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Master's Curriculum

The MS program has two options: the thesis option and the non-thesis option for terminal MS degree. In addition, MS students may choose an area of specialization:

A separate professional master's degree program is available through the Segal Design Institute:

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Breadth Requirement

Thesis or non-thesis MS students must take at least one course from four of the eight subareas: solids, fluids/thermodynamics/energy, dynamics/controls, design/manufacturing/tribology, MEMS/nanotechnology, biomedical/biology, mathematics/sciences, and engineering management.

See the Breadth Requirements - Acceptable Courses

Please note: Not all courses are offered every year. Check the mechanical engineering course catalog for current offerings.

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Energy & Sustainability Specialization Breadth Requirement

Thesis or non-thesis MS students participating in the Energy & Sustainability specialization must take ISEN 410 plus one course from each of the four topical areas: energy, environment, core principles of energy systems, and economics and policy. Learn more about requirements.

Please note: Not all courses are offered every year. Check the  mechanical engineering course catalog for current offerings.

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Thesis Option Requirements

Courses

Nine course units are required, excluding research project units (ME 590).

Breadth

View courses are listed here in the graduate handbook.

 

Thesis Option Requirements

Courses

Nine course units are required, excluding research project units (ME 590).

Breadth

Courses are listed above.

Level

A minimum of five course units (excluding ME 590 research units) must be 400-level or above. All courses must be for graduate credit (as determined by selecting, “The Graduate School” as career option in Caesar course search). In addition, all courses must be from a department in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science or be on the list of Energy & Sustainability courses.

ME Courses (except for Energy & Sustainability specialization)

A minimum of five course units (excluding research units) must be ME courses or CE mechanics courses.

Seminar

Registration and regular attendance for the non-credit ME512 Seminar is required for all quarters.

Study Plan

There are no advisor holds for the registration process. Thus, the students are free to choose courses that accommodate individual needs, talents, and interests while satisfying the basic degree requirements. Students are encouraged to talk with the MS Program Director for any questions or consultation. Note that if you register for four units in any given quarter the tuition will be charged only for three units. That is a 25% savings in tuition for that quarter.

Students are encouraged to plan their schedules in the Graduate Student Tracking System (GSTS).

Research

Three credit units of ME 590 are required in which a suitable thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor must be completed and defended.

Residency

Three quarters of full-time registration (three to four courses or project units per quarter) are required.

Minimum GPA

The Graduate School requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 computed over all graded courses taken while in the program in order to earn a MS degree. The Graduate School requires ME 590 units to be taken on a pass/no pass basis, so they do not factor into the GPA.

Master's Thesis and Examination

The mechanical engineering department requires a written thesis to be approved at a final examination. The final examination shall include a presentation by the student of the thesis material and examination by the examining committee. The Examining Committee is comprised of at least two full-time members of the Northwestern University faculty, and at lease one of them must also be a member of the graduate faculty.

Coursework and core courses must be filled out on the ME / MS Degree Requirement form, signed by their adviser and by the graduate studies chair. This form must be presented at the time of final examination. Upon successful completion of the final examination, the examining committee signs the Report of Committee on Examination of Candidate for a Master's Degree, which is then submitted to The Graduate School.

MS Thesis

The thesis should be based on original research that is of publishable quality and should have a quantity of material equivalent to at least one journal paper. It should be prepared according to The Graduate School format for PhD dissertations.

An application for degree must be submitted to The Graduate School by the relevant published deadline for graduation in a specific quarter (June [spring], August [summer], December [fall], or March [winter]).

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Non-Thesis Option Requirements

Courses

Twelve units are required, including 1 or 2 optional research project

Breadth

Courses are listed above.

Level

A minimum of six units must be 400-level or above. All courses must be for graduate credit (as determined by selecting, “The Graduate School” as career option in Caesar course search). In addition, all courses must be from a department in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science or be on the list of Energy & Sustainability courses, unless a prior approval is obtained from the MS Program Director.

ME courses

A minimum of eight units must be ME (or having the ME recognition as specified in the Graduate Handbook).

Seminar

Regular attendance for the non-credit ME512 Seminar is strongly encouraged for all quarters but they should not register for it.

Approval

There are no formal approval or Advisor Holds but students should contact the MS Program Director about any questions.

Project

Optional one to two units of ME 499 research project is allowed.

Minimum GPA

The Graduate School requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 computed over all graded courses taken while in the program in order to earn a MS degree. An application for degree must be submitted to The Graduate School by the relevant published deadline for graduation in a specific quarter (June [spring], August [summer], December [fall], or March [winter]).

An application for degree must be submitted to The Graduate School by the relevant published deadline for graduation in a specific quarter (June [spring], August [summer], December [fall], or March [winter]).