Mechanical Engineering
Department Head: Dr. Pedro Mago
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Yucheng Liu
210 Carpenter Engineering Building
Box 9552
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-3260
Fax: 662-325-7223
E-mail: graduate@me.msstate.edu
Website: http://www.me.msstate.edu
The Mechanical Engineering program offers graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Science and in Mechanical Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering with a Mechanical Engineering concentration. The major areas of study are fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, thermal sciences, materials and manufacturing, mechanical design, and system dynamics. Specific programs of graduate study are established by consultation between students and their advisors. Graduate assistantships and fellowships are available in the department. For further information contact the Graduate Coordinator, Mechanical Engineering Department, BOX 9552, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
Admission Criteria
A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required for admission. An entering graduate student with a bachelor’s degree from a program that is not accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) must submit GRE general-test scores. An international student must have a minimum TOEFL score of 550 PBT (79 iBT) or IELTS score of 6.5.
Provisional Admission
An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirement stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis. The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C). The first 9 hours of graduate courses must be within the student's Program of Study. Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program. Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements. While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.
Academic Performance
For students enrolled in either the M.S. or Ph.D. program, all issues related to academic probation, dismissal and appeal will be governed by University policy, as approved by Graduate Council and the Provost and outlined by the Graduate School in the Graduate Catalog.
Accelerated Program
Highly qualified undergraduates in the Mechanical Engineering Department are encouraged to consider applying to the Accelerated Program. This program permits students to earn up to 9 hours of graduate-level coursework during their final year of undergraduate studies. Students in the Accelerated Program take graduate-level courses and earn both undergraduate credit and graduate credit simultaneously. Students need to consult with the potential graduate advisor to ensure graduate credit could be applied to a program of study for the graduate degree. Application to this program may be made as early as the junior year (i.e. after completion of 60 or more hours of graded undergraduate courses.) Students interested in applying to the Accelerated Program should contact the department's Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Yucheng Liu, for more details.
For students enrolled in an Accelerated Program, the MSU Graduate Council has established the following guidelines in cooperation with the Registrar's Office.
Once the student is accepted into the Accelerated Program, the student and the advisor may select up to 9 hours that will satisfy both undergraduate and graduate requirements. these courses may be split-level (i.e. split 4000-6000 level) or 8000-level classes. The student should take the courses for graduate credit (i.e., 6000-level or higher). The combination of undergraduate and graduate credit hours may not exceed 13 within a semester.
The student should use the Undergraduate Enrollment in Accelerated Degree Program form to (i) receive from the Office of the Graduate School a level override that enables the student to enroll in the graduate course(s) and (ii) activate a process with the Registrar's Office to obtain both undergraduate and graduate credit for the course. After successfully completing the graduate-level class(es), the Registrar will grant credit for the undergraduate course and give the same grade as received for the graduate course. For the case of a split-level class, the transcript will show credit for both 4000- and 6000-level on the transcript. In the case of an 8000-level class, a special topics undergraduate course of the same title will be entered on the transcript to allow dual credit.
Students are permitted to opt out of the Accelerated Program at any time, at which point they could complete only the undergraduate portion of the program. No additional dual counting of courses would occur after the students opted out of the accelerated degree program.
Students are expected to apply to the graduate degree program during the last semester in which they are enrolled in the Bachelor's program. Application to the graduate degree program would be made through the standard application process via the Office of the Graduate School. Students will received the Bachelor's degree once the requirements for the Bachelor's degree are met. Students will be required to complete all of the requirements for both the bachelor's and graduate degrees in order to receive both degrees and those requirements will be identical to the requirements for students enrolled in traditional bachelor's and graduate degree programs. Students will be classified as undergraduates until they fulfill all the requirements for the undergraduate degree. At that time, upon admission to graduate school, they will be classified as graduate students and will be subject to all the guidelines pertaining to the graduate degree.
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering - Thesis
| ME 8011 | Graduate Seminar | 1 |
| XX 8XXX | Graduate-level coursework (can include up to 6 hours of DIS XX 7000) | 12 |
| Additional graduate-level coursework | 12 | |
| ME 8000 | Thesis Research/ Thesis in Mechanical Engineering | 6 |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
A thesis and a final oral exam are required.
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering - Non-Thesis
| ME 8011 | Graduate Seminar | 1 |
| XX 8XXX | Graduate-level coursework (can includes up to 6 hours of DIS XX 7000) | 15 |
| Additional graduate-level coursework | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
An oral presentation and final are requied.
