Graduate
Application
• US Citizens
• International

Degree Programs
• M.S in Mechanical
Engineering (thesis)
• M.S. in Mechanical
Engineering (non-thesis)
• Doctor of Philosophy

Interdisciplinary Programs
• Aerospace Engineering
• Materials Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Enrollment Requirements

Graduate Courses

Graduate Student Associations

PROGRAMS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 

The department offers the following graduate programs for full-time and part-time students

• Master of Science (M.S.) with thesis in Mechanical Engineering.  This program focuses on engineering science in one of sev­eral areas of spe­ciali­za­tion.  A formally defended thesis describing research into a topic of current academic interest is the cen­terpiece of this program.
  
  
• Master of Science (M.S.) without thesis in Mechanical Engineering.  The focus of the non-thesis program can be varied between engineering science and engineering practice through a selection of elective courses from the Colleges of Engineering, Natural Science and Mathematics, Business, and Law.
  
  
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mechanical Engineering in several areas of specialization. The Ph.D. is the highest degree granted by the University and its possession signifies that the holder has demonstrated the ability to perform original research. The student's principal objective is to produce a dissertation that can be considered a significant contribution to the field of knowledge in mechanical engineering.  Our standard Ph.D. program assumes a completed M.S. degree prior to admission.  Our Direct Admit program allows the exceptional student to be admitted to doctoral candidacy without a completed M.S. degree.

THE M.S. Programs

Admission
To be unconditionally admitted to the M.S. thesis or non-thesis program, an applicant should have:

• a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or in a related field, preferably from an accredited engineering program.
• a grade point average of at least 3.00 out of 4.00 on the last 60 semester credit hours attempted exclusive of grades received for activities such as seminars, physical education, industrial internships, etc.
• an adequate score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Texas law prohibits the definition of minimum acceptable scores on the GRE. However, 770 to 780 is a typical average score on the Quantitative section across all degree programs for an admission class.
• a minimum score of 79 on  the internet-based TOEFL examination for students whose native language is not English.
• three letters of rec­ommendation attesting to the student’s capacity to perform in the classroom and (for applicants to the thesis program) in a research capacity.  A minimum of two letters should be from tenure-track faculty members who have observed the academic performance of the applicant.  Recommendation forms to accompany these letters are available on the Application section of this website.
• a statement of purpose that is consistent with the areas of instruction and (for applicants to the thesis program) the current research areas within the Department.  The “Application for Financial Aid and Statement of Purpose” form available on the Application section of this website allows the applicant to specify areas of interest, and it lists issues to address in the statement of purpose.

Acceptance to the program is based on a competitive combination of academic background, GRE scores, and recommendation letters and Statement of Purpose.  Domestic applicants who are not clearly competitive in all three areas may be admitted on a conditional basis at the discretion of the Director of Admissions.  Nonimmigrant visa holders may not be admitted conditionally.

Program of Study for the M. S. in Mechanical Engineering with Thesis

The program requires completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours distributed as follows:

• Nine hours of thesis credits (the first three for MECE 6399, the remaining for MECE 7399).

• Three hours of graduate-level mathematics satisfied by the first course in one of these approved sequences:

• At least nine hours from the MECE 6000-level or above, exclusive of the seminar (MECE 6111), research credits (MECE 6x98), and thesis credits.
• The remaining hours must be at the 6000-level or above from any department in the College of Engineering or the College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

If a graduate course is dual-listed with an undergraduate 5000-level section, the student must enroll in the graduate section.  Approval of any course that falls outside of the description given here must be requested by petition to the Director of Graduate Studies.  Approval must be received prior to enrollment in the course.

The graduation requirements for this program are a successfully defended thesis and at least a 3.00 grade point average over all courses.  The Director of Graduate Studies must approve the composition of the thesis examining committee prior to the defense date.  The committee consists of at least three tenure-track faculty members, with one member from outside the Department. 

Program of Study for the M. S. in Mechanical Engineering without Thesis

The program requires successful completion of 33 hours of course work distributed as follows:

• Three hours of graduate-level mathematics satisfied by the first course in one of these approved sequences:

• Eighteen hours from the MECE 6000-level or above, exclusive of graduate seminar (MECE 6111) and Graduate Project (MECE 6368). 
• Twelve hours at the 6000-level or above from any department in the College of Engineering, the College of Natural Science and Mathematics, the Bauer College of Business, or the UH Law Center.  A total of no more than six hours can be from Business and Law.  Three hours can be satisfied by completing the directed-study Graduate Project course, MECE 6368.  A statement of the intent of the directed study must be approved by petition to the Graduate Director prior to registration in MECE 6368.  A report describing the results of the project must be filed with, and archived by, the instructor at the end of the course.

If a graduate course is dual-listed with an undergraduate 5000-level section, the student must enroll in the graduate section.  Approval of any course that falls outside of the description given here must be requested by petition to the Director of Graduate Studies.  Approval must be received prior to enrollment in the course.  Non-thesis students should not enroll in research or thesis courses (6x98, 6399, 7399).

