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Integrated
Undergraduate/Graduate Study in Mechanical Engineering
Introduction
Students in Mechanical Engineering (ME) have
the opportunity to take advantage of the University’s Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate
(IUG) program. In this program, the student combines regular course work
with research to obtain both a B.S. and an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering.
Application for IUG status may be made in the fourth, fifth,
or sixth semester. IUG status permits students to take on the rigors and
research challenges of graduate study at Penn State, coordinating and combining
them with their baccalaureate studies. Because some credits earned as an
undergraduate may be applied to both degree programs, the time required for
completion of IUG studies is expected to be less than that required to complete
separate degree programs. The actual time required is determined by the individual
student’s
objectives, needs, and diligence.
The advantages of IUG status are several:
(1) It permits coherent planning of studies through the graduate degree.
(2) For most students, the total time required to reach completion of the
higher degree will be shortened. (3) The student will have earlier contact
with the rigors of graduate study (in some cases substituting graduate courses
for undergraduate requirements) and with graduate faculty; the resources
of the Graduate School are accessible to IUG students. (4) While still undergraduates,
students with IUG status benefit from their association with graduate students
whose level of work and whose intensity of interest and commitment parallel
their own.
IUG arrangements have been designed for the truly exceptional
students: those who have exceptional academic records and those who are ready
for the challenge of graduate work. ME students who believe they are among
such students are encouraged to apply for IUG status.
Benefits to Pursuing
the B.S./M.S. Degree
There are many benefits to pursuing an advanced degree,
which includes a significant aspect of research and additional course-work
at the graduate level. There are both short-term and long-term benefits.
The short-term benefits are largely related to the transition
from graduate studies to the next phase of the student’s life:
1. If the next phase
involves studies leading to a Ph.D. at another institution, the student will
be of significant interest to that institution due to the knowledge gained
from additional course-work and experiences from research.
2. If the next
phase involves work in industry, then the student is much better prepared
to tackle technical problems that may arise or to actively participate in
industry research. With an advanced degree, the student is more versatile
to industry, capable of design of basic components as well as research and
development of more complex components.
The long-term benefits are largely
related to challenges that will arise during the student’s life-long
career in the public or private sectors:
1. The training in the fundamentals
of mechanical engineering, obtained by taking additional graduate courses,
will be extremely useful as new and different challenges occur in research
and development.
2. The training obtained by conducting research on very
difficult scientific problems will hone the analytical skills and test the
perseverance of the student.
3. The training obtained from oral presentations
made to sponsors of research and technical writing of scholarly papers will
be very useful in academia and industry.
4. The training obtained from learning
diagnostic tools in experiments, such as laser diagnostics, high-speed
photography, mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,
or computational tools, such as C++ or Fortran, Fluent, finite elements,
finite difference, etc., could be of immense value at some point in the
student’s work
in the public or private sectors.
5. The expertise developed in a specific
research area is clearly useful, but it is unlikely that the student will
continue to work in that area throughout his/her life-long career in the
public or private sectors.
Additionally, the salary will also be higher by
having an advanced degree, and the accumulated difference over decades of
work in industry will be significant. It is difficult to estimate what those
differences could be. Differences in starting salaries, however, might be
any where from $10k to $20k, depending on location, previous industry experiences,
and type of work.
Program Availability and Eligibility
The integrated B.S./M.S.
degree program is only available to undergraduate students enrolled at Penn
State - University Park campus. These undergraduates must have 1) junior
standing at time of application to program, 2) a cumulative GPA above 3.0,
and 3) immediately continue and complete the M.S. degree after completion
of the required 131 credits towards the B.S. degree.
IUG Application Procedures
and Guidelines
Deadline for submission of applications to the MNE Graduate
Program Office is April 1 for students whose undergraduate program requirements
are expected to be completed by the end of the Spring or Summer semester
the following year, and October 1 for students whose undergraduate program
requirements are expected to be completed by the end of the Fall semester
the following year.
As an early start in research is essential and represents
the primary argument for the reduced credit requirements, identification
of a research supervisor is critical. Therefore, the applicant pool is examined
by all participating faculty members in order to assist in their search for
an appropriate student. Conversely, the students are also expected to contact
faculty members directly.
The applicant is expected to belong to one of two
categories. In the first category, the student is already engaged in research
as an undergraduate research assistant and would like to pursue an M.S. degree.
The student has obtained a commitment for his/her research supervisor to
serve as the research and thesis advisor, as well as having identified a
thesis topic. As such, the application to the integrated B.S./M.S. program
can be expedited and rapidly evaluated.
In the second category, the student
has yet to identify a research and thesis advisor. In this case, the Graduate
Program Chair will provide assistance regarding identification of suitable
research advisors. The student, however, is responsible for meeting with
individual faculty members to determine if there are opportunities for research
leading to an M.S. degree and a suitable thesis topic. It is advised that
the student begins early (fifth semester) in order to meet the deadline of
submitting a complete application, which includes the requirement of having
a research advisor and thesis topic, by the end of the sixth semester.
1. IUG applications may be filed by ME students holding fourth, fifth, or sixth
semester standing. Students in their senior year are ineligible to apply.
The application form is available at the end of this document.
2. The application
for IUG status consists of the following materials, all of which should be
sent to the Graduate Program Office, 127 Reber Building.
• A personal
statement of purpose that summarizes the student’s academic progress,
outlines long-term goals, states the proposed use of IUG status, and addresses
in moderate detail the research area that will constitute the focus of
the graduate degree.
