Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering
Cockrell School of Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
Mechanical Engineering
MSE, PhD
Graduate Student Handbook
2021 - 2022
Austin, Texas
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 3
2. ENROLLMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY ........................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Advising ........................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Registration and Courses................................................................................................................. 4
2.3 Financial Aid .................................................................................................................................. 12
2.4 Out-of-State Tuition Waivers ........................................................................................................ 12
2.5 Health Insurance Waivers ............................................................................................................. 12
3. MSE DEGREE GUIDELINES ...................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Degree Requirements ................................................................................................................... 13
3.2 Satisfactory Progress ..................................................................................................................... 13
3.3 Planning your program .................................................................................................................. 14
3.4 Selecting a research topic ............................................................................................................. 14
3.5 Writing the thesis or report........................................................................................................... 14
3.6 Applying to graduate ..................................................................................................................... 15
3.7 Important graduation deadlines and final paperwork .................................................................. 15
3.8 Continuing on to doctoral program............................................................................................... 16
4. PHD DEGREE GUIDELINES ...................................................................................................................... 17
4.1 Admission to The Graduate Program ............................................................................................ 17
4.2 Selection of Research Topic and Faculty Advisor .......................................................................... 17
4.3 Coursework Requirement ............................................................................................................. 17
4.4 Annual Review for PhD Progress ................................................................................................... 18
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4.5 Qualifying Examination ................................................................................................................. 18
4.6 Advance to Doctoral Candidacy .................................................................................................... 18
4.7 Research for Dissertation .............................................................................................................. 19
4.8 Writing of Dissertation .................................................................................................................. 19
4.9 Dissertation Defense ..................................................................................................................... 19
4.10 Special Requirements and Restrictions ......................................................................................... 20
5. RULES GOVERNING TEACHING ASSISTANTS AND GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS .................. 20
6. RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................ 21
6.1 Student Organizations ................................................................................................................... 21
6.2 Health Insurance ........................................................................................................................... 22
6.3 Counseling and Mental Health Resources ..................................................................................... 22
6.4 Housing, Transportation, and Parking ........................................................................................... 23
6.5 Writing Center ............................................................................................................................... 23
6.6 Offices and Keys ............................................................................................................................ 23
6.7 Copiers........................................................................................................................................... 24
6.8 Libraries ......................................................................................................................................... 24
6.9 Special Events ................................................................................................................................ 24
6.10 Additional Sources of Information ................................................................................................ 24
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1. INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES
The graduate program in mechanical engineering is designed to educate engineers who will be in the forefront of the
mechanical engineering profession, leading the way to new and improved engineering systems to transform energy,
materials, and information to meet the needs of society. To achieve this objective, the program offers a breadth of research
and study areas and facilities. The faculty values creativity, the novel application of fundamental engineering science,
interdisciplinary activities, the development of future leaders and a community of scholars, professionalism, and excitement
in discovery. The program is designed to enhance these values, drawing upon the diverse interests and experience of the
faculty.
The Graduate Catalog of the University contains degree requirements for all graduate programs, rules that affect graduate
students, descriptions of graduate courses, and a list of Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) Members. This document is the
authority for all graduate students. These rules are supplemented by the rules of the University and rules imposed by the
Mechanical Engineering GSC. The Graduate Adviser has the responsibility to interpret the rules in specific cases. Each
technical area in Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program may also have rules and procedures enforced by the Graduate
Adviser.
PLEASE NOTE: This Handbook is not meant to be all-inclusive. It includes guidelines to aid your pursuit of a master’s or doctoral
degree in the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program. If you need clarification, consult the Graduate School Catalog,
degree evaluators in the Graduate School Office (MAI 101), your faculty advisor/supervisor, the ME Graduate Coordinator,
or the ME Graduate Adviser. More information about the graduate program can be found online at
https://www.me.utexas.edu/academics/graduate-program.
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
The Graduate Adviser (GA) is a member of the GSC who advises all graduate students in the graduate program and represent
the Graduate School in matters pertaining to graduate students. Questions about degree requirements and academic policies
should be directed to the graduate advisor.