The graduation requirements for this program are at least a 3.00 grade point average over all courses, and separately, at least a 3.00 grade point average on the twenty-one or more hours comprised of all MECE courses and the course(s) used to satisfy the mathematics requirement.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Admission
To be admitted for doctoral studies, a student must have an exemplary scholastic record which includes

• an M.S. degree (standard admission) or a B.S. degree (direct-admit program) in Mechanical Engineer­ing or in a related field, preferably from an accredited engineering program.
• three letters of rec­ommendation attesting to the student’s capacity to perform in the classroom and in a research capacity.  A minimum of two letters should be from tenure-track faculty members who have observed the academic performance of the applicant.  Recommendation forms to accompany these letters are available on the Application section of this website.
• a Statement of Purpose that is consistent with the current research areas within the Department.  An “Application for Financial Aid and Statement of Purpose” form is available on the Application section of this website.  It allows the applicant to specify areas of interest and academic goals, and it provides guidance regarding the issues we would like to see addressed in the statement of purpose.
• a minimum score of 79 on  the internet-based TOEFL exami­na­tion for students whose native lan­guage is not English.
• a grade point average that demonstrates the potential to perform at the level of 3.40 or better in MECE graduate courses. 
• a GRE score that is competitive with the doc­toral admission class.

Degree Requirements

Standard Program 
This option assumes that the applicant has completed an M.S. degree from a recognized university.  A minimum of 51 hours of approved graduate study beyond the hours completed for the M.S. degree are required.  These hours include at least 30 hours of Research and Dissertation credit and at least 21 hours of course work (7 classes) at the 6000-level or higher composed of

• three hours of mathematics beyond the M.S. level as described in the Mathematics Requirement below,
• at least nine hours of MECE courses,
• a two-course breadth requirement as described below,
• the remaining courses are from any department in the College of Engineering, or the College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

A comprehensive qualifying examination is required early in the degree program, and a dissertation examination is required at the end.

Direct-Admit Program
This option assumes that the applicant is being admitted without a completed M.S. degree.  Students who begin in the M.S. program may petition to transfer into the Direct-Admit Ph.D. if they have demon­strated exemplary course work and research potential.  This option requires a minimum of 66 hours of approved graduate study beyond the hours completed for a baccalau­reate degree in engineering.  These hours include at least 36 hours of Research and Disserta­tion credit and at least 30 hours of course work (10 classes) at the 6000-level or higher composed of

• six hours of graduate mathematics as described in the Mathematics Requirement below,
• at least twelve hours of MECE courses,
• a two-course breadth requirement as described below,
• the remaining courses are from any department in the College of Engineering, or the College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

A comprehensive qualifying examination is required early in the degree program, and a dissertation examination is required at the end.

Mathematics Requirement
One of these approved sequences must be completed prior to standing for the comprehensive qualifying examination:

MECE 6384, 6385     Methods of Applied Mathematics I, II
CHEE 6331, 6332      Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering I, II
PHYS 6303, 6304      Methods of Mathematical Physics I, II

The student may elect to petition that similar courses from past graduate study at another institution be used to substitute for one or both courses in this requirement.  Such a substitution does not reduce the total number of courses in the Program.  In any event, the student must be prepared to demonstrate competence in mathematics at the level represented by completion of one of these sequences in the qualifying examination.

Breadth Requirement
Two courses with content outside of the research concentration area are required to insure a minimum academic breadth in the program.  The courses can be in MECE, and suitable courses in the Colleges of Engineering and Natural Sciences. The suitability of courses for the breadth require­ment is determined by petition to the Direc­tor of Graduate Studies.  This petition should be filed well in advance of the dissertation defense.

Comprehensive qualifying examination
This oral examination determines whether a student has mastered, and can integrate and apply, the knowledge gained in courses.  The student should set aside a period of time to prepare for the examination by reviewing course material and reflecting on how this information can be integrated to solve problems.

To stand for the Ph.D. comprehensive examination, a student must have a grade point average of 3.40 or higher on a minimum of 12 UH graduate hours (4 classes) and no more than the first 21 UH graduate hours (7 classes).

The examination should be scheduled as soon the accumulation of relevant course work allows. For a student with an M.S. from another university, the exam should be attempted no later than 18 months after study towards the Ph.D. begins.  For students who complete the M.S. here and for students who petition into the direct-admit program, the exam should be attempted within 12 months of the change of program. 

The examination committee is set by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the student and the dissertation advisor.  The committee is composed of a minimum of four voting members and the dissertation advisor who serves as a nonvoting member.  One of the voting members is responsible for examining the student regarding the content in the mathematics requirement described above.  The committee can be composed entirely of MECE faculty; however, members from outside the department may be approved if the nature of the student’s program warrants such involvement.  Judgment of the examination is by vote; two or more negative votes results in failure of the examination.  In the case of failure, the commit­tee shall decide whether or not the student should be invited to take the examination a second time.

Dissertation Examination
A dissertation com­mittee should be formed by the advisor, with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, during the semester in which the student passes the compre­hensive qualifying examination.  This committee consists of at least five members including the advisor and at least one member from outside the Department.

Residency
The College requires a minimum of one academic year (two long semesters) of full-time enrollment at the Ph.D. level.

Ninety-nine hour rule
The student is cautioned to be aware of the scheduling involved in meeting these requirements.  University regulations require that a student who has accumulated more than 99 hours at the Ph.D. level be charged out-of-state tuition for the hours in excess of 99.  This tuition rate applies to Texas residents as well as true out-of-state students.