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering with Mechanical Engineering Concentration
| ME 8011 | Graduate Seminar | 2 |
| MA 8213 OR MA 6313 OR MA 6323 OR MA 8203 OR MA 8463 | 3 | |
| XX 8XXX graduate-level coursework (may include up to 6 credit hours of DIS XX 7000 taken since bachelor's) | 18 | |
| Other graduate coursework | 21 | |
| ME 9000 | Dissertation Research /Dissertation in Mechanical Engineering | 20 |
| Total Hours | 64 | |
A written qualifying examination is required within 24 months of beginning the Ph.D. program. An oral preliminary comprehensive examination is required at least six months prior to graduation and after determination of dissertation topic. A final oral dissertation defense is required. The student's program of study, including all coursework, must be approved by the committee and the graduate coordinator.
ME 6113 Material Selection in Design: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: ME 3403 or equivalent). Three hours lecture. Principles of materials selection related to mechanical design requirements
ME 6123 Failure of Engineering Materials: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite:EM 3213 ) Three hours lecture. The failure of constituent materials using real -world case studies is the focus. Experimental and analytical techniques for failure analysis and prevention are covered.(Same as CE 4323/6323)
ME 6133 Mechanical Metallurgy: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite:ME 3403 or equivalent). Three hours lecture. The mechanical and metallurgical fundamentals of metals are discussed. Mechanical fundamentals cover the stress and strain relationships and metallurgical fundamentals cover the microstructure
ME 6193 Automotive Engineering: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Fundamentals of automotive engineering, including power units, mechanical systems, electrical system and industrial and systems engineering aspects. (Same as CHE/ECE/IE 4193/6193)
ME 6223 Mechanical Systems Analysis: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: EM 3413 or ME 3613 and senior standing). Three hours lecture. Fourier methods, shock spectra, signature analysis, relation to specific phenomena and malfunctions; acoustical aids; field measurement analysis; random functions, correlations; mobility and impedance methods
ME 6333 Energy Systems Design: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 3313 and ME 3113). Three hours lecture. Comprehensive design problems requiring engineering decisions, data acquisition, codes/standards compliance. Emphasis upon energy systems components: heat exchangers, piping networks, pumps. Fluid transients, system modeling
ME 6343 Intermediate Heat Transfer: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Condensation and boiling, analytical and numerical techniques for conduction and convection, gray-body and spectral-dependent radiation, transient and steady-state thermal modeling
ME 6353 Alternate Energy Sources: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Analysis and design of systems using energy derived from solar, hydro, geothermal, wind, ocean, waste, and biomass sources
ME 6373 Air Conditioning: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 3523 and ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Psychometrics; comfort conditions; determination of heat losses and gains; determination of sizes of elements; energy usage estimating; residential and commercial systems
ME 6393 Power Generation Systems: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 3313 and ME 3523). Three hours lecture. Evaluation and optimization of power generation systems with emphasis on optimization methods, system simulation, and economics. Energetic, economic, and environmental issues as well as exergy analysis may be incorporated in this course
ME 6413 Casting and Joining: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: ME 3403 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Fundamentals of solidification in casting and joining processes, including design applications
ME 6423 Machining and Forming: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: ME 3403 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Fundamentals of mechanical processing of joining processes, including design applications. metals, including bulk and sheet forming techniques
ME 6443 Mechanical Systems Design: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 3423 and ME 4403). Three hours lecture. Mechanical design projects involving analysis; industrial standards and considerations for safety and manufacturability; the use of computers in design and manufacturing automation (CAD/CAM)
ME 6453 Lubrication: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Senior standing). Three hours lecture. Friction of solids and fluids. Lubricants. Theory of sliding bearings. Multi-dimensional bearings with constant forces and velocities. Film, hydrodynamic, and gas lubrication. Design of bearings
ME 6463 Engineering Design: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 3613 and Senior standing). Three hours lecture. In-depth topics in mechanical design. Design of friction devices, hydrodynamic drives, and shells of revolution. Design for thermal creep, thermal stresses, surface contact, and impact
ME 6543 Combustion Engines: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 3523 and ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Application of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and combustion in the determination of performance characteristics of various engines, e.g., internal combustion, jet, and rocket engines
ME 6623 Control Systems: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 3613 and ECE 3283). Three hours lecture. Principles of closed loop mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and thermodynamic systems. Design of control systems
ME 6624 Experimental Methods in Materials Research: 4 hours.
