MME Graduate Handbook
MME Graduate Student Handbook
Mission
Mechanical engineering is concerned with quantitative analysis and application of engineering science to solve engineering problems. The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering prepares students for future engineering practice that requires a higher level of mastery in mechanical engineering. It is best suited for individuals with backgrounds in mechanical engineering or related areas (such as materials science or physics).
Objectives
Graduates would go on to careers which focus on advanced technology. They may find research positions in federal laboratories, higher-level technical positions in industries, or may seek to further their education through a doctoral program in engineering at another university.
Outcomes
The educational outcomes of graduates of this program are listed below.
- The student will demonstrate an ability to apply analytical, computational and/or experimental techniques to solve engineering.
- Through either a thesis or research project, demonstrate the ability to define a novel and pertinent research problem, perform background research, identify a project or research methodology to address the problem, and demonstrate independence in contributing to solutions or further understanding of the problem.
- The student will demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively, in writing and oral presentations, the results of research or project work.
- The student will demonstrate an ability to acquire, understand and apply knowledge, beyond the undergraduate level of mechanical engineering.
Graduate Assistantships (GAs) are available on a competitive basis for graduate students who are working toward a master’s degree with a thesis option.
These GAs provide for tuition waiver as well as a stipend. Graduate assistants are assigned to support the department's teaching and research needs and their assignment involves a maximum of 20 hours per week of responsibilities.
For full consideration for GAs students are advised to have their application into the Graduate School and the department by the application deadline (February 1st for Fall and October 1st for Spring) prior to the academic year in which they desire to enroll.
Other forms of financial aid, such as summer scholarships for graduate assistants and grants-in-aid are available from the Graduate School. Refer to graduate school page for more information:
https://miamioh.edu/graduate-school/awards-recognition/index.html
Applying for Graduate Assistantships and Grants
When applying for the graduate program, students should state their desire to be considered for an assistantship (should check the box on the application that indicates interest in an assistantship). It is recommended that they highlight their skills (software, lab etc.) and teaching experience (if any) in their resume submitted with the application.
Conditions and Restrictions
As per the policies of the graduate school, graduate assistantships are subjected to the following conditions and restrictions. For more detailed information for graduate award holders refer to:
https://miamioh.edu/policy-library/students/graduate/graduate-award-holders/index.html
- Students with conditional admission are not eligible for graduate assistantships until they have satisfied the conditions outlined in their admission offer.
- Students have to maintain satisfactory progress toward their graduate degree to be eligible for graduate assistantship. They have to maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 and need to register full time with at least 9 graduate credit hours per semester to be eligible for graduate assistantship.
- Students have to submit a petition to graduate school and seek special permission to hold a graduate assistantship if their GPA is dropped below 3.0 at any time of their graduate assistantship. Failure to get permission will result in the loss of their graduate assistantship.
- Combined program students will be eligible for graduate assistantships only when they have obtained graduate standing (completion of least 128 credit hours)
- A student cannot hold an undergraduate scholarship at the same time as a graduate assistantship.
Awarding of Assistantships
Limited numbers of Graduate Assistantship awards are made on a competitive basis based on the needs of the Department. Because many positions involve teaching assistant duties, applicants will normally be evaluated based on:
- Intellectual ability and past academic performance
- Promise of future academic performance, as highlighted in letters of recommendations and GRE scores
- Proficiency in communication skills (TOEFL or English proficiency scores for international students)
- Maturity and motivation
- Preparedness, including mastery of prerequisites
- Fit to the needs of the Department
Responsibilities of Graduate Assistants
- Students work for up to 20 hours per week for the Department or Miami. Duties can include teaching and/or research responsibilities.
- Students with teaching and/or administrative duties work 20 hours per week for the Department, during fall and spring terms.
- Students with research duties work for 18 hours per week during the fall, winter, and spring terms.
Term and Renewal of Assistantships
Assistantships are usually granted for one year and in some cases (e.g. spring admission) it may be grated for only one semester. Graduate assistantships including research and teaching assistantships are not renewed automatically. Each semester their performance in research (for research assistantships) and teaching duties are assessed by research advisors and instructors for which teaching duties are assigned to teaching assistants. Based on their satisfactory performance (high scores on the assessment rubrics), their assistantship will be renewed. The performance of graduate students will be monitored and assessed by a faculty or staff advisor and the Graduate Director. Assistantships are granted for a maximum of two years, however in some exceptional cases they may be extended for an extra semester.
Summer Scholarships for Graduate Assistants
Each year, the Graduate School sends summer scholarship guidelines to students and students are responsible for applying for this scholarship before its deadline (as indicated in the guidelines).
Additional Scholarships for Graduate Assistants
There are other scholarship opportunities available from Miami University and external agencies. Students should consult with their potential research advisors to apply for those scholarships/fellowships. Link of some of these scholarships are provided below:
Program Requirements
The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering prepares students for future engineering practice that requires a higher level of mastery in mechanical engineering. It is best suited for individuals with backgrounds in mechanical engineering or related areas such as materials science or physics. The degree includes courses in computer-based modeling, advanced mechanics of materials, control of dynamics systems, thermal-fluid systems, and mechanical behavior of materials as well as a limited number of additional courses in science, mathematics, or engineering.
