2023-24 Academic Catalog

Mechanical Engineering

Department Head: Dr. Haitham El Kadiri
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Tonya Stone

212 Carpenter Engineering Building
Box 9552
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-4133
Fax: 662-325-7223
E-mail: gradcoord@me.msstate.edu
Website: http://www.me.msstate.edu

The Mechanical Engineering program offers graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering with a Mechanical Engineering concentration. Both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are available via BCoE Learning (online). The major areas of study include but are not limited to: fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, energy systems, thermal sciences, materials and manufacturing, mechanical design, and system dynamics. Specific programs of graduate study are established by consultation between students and their advisors. For further information contact the Graduate Coordinator, Mechanical Engineering Department, BOX 9552, Mississippi State, MS 39762 or gradcoord@me.msstate.edu.

Admission Criteria

A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for admission. An entering graduate student with a bachelor’s degree from a program that is not accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) must submit GRE general-test scores. An international student must have a minimum TOEFL score of 550 PBT (79 iBT) or IELTS score of 6.5.

Provisional Admission

A provisional student must receive a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate level courses on his or her program of study taken at Mississippi State University (courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement) in order to be released from provisional status and achieve regular status. If a 3.00 GPA is not attained, the provisional student may be dismissed from graduate study. While in provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Academic Performance

For students enrolled in either the M.S. or Ph.D. program, all issues related to academic probation, dismissal and appeal will be governed by University policy, as approved by Graduate Council and the Provost and outlined by the Graduate School in the Graduate Catalog.

Accelerated Program

Highly qualified undergraduates in the Mechanical Engineering Department are encouraged to consider applying to the Accelerated Program. This program permits students to earn up to 9 hours of graduate-level coursework during their final year of undergraduate studies. Students in the Accelerated Program take graduate-level courses and earn both undergraduate credit and graduate credit simultaneously. Students need to consult with the potential graduate advisor to ensure graduate credit could be applied to a program of study for the graduate degree. Application to this program may be made as early as the junior year (i.e. after completion of 60 or more hours of graded undergraduate courses). Students interested should see Accelerated Programs and contact the department's Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Tonya Stone, for more details.

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering - Thesis

ME 8011Graduate Seminar1
XX 8XXXGraduate-level coursework (can include up to 6 hours of DIS- ME 7000)12
Additional graduate-level coursework12
ME 80006
Total Hours31

A thesis and a final oral exam are required.

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering - Non-Thesis

ME 8011Graduate Seminar1
XX 8XXXGraduate-level coursework (can includes up to 6 hours of DIS- ME 7000)15
Additional graduate-level coursework15
Total Hours31

An oral presentation and final are required.

Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering with Mechanical Engineering Concentration

ME 8011Graduate Seminar1
ME 8213 OR MA 6313 OR MA 6323 OR MA 8203 OR MA 84633
XX 8XXX graduate-level coursework (may include up to 6 credit hours of DIS- ME 7000 taken since bachelor's)18
Other graduate coursework21
ME 9000Research in Mechanical Engineering20
Total Hours63

Students who have entered the ME Ph.D. program are required to take the Ph.D. qualifying exams after they have completed 18 graduate course credit hours or within their first 3 years, whichever comes first. An oral preliminary comprehensive examination is required at least six months prior to graduation and after determination of dissertation topic.  A final oral dissertation defense is required.  The student's program of study, including all coursework, must be approved by the committee and the graduate coordinator.

