Related Programs

• Mechanical Engineering (BSE)
• Mechanical Engineering (MS)

Accelerated Program Information

The Accelerated Mechanical Engineering MS is a program available to ME undergraduate students that allows them to complete a significant portion of their Master of Science degree during their undergraduate studies. Upon graduation from their Bachelor’s degree, students enroll in the MS program to complete the requirements. The Accelerated Mechanical Engineering MS program is a Plan-A program; therefore, all the corresponding requirements apply. As such, our Accelerated program is a research-centered degree. Seniors enrolled in the program conduct research under the supervision of their future MS major advisor, typically as their Senior Design Project; it is possible (but less common) for students to participate in a regular Senior Design Project and conduct separately their research work, contingent on approval from the faculty advisor. This research continues after graduation from the Bachelor’s degree into the Master’s degree studies and forms the basis for the student’s Master’s thesis.

In addition to conducting research during the senior year, undergraduate students enrolled in the program take graduate-level courses that satisfy the requirements of the MS degree to make progress towards the MS coursework requirements. Up to 12 credits of these graduate-level courses may be used to satisfy the requirements of both the undergraduate degree and the MS degree (for example, to be used as ME electives for the undergraduate degree).

The ability to conduct a significant portion of the research and coursework required for the MS degree during their undergraduate studies allows students enrolled in the program to complete the MS degree in a shorter time (typically one year) than the regular degree. Since this is a Plan-A MS, students must write a Master’s thesis and defend it to graduate from the program.