• An explicit plan of study leading to the graduate
degree (form available in the MNE Graduate Program Office and at the end
of this document) signed by the student’s adviser. NOTE: As many as
6 of the credits required for the master’s degree may be applied
to both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The double-count of
6 credits applies only to 400- or 500-level courses. Thesis credits may
not be double counted.
• Three faculty recommendations including one from the prospective
research mentor for the master’s program. The latter must address the
details of the proposed area of research focus and assess the student’s
ability to conclude the program.
• A transcript.
• A resume,
if available.
• A completed Graduate School application form.
When
all materials have been submitted, the applicant should schedule an interview
with the Professor-In-Charge of Graduate Programs in MNE Department to discuss
her or his IUG application. After this interview, an evaluation of the application
is made by the MNE Department’s Admission Committee and the Professor-In-Charge
of the MNE Graduate Program. The committee will look for (a) an undergraduate
record which is superior; (b) strong interest to participate in research;
(c) an indication of how the student compares with other applicants for graduate
study; (d) a plan of study consistent with the requirements and spirit of
the program; and (e) strong recommendations that comment incisively on the
aforementioned criteria.
3. Applicants are notified of the action of the
committee. If the application has been approved by the MNE Department, it
is sent to the Graduate School for approval. The Graduate School application
fee must be sent along with the application.
4. When a candidate has been
approved for IUG status by both the MNE Department and the Graduate School,
he or she will receive a letter of notification from the Professor-In-Charge
of Graduate Programs in MNE Department.
5. At the end of each semester, a
student with IUG status must report to the MNE Graduate Program office which
courses taken that semester are to be counted both toward the graduate and
undergraduate degrees or toward the graduate degree alone. A form for such
reporting is available in the MNE Graduate Program office.
6. Undergraduate
tuition rates will apply as long as the student is an undergraduate, unless
the student receives financial support, such as an assistantship, requiring
the payment of graduate tuition.
7. A student may retain IUG status for as
long as he or she remains in the MNE Department. If IUG status is terminated,
the provisions of item 2 above, relative to 6 credits being applicable to
both an undergraduate and graduate degree program, cease to apply.
8. An
appropriate notation of participation in the Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate
program will be made on the student’s transcript.
9. If a student chooses
to terminate his/her M.S. studies, the student will still obtain the B.S.
degree by satisfying the regular degree requirements.
Outline of Integrated
B.S./M.S. Program
JUNIOR |
| 5th Semester |
|
6th Semester |
|
| ME 320 Fluid Flow |
(3) |
ME 360 Mechanical Design |
(3) |
| ME 345 Instr., Measmnts., Stat. |
(4) |
ME 340 Design Methodology |
(3) |
| EE 305 Electrical Meas. Syst. |
(3) |
ME 370 Vibr. Mech. Sys. |
(3) |
| EMCH 215 Engr. Materials |
(2) |
IE 312 Product Design & Mfg. Proc. |
(3) |
| MATSE 259 Engr. Materials |
(3) |
ENGL 202C Technical Writing |
(3) |
| Health & Physical Activity |
(1.5) |
|
15cr |
| |
16.5 cr |
|
|
| Summer No. 1 |
|
|
|
| Research 20 to 40 hrs/week |
|
|
|
SENIOR |
| 7th Semester |
|
8th Semester |
|
| Research 10 hrs/week |
(3) |
Research 10 hrs/week |
(3) |
| ME 450 Modeling of Dyn. sys. |
(3) |
ME 440W or ME 441W |
(3) |
| ME 410 Heat Transfer |
(3) |
† Engineering
Technical Elective |
(3) |
| † ME
Technical Elective |
(3) |
† General
Technical Elective |
(3) |
| † Engineering
Technical Elective |
(3) |
# ME Lab |
(1) |
| # ME Lab |
(1) |
Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences |
(3) |
| Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences |
16 cr |
Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences |
(3) |
|
|
|
16 cr |
| Summer No. 2 |
|
|
|
| Research 20 to 40 hrs/week |
|
|
|
GRADUATE
STUDENT |
| 9th Semester |
|
10th Semester |
|
| Research 20 hrs/week |
(3) |
Research 20 hrs/week |
(3) |
| ME/other 5xx |
(3) |
ME/other 5xx |
(3) |
| ME/other 5xx |
(3) |
ME/other 5xx |
(3) |
| ME/other 4xx or 5xx |
(3) |
ME/other 4xx or 5xx |
(3) |
| |
|
|
|
| Summer No. 3 |
|
|
|
| Research 20 to 40 hrs/week |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| 11th Semester |
|
|
|
| Research 20 to 40 hrs/week |
|
|
|
| ME 600 Thesis Research |
(6) |
|
|
Students must achieve C or better in each underlined course (Policy 82-44).
# Students must take at least two of the following lab courses: ME 315,
ME 325, ME 355, ME 375, or EMCH 216. The 4th credit of ME 445 can be used
for an ME lab.
† ME Technical Electives (METE) can be any 400-level ME
course except ME 410, 440W, 441W, 450, 494, or 496. Engineering Technical
Electives (ETE) can be any 400-level engineering course. General Technical
Electives (GTE) can be any math, science, or engineering course beyond the
level required for the BSME degree. All courses used as technical electives
must not be required elsewhere in the program.
For those students who complete
the ROTC Program, 3 ROTC credits may be used to substitute for a GTE and
3 ROTC credits may be used to substitute for the GHA requirement.
155 MINIMUM
TOTAL CREDITS
Section
C - Integrated B.S./M.S. Degree Program (pdf)
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