The Graduate Coordinator (GC) assists the graduate adviser and the GSC by keeping complete academic records for the
students and ensuring that paperwork is processed in a correct and timely manner. The graduate coordinator fields all
student questions and accepts walk-ins during normal workday hours.
Your faculty advisor/supervisor directly supervises your research. He/she plays a vital role in all areas of your graduate
education; therefore, it is important that you discuss your research regularly with your faculty advisor/supervisor.
The following individuals currently administer the graduate programs in ME Department:
Dr. Wei Li, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Advisor & Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee, ETC 5.146, 512-471-7174
Dr. Preston Wilson, Mechanical Engineering Assistant Graduate Advisor, ETC 4.152A, 512-475-9093
Dr. John Hasenbein, Operations Research & Industrial Engineering Graduate Advisor ETC 5.128B, 512-471-3079
Dr. Jonathan Bard, Chair of the Operations Research & Industrial Engineering Graduate Studies Committee, ETC 5.126,
512-471 3076
Micah Jackman, Graduate Program Coordinator, ETC 2.146D, 512-232-2304
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2. ENROLLMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY
2.1 Advising
For registration at the University in the first semester, you must attend the New Student Orientation. At which, you will be
provided with your registration and advising form. Following orientation, a faculty member from your technical area will
advise you concerning the courses in which you should enroll. Some technical areas have a set of core courses that you must
take in your degree program. You will then proceed to the Graduate Program Office (ETC 2.146D) to turn in your registration
and advising form. Your advising bar will be removed upon receipt of the completed form, so that you may register online.
After the first semester, your research adviser will generally advise you for courses to enroll. You should obtain a registration
and advising form either online or from the Graduate Program Office. Following consultation with your adviser, you should
list your proposed schedule for the semester, and have your advisor sign the form. If you do not have a research
advisor/supervisor, you should consult with your area faculty who has advised you for the previous semester. This completed
form must be returned to the Graduate Program Office in order to have the advising bar removed and proceed with the
registration process. Please be aware that some courses (ME 397P/ORI 397P) are "restricted courses" and require an
additional form to be filled out and signed in order to register. These forms can be found online on the ME Graduate Program
website.
2.2 Registration and Courses
If you are a full-time student, you must enroll in at least nine (9) credit hours for each long semester (fall & spring.) Full-time
status in the summer is three (3) hours. Students who work as a TA or GRA in any semester must maintain full-time
registration status. If you are working as TA or GRA in the summer, you must remain registered for 3 hours.
The Research courses (180M/380M) and the Seminar courses (197K/397K) may all be used to fulfill your minimum registration
requirement (to reach 3 or 9 hours), but they may not count toward the completion of your graduate degree. Only one
Graduate Research Internship (397M) course may count toward the completion of your graduate degree.
In the fall and spring semesters, you may add or drop ME, ORI and other departments’ courses via the web during the first
four class days. From the 5th until the 12th class days in each long semester, you may add or drop ME and ORI courses in the
ME Graduate Program Office. If you need to add/drop any non-ME/ORI courses from the 5
th
-12
th
class day, you must contact
the department offering the course. Add/drop after the 12
th
class day is strongly discouraged. You will be charged a penalty
to drop a course after the 12
th
class day. Please contact the Graduate Coordinator for add/drop after the 12
th
class day.
You may change registration in a class to or from the credit/no credit basis (CR/NC) during any given semester. Check the
university’s Academic Calendar for the last possible date to change the grade status of a course.
FOR MSE STUDENTS:
Although courses are generally not taken on the credit/no credit basis, up to 20% of coursework may be taken on a
credit/no credit basis, not including thesis hours. Click HERE for more on the Graduate School's requirements. Please
check with your research advisor/supervisor to verify which courses, if any, can be taken on the credit/no credit basis.
You may take up to six (6) hours of upper-division undergraduate courses in your degree program. Courses taken for
your BS degree may not be included in this allowance of six upper-division hours.
Only coursework taken within the last six years can count toward your MSE degree.
FOR PHD STUDENTS:
All courses counted toward your PhD degree must be letter-graded, graduate-level courses. Only coursework taken
within the last six years can be used on PhD Program of Work before advancing to candidacy.