(Prerequisites:CHE 3413 or ABE 3813 or ME 3403 or permission of instructors). Three hours lecture. Three hours laboratory . An introduction to research methodologies commonly used in the evaluation of treatments , and mechanical testing. (Same as ABE 4624/6624 and CHE 4624/6624)
ME 6643 Introduction to Vibrations and Controls: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: ME 3613). Three hours lecture. Review of Laplace Transforms. Introduction to vibrations, Fourier analysis, linearization, system modeling and feedback controls
ME 6743 Labview: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite:ME 3701 or equivalent Labview enperience). Two hours lecture. Three hours laboratory. Labview programming for applications in laboratory data acquisition (DQA). Basic and intermediate graphical programming theory with emphasis on transducer measurements and triggering
ME 6823 Compressible Flow and Turbomachinery: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: EM 3313 and ME 3523). Three hours lecture. Fundamental principles, shock and expansion waves, generalized one-dimensional flows, simple processes, energy transfer in turbomachines, turbomachine efficiencies, multi-dimensional effects
ME 6833 Intermediate Fluid Mechanics: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: EM 3313). Three hours lecture. Differential equations of fluid mechanics, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, boundary-layer theory, laminar and turbulent solutions, compressible flow with applications
ME 6990 Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering: 1-9 hours.
Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)
ME 7000 Directed Individual Study in Mechanical Engineering: 1-6 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged
ME 8000 Thesis Research/ Thesis in Mechanical Engineering: 1-13 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged
ME 8011 Graduate Seminar: 1 hour.
Presentation and discussion of research and current mechanical engineering literature by students, faculty, and visiting lecturers. Attendance required for students in Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program
ME 8144 Transmission Electro Microscopy: 4 hours.
(Prerequisite:Consent of Instructor). One hour lecture. Six hours laboratory. Introduction to TEM including life sciences (tissue) and engineering (crystalline materials) topics. (Same as EPP 8144)
ME 8213 Engineering Analysis: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. The formulation of mathematical methods of advanced engineering problems and the use of mathematical techniques for their solution: equilibrium, eigenvalue, and propagation problems
ME 8223 Inelasticity: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite:EM 8113 and EM 8203 ) Three hours lecture. This course covers plasticity, creep, viscoelasticity, and inelastic behavior in relation to microstructure-property relations, constitutive modeling at different length scales, and computational simulations.(Same as CE 8323)
ME 8243 Finite Elements in Mechanical Engineering: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ME 4403 and EM 3213). Three hours lecture. Concepts and applications of finite element analysis in mechanical engineering problems
ME 8253 Fatigue in Engineering Design: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Prediction and prevention of fatigue failure in metallic materials
ME 8313 Conductive Heat Transfer: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Closed form analytical and approximate numerical solutions to one, two, and three dimensional steady-state and transient problems in conduction heat transfer
ME 8333 Convective Heat Transfer: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Analytical and empirical methods of solution of problems in laminar and turbulent, natural and forced convective heat transfer. Stability; thermal boundary layer techniques; multiphase systems
ME 8353 Advanced Energy Conversion: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Mechanical Engineering or consent of instructor).Three hours lecture. Physical process in advanced energy conversion technologies, with practical application to devices/energy cycles. Emphasis on fuel cells, photovoltaics, and related materials engineering issues
ME 8373 Integrated Computational Materials Engineering: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: EM 3213 and ME 3403). Three hours lecture. Survey course of various length scale computational analysis related to materials modeling. Emphasis upon projects and exercises
ME 8513 Classical Thermodynamics: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Postulational treatment of the physical laws of equilibrium, thermostatics. Equations of state, processes, equilibrium stability, reactive systems, phase transitions
ME 8613 Dynamical Systems: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Mathematical description and simulation of systems with mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic components; state variables; bondgraphs; stability; observability and controllability
ME 8733 Experimental Procedures: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Design of experiments; instrumentation; data acquisition; and correlation and evaluation of results
ME 8813 Viscous Flow I: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Fundamental laws of motion for a viscous fluid; classical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations; inviscid flow solutions; laminar boundary layers; stability criteria
ME 8823 Viscous Flow II: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: ME 8813 or equivalent). Three hours lecture. Numerical solution techniques for viscous flow equations. Turbulence and turbulence modeling. Current literature and topics
ME 8843 Unstructured Grid Technology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: ASE 8413, proficiency in computer programming, and consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Unstructured grid generation based on Delaunay, Advancing-Front, Iterative Point Placement, and Local- Reconnection techniques. Implementation of unstructured Finite-Element/Volume methods for engineering applications
ME 8990 Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering: 1-9 hours.
Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)
ME 9000 Dissertation Research /Dissertation in Mechanical Engineering: 1-13 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged