Mechanical and aerospace engineering offers graduate programs leading to the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees.
Individuals wishing to enroll in the M.S. program should have a B.S. degree in mechanical and/or aerospace engineering from an accredited institution and should have graduated with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.1 (where A = 4.0) or better. Applicants who have a B.S. degree in other engineering disciplines or in applied mathematics, geology, meteorology, or physics also are considered.
Admission into the Ph.D. program requires an M.S. in mechanical and/or aerospace engineering. Applicants who have an M.S. in a closely related discipline may be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program, provided their preparation has no significant deficiencies. The master of philosophy degree is available to doctoral candidates.
The master of science program is meant to broaden the undergraduate preparation. It can be considered as a terminal degree or may be used as preparation for the Ph.D. program. The M.S. program requires a minimum of 30 credits. Two options are offered: plan A, with thesis; and plan B, without thesis.
The Ph.D. program is intended for those individuals primarily interested in teaching and/or research. It requires a minimum of 48 credits of course work beyond the B.S. degree and a minimum of 24 credits of research beyond the M.S. degree. The program requires successful performance in the Ph.D. qualifying examination, one year of full-time residence, and the completion of a satisfactory research dissertation. Proficiency in a foreign language is not required. Although a student may attend full time throughout his or her studies, the one-year residence requirement normally is satisfied after the student has passed the qualifying examination. The residency year is devoted mainly to research.
Study is offered in the general areas of applied mechanics and engineering science and design. There are six major fields of study in mechanical and aerospace engineering. These are design and control, fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, structures, materials, and thermal sciences. Because of the exceptional variety and large number of courses available in these areas and because of the wide range of research activities in the program, students have a unique opportunity to acquire a broad and thorough education and training.
Facilities for research include modern laboratories in acoustics, biomechanics, combustion, computational fluid dynamics, comp- utational solid mechanics, heat transfer and thermal convection, computer-aided design, experimental fluid mechanics, internal- combustion engines, optics, and high-pressure mechanics. Engineering Computing Services (ECS), in collaboration with other departments at Rutgers University, operates the Rutgers Computational Grid (RCG)-a state-of-the-art distributed multiprocessor (Beowulf) computing facility based on high-performance processors and the Linux operating system.
Research areas in which the faculty of the program are engaged include acoustics, applications of artificial intelligence, biomechanics, boiling heat transfer, combustion, composite materials, computational fluid dynamics, computational solid mechanics, control systems, convective heat transfer, delamination mechanics, droplet dynamics, energy management, fracture mechanics, gas dynamics, geophysical fluid dynamics, hydrodynamical instability, internal-combustion engines, incompressible fluid dynamics, kinematics and dynamics of mechanisms, mantle convection, material processing, mechanical design mechanisms, micromechanics, nanomaterials, nondestructive evaluation, numerical modeling, optimal design, particulate emission, polymer mechanics, plasticity, random vibration, robotics, smart structures, space structures, stability of structures, structural dynamics, thermal-stress analysis, turbulence, turbulent dispersion, and waves in solids.
Degree programs in mechanical and aerospace engineering may be arranged with the graduate program director. Further details may be found on the departmental web site.