ME 6113 Material Selection in Design: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ME 3403 or equivalent). Three hours lecture. Principles of materials selection related to mechanical design requirements

ME 6123 Failure of Engineering Materials: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite:EM 3213 ) Three hours lecture. The failure of constituent materials using real -world case studies is the focus. Experimental and analytical techniques for failure analysis and prevention are covered.(Same as CE 4323/6323)

ME 6133 Mechanical Metallurgy: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite:ME 3403 or equivalent). Three hours lecture. The mechanical and metallurgical fundamentals of metals are discussed. Mechanical fundamentals cover the stress and strain relationships and metallurgical fundamentals cover the microstructure

ME 6193 Automotive Engineering: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Fundamentals of automotive engineering, including power units, mechanical systems, electrical system and industrial and systems engineering aspects. (Same as CHE/ECE/IE 4193/6193)

ME 6223 Mechanical Systems Analysis: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: EM 3413 or ME 3613 and senior standing). Three hours lecture. Fourier methods, shock spectra, signature analysis, relation to specific phenomena and malfunctions; acoustical aids; field measurement analysis; random functions, correlations; mobility and impedance methods

ME 6233 Fundamentals of Finite Element Analysis: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. This course focuses on the implementation of the finite element (FE) method with commercially-available FE software and the basic mathematical theory of finite element analysis. Topics include mechanical response with a survey of thermal analysis and advanced topics (e.g., nonlinear problems and dynamic loading)

ME 6333 Energy Systems Design: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 3313 and ME 3113). Three hours lecture. Comprehensive design problems requiring engineering decisions, data acquisition, codes/standards compliance. Emphasis upon energy systems components: heat exchangers, piping networks, pumps. Fluid transients, system modeling

ME 6343 Intermediate Heat Transfer: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Condensation and boiling, analytical and numerical techniques for conduction and convection, gray-body and spectral-dependent radiation, transient and steady-state thermal modeling

ME 6353 Alternate Energy Sources: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Analysis and design of systems using energy derived from solar, hydro, geothermal, wind, ocean, waste, and biomass sources

ME 6373 Air Conditioning: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 3523 and ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Psychometrics; comfort conditions; determination of heat losses and gains; determination of sizes of elements; energy usage estimating; residential and commercial systems

ME 6393 Power Generation Systems: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 3313 and ME 3523). Three hours lecture. Evaluation and optimization of power generation systems with emphasis on optimization methods, system simulation, and economics. Energetic, economic, and environmental issues as well as exergy analysis may be incorporated in this course

ME 6413 Casting and Joining: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ME 3403 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Fundamentals of solidification in casting and joining processes, including design applications

ME 6423 Machining and Forming: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ME 3403 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Fundamentals of mechanical processing of joining processes, including design applications. metals, including bulk and sheet forming techniques

ME 6443 Mechanical Systems Design: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 3423 and ME 4403). Three hours lecture. Mechanical design projects involving analysis; industrial standards and considerations for safety and manufacturability; the use of computers in design and manufacturing automation (CAD/CAM)

ME 6453 Lubrication: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: Senior standing). Three hours lecture. Friction of solids and fluids. Lubricants. Theory of sliding bearings. Multi-dimensional bearings with constant forces and velocities. Film, hydrodynamic, and gas lubrication. Design of bearings

ME 6463 Engineering Design: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 3613 and Senior standing). Three hours lecture. In-depth topics in mechanical design. Design of friction devices, hydrodynamic drives, and shells of revolution. Design for thermal creep, thermal stresses, surface contact, and impact

ME 6543 Combustion Engines: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 3523 and ME 3313). Three hours lecture. Application of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and combustion in the determination of performance characteristics of various engines, e.g., internal combustion, jet, and rocket engines

ME 6623 Control Systems: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 3613 and ECE 3283). Three hours lecture. Principles of closed loop mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and thermodynamic systems. Design of control systems

ME 6624 Experimental Methods in Materials Research: 4 hours.

(Prerequisites:CHE 3413 or ABE 3813 or ME 3403 or permission of instructors). Three hours lecture. Three hours laboratory . An introduction to research methodologies commonly used in the evaluation of treatments , and mechanical testing. (Same as ABE 4624/6624 and CHE 4624/6624)

ME 6643 Introduction to Vibrations and Controls: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ME 3613). Three hours lecture. Review of Laplace Transforms. Introduction to vibrations, Fourier analysis, linearization, system modeling and feedback controls

ME 6743 Labview: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite:ME 3701 or equivalent Labview enperience). Two hours lecture. Three hours laboratory. Labview programming for applications in laboratory data acquisition (DQA). Basic and intermediate graphical programming theory with emphasis on transducer measurements and triggering

