M.S.M.E. - Thesis Option

Starting Time

MS student Enga Wright is using one of the two departmental material testing machines to test the mechanical properties of a composite material.

Incoming students are strongly encouraged to select a thesis project and advisor before the end of their first semester of graduate study. There are several reasons why it is critical that a student makes this decision promptly:

• The M.S. thesis is a substantial piece of work and requires time to mature.
• A student who begins thesis work associates himself/herself not only with a faculty member, but also with a research group or laboratory where he/she meets other faculty and experienced graduate students from whom valuable advice and knowledge may be derived.
• Students should not be deceived into thinking that the Master's degree can be earned more efficiently by completing the course work first and delaying the start of a thesis to the final term.

Academic and Thesis Advisor

All incoming graduate students will initially be advised by a faculty member approved by the Graduate Committee Chair. Any undergraduate deficiencies will be determined during this initial advisement so as to better prepare the student for graduate study.

During the first semester, the student will confer with faculty members who correlate with his/her research interests. Potential research areas will be discussed and, upon mutual consent, one faculty member will act as the student's thesis advisor in concurrence with the Graduate Committee Chair. The thesis advisor must be a member of the graduate faculty with Master's directive status. The thesis advisor will also act as an academic advisor to recommend and approve the student's course schedule.

MS degree students must notify the Graduate Committee by the end of their second semester about the choice of thesis advisor and submit a thesis proposal, also before the end of their second semester. The form to use may be found here.

Credit Requirements (Thesis Option)

The Master's degree program requires 30 semester hours, of which at least 21 must be letter graded courses, 3 hours can be either Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory or letter graded, and the remaining 6 hours must be thesis hours. (Note: Credit requirements for Thesis and Non-Thesis option are different) Other departmental requirements for those 30 semester hours are as follows:

In rare cases, exceptions to the Core and Major Depth Area course requirements can be made for students who have obtained their BSME from our department and may have already taken some of the Core or Major Depth Area courses. Any such exceptions MUST be approved by the major advisor and the graduate coordinator.

Core Courses (15 Semester Hours)

Students are required to complete

• the mathematically oriented, common core course EML 5060, Analysis in Mechanical Engineering,
• 2 core courses in the major area (either Dynamics & Controls, Solid Mechanics & Materials, or Fluid Mechanics & Heat Transfer,)
• 1 core course in each of the 2 remaining fundamental areas (exceptions can be made with approval from advisor and graduate coordinator):

At least 3 of these courses are normally taken during the first Fall and Spring semesters.

Major Depth Area (6 Semester Hours)

Students should select one area from the three major depth areas below and then select two courses in that area for a total of 6 semester hours. The courses listed below are regularly offered, including the EML 5930 courses that are still classified as Special Topics in the University Bulletin. Courses not listed are sometimes offered. Relevant courses may also be offered by other departments within the universities. (Those courses not listed may be taken with the approval of the student's advisor and the Graduate Coordinator.)

Additional Credit (3 Semester Hours)

Three additional semester hours should be obtained as follows:

• By selecting one or more additional graduate courses from any of the major depth areas listed above.
• By selecting one or more additional graduate courses in Engineering, Mathematics, or Computer Science.
• By completing one or more Directed Individual Studies (D.I.S.) Courses based on the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading system. A maximum of 3 hours can be applied toward the Master's degree. Students should consult their advisor to determine whether a well chosen D.I.S. might be of greater value to their career than a standard course. A D.I.S. course can be taken for 1-6 semester hours and must be approved by the student's advisor. Since the reference numbers for D.I.S. courses change each semester, contact the Mechanical Engineering Department to register for a D.I.S. course. You may not sign up for D.I.S. courses without prior approval of the faculty member offering the D.I.S. course.
• A maximum of three hours of Supervised Research (EML 5910). Supervised research must be approved by the student's advisor; you may not sign up for Supervised Research without your advisor's prior approval.

Seminars (0 Semester Hours)

Each semester, students must sign-up for and attend the weekly Departmental Seminar:

Research Thesis (6 Semester Hours)

A research thesis should be completed under the supervision of a thesis advisor; it accounts for 6 semester hours. (The nonthesis option with additional credit requirements is explained elsewhere, and is not ordinarily recommended.) Incoming students are strongly advised to determine a thesis project and supervisor promptly before the end of their initial semester of graduate study. The reference number for thesis credit should be obtained from the Department. In the semester that the student defends his/her thesis the student must register for Master's Thesis Defense (0 credits)

Thesis Committee and Thesis Defense

The thesis committee is chosen in consultation with the advisor and consists of a minimum of 3 members of the faculty who have Master's directive status: the thesis advisor and at least two other members of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The thesis must be defended orally for the award of the Master's Degree.

Transfer Credits

A maximum of 6 graduate semester hours can be transferred from another accredited institution as long as they are not counted towards a previous degree. Three additional requirements for transferring semester hours are that they:

• are recommended by the Department of Mechanical Engineering;
• are evaluated by the Admissions Office of the preferred university as graduate work;
• are completed with a grade of "B" or higher,
• meet the recency requirement of having commenced within seven years from completion of the MS degree.

Final Term Registration

Both FAMU and FSU have a university policy that requires students to register for 1 semester hour of thesis research in the final term of registration, even if the minimum requirement of 6 hours of thesis research has been fulfilled. The final term registration requirement must be completed or graduation will be denied.

Important Notes

The 30 semester hours required for the MS degree should be obtained according to the above listing only.

For dates and times courses are offered each semester and for updated and current reference numbers, refer to the University Schedule of Classes published prior to each new semester. For a copy, FAMU students please contact the Registrar's Office of your University, FSU students please visit the web page indicated below:

• FAMU (850) 599-3315
  http://www.famu.edu/admreg/registrar/
• FSU (850) 644-1050
  http://www.fsu.edu/current/graduate/academics.shtml