Master of Science in Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering
Educational Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Graduates with a Master’s of Science in Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering will be able to:
- Demonstrate in depth knowledge of the fundamental principles, concepts, terminologies and methodologies used for design and analysis of broader mechatronics and control systems or components, as well as communications and networks systems or components.
- Demonstrate the ability to solve real-world problems in the electrical and mechatronics engineering and related field.
- Demonstrate the ability to entry research-based doctoral studies in the discipline.
- Demonstrate the ability to be in leadership positions in electrical and mechatronics engineering and related disciplines.
Students will learn interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary methods that are broadly applicable in the emerging field of unmanned systems design, mechatronics and control, etc. They will also be given specific instruction and hands-on laboratory experimental leaning experiences on how to apply these methods to a large range of problems in automation and mechatronics.
Courses and General Requirements for Degree
All students in the Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering program will take thirty (30) credit hours with the Thesis option or thirty three (33) credit hours with the Non-thesis option of graduate-level courses to graduate from program, not including any provisional admission course requirements, over four semesters. All courses that are to count towards graduation must be passed with a minimum grade of B, and students must also pass at least five of these courses with a grade of A. Students can enrolled in Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering program courses only if they have been admitted to the program or given permission by course instructor.
The time limit for completing the M.S. degree is five (5) years from the first enrollment in the graduate program. This includes any Provisional Admission course requirements to be met. Any exception to the time limit must be approved by the UMES Graduate School.
Thesis option: the student is required to take three core (9 credits) and a minimum of five engineering elective (15 credits) graduate level courses and six credits of Thesis (ENEM 697).The thesis must be supervised by a member of the faculty member as a thesis advisor and the initial thesis proposal must be defended with an oral presentation (see below) and approved by student’s thesis committee (three members including advisor). The thesis must be submitted to the department in a bound form after the oral defense which will take place after the thesis research is completed. A student is required to submit at least one journal/conference paper from his/her thesis work before the defense.
Non-thesis option: the student is required to take three core (9 credits) and a minimum of seven engineering electives (21 credits) graduate level courses and a 3-credit hour research project (ENEM 696) that must be approved by the project advisor. A copy of the resulting scholarly paper (if any) must be submitted to the department. A Student is advised to do scholarly activity out of his/her project work.
All M.S. students must choose either the thesis or non-thesis option. There is no course-only option.
MSEME General Requirements
- Maximum of two graduate-level course units may be transferred from another institution to apply toward the MSEME degree. Transferred courses must logically fit into the student’s graduate program. The student’s graduate advisor decides which courses are acceptable. UMES approval of transfer credit may also be required. These two courses should not have been used in fulfillment of any other degree(s).
- Any coursework more than six years old at the time of the final examination will not be used to fulfill any of the MSEME degree requirements.
- All graduate credits must have letter grades of A, B, or C, or pass/fail grades of S (Satisfactory). No More than two graduate courses with letter grade C will be accepted.
- A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required to remain in good standing and to graduate.
- Elective engineering courses should be primarily from one of the two tracks specified in this document. Students in each track can take 2 courses (6 credits) from the other track to satisfy graduation requirement upon approval of both student’s advisor and Director of graduate program.
- Up to maximum 2 courses (6 credits) from other UMES departments of the physical, mathematical, biological, agricultural or similar sciences may be included to round out student’s overall program study. All courses from outside of the Engineering Master’s Program must be graduate 600-level courses. Prior approval of both student’s advisor and Director of graduate program is required for all external courses.
- Up to maximum 3 credits of ENEM 688 Independent Study are allowed upon student’s advisor and Director of graduate program’s approval. Independent Study needs to be structured by the faculty member with a clearly defined syllabus for the prior approval.