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COURSES BY ACADEMIC AREA:
ACOUSTICS
Coursework is offered by Acoustics Area faculty in a wide variety of topics pertinent to Acoustics. These courses are
categorized as Undergraduate Courses and Graduate Courses. In addition to these courses, there are a number of Related
Graduate Courses offered within other areas of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and through other departments.
Courses not listed on this page may also be acceptable in a program of study. All courses must be approved by the student's
thesis/dissertation supervisor, thesis/dissertation committee, and the chair of the graduate studies committee.
Acoustics Area Graduate Courses
The following are courses regularly offered by faculty within the Acoustics Area and may be used in a program of graduate
study for Acoustics Area students of Mechanical Engineering. Topics 1-3 are offered every year, and Topics 4-8 are offered
every other year. Please check the Official UT Online Course Schedule to determine when a particular course if offered.
• Acoustics
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 1: Acoustics I
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 2: Acoustics II
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 3: Electromechanical Transducers
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 4: Nonlinear Acoustics
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 5: Underwater Acoustics
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 6: Architectural Acoustics
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 7: Ultrasonics
o ME 384N / EE 384N Topic 8: Wave Phenomena
Acoustics Area Related Graduate Courses
Additional information about acoustics-related courses within the ME department and across campus are listed on Courses
on the Texas Acoustics site. Please check the Online Course Schedule and the Online Graduate Catalog from the Office of
the Registrar to find additional courses which may be of interest.
BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Coursework is offered by BME Area faculty in a wide variety of topics pertinent to Biomechanical Engineering. These courses
are categorized as Core Courses and Additional Courses. In addition to these courses, there are a number of Supplemental
Courses offered within other areas of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and through other departments. Courses
not listed on this page may also be acceptable in a program of study. All courses must be approved by the student's
thesis/dissertation supervisor, thesis/dissertation committee, and the chair of the graduate studies committee. The
Biomechanical Engineering Area also offers Undergraduate courses in the Undergraduate Technical Option Area.
BME Area Core Courses
The following are core courses for study within the BME Area. Graduate students are expected to understand the material
covered in each. These courses serve as the basis for the written Doctoral Qualifying Exams. Each course is offered once
annually.
• Topics In Biomedical Engineering
o ME 385J Topic 1: Cell and Tissue Anatomy and Physiology for Engineers
o ME 385J Topic 2: Organ System Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology for Engineers
o ME 385J Topic 3: Bioelectric Phenomena
o ME 385J Topic 4: Electrophysiology of the Nervous System
o ME 385J Topic 5: Cardiovascular Dynamics
o ME 385J Topic 9: Laser-Tissue Interaction: Thermal
o ME 385J Topic 10: Biomedical Application of Transport Phenomena
o ME 385J Topic 11: Biomedical Engineering Hospital Interfaces
o ME 385J Topic 12: Biomedical Heat Transfer
o ME 385J Topic 13: Molecular Recognition in Biology and Biotechnology
o ME 385J Topic 15: Biosignal Analysis
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o ME 385J Topic 16: Laser-Tissue Interaction: Optical
o ME 385J Topic 17: Biomedical Instrumentation II: Real-Time Computer-Based Systems
o ME 385J Topic 18: Biomedical Image Processing
o ME 385J Topic 19: Neuropathophysiology / Prostheses
o ME 385J Topic 20: Network Thermodynamics in Biophysics
o ME 385J Topic 22: Musculoskeletal Biomechanics
o ME 385J Topic 23: Optical Spectroscopy
o ME 385J Topic 26: Therapeutic Heating Modalities
o ME 385J Topic 27: The Biotechnology Revolution and Engineering Ethics
o ME 385J Topic 28: Noninvasive Optical Tomography
o ME 385J Topic 29: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
o ME 385J Topic 30: Introduction to Biomechanics
o ME 385J Topic 31: Biomedical Instrumentation I
o ME 385J Topic 32: Projects in Biomedical Engineering
DYNAMIC SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS
➢ The DSC area does not set any area specific course requirements. Faculty supervisors are encouraged to design a
course plan for each student which employs all available university course resources to address each student’s
needs.
➢ Not every course is offered every semester, consult the course catalog for course availability.
➢ Under current Graduate Studies Committee rules, up to two undergraduate electives may be taken for credit by MS
students, if they have not previously taken a similar course.
