Master's Program
Requirements for the M.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering
A minimum of 30 approved graduate credits is required for the M.S. degree.
A. Course Requirements
- M.S. with thesis: With succesful dissertation, up to 9 combined 'thesis' credits of MEC 596, 597, 599 and/or 696 may be counted toward the requirement. Note the thesis credits may be less than 9 credits, but the total graduate credits must be at least 30 credits.
- M.S. without thesis: A minimum of 24 approved graduate ‘course’ credits and no more than 6 combined ‘project’ credits of MEC 596, 597 and/or 696 (and also other departments' project courses such as VIP courses) may be applied toward the course requirements. (Note submission of Final Report is required for those project courses.) No credit for MEC 599 is approved for fulfilling this requirement.
- All full-time graduate students are required to register for MEC 691 (Mechanical Engineering Seminar) each semester and obtain a satisfactory grade. Make sure to register for the course each semester.
- A minimum of 18 graduate credits must be taken in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. No more than 3 credits of MEC 596, 597, 599 or 696 may be counted toward this minimum. All courses taken outside the department for application to the M.S. degree requirements require prior approvals of the Graduate Program Director and the student’s advisor (if applicable). See below for counting courses outside our Department.
B. Transfer Credits From Other Departments/Institutions
A maximum of 12 graduate credits may be transferred from other programs toward the M.S. degree. These may include up to 6 credits from other institutions. The maximum also includes any credits received from taking Mechanical Engineering courses while having non-degree status at Stony Brook as an SPD or GSP student. Credits used to obtain any prior degrees are not eligible for transfer. All requests for transfer credits require the approval of the Graduate Program Director. Only courses directly relevant and/or serves as fundamentals to mechanical engineering may be approved. [Note, approval of more than two outside courses requires a strong reason]
C. Thesis Requirements
A student choosing the thesis option must select a research advisor. Upon completion, the thesis must be defended in an oral examination before a faculty committee of at least three members of which at least two must be Mechanical Engineering faculty. A student choosing the thesis option may not switch to the non-thesis option without permission of the Graduate Program Committee.
- Thesis title, defense date and committee list must be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator at least two weeks before the schedule date.
- The thesis defense date must be scheduled at least two weeks before the thesis submission deadline set by the Graduate School.
- Thesis format must adhere to the guideline set by the Graduate School. It must be also electronically submitted (ProQuest). See the Grad School website for the detailed information.
A student who has ever been appointed as a teaching, graduate, or research assistant must choose the thesis option unless otherwise approved by the Graduate Program Committee.
D. MS Focus Areas of Study
The Department of Mechanical Engineering encourages M.S. students with non-thesis option to take a set of courses (6 to 8 courses) in one of focus areas listed below. This would allow a student to develop an expertise in the area of interest and help achieve the objective of his/her career.
It is recommended to take all the courses listed under the “Core courses” and few additional courses listed in the “Related courses”.
Energy Technology
The focused area in energy technology provides the students with a global understanding of current energy challenges. 'Hands on' laboratory and design experience in the areas of Heat pumps, Insulation, Solar thermal, Photovoltaics, Wind turbines, Fuel cells, and Thermo-electrics, as well as theory based courses focusing on energy transformation, transfer, and storage.
Core Courses
MEC 516 – Energy Technologies Laboratory I
MEC 517 – Energy Technologies Laboratory II
Related Courses
MEC 506 – Energy Management in Commercial Buildings [HVAC]
MEC 509 – Transport Phenomena
MEC 518 – Energy Harvesting
MEC 522 – Building Energy Dynamics and Technology
MEC 526 – Modern Power Cycle Energy Dynamics and Technology
Robotics
The focused area in Robotics provides analytical and design experience in the areas of ; robotics foundations in kinematics and inverse kinematics, dynamics, serial and parallel manipulator.
Core Courses
MEC 529 – Introduction to Robotics
MEC 549 – Robot Dynamic and Control
Related Courses
MEC 510 – Object-Oriented Programming for Scientists and Engineers
MEC 520 – Smart Materials for Sensing and Actuation
MEC 550 – Mechatronics
MEC 559 – Mobile Robotics and Autonomous Vehicles
MEC 567 – Kinematic Analysis and Synthesis of Robotic Mechanisms
MEC 572 – Computer Aided Design of Shapes and Motion
MEC 596 – Aerial Robotics
Solid Mechanics
These course below prepares the mechanical engineering graduates with many career opportunities in areas such as stress and structural analysis, materials, and the design of mechanical components.
Core Courses
MEC 5301 Applied Stress Analysis
MEC 536 – Mechanics of Solids
MEC 541 – Elasticity
Related Courses
MEC 539 – Introduction to Finite Element Method
MEC 543 – Plasticity
MEC 556 – Introduction to Engineering Mechanics of Composites
MEC 557 – Engineering Composites Fabrication and Characterization
MEC 572 – Geometric Modeling for CAD, CAM
MEC 641 – Fracture Mechanics
1 not needed for students who have taken similar courses in undergraduate studies.
Design and Manufacturing
This area will focus on the designing and manufacturing of various products. This concentration is intended to bridge the gap between the analytical and design courses which are the heart of the professional program and the practical problems of producing acceptable components.
Core Courses
MEC 500 – Modeling and Control of Manufacturing Systems
MEC 525 – Product Design Concept
MEC 532 – Vibration and Control
MEC 568 – Advanced Dynamics
Related Courses
MEC 510 – Object-Oriented Programming for Scientists and Engineers
MEC 550 – Mechatronics
MEC 567 – Kinematic Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanisms
MEC 572 – Geometric Modeling for CAD, CAM
MEC 585 – Total Quality Management
Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences
This area of study provides the necessary background to work in engineering applications involving thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics.
Thermal-Fluids Sciences involves the application of experimental, analytical, and computational methods to the design, development, and operation of systems ranging from power plants and combustion engines to hydraulics and microfluidics.
Core Courses
MEC 501 – Convective Heat Transfer and Heat Exchange
MEC 502 – Conduction and Radiation Heat Transfer
MEC 512 – Mechanics of Viscous Fluids
MEC 521 – Thermodynamics
Related Courses
MEC 509 – Transport Phenomena
MEC 518 – Energy Harvesting
MEC 523 – Internal Combustion Engines
MEC 526 – Modern Power Cycle Energy Dynamics and Technology
MEC 537 – Combustion Research Laboratory