ME 6823 Compressible Flow and Turbomachinery: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: EM 3313 and ME 3523). Three hours lecture. Fundamental principles, shock and expansion waves, generalized one-dimensional flows, simple processes, energy transfer in turbomachines, turbomachine efficiencies, multi-dimensional effects

ME 6833 Intermediate Fluid Mechanics: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: EM 3313). Three hours lecture. Differential equations of fluid mechanics, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, boundary-layer theory, laminar and turbulent solutions, compressible flow with applications

ME 6990 Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering: 1-9 hours.

Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)

ME 7000 Directed Individual Study in Mechanical Engineering: 1-6 hours.

Hours and credits to be arranged

ME 8011 Graduate Seminar: 1 hour.

Presentation and discussion of research and current mechanical engineering literature by students, faculty, and visiting lecturers. Attendance required for students in Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program

ME 8144 Transmission Electro Microscopy: 4 hours.

(Prerequisite:Consent of Instructor). One hour lecture. Six hours laboratory. Introduction to TEM including life sciences (tissue) and engineering (crystalline materials) topics. (Same as EPP 8144)

ME 8213 Engineering Analysis: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. The formulation of mathematical methods of advanced engineering problems and the use of mathematical techniques for their solution: equilibrium, eigenvalue, and propagation problems

ME 8223 Inelasticity: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite:EM 8113 and EM 8203 ) Three hours lecture. This course covers plasticity, creep, viscoelasticity, and inelastic behavior in relation to microstructure-property relations, constitutive modeling at different length scales, and computational simulations.(Same as CE 8323)

ME 8243 Finite Elements in Mechanical Engineering: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ME 4403 and EM 3213). Three hours lecture. Concepts and applications of finite element analysis in mechanical engineering problems

ME 8253 Fatigue in Engineering Design: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Prediction and prevention of fatigue failure in metallic materials

ME 8313 Conductive Heat Transfer: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Closed form analytical and approximate numerical solutions to one, two, and three dimensional steady-state and transient problems in conduction heat transfer

ME 8333 Convective Heat Transfer: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Analytical and empirical methods of solution of problems in laminar and turbulent, natural and forced convective heat transfer. Stability; thermal boundary layer techniques; multiphase systems

ME 8353 Advanced Energy Conversion: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Mechanical Engineering or consent of instructor).Three hours lecture. Physical process in advanced energy conversion technologies, with practical application to devices/energy cycles. Emphasis on fuel cells, photovoltaics, and related materials engineering issues

ME 8373 Integrated Computational Materials Engineering: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: EM 3213 and ME 3403). Three hours lecture. Survey course of various length scale computational analysis related to materials modeling. Emphasis upon projects and exercises

ME 8513 Classical Thermodynamics: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Postulational treatment of the physical laws of equilibrium, thermostatics. Equations of state, processes, equilibrium stability, reactive systems, phase transitions

ME 8613 Dynamical Systems: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Mathematical description and simulation of systems with mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic components; state variables; bondgraphs; stability; observability and controllability

ME 8733 Experimental Procedures: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Design of experiments; instrumentation; data acquisition; and correlation and evaluation of results

ME 8813 Viscous Flow I: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Fundamental laws of motion for a viscous fluid; classical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations; inviscid flow solutions; laminar boundary layers; stability criteria

ME 8823 Viscous Flow II: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ME 8813 or equivalent). Three hours lecture. Numerical solution techniques for viscous flow equations. Turbulence and turbulence modeling. Current literature and topics

ME 8843 Unstructured Grid Technology: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ASE 8413, proficiency in computer programming, and consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Unstructured grid generation based on Delaunay, Advancing-Front, Iterative Point Placement, and Local- Reconnection techniques. Implementation of unstructured Finite-Element/Volume methods for engineering applications

ME 8990 Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering: 1-9 hours.

Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)

ME 9000 Research in Mechanical Engineering: 1-13 hours.

Hours and credits to be arranged