MS Plan C

    Course based M.S. plan (Plan C):

The M.S. Plan C degree is intended for M.S. students interested in coursework beyond the undergraduate level.  Students must develop a course plan that is approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and recorded in the GPAS Planner.  The degree requires successful completion of the following credits:

○        30 graduate-level course credits taken on an A/F grade basis (with the exception of graduate seminar, and independent study credits, which are taken on a S/N grade basis) must be completed.  All courses must be graduate level courses with significant scientific or engineering content. In general, courses should be 5XXX and 8XXX level courses offered within the College of Science and Engineering. Coursework must include the following:

■        One math course from the following list:

●        Any 3 or 4 credit graduate MATH class except MATH 50XX

●        CHEN/MATS 8201-Applied Mathematics

●        CSCI 5304 - Computational Aspects of Matrix Theory

●        ME8012 Mathematical Methods for Mechanical Engineering

■        Three core courses selected from any of the foundational topical areas below which includes Controls and System Dynamics, Design and Manufacturing, Fluid Mechanics, Reacting Systems, and Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer. 

●        Controls and System Dynamics:

○        ME 5281 - Analog and Digital Control

○        ME 8281 - Advanced Control System Design I

○        ME 8282 - Advanced Control System Design II

●        Design and Manufacturing:

○        ME 5223 - Materials in Design OR ME 8222 

○        ME 5243 - Advanced Mechanism Design

○        ME 5247 - Applied Stress Analysis

●        Fluid Mechanics:

○        ME 5332 - Intermediate Fluid Mechanics

○        ME 8332 - Advanced Fluid Dynamics in Mechanical Engineering

●        Reacting Systems:

○        ME 8111 - Multiphase systems

○        ME 8361 - Molecular Gas dynamics

○        ME 5446 - Intro Combustion OR[1] ME 5113 (Aerosol/particle engineering)

●        Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer:

○        ME 8341 - Conduction

○        ME 8342 - Convection

○        ME 8343 - Radiation

■        One research and professional ethics taught during orientation.

■        1 or 2 seminar credits taken on a S/N grade basis. Seminars may be taken in other CSE departments but must have significant scientific or engineering content. Note the same seminar course with the same designation may be taken in multiple semesters.  Seminar credits count towards the 20 required course credits.

■        Six credits may be taken for a designated minor.
■        A minimum of twelve (12) 8XXX-level course credits within the College of Science and Engineering. 

[1] One of these two classes can only be considered as a core class. In the case that both classes are taking, one should be taking as an elective class. 

●        M.S. degree program notes:

○        No more than six 4000-level course credits may be used for graduate-level course credit.  Students intending to take a 4000-level course to be used towards the M.S. degree must get approval in advance from their advisor(s) and the DGS.  In general, such requests will not be approved by the DGS unless both the student and the student’s advisor provide written justification for the 4000 level course in question to count towards the degree.  Such exceptions will not be granted for course-only (Plan C) students.

○        For thesis-based M.S. degrees (Plan A), thesis credits (ME 8777) may be taken at any time during the degree plan.

○        At least 60% of the graduate-level course credits (not including thesis credits) must be taken at the University of Minnesota.  A maximum of 12 graduate-level course credits taken as a non-degree or non-admitted student may be considered for inclusion once the student is admitted and enrolled in the graduate program.

○        All M.S. students must maintain a GPA of 2.80 or higher for courses included in the University of Minnesota graduate degree plan.

○        At least 6 credits in Mechanical Engineering at the 5XXX or 8XXX level are required for a master's minor in mechanical engineering (this applies for students in M.S. programs in the College of Science and Engineering, which are outside the Department of Mechanical Engineering).

○        To complete a master’s minor in a College of Science and Engineering department outside of Mechanical Engineering, one must fulfill the requirements detailed in the handbook of that department.