Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics, MSE

The master's degree program in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) is innovative, unique, and nationally recognized for its excellence. We are at the forefront in preparing students for leadership careers by providing opportunities to work in emerging and interdisciplinary areas that are fueling exciting advances in technology. The program can be tailored and customized to meet individual needs under the guidance and approval of an academic advisor. Students can choose a course of study in one of five concentrations:

  • Design and Manufacturing
  • Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, and Energy
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechatronic and Robotic Systems
  • Micro/Nano Systems

Curriculum

10 course units are required for the MEAM MSE degree.

Engineering Math
Select 2 Engineering Math options from the following:2
Any 5000+ level ENM courses
Numerical Methods and Modeling
Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Foundations of Engineering Mathematics - I
Foundations of Engineering Mathematics - II
Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
Principles and Techniques of Applied Math I
Principles and Techniques of Applied Math II
Numerical Methods for PDEs
Data-driven Modeling and Probabilistic Scientific Computing
AI4Science/Science4AI: Combining theoretical mechanics, numerical analysis, and machine learning
Topics In Computational Science and Engineering
Mathematics for Robotics
Machine Learning
Finite Element Analysis
MEAM Concentration Core
Select 1 Required Concentration Core course1
Select 2 Concentration Core courses2
MEAM Electives
Select 2 5000+ Level MEAM Courses 12
General Electives
Select 3 5000+ Level Courses 23
Seminar Requirement
2 Semesters of MEAM Seminar 3
MEAM Seminar
MEAM Seminar
Professional Master's Career Development
Total Course Units10
1

Exception: MEAM 5990: Independent Study may not count towards the MEAM Electives requirement. MEAM 5990 may only count towards the General Electives requirement.

2

Students may take any 5000+ level courses that contribute to their degree program and career goals. Please see the concentration core course lists below or the MEAM MSE Student Handbook for lists of pre-approved, suggested courses for each concentration. Students should consult their faculty advisors for approval of any course outside of the pre-approved, suggested list.

3

Students may take EAS 8960 to substitute one semester of MEAM 6990.

Concentration Core Course Lists

Design and Manufacturing

Concentration Core
Concentration Required Course:1
Design for Manufacturability
Select 2 course units in:2
Tribology
Failure Analysis of Engineering Materials
Materials and Manufacturing for Mechanical Design
Design of Mechatronic Systems
Advanced Mechatronic Reactive Spaces.
Finite Element Analysis
Nanotribology
Performance, Stability and Control of UAVs
Design of Microelectromechanical Systems
Suggested General Electives3
Students may take any 3 graduate level courses that contribute to their degree program. In addition to more MEAM courses, students in the Design and Manufacturing concentration are pre-approved to count any of the following courses as General Electives. Students should consult their faculty advisor for approval of courses outside of this list.
Furniture Design Strategic Process
Interactive Computer Graphics
Intellectual Property and Business Law for Engineers
Engineering Negotiation
Engineering Entrepreneurship I
Engineering Entrepreneurship II
Foundations of Leadership
Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization
Integrated Computer-Aided Design, Manufacturing and Analysis
Rehab Engineering and Design
Needfinding
How to Make Things: Production Prototyping Studio
Product Design
Ergonomics/Human Factors Based Product Design
Industrial Design I

Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, and Energy Science and Engineering

Concentration Core
Concentration Required Course:1
Viscous Fluid Flow and Modern Applications
Transport Processes I
Select 2 course units in:2
Energy Engineering in Power Plants and Transportation Systems
Direct Energy Conversion: from Macro to Nano
Tribology
Biomedical Microsystems
Finite Element Analysis
Continuum Mechanics
Viscous Fluid Flow and Modern Applications
Turbulence
Aerodynamics
Hovering Vehicle Design and Analysis Techniques
Wind Physics and Applications
Order-of-magnitude estimation for terrestrial and space engineering
Thermodynamics: Foundations, Energy, Materials
Water Treatment Engineering
Transport Processes I
Advanced Topics in Transport Phenomena
Micro and Nano Fluidics
Electrochemistry for Energy, Nanofabrication and Sensing
Advanced Fluid Mechanics
Computational Mechanics
Advanced Molecular Thermodynamics
Advanced Topics in Thermal Fluid Science or Energy
Suggested General Electives3
Students may take any 3 graduate level courses that contribute to their degree program. In addition to more MEAM courses, students in the Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, and Energy concentration are pre-approved to count any of the following courses as General Electives. Students should consult their faculty advisor for approval of courses outside of this list.
Carbon Capture
Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
Fundamentals of Industrial Catalytic Processes
Advanced Molecular Thermodynamics
Transport Processes I
Energy and its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability.
Renewable Energy and Its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability
Intellectual Property and Business Law for Engineers
Engineering Negotiation
Engineering Entrepreneurship I
Engineering Entrepreneurship II
Foundations of Leadership
Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
Electrochemical Engineering of Materials

