Mechanical Engineering, M.S.

This program is pending CSU Chancellor’s Office approval.

The M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) program provides the technical competencies, knowledge, and skills that are essential to today’s leaders in Mechanical Engineering. The proposed program is designed for recent college graduates as well as working professionals with engineering, sciences, or related backgrounds. It aims to prepare graduates to (a) fill advanced engineering and engineering management positions in the industry; or (b) pursue Ph.D. studies in mechanical engineering and/or related fields, and eventually fill teaching and/or research positions in colleges and universities.

Mission Statement and Program Objectives

The mission of the MSME program at California State University, Fresno is to educate engineers who, entrusted by society, will create a sustainable world and enhance the quality of life during the 21st century as engineering professionals. The MSME program provides advanced engineering education in Mechanical Engineering to resident students as well as practicing engineers working in the industry and government surrounding the Fresno metropolitan area. Graduates of this program should be able to advance their career and work on complex engineering problems dictated by continuing advances in technology. Additionally, the program seeks to prepare graduates for advanced research and engineering applications to fulfill the technical needs of the region and beyond.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to California State University, Fresno are in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 3 of the California Code of Regulations. The requirements for graduate admission to California State University, Fresno must be met. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are optional for all applicants. Applicants should possess a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited program; or a bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited program. Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate education on the basis of 4.0 being A; or the approval of the Graduate Committee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In addition, applicants also need to submit the following:

A personal statement explaining their motivation for pursuing the MSME degree
A resume detailing their professional and academic achievements
Two letters of recommendation

Up to nine semester units of satisfactory graduate credit may be transferred into the program from other institutions or programs if not used in completing another graduate degree program. Undergraduate courses may be transferred if the courses were not used in completing another degree program. The total undergraduate upper-division semester hours applied to this degree program cannot exceed six units.

International applicants should also refer to the International Student Services and Programs (ISSP) for further graduate admission requirements: http://fresnostate.edu/academics/issp/future/graduate.html.

If an applicant’s preparation is deemed insufficient by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the applicant is required to take additional courses which are specified in writing to remove the deficiency. Such courses, taken as an unclassified student, are in addition to the minimum of 30 semester units for the MSME degree. The department graduate program coordinator shall appoint an interim graduate adviser for each student when that student is accepted into the graduate program. The coordinator will take into account student interests and correlated faculty interests when making this appointment.

In some cases, the course requirements may be modified or waived by the Graduate Program Coordinator or the senior faculty responsible for the course area of study.

Admission to the Program

Students who apply to the program are placed in one of the following categories:
1) Graduate Standing, Classified: Students with (a) an undergraduate degree in an appropriate engineering discipline from an ABET accredited program, (b) an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0, and (c) a letter of recommendation from an academic or an industrial source.
2) Graduate Standing, Conditionally Classified: Students from non-ABET accredited engineering programs, or with a degree in physical science or mathematics or a different engineering discipline, and who have not met the requirements of category 1, will be given conditionally classified graduate standing. These students may be required to take prerequisite courses as determined by the graduate program at the time of admission.

Upon satisfactorily meeting any specified requirements, students will then be advanced to classified standing.

Advancement to Candidacy Criteria

The following requirements must be met prior to advancement to candidacy:

Classified graduate standing
Completion at California State University, Fresno of at least 9 units of the proposed program
Achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on all coursework listed on the petition of Advancement to Candidacy Form
Departmental recommendation for advancement to candidacy
Demonstrate sufficient technical proficiency to continue in the program
Satisfactory completion of the Graduate Writing Skills Requirement, as determined by the department.

Non-degree students: Students with a bachelor’s degree may take graduate courses (concurrent with regular students) for credit or audit. Prior approval is required.

Criteria for Student Continuation

Students should select a graduate adviser before completing 12 units of graduate study and advancing to candidacy. Other members of their graduate committee shall be selected in consultation with the graduate adviser if the student has selected the culminating experience option of thesis. This committee shall consist of a total of three members, two of whom must be tenured/tenure track faculty. The graduate student shall notify the department’s Graduate Committee with a letter signed by both the student and the graduate adviser of the membership of the students’ Graduate Committee. This letter shall be placed in the student’s academic folder.

Any semester for which the grade point average falls below 3.0 shall result in placing the affected graduate student on Academic Notice (formerly Academic Probation). A second offense shall lead to disqualification. For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Studies Regulations (Administrative Academic Notice, Academic Disqualification) section of the catalog.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 30 semester units of coursework and a culminating experience.