➢ The course lists which follow identify relevant courses; they are not course plans or a list of required courses. The
lists are intended primarily to assist new students in planning their first year course schedule.
➢ The final degree plan for each student must be approved by the Graduate Advisor. In the case of PhD students, the
final course plan must also be approved by the dissertation committee.
➢ Courses are listed in the format used in the on-line (registration) course schedule. More detailed course descriptions
can be obtained by consulting the online Graduate Catalog.
Generic DSC Course Listing
Suggested courses:
1. Mathematics
• M E 380Q 1-ENGR ANLY: ANALYTICAL METHS
• PGE 381K ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
• ASE 381P 1-LINEAR SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
2. Dynamics
• ME 383Q 2-DYNAMICS OF MECHANICAL SYS
• ME 383Q 4-MODELING OF PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
• ME 392Q 6-MECHATRONICS I
• ME 384R 1-ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
• ME384Q 3-TIME SERIES ANALYSIS MODELING AND CONTROL
3. Control
• ME 384Q 1-INTRO TO MODERN CONTROL
• ME 397 ROBOT DESIGN AND CONTROL
• ME 397 DIGITAL CONTROL
• ME 397 DSGN/CNTRL OF ROBOTS FOR REHAB
• ME 364L AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYS DESIG (MSE students only)
Topic: Dynamics
Suggested courses:
• ME 380Q 1-ENGR ANLY: ANALYTICAL METHS
• ME 383Q 2-DYNAMICS OF MECHANICAL SYS
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• ME 383Q 4-MODELING OF PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
• ME 384Q 1-INTRO TO MODERN CONTROL
• ME 392Q 6-MECHATRONICS I
• ME 384R 1-ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
• ME 397P PROJECTS IN MECHANICAL ENGR
Topic: Controls
Suggested courses:
• ME 380Q 1-ENGR ANLY: ANALYTICAL METHS
• ME 383Q 2-DYNAMICS OF MECHANICAL SYS
• ME 383Q 4-MODELING OF PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
• ME 384Q 1-INTRO TO MODERN CONTROL
• ME 397 DIGITAL CONTROL
• ME 397 ROBOT DESIGN AND CONTROL
• ME 397P PROJECTS IN MECHANICAL ENGR
Topic: Robotics: Design, Modeling and Control
Suggested courses:
• ME 397 ROBOT DESIGN AND CONTROL
• ME 397 ROBOT MECHANISM DESIGN
• ME 383Q 2-DYNAMICS OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
• ME 397 CYBER-VEHICLE SYSTEMS
• ASE 381P 1-LINEAR SYSTEMS
• CS 395T ROBOT LEARNING FROM DEMONSTRATION AND INTERACTION
• ECE 382V HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION
• ME 385J 22-MUSCULOSKELETAL BIOMECHANICS
• ME 397 REHABILITATION ROBOTICS AND ENGINEERING
• ME 397 DSGN/CNTRL OF ROBOTS FOR REHAB
Topic: Multiscale modeling
Suggested courses:
• PGE 381K ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
• PGE 382L NUM METH IN PETROL/GEOSYS ENGR
• ME 383Q 2-DYNAMICS OF MECHANICAL SYS
• ME 383Q 4-MODELING OF PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
• ME 386P 2-MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF MATLS
• ME 386Q 10-HIGH-TEMPERATURE MATERIALS
• EE 396V CARBON AND 2D DEVICES
• ME 359 MATERIALS SELECTION (for MSE students only)
MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN
➢ The M&D area does not set any area specific course requirements. Faculty supervisors are encouraged to design a
course plan for each student which employs all available university course resources to address each student’s
needs. If you do not have a Faculty supervisor feel free to sign up for any course that you think looks interesting
and that might be relevant to your research interests.
➢ Not every course is offered every semester, consult the course catalog for course availability.
➢ Under current Graduate Studies Committee rules, up to two upper-level undergraduate electives may be taken for
credit by MS students, if they have not previously taken a similar course. Undergraduate courses cannot be
counted towards the PhD course requirements.
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➢ The typical course load for new graduate students is three course per semester if you have not already found a
research advisor. If you have found a research advisor then they may ask you to sign up for two courses and 3
credits of research which is common for students actively involved in research.