Mechanics of Materials

Concentration Core
Concentration Required Course:1
Elasticity and Micromechanics of Materials
Select 2 course units in:2
Tribology
Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials
Failure Analysis of Engineering Materials
Fundamentals of Materials
Materials and Manufacturing for Mechanical Design
Finite Element Analysis
Continuum Mechanics
Nanotribology
Design of Microelectromechanical Systems
Atomic Modeling in Materials Science
Nanoscale Systems Biology
Transport Processes I
Plasticity
Mechanics of Adhesion and Fracture
Rods and Shells
Composite Materials
Mechanics of Macromolecules
Multiscale Modeling for Non-Equilibrium Material Behavior
Special Topics in Mechanics of Materials
Suggested General Electives3
Students may take any 3 graduate level courses that contribute to their degree program. In addition to more MEAM courses, students in the Mechanics of Materials concentration are pre-approved to count any of the following courses as General Electives. Students should consult their faculty advisor for approval of courses outside of this list.
Continuum Tissue Mechanics
Intellectual Property and Business Law for Engineers
Engineering Negotiation
Engineering Entrepreneurship I
Engineering Entrepreneurship II
Foundations of Leadership
Integrated Computer-Aided Design, Manufacturing and Analysis
Product Design
Sustainability of Materials

Mechatronic and Robotic Systems 

Concentration Core
Concentration Required Course:1
Design of Mechatronic Systems
Select 2 course units:2
Feedback Control Design and Analysis
Advanced Mechatronic Reactive Spaces.
Control and Optimization with Applications in Robotics
Introduction to Robotics
Control Systems for Robotics
Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies
Advanced Dynamics
Performance, Stability and Control of UAVs
Hovering Vehicle Design and Analysis Techniques
Design of Microelectromechanical Systems
Non-Linear Control Theory
Advanced Robotics
Learning and Control for Adaptive and Reactive Robots
Distributed Robotics
Topics in Mechanical Systems
Suggested General Electives3
Students may take any 3 graduate level courses that contribute to their degree program. In addition to more MEAM courses, students in the Mechatronic and Robotic Systems concentration are pre-approved to count any of the following courses as General Electives. Students should consult their faculty advisor for approval of courses outside of this list.
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Principles of Embedded Computation
Machine Perception
Computer Vision & Computational Photography
Programming Languages and Techniques
Intellectual Property and Business Law for Engineers
Engineering Negotiation
Engineering Entrepreneurship I
Engineering Entrepreneurship II
Foundations of Leadership
Linear Systems Theory
Introduction to Optimization Theory
Smart Devices
Digital Signal Processing
Engineering Economics
Human Systems Engineering
Modern Convex Optimization
F1/10 Autonomous Racing Cars
Learning in Robotics
Integrated Computer-Aided Design, Manufacturing and Analysis

Micro/Nano Systems 

Concentration Core
Concentration Required Course:1
Nanotribology
Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies
Select 2 course units in:2
Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials
Fundamentals of Materials
Biomedical Microsystems
Elasticity and Micromechanics of Materials
Finite Element Analysis
Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies
Nanotribology
Design of Microelectromechanical Systems
Atomic Modeling in Materials Science
Nanoscale Systems Biology
Micro and Nano Fluidics
Electrochemistry for Energy, Nanofabrication and Sensing
Suggested General Electives3
Students may take any 3 graduate level courses that contribute to their degree program. In addition to more MEAM courses, students in the Micro/Nano Systems concentration are pre-approved to count any of the following courses as General Electives. Students should consult their faculty advisor for approval of courses outside of this list.
Intellectual Property and Business Law for Engineers
Engineering Negotiation
Engineering Entrepreneurship I
Engineering Entrepreneurship II
Foundations of Leadership
The Physics of Solid State Energy Devices
Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization
Structure of Materials
Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Fabrication and Characterization of Micro and Nanostructured Materials

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.