While licensure or certification may be available in this field of study, our program does not directly lead to such licensure or certification upon graduation. The professional preparation you receive in our program may still assist you in such pursuits; however, we are unable to confirm the specific licensure and certification requirements of each state, territory, or foreign entity in which professional credentialing may be possible. If you intend to pursue such credentialing in your state or elsewhere, we strongly advise you to contact the applicable state credentialing authority to familiarize yourself with its specific requirements and determine if our program meets its academic criteria. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact Jihua Gou with questions in this regard, and we will do our best to assist you in your career planning.
We offer four well-subscribed graduate programs:
- Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
- Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering
- Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering
Our graduate courses, except for laboratory-based courses, are offered in a dual manner; live, and by extended delivery mode via live video-streaming. These methods provide access to graduate education to a diverse student population, one that includes working professionals. The M.S. degree can be pursued with the thesis (24 hours of coursework and 6 hours of thesis) or non-thesis option (30 hours of coursework).
Students admitted into the Ph.D. program must take, and pass, the Ph.D. qualifying examination, in order to continue in the program. This examination is offered twice a year; once in the fall, and then again in the spring. Subsequently, students must defend their dissertation topic to their Ph.D. Dissertation Committee at the candidacy examination, prior to continuing their dissertation research. The Ph.D. program requires 57 hours of coursework beyond the B.S. degree, and 15 hours of doctoral dissertation, in addition to completion, and successful defense, of the Ph.D. dissertation.
In fall 2015, there were 191 students enrolled in the graduate program, with 75 in the M.S.M.E., 38 in the M.S.A.E., and 78 in the Ph.D. programs. These programs provide the opportunity for working professionals to pursue part-time post-graduate education. They also offer full-time graduate students the opportunity to engage in advanced engineering research, with a well-funded and published group of renowned professors.