The degree is offered with thesis and non-thesis options. All students are required to complete graduate coursework as defined below.
- Students in the thesis option must earn a total of 24 credit hours in concentration and elective courses (with a minimum of 15 credit hours of concentration courses), two credit hours in graduate seminar and six credit hours of master’s thesis, for a minimum of 32 total credit hours.
- Students in the non-thesis option must earn a total of 30 credit hours in concentration and elective courses (with a minimum of 18 credit hours of concentration courses), one credit hour in graduate seminar and three credit hours of a graduate research project, for a minimum of 34 total credit hours.
Students must complete one of the following two options:
- The research option requires completion of a minimum of 32 credit hours of graduate study and any additional hours needed to satisfy prerequisites. The distribution of hours is summarized as follows:
- Concentration (15 hours***) and elective courses (9 hours) = Total 24 hours
- Graduate Seminar (take twice, advised to take during first 2 semesters) - MME 610 (1 hour each for 2 total hours)
- Research for Master's Thesis - MME 700 (6 hours)
Option 2 - Course intensive option (non-thesis)
The course intensive option requires the completion of a minimum of 34 credit hours and any additional hours needed to satisfy prerequisites. The distribution of hours is summarized as follows:
- Concentration (18 hours***) and elective (12 hours) courses = Total 30 hours
- Non-Thesis Project - MME 704 (3 hours)
- Graduate Seminar - MME 610 (1 hour)
***At least 3 credit hours must be MME 6XX from the list of concentration courses
Concentration courses (15 hrs.)
- MME 503 Heat Transfer (3)
- MME 512 Advanced Mechanics of Materials (3) *
- MME 513 Compressible Flow (3)*
- MME 536 Control of Dynamic Systems (3) *
- MME 570 Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering (3-6)**
- MME 595 Introduction to Applied Nonlinear Dynamics (3) *
- MME 613 Computational Fluid Dynamics (3)
- MME 615 Advanced Vibration (3)
- MME 621 Finite element Analysis (3)
- MME 623 Mechanical Behavior of Materials (3)
- CPB 612 / MME 612 Engineering Analysis (3)
Elective Courses
- CPB 512 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3)
- CPB 514 Mass Transfer (3)
- CPB 518 Biological Transport Phenomena (4)
- CPB 611Transport Phenomenon (3)
- CSE 541 Application of Technical Computing Tools (1) *
- CSE 543 High Performance Computing (3) *
- CSE 609 Programming for Engineers and Scientists (3)
- CSE 615 Mathematical Modeling (3)
- CSE 616 Simulation of Physical Systems (3)
- ECE 525 Digital Signal Processing (3)
- MTH 532 Optimization (3)
- MTH 535 Mathematical Modeling Seminar (3)
- MTH 632 Advanced Optimization
- PHY 523 Materials Physics (4)
- PHY 537 Thermodynamics and Intro to Statistical Physics
- PHY 527 Nano-scale Science and Technology (3)
- PHY 551 Classical Mechanics (4)
- PHY 583 Math. Methods in Physics
- STA 501 Probability (3)
- STA 563 Regression Analysis (4)
- STA 566 Experimental Design Methods (4)
* Students who have taken the 400-level of this course or its equivalent must substitute another course.
** Special topics which are pre-approved by the department for graduate level courses.
Final Exam Requirements
As per the guidelines of the Miami University graduate degree requirement, a student is required to pass a final examination (thesis defense/oral exam) that covers the entire field of their graduate study.
- Thesis option: The “final exam” is an oral exam that takes the form of a public presentation and defense of the student’s thesis. A written thesis, approved by the committee, is also required to be submitted. A passing grade by the thesis committee members led by the thesis advisor is required for satisfying the final exam requirement.
- Non-thesis option: The “final exam” is an oral presentation in front of the project committee which is followed by submission of the project report. A passing grade by the committee members led by project advisor is required for satisfying the final exam requirement.
- As per the Miami policy, if a student fails the examination on the first attempt, the student is allowed to retake the exam once, after a waiting period of at least 30 days. A student may only take the examination two (2) times and students that fail a second time will be dismissed from the program.
Grades and Credit/No-Credit Courses
All courses other than MME/ECE 610, MME 700, and MME 704 must be taken for a grade if they will be used to satisfy the degree requirements. Independent study (MME 677) can be taken as credit/no-credit but they will not be counted towards the course requirements (32 credit hours for thesis option and 34 credits for non-thesis option) towards their graduation.
Minimum GPA Requirement
The minimum grade point average (GPA) required by the Graduate School for an advanced degree is 3.0 in both your major field and your total grade point average. The computation of the GPA includes all graduate and undergraduate courses. If your GPA falls below 3.0, you will receive a warning letter allowing you to register for one additional semester to raise your grade point average to the required 3.0. If your GPA remains below a 3.0 after completing an additional semester of coursework, you may not register for any further graduate credit at Miami University (unless the GPA is due to Incompletes).
