StudyQA — Master: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

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The mission of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is to educate leaders in engineering and applied sciences through a rigorous graduate program that defines the frontiers of knowledge in our field, and prepare them for careers in academia, industry, and government. Our program emphasizes achieving fundamental understanding in a broad range of topics, a deep understanding in a particular area, and excellent communications skills. The majority of outstanding technical problems in today’s science and engineering require a multi-disciplinary approach, and our department has a strong tradition in defining and pursuing new research areas at the intersection of engineering, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, and applied mathematics.

We offer exciting opportunities for graduate study in areas as diverse as thermal sciences and energy conversion, fluid mechanics, materials science, biomechanics, dynamics and control, underwater vehicles, flight sciences, astronomical instrumentation and space optics, computational and experimental fluid mechanics, lasers and applied physics, propulsion, and environmental technology. In addition, Princeton University is at the forefront of interdisciplinary research, and students are encouraged to sample the opportunities provided by other departments within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, as well as allied departments and programs outside the Engineering School.

There are normally about 100 students in residence selected from a diverse pool of applicants from around the world. The size of the student population ensures a close association between each student and a faculty adviser that continues from arrival to the completion of the degree program.

Three separate degree programs are offered by the department: Ph.D., M.S.E. and M.Eng. (industry-sponsored). Course performance requirements are the same for all three programs; only the emphasis of the overall plan of study (courses and thesis research) is different.

Candidates for the M.S.E. program complete seven courses and write an acceptable thesis. The thesis is central to the program and is considered an integral aspect of graduate education in the field. It is the culmination of prior training and research and is expected to address a realistic and important problem. The thesis must be presented in good literary form and be written in good English. The technical quality is also expected to be high and differs from that expected for the Ph.D. only in the quantity of material presented. The M.S.E. program typically covers two years. The number of master’s students admitted each year is limited.

To qualify for the M.S.E., each student must complete all Graduate School requirements, take a minimum of seven courses selected in consultation with the faculty adviser, and submit an acceptable thesis. If only seven courses are taken, then they are to be completed in the first year. Students must achieve a GPA of 3.0 or higher. A student may receive a single C grade and continue in the M.S.E. track.

A thesis is required of all master’s candidates and is the culmination of the student’s program of research conducted under the supervision of a faculty adviser. The M.S.E. thesis must be judged to contain material of publishable quality, presented in correct scholarly form, and written using good English.