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Degree Requirements |
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University offers (1) Master of Science (M.S.), (2) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), (3) Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), and (4) Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) degrees. The University requirements for these degrees are available in the Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog and at http://www.tamu.edu/admissions/catalogs/GRAD_catalog07_08/index.htm. The departmental requirements for the M.S. and M.Eng. degrees are given here. These departmental requirements do not supersede the University requirements.
Master of Science (M.S.) Degree – Thesis Option
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with the thesis option requires a minimum of 32 semester credit hours.
Courses |
Number of Courses |
Semester Credit Hours |
MATH 601 (or MATH 603, or STAT 601) |
1 |
3 |
Required Core Courses (see list below) |
2 |
6 |
Other Courses* |
5 |
15 |
MEEN 681 – Seminar |
1 |
1 |
MEEN 691 – Research |
7 |
|
Total Semester Credit Hours |
32 |
|
*These courses may include up to 6 semester credit hours of senior MEEN electives, up to 4 semester credit hours of MEEN 685, and other courses with the approval of the student's advisory committee and the Graduate Program Director.
Master of Science (M.S.) Degree – Non-Thesis Option
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with the non-thesis option requires 36 semester credit hours of course work. A final comprehensive examination is required, and no exemptions are allowed.
Courses |
Number of Courses |
Semester Credit Hours |
MATH 601 (or MATH 603, or STAT 601) |
1 |
3 |
Required Core Courses (see list below) |
2 |
6 |
Other Courses* |
7 |
21 |
Minimum Supporting Course Hours |
2 |
6 |
Total Semester Credit Hours |
36** |
|
*Other courses may include up to 6 semester credit hours of senior MEEN electives, up to 8 semester credit hours MEEN 685, and other courses with the approval of the student's advisory committee and the Graduate Program Director. Students pursuing this option are not allowed to enroll in MEEN 691.
**A minimum of 18 semester credit hours must be MEEN/MEMA courses.
Core and Required Mathematics Courses --- Every M.S. or M.Eng. student pursuing a degree in the Department of Mechanical Engineering is required to take two (2) of the following ten (10) designated core courses:
Master of Science and Master of Engineering students should take MATH 601 – Methods of Applied Mathematics I or MATH 603 – Methods of Applied Mathematics II. Doctoral students should take MATH 602 – Methods and Applications of Partial Differential Equations.
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Degree
The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree is a 30-semester-credit-hour program involving only course work. A Master of Engineering student is required to:
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree requires a minimum of 96 semester credit hours beyond a baccalaureate degree, and a minimum of 64 semester credit hours for a student who has completed a master’s degree.
Courses |
Number of Courses |
Semester Credit Hours |
MATH 602 |
1 |
3 |
| Other Courses, Minimum* | 5 |
15 |
MEEN 681 – Seminar |
2 |
2 |
MEEN 691 – Research |
44 |
|
Total Semester Credit Hours |
64 (beyond M.S. degree) |
|
*These courses may not include MATH 601 (or MATH 603, or STAT 601) or two core courses that are required for a master’s degree. No MEEN senior electives are allowed.
Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations --- The purpose of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exams is to ensure that students pursuing a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering have a required background in at least two (2) fundamental areas of mechanical engineering. In addition, the Qualifying Exams serve as a quality-control instrument.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering administers Qualifying Exams in seven (7) areas (controls, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, materials, solid mechanics/design, thermodynamics, and vibrations), and a graduate student is required to pass the exams in any two (2) areas to become eligible for Ph.D. candidacy.
A doctoral student (with G8 status) is required to make his/her first attempt to pass the Qualifying Exams before he/she has completed twenty-four (24) semester credit hours, including MEEN 691 (research) hours. In other words, a full-time doctoral student is required to make his/her first attempt to pass the exams in two (2) areas within the first twelve months of the beginning of his/her doctoral program. A doctoral student is allowed a maximum of two (2) attempts to pass each of the two exams. If a student fails an exam, he/she must attempt to pass the exam the next time the Qualifying Exams are offered. In addition, a master’s level student (with G7 status) is allowed to make one (1) attempt to pass the Qualifying Exams. A doctoral student (with G8 status) who fails in one or both of the exams fails the Ph.D. Qualifying Exams. A doctoral student who fails the Ph.D. Qualifying Exams may (i) switch to a master’s program in Mechanical Engineering (provided that he/she does not have a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M), (ii) pursue a Ph.D. degree in another department at Texas A&M or another institution, or (iii) appeal to the departmental Graduate Studies Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee will consider appeals only under extraordinary circumstances, and not as a matter of routine.
