Graduate Catalog
Degree Programs

Master of Engineering
Engineering

Dr. Patricia Buford
Associate Dean
Corley 262
(479) 968-0338
pbuford@atu.edu

The Master of Engineering program provides advanced study in a focused area of engineering to enhance career advancement. The program contains a common core of classes including project management, organizational communications, and advanced mathematics. Required graduate courses in engineering, focusing in one of the three available specializations, prepare the student for advanced engineering assignments.

Unconditional Admission

Students are eligible to apply for unconditional admission to the Master of Engineering degree program if they have:

  1. Met the admission requirements for the Graduate College.
  2. Completed a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited program with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or greater on a scale of 4.0. If their undergraduate engineering degree was obtained from a non-ABET accredited program, then they must submit an official copy of their recent (within the last five (5) years) Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Quantitative Reasoning Score equal to or greater than 146 (550 prior scale).
  3. Submitted a letter of intent that addresses the applicant's intended focus and reasons for applying to the degree program. Based upon an applicant's intended program focus, deficiency courses may be identified to be completed before enrollment in some engineering graduate courses.
  4. Provided two letters of recommendation, using the form provided by the department, from professors familiar with the applicants academic ability.
  5. Approval from the Program Director.

Conditional Admission

Applicants not meeting the unconditional admission requirements will be considered on a case-by-case basis for conditional admission into the program. Any deficiencies identified for conditional admits should be satisfied within the first calendar year of enrollment, and until all deficiencies are resolved applicants may take a maximum or twelve (12) hours for graduate credit. Conditionally admitted students may be required to take one or more undergraduate courses which they must complete with a 3.0 average or better.

Each student is required to have a graduate advisor who is a member of the electrical or mechanical engineering departments and the graduate faculty. A formal letter from the advisor to the head of the student's major department acknowledging the advisor's willingness to serve as the student's graduate advisor is required during the students first semester of course work in the program. The advisor and two additional qualified personnel, selected by the student and advisor, will serve as the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. At least two committee members must be faculty in engineering. The student and advisor will work to develop a program of study which must be submitted for approval with the application for candidacy as discussed below.

Admission to Candidacy

Students admitted to the program unconditionally are eligible for admission to candidacy upon the completion of twelve (12) graduate hours with a 3.00 or greater grade point average. Students who have been admitted to the program conditionally must, in addition to the grade point requirement, have satisfied all deficiencies. By the end of the eighth week of the semester in which candidacy requirements will be met, students shall submit to the head of the student's major department an "Application for Admission to Candidacy" including a degree completion plan endorsed by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. Students failing to submit these documents prior to the stated deadline will not be allowed to register for subsequent graduate classes.

Degree Requirements

  1. A minimum of 36 semester hours of coursework at the graduate level must be completed which includes twelve (12) semester hours in the common core, and an additional 24 semester hours which meet the requirements of one of the concentration areas listed below. A minimum of 18 semester hours must be at the 6000 level.

    Common Core (12 hours)

    MGMT 5203 - Project Management
    SPH 5063 - Organizational Communication

    Six (6) hours from:
    MATH 5103 - Linear Algebra II
    MATH 5153 - Applied Statistics II
    MATH 5273 - Complex Variables
    MATH 5243 - Differential Equations II
    MATH 5343 - Introduction to Partial Differential Equations

    Concentration Area (24 hours)

    Electrical Engineering

    In addition to the common core, 24 semester hours in graduate Electrical Engineering courses are required with a minimum of 18 semester hours at the 6000 level.

    Mechanical Engineering

    In addition to the common core, 24 semester credit hours are required with a minimum of 18 hours of graduate engineering coursework and 12 hours of MCEG graduate courses.

    Nuclear Engineering

    Prerequisites: PHYS 3213, MCEG 3503, MCEG 3512 or equivalent experience/training

    MCEG 6503 - Reactor Physics
    MCEG 6523 - Nuclear Materials
    MCEG 6533 - Radiation Interactions and Shielding
    MCEG 6513 - Advanced Radiation Detection Lab
    MCEG 6893 - Independent Study
    Electives - 9 hours

  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 must be achieved on all graduate work attempted at Arkansas Tech University. A maximum of six (6) semester hours of "C" grades can be counted toward degree requirements. Students receiving more than six (6) hours of "C" grades is subject to dismissal from the program. Refer to "Academic Probation and Dismissal" in the graduate catalog.
  3. Successful completion of a comprehensive final examination, consisting of both a written and oral portion and administered by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee, is required in addition to the coursework requirements above. This exam will be administered during the student's final semester and may be attempted a maximum of three times.
  4. Completion of all requirements of the degree must be accomplished within six (6) years from the time of admission to the program.

Special Conditions of Graduate Credit

Graduate Credit Taken Prior to Admission to Arkansas Tech University

A maximum of nine (9) semester hours of graduate credit with a grade point average of "B" or better may be transferred from an accredited graduate school if deemed appropriate to the graduate program by the head of the student's major department and the Graduate College Dean. Students must send a written request to the head of their major department to petition an acceptance of the transfer credit prior to requesting admission to candidacy to the graduate program. Graduate credit earned six (6) years prior to the completion date of all degree requirements may not be applied toward the degree without the approval of the appropriate program director and the Graduate College Dean. Credits earned by correspondence courses or for remedial purposes will not apply toward the graduate degree. No undergraduate course may be repeated for graduate credit.

Graduate Credit Taken After Admission to Arkansas Tech University

If after admission to graduate study, a student wishes to take a course at another institution to count toward degree requirements at Arkansas Tech University, the student must (in advance of enrollment) obtain written approval from the program director and the Graduate College Dean.