Master's Degree Thesis Requirements

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Please note: Thesis requirements apply to all students in the thesis option, including part-time and EDGE students.

Students in the thesis option need to register for a total of 12 thesis credits: ME 700.
By the end of the second quarter in the Master's degree program, students in the thesis option must have a three-person thesis committee approved by the Department Chair. The ME Department requires that students who plan to write a thesis have at least three committee members, including the faculty supervisor who serves as Committee Chair. These must be members of the graduate faculty. The Committee Chair must be from the Mechanical Engineering Department core faculty (i.e., all appointments except adjunct and affiliate).¹ Alternately, non-core faculty may act as Committee Chair, but in that case the remaining members of the thesis committee must include at least two core faculty members.
The thesis proposal with committee members' names should be submitted by the student, through his or her supervisor, to the Department Chair before the end of the second quarter of study. Failure to meet this requirement is regarded as unsatisfactory progress in the program. The proposal should include: (1) objective, (2) justification for conducting research, (3) approach and methodology, (4) schedule of work, and (5) estimated cost. Samples of thesis proposals are available for perusal in the ME Student Services Office.
During the student's last quarter, the written thesis must be approved by the student's committee and presented before an audience of the committee, other faculty, students and invited guests. The presentation is given during the student's last quarter of study, prior to the last day of class instruction. The ME Student Services Office needs to be notified of the thesis title, committee, date, time and location (a room can be reserved through the Front Desk) so that announcements can be made. The thesis should be approved and signed by committee members at the presentation.
Two signed, unbound copies of the thesis must be presented to the Graduate School by the last day of the quarter (defined as the last day of exams). Students are strongly encouraged to take copies of their theses to a thesis advisor at the Graduate School for review early enough to resolve any formatting problems. Thesis advisors are available throughout the quarter to help with specific problems as they arise.
Please note: If the degree on the title page is not correct, new title pages with original signatures will need to be submitted.
A third copy of the thesis (unsigned, unbound, two-sided and hole-punched) must also be submitted to the ME ME Student Services Office before the end of the quarter. If this is not done, the Department will request the Graduate School to delay the degree.

¹ Core faculty comprise Mechanical Engineering Faculty in all ranks with tenure or tenure-track appointments, and research, emeritus, and joint appointments. Faculty with adjunct and affiliate ranks are not included.