Core (4 units):

ENGR 200 - Seminar in Engineering Units: 1
ENGR 202 - Applied Engineering Analysis Units: 3

Required Elective Courses (12 units):

Choose 4 courses from:

ENGR 205 - Computing in Engineering Analysis Units: 3
ME 211 - Advanced Dynamics Units: 3
ME 215 - Design Optimization of Engineering Systems Units: 3
ME 216 - Computational Fluid Dynamics Units: 3
ME 221 - Incompressible Fluids Units: 3
ME 225 - Heat Transfer Units: 3
ME 227 - Advanced Thermodynamics Units: 3
ME 241 - Structural Analysis Units: 3
ME 291T Renewable Energy Systems and Sustainability Units: 3
ME 291T Advanced Engineering Materials Units: 3
ME 291T Power Systems and Renewable Energy Units: 3
ME 291T Fundamentals of Scanning Electron Microscopy Units: 3
ME 291T Mechanical Engineering Applications in Machine Learning Units: 3

Elective Courses (Minimum 8 units):

Note: Elective courses should be approved by the graduate coordinator and/or chair.

ENGR 210 - Linear Control Systems Units: 3
ENGR 291T Energy Systems Management Units: 3
ME 216 - Computational Fluid Dynamics Units: 3
ME 220 - Compressible Fluids Units: 3
ME 223 - Gas Turbine Engines Units: 3
ME 229 - Advanced Gas Dynamics Units: 3
ME 232 - Advanced Aircraft Stability and Control Units: 3
ME 243 - Structural Dynamics Units: 3
ME 290 - Independent Study Units: 1-3
ME 291T - Topics in Mechanical Engineering Units: 1-3
Courses from other Departments:
MBA 205 - Production and Operations Management Units: 3
CE 235 - Finite Element Analysis Units: 3
IT 283 - Advanced Materials and Processes Units: 3
IT 285 - Advanced Manufacturing Systems Units: 3
Undergraduate Courses (Maximum of 2 courses for 6 units total)
ME 122 - Dynamic Systems and Controls Units: 3
ME 137 - Turbomachinery Units: 3
ME 142 - Mechanical Vibration Units: 3
ME 144 - Advanced Mechanics of Materials Units: 3
ME 146 - Air Conditioning Units: 3
ME 162 - Applications of Finite Element Analysis Units: 3
ME 164 - Mechanical Systems Engineering Design Units: 3
ME 191T - Topics in Mechanical Engineering Units: 1-3

Culminating Experience (6 units):

Comprehensive Exam, Project, or Thesis

The minimum requirements for the culminating experiences are as follows:

Comprehensive Exam - 6 units of MSME elective courses plus comprehensive exam
Project - 3 units of MSME elective courses plus 3 units of Project (ME 298 ) - approved by faculty advisor and/or graduate coordinator
Thesis - 6 units of Thesis (ME 299 ) - approved by faculty advisor and/or graduate coordinator

Total Units: 30

Program Goals

The MSME program builds on a previously acquired foundation in basic science, mathematics, engineering, and mechanical engineering to advance skills in research and applied engineering. The objective of the MSME program is to enhance the student’s ability to be successful and advance in their chosen careers in industry, academia, and government/public institutions. The MSME program prepares graduates for today’s technology driven careers with the following program goals:

To enhance understanding beyond the undergraduate level, of the scientific principles involved in the practice of mechanical engineering
To reinforce proficiency in the methodologies of design in mechanical engineering
To increase competency in using advanced techniques, and related tools as applied to mechanical engineering
To improve written, oral, graphical communication skills including public speaking
To develop creative thinking skills required in understanding and solving complex engineering problems
To acquire and demonstrate a sufficient depth of knowledge in a substantive area of mechanical engineering
To enhance analytical skills by developing a deeper understanding of major theoretical and practical concepts
To increase competence for solving practical yet increasingly complex discipline-specific engineering problems

These program goals are consistent with the existing components of the mission and vision of California State University, Fresno.

Mechanical engineering is the use of basic science in the design and manufacture of components and systems. This requires the application of physical and mechanical principles in the development of machines, energy conversion systems, materials, and equipment for measurement and control. Knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry lies at the core of this field. Application of this knowledge uses engineering technology – a disciplined way of thinking, modeling, and testing that enables development of new systems despite incomplete information and uncertainty.

The MSME program in mechanical engineering provides advanced studies in design, advanced materials, alternative energy and sustainable systems, engineering mechanics, mechatronics and controls and thermo-fluids. All areas include statics, dynamics, materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and experimental methods. Application areas in design include mechanics of materials, applied mechanics, structural and manufacturing aspects of producing equipment, and vibrations. Application areas in thermal and fluid mechanics focus on energy conversion and include combustion, heat engines, refrigeration, and fluid flow.

Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating in the MSME program will be able to:
1) To develop the students’ advanced analytical skills by developing an in-depth understanding of major theoretical and practical mechanical engineering concepts
2) To develop students’ written and oral communication skills applied to technical areas
3) To achieve an appropriate level of competence by the students in solving practical mechanical engineering problems
4) To develop students’ critical and creative thinking skills in mastering new topics required to understand and solve complex mechanical engineering problems
To allow the students to demonstrate a sufficient depth of knowledge in a substantive area of mechanical engineering to pursue advanced academic or industrial work