➢ Most MSE students in the M&D program typically participate in the thesis option for the master’s program which
requires 8 three credit courses and two master's thesis courses, Thesis A and Thesis B, taken in two separate
semesters. If you plan to participate in either the Report or No Thesis/No Report MSE options then please schedule
a time to come and talk about it with your faculty supervisor.
➢ The final degree plan for each student must be approved by the Graduate Advisor. For PhD students, the final
course plan must also be approved by the dissertation committee.
➢ Courses are listed in the format used in the on-line (registration) course schedule. More detailed course
descriptions can be obtained by consulting the on-line Graduate Catalog at http://catalog.utexas.edu/graduate/
MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Coursework is offered by ME Area faculty in a wide variety of topics pertinent to Materials Engineering. These courses are
categorized as Core Courses and Additional Courses. In addition to these courses, there are a number of Supplemental
Courses offered within other areas of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and through other departments. Courses
not listed on this page may also be acceptable in a program of study. All courses must be approved by the student's
thesis/dissertation supervisor, thesis/dissertation committee, and the chair of the graduate studies committee. The
Materials Science & Engineering Area also offers Undergraduate courses in the Undergraduate Technical Option Area.
ME Area Core Courses
Students must take at least 3 core courses listed as below:
• Thermodynamics: ME 386P3
• Phase Transformations: ME 386P1
• Choose 1 from 3 below:
o Mechanical Behavior of Materials: ME 386P2
o Structure of Materials: ME 386P5
o Solid State Properties of Materials: ME 386P4
To qualify for PhD candidacy, students must maintain a 3.3 GPA in the three required core courses and show sufficient
progress in research. If you do not have a 3.3 GPA in your core courses, you may take one additional semester to complete
additional core courses and raise your GPA to 3.3. Note that if you are required to take 4 core courses, the GPA for your
core courses is computed based on the average for all four core courses. You cannot retake a class to raise your core course
GPA. Discuss your class selections with your supervisor and the Graduate Advisor to ensure you are on the right track.
Additional ME Area Courses
The following are courses regularly offered by faculty within the ME Area and may be used in a program of graduate study
for ME Area students of Mechanical Engineering. Most of these courses are offered either on an annual or biennial basis.
However, a few are offered at less regular intervals; please check the Official UT Online Course Schedule to determine when
a particular course is offered.
• Structure And Properties Courses
o ME 386Q Topic 10: High-Temperature Materials
o ME 386Q Topic 11: Ceramic Engineering
o ME 386Q Topic 13: Structural Ceramics
o ME 386Q Topic 14: Electrochemical Materials
o ME 386Q: Nanomaterials
• Thermodynamics And Kinetics Courses
o ME 387Q Topic 4: Corrosion
• Experimental Techniques Courses
o ME 387R Topic 3: Electron Diffraction and Microscopy
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NUCLEAR AND RADIATION ENGINEERING
Students should refer to the Nuclear and Radiation Engineering Program website for a list of Course Offerings.
THERMAL FLUID SYSTEMS
The Thermal Fluid Systems graduate curriculum is designed to give all students in the program proficiency in fluid mechanics,
heat transfer and thermodynamics, as well as the mathematical, experimental and computational tools needed to work in
these disciplines. It is also designed to provide students the opportunity to pursue in-depth study in each of these broad
disciplines. The coursework component of the TFS graduate program includes five or six required courses for students
pursuing M.S. or Ph.D. degrees respectively. The required courses are defined in the following section, followed by a listing
of the courses making up the TFS graduate curriculum.
1. Required Courses
Graduate students pursuing degrees in Thermal Fluid Systems are required to take the following courses:
1. In fluid mechanics:
o ME 381P1: Fundamentals of Incompressible Flow
2. In heat transfer, either:
o ME 381R4: Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, or
o ME 381R1, ME 381R2 & ME 381R3 (see descriptions in section 2.2 below)
3. In thermodynamics:
o ME 381Q1: Advanced Thermodynamics
4. In experimental methods, for M.S. students who do not take the computational methods course (see below)
and all Ph.D. students take one of the following:
o ME 382P1: Advanced Experimental Methods for Thermal/Fluid Systems
o ME 382P2: Lasers and Optics
5. In computational methods, for M.S. students who do not take an experimental methods course (see above) and
all Ph.D. students:
o ME 382N3: Computational Methods for Thermal/Fluid Systems
6. In mathematics, one of the following:
o PGE 381K: Engineering Analysis
o ASE 380P1: Mathematical Methods in Applied Mechanics I (same as EM386K)
o ME 380Q1: Engineering Analysis: Analytical Methods
For PhD students who come to The University of Texas with an MSE, the course work experience from the student's MSE
program will be evaluated to determine which of the above requirements have been satisfied in the MSE program.
