Students entering the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) program are expected to have a background equivalent to that of students graduating from the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) program offered at The University of Texas at Tyler, or to obtain such background through specified prerequisite coursework.
In addition to the general requirements for admission to graduate study at The University of Texas at Tyler, to be admitted to the MSME program a student must meet the following admission requirements.

1. Satisfactory score on the General Test (verbal and quantitative) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
2. Satisfactory grade point average on the student’s last four semesters of academic study and last 60 semester credit hours of upper division undergraduate or graduate courses.
3. A bachelor’s degree in a Mechanical Engineering program accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. Students who have not earned such a degree will be required to complete prerequisite (leveling) coursework before starting the MSME program as determined by the MSME Program Administrator.
4. A demonstrated proficiency in the use of the English language, both spoken and written.
5. Approval of the MSME Program Administrator and the Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Consideration for admission to the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering program will also be given to one or more of the following: the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study, socioeconomic background, first generation college graduate, multilingual proficiency, geographic region of residence, and level of responsibility in other matters including extracurricular activities, employment, community service, and family responsibilities.

There are two options to earning the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME):

(1) Research option.  This degree option is intended primarily for students who wish to conduct research and expand mechanical engineering knowledge. A thesis is required. (This is the only degree option for which graduate assistantships are available.)

(2) Non-thesis option.  This degree option is intended primarily for the professional working engineer who wants advanced technical courses but would benefit more from completing an advanced engineering design project than a research program.

Regardless of the option selected, a student must complete a graduate course in advanced mathematics.  At least eighteen hours (including the thesis or report) must be in the major area; at least six hours must be in a supporting area and can include courses outside the department. The supporting courses may be in mechanical engineering but must represent a specialty distinct from the major courses.  At least two-thirds of the credit hours applied to the degree must be taught by a department in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.  To graduate, students must earn at least a 3.0 grade point average on all coursework used for the graduate degree.

Option 1 – Research (30 SCH): Students must successfully complete at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit coursework, including six hours of thesis credits.  In addition to the required coursework and thesis, students in the research option must successfully pass a final oral examination administered by the student’s graduate academic committee.

Option 2 –Non-Thesis option (36 SCH): Students must successfully complete at least 36 semester credit hours of graduate coursework, including at least three hours in a project course that culminates in an engineering report on a significant design or analysis project performed by the student. In addition to completing all required coursework and the advanced engineering design project, students electing the non-thesis option will also be required to pass a final oral examination that is administered by the student’s graduate academic committee.

In the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree program, there is not a prescribed set of courses that must be taken to complete the requirements for the degree. There exist University requirements for all graduate degrees and there are requirements for both of the proposed degree options. Presented in the following two tables are possible programs of study that could be used to satisfy the requirements for each of the program options: research (thesis) option and the non-thesis option.