5 Year Combined Degree Program in Mechanical Engineering (BSME/MSE)

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Program: 5 Year BSME/MSE Combined Degree
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science

Engineering, Technology and Computer Science Bldg. Rm. 321, 260-481-6965

The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME) offers a five-year program through which qualified students can obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) as well as a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree with the area of specialization in Mechanical Engineering. The BSME and MSE degrees offered through this program are identical to the individual BSME and MSE degrees offered by the CME department. The combined five-year degree program provides students with the opportunity to obtain these degrees in less time than would be required when pursuing them independently.

Benefits of the Program

Save Time - Receive both Bachelor’s Degree (BSME) and Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree with the area of specialization in Mechanical Engineering in 5 years.
Save Money - Take three graduate courses (500-level or higher) in Bachelor’s Degree program. These three courses will also be counted as three courses in the Master’s Degree program.
Earn More - Earn more salary with an advanced degree upon completion of this combined program.

Program Delivery:

The BSME/MSE program is delivered primarily through on-campus; however, the opportunity to take some courses on-line through the West Lafayette campus of Purdue University does exists. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss this option with their advisor beforehand. In order to meet the needs of both our full-time students and working adults, most of the graduate level courses are offered in the evenings.

Declaring this Major:

Admission to the combined five-year BSME/MSE program may be granted under the following conditions:

Students must be enrolled in BSME program at Purdue University Fort Wayne and have not yet received an undergraduate BSME degree.
Students must have finished at least 60 credit hours in the respective BSME bingo sheet.
Students must have achieved an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 at the time of application.
Have completed the mathematics sequence of courses equivalent to MA 16500 (Calculus I), MA 16600 (Calculus II), MA 26100 (Multivariable Calculus), MA 35100 (Linear Algebra), and MA 36300 (Differential Equations).
Have completed the physics sequence of courses equivalent to PHYS 15200 (Mechanics) and PHYS 25100 (Heat, Electricity, and Optics).
Acceptance into the program is conditional upon admission to the Purdue University Fort Wayne Graduate program.
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score is required.

Students that meet the admission criteria and wish to enroll in the combined BSME/MSE program should consult with their academic advisor during the second semester of their junior year or earlier, and

Complete and submit the Five Year BSME/MSE Program Application (https://www.pfw.edu/departments/etcs/depts/cme/5-year-program/F2018_Five%20Year%20BSME-MSE%20Application.pdf)
Complete and submit Form GS-27 (https://www.pfw.edu/departments/etcs/depts/cme/5-year-program/gs-form-27.pdf)
Complete the regular application to graduate school of Purdue University (https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/)

Program Requirements

The requirements for BSME degree and MSE degree stay the same for students pursuing the degrees separately. For BSME degree requirement, please refer to the corresponding Bingo Sheet for BSME degree. All students must complete a total of 30 credit hours as described in the MSE Graduate Guidelines of PFW. The BS degree must be awarded prior to the MSE degree. Students can count up to nine (9) credit hours (three 500-level or higher graduate courses) from the list of graduate courses approved as technical elective courses in the combined BSME/MSE program. See a five-year example plan of study. It should be noted that only classes with grade “C” or better will be counted. Once accepted to the combined BSME/MSE program, students must follow the following rules:

It is required that an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 is maintained in the five-year BSME/MSE program.
During the 6th semester of undergraduate coursework, students must officially file the Graduate School Admission Application before the deadline specified by the Graduate Program.
After satisfactory completion of the BSME degree requirements the undergraduate degree will be awarded.
During the application of the 5 Year BSME/MSE combined degree program, students must consult with the graduate advisor and complete the Graduate Plan of Study form (Form 6). Registration for subsequent semesters will be restricted until a draft of the plan of study has been filed. Graduate plan of study may be modified with approval of the student’s graduate committee.
Students, who leave the program, whether for failure to meet the program requirements or by withdrawal, will cease to be graduate students but may continue as undergraduate students if they have not been awarded the BS degree. Such students may apply for regular admission to graduate study; but they will not be permitted to use any graduate courses used to fulfill BS requirements.

Major and Supporting Courses Required for the BSME/MSE


Course Number	Course Name	Credit Hour	Pre- and Co-requisites
ME 50500	Intermediate Heat Transfer	3	P: ME 32100
ME 50900	Intermediate Fluid Mechanics	3	P: ME 31800
ME 54400	Modeling and Simulation of Mechanical Systems	3	P: Graduate Standing or Instructor Permission
ME 54500	Finite Element Analysis: Advanced Theory & Applications	3	P: ME 48000 or Graduate Standing
ME 54600	CAD/CAM Theory and Advanced Applications	3	P: ME 16000, ME 43200, or Graduate Standing
ME 54700	Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation	3	P: ME 36100, or Graduate Standing
ME 55000	Advanced Stress Analysis	3	P: ME 25200, ME 30300, and MA 36300
SE 55000	Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Processes	3	P: ENGR 41000 or ME 48700 or Graduate Standing
STAT 51100	Statistical Methods	3	P: 2 semesters of Calculus

GPA Requirement

It is required that an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 is maintained while enrolled in the five-year BSME/MSE program.

Program Transfer Credit Limits

No more than 12 credit hours can be transferred to PFW from the following:

Credits earned from another university
Credits earned as undergraduate excess
Credits earned as a post-baccalaureate student
Credits earned for a graduate certificate

Teaching Assistantships

A limited number of graduate teaching assistanships are available to qualified students. Teaching assistantships usually include a stipend and substantial fee remission. Teaching assistants typically teach one or two undergraduate courses per sememster.

Interested students will need to speak with the program director for availability.

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for satisfying the graduation requirements specified for your selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies and procedures governing your academic career. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the Graduate Director.