Furthermore, students may petition to substitute substantially similar courses for those listed above, provided they provide
a reason that the substituted course is more appropriate for their program.
For students pursuing interdisciplinary programs, requirements will be adjusted to include mathematics, experimental
methods and/or computation, and disciplinary courses that are appropriate for the program.
2. Courses in the Thermal/Fluid Systems Curriculum
In the following subsections, courses at The University of Texas that are recommended for their coverage of topics in
the TFS curriculum are listed. Many of these courses are offered by other departments, but they are none-the-less useful
for TFS graduate students. Courses that satisfy or partially satisfy requirements as defined in section 1 are so indicated
by SR or PSR respectively. Courses are organized into six groups (fluids, heat transfer, thermo, experiments,
computations and math).
2.1 Fluid Mechanics Courses
Fundamental of fluid mechanics:
• ME 381P1: Fundamentals of Incompressible Flow SR
Turbulence:
• ME 381P3: Dynamics of Turbulent Flow
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• ASE 382Q9: Turbulent Mixing
Compressible flow:
• ASE 382Q7: Advanced Problems in Compressible Flow
Micro/nano scale flow:
• ME 381P4: Multiscale Flow & Transport Phenomena
Multi-phase flow:
• ME 381R6: Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer
Turbomachinery:
• ME 381P2: Compressible Flow and Turbomachinery
• ME 381P5: Advanced Turbomachinery
Stratified/Buoyancy driven flows:
• CE 380S: Environmental Fluid Dynamics
Modeling and Simulation:
• ASE 382R5: Advanced Computational Methods
• ME 382N1: Introduction to Computational Fluid Mechanics
2.2 Heat Transfer Courses
Fundamentals of heat & mass transfer:
• ME 381R4: Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer SR
Conductive and convective heat & mass transfer:
• ME 381R1: Advanced Conductive Heat Transfer PSR
• ME 381R2: Advanced Convective Heat and Mass Transfer PSR
• ChE 387M: Mass Transfer
Radiative heat transfer:
• ME 381R3: Radiative Heat Transfer PSR
• ME 381R5: Radiation in Participating Media
Heat transfer in multi-phase flows:
• ME 381R6: Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer
Micro-scale heat & mass transfer:
• ME 381R7: Nanoscale Energy Transport and Conversion
• ME 381P4: Multiscale Flow & Transport Phenomena
Heat & mass transfer in reacting flows:
• ME 382R5: Principles of Combustion Theory
2.3 Thermodynamics & Combustion Courses
Fundamentals:
• ME 381Q1: Advanced Thermodynamics SR
• ME382Q3: Advanced Thermo/Fluid Systems
Macro-thermodynamic applications:
• ME 386P3: Introduction to Thermodynamics of Materials
• ME 386P6: Kinetic Processes in Materials
Statistical thermodynamics:
• ME 381Q4: Molecular Gas Dynamics (same as ASE382R6)
• ASE 382Q10: Plasmas and Reactive Flows
Combustion:
• ME 382R1: Fundamentals of Combustion
• ME 382R5: Advanced Combustion
• ME 382R6: Combustion Engine Processes
• ME 382T: Fire Science
• ASE 382Q9: Turbulent Mixing
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• ASE 396: Turbulence & Combustion Modeling
Energy Technology:
• ME 382Q2: Introduction to Renewable Energy
• ME 382Q4: Energy Technology and Policy
2.4 Experimental Methods Courses
• ME 382P1: Advanced Experimental Methods for Thermal/Fluid Systems SR
• ME 382P2: Optics and Lasers Laboratory SR
2.5 Computational Methods Courses
Introduction to computational methods:
• ME 382N3: Computational Methods for Thermal/Fluid Systems SR
Numerical PDE's:
• CAM 394F: Finite Element Methods (same as EM394F & ASE384P4)
• CE 381R: The Finite Element Method
• CAM 386K: Numerical Treatment of Differential Equations
Computational statistics:
• SSC 384.9: Computational Statistics
Computational fluid dynamics:
• ME 382N1: Introduction to Computational Fluid Mechanics
• ASE 382R5: Advanced Computational Methods
• CAM 393N: Numerical Methods for Flow and Transport Problems
Molecular and atomic-scale algorithms:
• ASE 382Q8: Lagrangian Methods in Computational Fluid Dynamics
Practical scientific computation:
