Degree Requirements

Master of Science in Engineering 

Students seeking the master’s degree have three options, each requiring a total of thirty semester hours of credit. The thesis option requires twenty-four semester hours of coursework plus six hours in the thesis course. The report option requires twenty-seven hours of coursework plus three hours in the report course. The option without a thesis or report requires thirty semester hours of coursework. Students receiving financial aid through the sponsorship of the department are expected to choose the thesis option. The report option and the option without a thesis or report each can be completed in one year.

Regardless of the option chosen, a student is required to take six hours of supporting coursework outside of their technical area. Only courses completed on the letter-grade basis may be counted toward the degree. Only three hours of business-related courses may be counted. Students may count no more than six hours of upper-division undergraduate coursework toward the degree.

The following is a template for the student beginning the thesis option in a fall semester. A student who follows this schedule will be considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree.

1. Take courses during the fall and spring semesters and begin research.
2. Complete research for thesis during the summer.
3. Complete coursework in the second fall semester.
4. Write thesis and graduate within one and one-half years.

Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD program consists of coursework, qualifying examinations, and the dissertation. Students who have master’s degrees must complete at least twenty-four hours of coursework; those who enter the graduate program with bachelor’s degrees must complete at least forty-eight hours of coursework.

To be admitted to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, the student must pass both a written and an oral examination. The written examination is general in nature and covers subject matter studied through the first year of graduate work. The oral examination is in the student’s specialty area and is conducted by a committee of faculty members whose interests are in that area. Students may not take courses on the credit/no credit basis until they have passed the written qualifying examination.

The following is a template for the student with a Master of Science in Engineering degree who begins the doctoral degree program in a fall semester. A student who follows this schedule will be considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree.

1. Take courses during the fall and spring semesters and begin research.
2. Pass the written qualifying exam during the summer.
3. Pass the oral qualifying exam soon after the written exam.
4. Apply for candidacy before the end of the second fall semester.
5. Continue research for the next two years.
6. Write the dissertation and graduate within five years.