Mechanical Engineering, Accelerated M.S.

843-953-5057
www.citadel.edu/root/me-graduate/programs/accelerated-master-of-science-in-mechanical-engineering

Dr. Kevin Skenes, Department Head
(843) 953-0533, kskenes@citadel.edu

Mission Statement

The Accelerated Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering program is designed to provide Citadel undergraduate students an accelerated route to obtain a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. The purpose of this program is to offer advanced undergraduate students the opportunity to begin taking graduate-level courses during their senior year, and have those courses be applied toward an MS in Mechanical Engineering degree.

After earning a Bachelor’s degree, students in this program will continue their graduate course work until completing the requirements for the MS in Mechanical Engineering program. It is expected that students in this program would complete the requirements for both the Bachelor’s degree and the Master’s degree in about 5 years. Undergraduates in this program will acquire a broader and deeper education in mechanical engineering through additional advanced coursework. An advanced degree in mechanical engineering can provide employment opportunities that the Bachelor’s degree alone cannot provide. This program is for students seeking advanced engineering techniques and professional development skills in the field of mechanical engineering.

Admission Requirements

The program is available to Citadel undergraduate students majoring in mechanical engineering. Students interested in this program should apply during their junior or senior year. However, students are encouraged to apply by the end of their junior year to help ensure that they have the full subsequent year, including the summer, to begin taking courses for graduate credit. This program is not available to undergraduates enrolled at other institutions, or those who have completed a Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree at another institution.

Complete and return an online application form along with the non-refundable application fee to The Citadel Graduate College.
Undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher in the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering degree program at The Citadel.
Senior (1A) classification.
Submission of a one-page letter of intent that provides concise description of your post BSME graduation plans.
Approval of Mechanical Engineering Department Head.

Program Requirements

Program requirements for the Accelerated Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering are identical to that of the MSME program. A student enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s Program can register for up to two graduate level courses during the summer and one graduate level course during each of the fall and spring semesters. Undergraduate students enrolled in graduate classes will be held to The Citadel Graduate College policies in those classes, including Academic Standards, Grades, and Attendance. Cadets in graduate classes will continue to be subject to the honor system as prescribed by “The Honor Manual of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets.” Following successful completion of the requirements for the Bachelor’s degree, students would be classified as graduate students by The Citadel Graduate College and follow all of their policies and procedures.

At the discretion of the graduate program director and the student’s undergraduate major dean/department head, the student may have up to two courses, or six credit hours, waived from their undergraduate major degree requirements for completing graduate level courses with a grade of B or higher.

The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering is conferred upon those candidates who successfully complete an approved program of study consisting of 30 semester hours of graduate credit as delineated below.

Students are expected to complete all degree requirements within a six-year period from the time of registration in their first graduate course at The Citadel. Any transfer credit must have been earned within six years prior to admission into The Citadel MSME program. Any prerequisites for applicable courses must be met.

Graduate Requirement (Non-Credit Bearing)

LDRS 500 - Introduction to Principled Leadership

Graduation Requirements (Course Requirements)

All degree candidates must:

File a plan of study outlining the intended areas of interest and approved by the program director.
Complete at least six courses (18 hours) from the mechanical engineering (MECH) areas of study below.
Complete four courses (12 hours) in technical (ME, CE, EE, CS) or nontechnical classes below.

Mechanical Engineering Areas of Study

Non-Technical Electives (No More than 12 Credit Hours)

Business Administration

GBUS 702 - Effective Leadership Decisions I Credit Hours: 3
GBUS 703 - Effective Leadership Decisions II Credit Hours: 3
ENTR 710 - Managing Innovation Credit Hours: 3
ENTR 730 - Entrepreneurship Credit Hours: 3
MKTG 710 - Strategic Marketing Credit Hours: 3
MGMT 710 - Ethical Leadership and Organizational Behavior Credit Hours: 3
SCMT 710 - Quantitative Methods for Operations Management Credit Hours: 3

Engineering Leadership and Program Management

PMGT 650 - Overview of Technical Project Management Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 651 - Technical Project Planning and Scheduling Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 652 - Applications of Quality Management Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 653 - Technical Project Support and Operations Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 661 - The Legal and Contractual Aspects of Program Management Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 671 - Project Manager Leadership Development Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 672 - Applied Leadership Concepts Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 680 - System Engineering Management Fundamentals Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 681 - Requirements Development and Management Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 682 - System Verification and Validation Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 683 - Systems Modeling and Integration Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 684 - Human System Integration Credit Hours: 3
PMGT 685 - Decision and Risk Analysis Credit Hours: 3

Leadership

LDRS 710 - Ethics, Values, & Principled Leadership Credit Hours: 3
LDRS 711 - Leading Change: Organization Development and Transformation Credit Hours: 3
LDRS 712 - Leading Teams: Coaching, Culture, Diversity, and Globalization Credit Hours: 3
LDRS 714 - Strategic Leadership, Vision, Mission and Contemporary Issues Credit Hours: 3
LDRS 722 - Leadership in Organizations: Principles and Practices Credit Hours: 3

Total Credit Hours: 30

Transfer Credit: A maximum of two courses (six credit hours) may be transferred in from an accredited college or university, provided: (1) grades of “B” or better were received in the courses being considered, (2) credit was earned within six years prior to admission into The Citadel MSME program, and (3) each course has been approved by the department head. A maximum of five courses (15 credit hours) may be transferred in from Clemson University, provided: (1) grades of “B” or better were received in the courses being considered, (2) credit was earned within six years prior to admission into The Citadel MSME program, and (3) each course has been approved by the department head.

Course Availability: The courses will be offered based on student preferences and overall demand indicated in your plan of study to be submitted after acceptance. Students should be aware course offerings will be based on minimum class size enrollment. The Mechanical Engineering Department will continually monitor student interest to expedite completion of your program of study.

Requirements for Graduation: The degree of Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering may be conferred upon those students who successfully complete the 30 hours of graduate coursework as specified above with a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on hours earned at The Citadel. Completion of additional credit hours of graduate coursework beyond the requirements for this degree will only be allowed for professional development, and may not be used to increase GPA to the 3.0 required for graduation.