The MS degree has three options: Coursework, Report, and Thesis. Most students are in the Coursework MS as it can be completed in 3 semesters and has the most flexibility for courses and industrial co-op (CPT). The Coursework MS does not have a formal research component, but students can engage in faculty-sponsored projects in the latter semester(s) of their program by MEEM 5990 Special Topics. These are different from MEEM 5990 with a specific course name, which is a new offering of a new formal course.
Because the coursework MS is the most sought after by students, its requirements are:
- 30 total semester credits, all at 4000-level or above
- A minimum of 18 are at the graduate level (5000 and 6000-level),
- A minimum 15 from MEEM courses at 4000, 5000, 6000-level. The other 15 can be course credits from other departments,
- 3 math credits (4000 or 5000-level) included in the 15 maximum for outside MEEM,
- 2 MEEM 6000 Graduate Seminar credits (counts as graduate level MEEM credits). No more than 1 Seminar credit may be replaced by co-op credit(s).
- An international student must have completed 2 full-time academic semesters before being eligible for CPT. Full-time in Fall and Spring semesters requires a minimum of 9 credits.
- MEEM 5999 or MEEM 6999 research credits can NOT be used for the Coursework MS Degree option.
Only grades of B or higher in MEEM courses can count toward the degree. Cumulative GPA must remain at or above 3.0/4.0 to be in good academic standing.
Students often focus inwardly on just MEEM courses and, unfortunately, miss opportunities to broaden their knowledge into areas that the industry values. Feedback from the industry through co-op reports is that the technical ME background is solid, but they wish students had more exposure to areas including written communication, reports, presentation skills, and engineering and business/economics subjects outside MEEM. The course recommendations below help fill some of these gaps.
We know that courses are sometimes filled. That is normal. Students often over-enroll in courses against better judgment. We are always looking at additional seats in the heavy-demand courses; enrolled students often drop courses to go on co-op, and students sometimes enroll in courses that they will later drop. There are often unfilled seats when the semester finally starts, which is months away. Students can add/drop courses to adjust their schedule through the first week of Fall classes. We only allow you to register for 10 credits to minimize this problem. The normal semester course load is 9 -11 credits (3 courses), and coursework students are limited to a total degree maximum of 12 credits of 4000-level, including math which is most often at 4000-level. Math the first semester is not required and not always a good thing as you are just starting your graduate career, adjusting to a new academic and cultural environment, and math courses can be challenging. Keep this in mind when selecting courses.