Mechanical Engineering, MS Degree Requirements

The MSME program at WSU Vancouver is a thesis-option program and requires a minimum of 30 credit hours. This includes 21 hours of graded coursework beyond the bachelor's plus a minimum of 4 thesis credits. Students present their research results to the faculty at the end of their last semester. The master's degree is awarded after approvals of the research by the student's advisory committee.

An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 is a minimum for admission to the MS programs.

Requirements

The thesis-option program must contain:

a. A minimum of 21 credit hours of graded coursework of which:

    • At least 12 credit hours must be at the Mech 500-level,
    • Three credit hours of Math 540,
    • Six credit hours of additional courses approved by the student's advisor.

b. A minimum of four credit hours of Mech 700 (thesis credits).

c. In addition, one credit hour of Mech 598 Seminar (pass/fail).

The Graduate School requires a minimum of 30 total credit hours for an MS degree. The School of ENCS graded course requirements add up to 21 credits and with the required four credits of Mech 700 and the one-credit seminar, the program becomes 26 credits. The remaining four credits can be additional Mech 700 thesis credits or 500-level Mech classes. Up to 50% of the program of study can be conjoint Mech 400-/500-level courses. The timing, format, and restrictions for the thesis option are set by the Graduate School and are listed in the Graduate School Policies and Procedures. The thesis must be typed according to the format guidelines for an ASME technical paper, or other format approved by the advisory committee and the Graduate School.