MATH) with Mechanical Engineering courses.  This is accomplished, and made highly valuable, by leveraging existing courses from the Graduate Data Science Certificate.

Guidelines:

  • Together with an advisor, each student in the track may select from the list below to fulfill the track requirements.
  • Before entering this track, the student and advisor should review to course descriptions for COMP 5360 (Introduction to Data Science) and ME EN 5/6250 (Programming for Engineers). If the student does not have experience in these areas then those classes (or similar) should be taken before entering the track.
  • Any approved Mechanical Engineering graduate course may be applied to this track to fulfill that aspect of the course requirements.

Data science core:

  • MATH 5010, Introduction to Probability
  • CS 6140, Data Mining
  • CS 6350, Machine Learning
  • CS 6355, Structured Prediction
  • CS 6190, Probabilistic Modeling
  • CS 6230, Parallel Computing

Data science technical electives:

  • MATH 5740, Mathematical Modeling
  • MATH 6010, Linear Models
  • MATH 6020, Multilinear Models
  • MATH 6790, Case Studies in Computational Engineering and Science
  • CS 6300, Artificial Intelligence
  • CS 6635, Visualization of Scientific Data
  • CS 6955 Deep Learning
  • CH EN 7703, Bayesian Model Validation
  • CS 7960, Models of Computation for Massive Data

by Davey Stevenson