The Ph.D. Qualifying Exams are administered during the third week of the fall and spring semesters every year, but not during the summer sessions. Students may register for these exams by contacting Ms. Missy Cornett, Senior Graduate Advisor, in ENPH-205-Office Wing, or by completing a “Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Request” form, which is available online and submitting it to Ms. Cornett. To prepare for an exam, students may obtain a copy of the previous three exams in the area from Ms. Cornett. The copy of the exams will contain both the problems and the solutions.
A three-member committee prepares the questions/problems for the exam in each area. The appropriate Division Leader appoints the chair and the two members of the committee. The Mechanical Engineering faculty is encouraged to submit problems along with their solutions for any of the exams to the committee that is responsible for the exam. The three-member committee may choose to include these problems in the exam. All exams are closed-book, but formula sheets, charts, and tables may be provided. The chair of each committee will ensure that the exam is reasonable and is consistent with previous exams.
To pass an exam, a student must score 70% or higher. A student scoring between 50% and 70% may be asked to take a follow-up oral exam. A student scoring 50% or lower fails the exam. A doctoral student (with G8 status) who fails to pass an exam on his/her second attempt will be given an oral exam in which the student will have a final attempt to pass the exam.
A student must write a registration number that he/she is assigned on his/her exam paper. Nowhere on the exam is a student allowed to write his/her name or student identification number. In addition, students will not be given the names of the members of the committees responsible for the exams before the exams are over.
The Qualifying Exams are administered on a Monday. The committees will complete the grading of the exams by Wednesday. On Wednesday, the Graduate Program Director will meet with the chairs of the committees to discuss the results of the exams. If oral exams are needed, they will be given on Thursday. In the morning on Friday, the chair of each committee will inform the Graduate Program Director of the results of the exam in a memo or an email. A committee may choose to give a student a conditional pass for which the student must satisfy certain requirements by the end of a given period after the exam, specified by the committee. In the afternoon on Friday, the Graduate Program Director will inform students the results of the exams in writing.
The percentages of students who passed the exams over the past several years are shown in the following table:
|
Controls |
Fluid Mechanics |
Heat Transfer |
Materials |
Solid Mechanics |
Thermo-dynamics |
Vibrations |
Fall 1998 |
29% |
40% |
0% |
0% |
67% |
100% |
88% |
Spring 1999 |
100% |
80% |
88% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Fall 1999 |
-- |
100% |
50% |
0% |
-- |
100% |
100% |
Spring 2000 |
100% |
34% |
50% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
88% |
Fall 2000 |
-- |
100% |
25% |
-- |
40% |
100% |
33% |
Spring 2001 |
67% |
50% |
29% |
100% |
83% |
0% |
86% |
Fall 2001 |
67% |
93% |
50% |
71% |
33% |
25% |
63% |
Spring 2002 |
100% |
40% |
50% |
100% |
20%% |
20% |
70% |
Fall 2002 |
0% |
62% |
33% |
100% |
67% |
-- |
50% |
Spring 2003 |
100% |
67% |
67% |
67% |
43% |
-- |
78% |
Fall 2003 |
40% |
54% |
60% |
66% |
33% |
75% |
87% |
Spring 2004 |
73% |
69% |
35% |
86% |
25% |
86% |
60% |
Fall 2004 |
56% |
61% |
69% |
-- |
67% |
-- |
80% |
Spring 2005 |
86% |
64% |
71% |
50% |
60% |
40% |
83% |
Fall 2005 |
50% |
50% |
43% |
100% |
0% |
100% |
83% |
Spring 2006 |
66% |
79% |
82% |
100% |
25% |
66% |
57% |
Fall 2006 |
100% |
20% |
33% |
50% |
29% |
100% |
80% |
Spring 2007 |
57% |
45% |
40% |
60% |
80% |
57% |
88% |
Fall 2007 |
75% |
46% |
57% |
100% |
43% |
25% |
33% |
Spring 2008 |
40% |
47% |
54% |
90% |
43% |
67% |
67% |
Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) Degree
Information about the Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) degree may be obtained from http://essap.tamu.edu/engr.
The Doctor of Engineering degree program is administratively managed by the Engineering Student Services and Academic Programs (ESSAP) Office in the Dwight Look College of Engineering. If you have general questions about the degree program, please contact:
Ms. Teresa Wright
Senior Coordinator, Engineering Graduate Studies
Engineering Student Services and Academic Programs
204 Zachry Engineering Center
3127 - Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-3127
E-mail: t-wright@tamu.edu
Telephone: (979) 845-7200
Specific questions about the Doctor of Engineering degree program options or degree plan should be directed to the Department Coordinator in Mechanical Engineering:
Dr. Warren Heffington
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
3123 - Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-3123
E-mail: wheffington@tamu.edu
Telephone: (979) 845-5019