Graduate Student Responsibilities and Conduct
MME graduate program has a diverse student body which includes students from multiple cultures, countries, thought, opinion, and values. It is important to follow two core principles of Miami University: “Love and Honor” and to ensure that everyone is treated with respect, and gains the most benefit from our program. Students should read the following guidelines outlined in the graduate student policies which are relevant to their responsibilities and conduct as graduate students:
New Students
New students admitted to the Mechanical Engineering graduate program must meet with the Graduate Program Director for initial advising and course selections, preferably the week prior to the start of the fall semester. All students are required to attend the orientation sessions held by Miami, college and department. Students who are supported by assistantships are required to attend an orientation session and failure to do so may result in loss of their assistantship.
First-Semester Advisor
The Graduate Program Director of the Mechanical Engineering Program is the advisor for all first semester students unless they have identified a thesis adviser. Students should identify research areas and identify their thesis advisor during the first semester.
Thesis/Research Advisor
Students should try to become familiar with the faculty of the department and begin thinking about a research topic and a potential faculty member to act as a thesis advisor during their first semester. One way to do this is by selecting MME/ECE 610 (Research Seminar) courses that highlight a faculty member’s research interests. It is the student’s responsibility to approach one or more faculty members and ask whether they are available to supervise the student’s graduate research and also act as a permanent academic advisor. A faculty member may advise multiple graduate students at a time, so the student’s first choice of an advisor may not be able to accommodate them. You are not required to choose a thesis advisor who is a member of the MME department. If you choose a non-MME thesis advisor, they will carry the designation of thesis co-advisor and another MME department member must be chosen as thesis co-advisor.
Faculty members supervise research in an area of their own interest. A student may have to modify or change their research area of choice to align with the research interests of a MME faculty member. It is the student’s responsibility to identify a faculty advisor during the second semester of their first year in the MS program. Due to thesis requirements, delaying advisor selection.
Graduate Student Offices
Graduate assistants may be assigned office desks, based on the availability. Preferences will be given to Teaching Assistants who need to hold office hours as per their responsibilities. Contact the graduate program director for availability of office space. Once the room is assigned, permission for entrance to these offices via an RFID (embedded in Miami ID cards) will be granted to students.
Department, College and Miami Wide Resources and Services
- MME Faculty and Staff contact information
- General Bulletin for MS Program
- Course Descriptions (MME)
- CEC Information Technology Group and CEC IT Help ( cechelp@miamioh.edu)
- Miami IT Services
- Research Computing Support
- Miami University Libraries
- Graduate School
- Graduate Student Policies
Graduation Checklist
- 1. Review your DAR to make sure you have completed all degree requirements. Submit a petition for any course substitutions, waivers, etc. as soon as possible so that it can be processed before the certificate to award the degree is submitted.
- 2. Check the following on the DAR:
- You have applied for graduation – You must apply for graduation even if you do not participate in commencement.
- GPA is 3.00 or greater. You cannot receive your degree with a GPA of less than 3.00. Miami does not round GPA.
- The program and degree are correct. If incorrect, contact the graduate program director.
- S, U, N, IG, or IGY grades that need to be changed (must be changed before you can graduate).
- W, L, Y, or F grades – courses with these grades cannot count toward the degree.
- Transfer hours –if applicable. See I.2.J in Graduate Student Handbook for transfer policy.
- Have the appropriate instructors submit grade changes for courses that have grades of S, U, N, IG, or IGY.
- Identify any courses taken that DO NOT count toward the degree. Make sure you have required number of hours under each category of core courses, elective courses, seminar hours, and thesis or project hours.
- Schedule the Final Exam (required for both thesis and non-thesis) early enough in the semester so that all paper work can be submitted at least two weeks prior to commencement.
- 6. Prior to the Final Exam, download Final Exam Results for the Master’s Degree (form M-1) from the Graduate School Website.
- Complete the top portion of the form and enter committee members’ names.
- The thesis title must be entered on the form and it must match the title of the thesis that is uploaded into OhioLink.
- Print the form and take to the Final Examination.
- You or your research advisor need to obtain signatures from the committee members and Department Chair after you pass the Final Examination.
- You or your advisor need to submit the form to the Graduate School. You also need to send a copy of your M-1 form to the graduate program director.
- Make sure your graduate program director completes the Certificate to Award the Master’s or Doctoral Degree (form M-2/D-5); available on the Graduate School website.
- Check you DAR again to ensure accuracy by repeating steps 1-4.
Administration
The graduate program is administered by the Graduate Program Committee of the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering department which is chaired by the Graduate Program Director.
Graduate Director
The Graduate Director is Muhammad P. Jahan, Office: 056 L GAR (Garland Hall), Phone: 513-529-0347 (O) and email: jahanmp@miamioh.edu.
Graduate Committee
The graduate committee reviews graduate applications for admissions and graduate student petitions and recommends graduate student policy and procedure to the department faculty. They are also responsible for assessment of the program.