School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The goal of the Master of Science (MS) degree program is to provide students with an opportunity to strengthen their technical backgrounds for pursuing successful professional careers in engineering research, development and management. Applicants are admitted to this program on the basis of their educational qualifications.

Requirements:

Candidates are required to complete the equivalent of thirty (30) credits to graduate from this program. Full-time candidates can complete their degree requirements in one or two academic years. 

Technical Cores (4 courses - 12 credits) choose 2 out of the 4 core sequences:

  • Core 1. Fluid Dynamics & Heat Transfer
    • Core 1A. ME 150 Thermal Fluid Transport I (3 credits)
    • Core 1B. ME 151 Thermal Fluid Transport II (3 credits)
  • Core 2. Dynamics & Controls
    • Core 2A. ME 130 Digital Control of Dynamic Systems (3 credits)
    • Core 2B. ME 121 Advanced Dynamics and Vibrations (3 credits)
  • Core 3. Material Mechanics & Processing
    • Core 3A. ME 120 Solid Mechanics (3 credits)
    • Core 3B. ME 110 Manufacturing Processes & Materials Technology (3 credits)
  • Core 4. Design
    • Core 4A. ME 140 Inventive Design (3 credits)
    • Core 4B. ME 141 Assistive Design (previously titled ME 193-AD Assistive Design) or ME 193-DS Design for Sustainability (3 credits) 

Mathematics (1 course - 3 credits)

  • ES 101 Numerical Methods (3 credits)
  • ME 100 Applied Mathematics for Engineers (3 credits)
  • ME 102 Statistical Quality Control (3 credits)

Electives (15 credits)

Electives must satisfy the following requirements:

  • All must be graduate level courses (100 or above).
  • At least 6 credits must be taken in ME. With advisor consent, these ME credits may include up to 9 credits of project and/or thesis credits (ME294 and/or ME296). See thesis requirements page for specifics on doing a thesis. 
  • Electives taken outside ME may only be taken in the following departments: BME, CEE, CHBE, COMP, EE, ENP, EM, MATH, BIO, CHEM and PHY.
  • Internship (ME299) credits do not count as elective credits.   

Seminar (no credit)

  • ME 291 ME Graduate Seminar (fall semester)
  • ME 292 ME Graduate Seminar (spring semester)

Regular attendance at Mechanical Engineering weekly Seminar Series is an integral part of full-time graduate studies for all Master's students. The seminars, held on Thursday afternoons, feature speakers from both inside and outside of Tufts. The seminars provide students and faculty with an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in mechanical engineering research and practice.

All full-time mechanical engineering graduate students are required to complete the ME Seminar course every semester. Passing the seminar requires attending at least 80% of the meetings in the semester. Students who pass the seminar will receive an "S" on their transcript; students who fail the seminar will receive a "U" on their transcript. Multiple unsatisfactory grades may impact academic standing in the graduate program. Please see the graduate handbook for more information.

Degree Completion

To complete the degree, the student should apply for graduation in SIS, print and fill out the Application for Graduation and submit the Graduate Exit Survey.

  • The student fills out the application for graduation, obtains approval from their academic advisor, and submits it to the Graduate Director for approval.
  • The Department then sends the approved form to Student Services for processing and retains a copy as part of the student's record.
  • Upon receiving of this form, Student Services places the student on the "Graduate Degree Listing" for the next degree awarding cycle (February, May, or August).
  • Specific due dates for these forms are provided in the graduate handbook for the graduation year.