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Graduate Programs
Mechanical, Aerospace & Structural Engineering Graduate Programs
The Mechanical, Aerospace & Structural Engineering Department offers programs for graduate study at both the master's and doctoral levels in mechanical, aerospace, and structural engineering. All programs are designed to direct advanced study into an area of specialization where the most recent scientific and technological advances must be digested and applied toward the development of new knowledge through original research.
Opportunities for advanced study and research are presently available in such areas as biomechanics, earthquake remediation, composite materials, and computational mechanics. The department also participates in the interdepartmental programs in Biomedical Engineering and Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering. Students interested in these fields and registered in the department may take courses offered by these programs and pursue a research project under the supervision of the associate faculty.
Current Research Activities
Apply online for the Graduate Program
You may obtain the application forms on-line (in PDF or Microsoft Word format), or, you can write to the Graduate Admissions Secretary at the address given on the home page. Email requests are also accepted.
Master of Science
Both course-option and thesis-options are available for an Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME), Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering, (MSAE), and Master of Structural Engineering (MSE). Students who are fellows, trainees, or assistants in the department will normally be expected to write a thesis. The preparation of a thesis is especially recommended for students desiring to proceed to a doctoral program at Washington University.
In the thesis option, the candidate must take a final oral examination in which the thesis is presented and defended. No specific courses are required. The student will select a program to suit his or her research interests in consultation with an adviser.
In the course option, no final examination is required; but a student is required to take 6 hours of advanced mathematics and 15 hours of concentration in an approved field of specialization. In addition, 9 units of graduate engineering electives are required. Approved specialties in MSME include applied mechanics, materials science, mechanical design, fluid mechanics/thermal science, and solid mechanics. Options in the MSE include structures, earthquake, or design.
Master of Science Course Options
Combined B.S. - M.S.
This program provides students with an opportunity to plan a coordinated five-year program of studies leading to both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. The program requires a total of 150 units and normally takes five years to complete. However, interested students capable of carrying heavier loads or utilizing one or two summers for academic work may complete the program in less than five years.
The program is open to students who earn at least a B average during their sophomore and junior years. Students wishing to enter the program should make application during the second semester of their junior year. Approval of the department chairman and the Dean is required.
Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science
The department offers either the Ph.D. or the Doctor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Structural Engineering. A student may be admitted directly to the doctoral program , but it is usually recommended that the Master of Science degree (with thesis) be taken. In order to qualify for a doctoral degree, the student must follow a course of instruction approved by an adviser and the department chairman. Research for the thesis will be performed under the direction of a member of the faculty chosen by the student in consultation with the department chairman.
In the course of his or her research, the graduate student must demonstrate ability to carry out independent research of an advanced nature combining to some degree both high analytical ability and experimental skill. The thesis must constitute a substantial contribution to existing knowledge, for example, by reporting the discovery of new physical facts, by providing an advanced analytic interpretation of known physical information or by a significant combination of analysis and experiment. For the Ph.D. degree a certain amount of teaching is required.
Qualifying Examination
The student must pass a comprehensive written examination which must be taken not later than the third semester of residence after completion of the master's degree. Within one semester of the written qualifying examination, the student must submit a comprehensive research proposal to the doctoral committee. After this proposal has been read and accepted by the committee, the student will present the proposal orally to a group of at least six faculty members, including all members of the doctoral committee plus others to be invited by the adviser. This presentation constitutes the oral part of the qualifying examination. As part of the proposal, the student must discuss those areas in need of further research and give a tentative but clear definition of a problem on which he or she intends to focus initial effort. The student will also be examined on an understanding of the foundations of the particular field.
Thesis Defense
Upon completion of a thesis, the candidate must present and successfully defend the thesis before a faculty committee.
Prepared by the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Structural Engineering.
Last Modified on September 22, 2008
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