• SSC 292: Introduction to Scientific Programming
• SSC 394: Scientific and Technical Computing
• SSC 394C: Parallel Computing for Scientists and Engineers
2.6 Mathematical Methods Courses
Introduction to mathematical methods:
• PGE 381K: Engineering Analysis SR
• ASE 380P1: Mathematical Methods in Applied Mechanics I SR (same as EM386K)
• ME380Q1: Engineering Analysis: Analytical Methods SR
Analytical methods:
• ASE 380P2: Analytical Methods II (complex analysis, integral transforms, ODE's PDE's, asymptotics)
• EM 386L: Mathematical Methods in Applied Mechanics II (Complex analysis, ODE's, PDE's)
• CAM 386M: Functional Analysis in Theoretical Mechanics (same as EM 386M: Functional Analysis and Linear
Operators)
Probability and statistics:
• SSC 384.1: Applied Probability
• SSC 384.7: Bayesian Statistical Analysis
Advanced applied mathematics:
• CAM 385C: Methods of Applied Mathematics
• CAM 385D: Methods of Applied Mathematics
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2.3 Financial Aid
Several types of financial aid are available to continuing students on a competitive basis. Criteria for these awards are your
GPA, GRE, your performance at the University of Texas, and recommendations from the faculty.
• Fellowships: For exceptionally qualified individuals, a few college-level and university-level fellowships are available
through the recommendations of the ME Graduate Adviser. The Graduate Adviser solicits recommendations from faculty
and continuing students, and a fellowship committee determines the awards.
• Teaching Assistantship (TA): Teaching assistants are selected from applications submitted to the Academic Advising
Office. Teaching Assistants in their first semester of a TA appointment must complete the Teaching Assistant Certification
provided by the Cockrell School of Engineering. Foreign students must pass the ITA English Assessment Test (through
the International Office) and attend their orientation in order to become eligible to work as a TA. The department covers
the cost of the ITA English Assessment for offer students (students guaranteed a financial offer by the department.) The
TA salary is paid out as a monthly stipend at the beginning of each month for the previous month.
• Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA): Graduate research assistantships (GRAs) are awarded by individual faculty
members. Interested students should talk to the faculty about the availability of support. GRA stipends are paid at the
beginning of each month for the previous month.
• Professional Development (Travel) Awards (PDAs): PDAs are available to help defray expenses for a few advanced
doctoral students attending major professional meetings. Priority is given to students who are in their last year of
doctoral study and have had a paper accepted for presentation at a major professional meeting. Talk to the graduate
coordinator about applying for this type of award.
*Arrangements for a GRA must be made prior to the semester in which it is to be effective. If you accept a teaching
assistantship, you cannot change to a GRA after the first day of classes.
2.4 Out-of-State Tuition Waivers
All “benefits-eligible” students (20-hr appointment as a GRA or TA for a full semester) or students with scholarships of at least
$1,000, are eligible to pay resident tuition. Unfortunately, resident tuition is NOT billed automatically. If you meet the
requirements, you must complete the waiver on-line here each semester. Students whose tuition is being paid through faculty
grants should ask their supervising professor to provide all of the necessary information to the applicable support staff so
that an electronic document can be created to pay for all or part of your tuition. If you have any questions concerning this
matter you may check with the graduate coordinator or your supervisor. Even if your full tuition is paid and the balance is
zero, you must still confirm your $0.00 fee bill by the due date.
2.5 Health Insurance Waivers
All benefits-eligible (20-hr appointment) international students will automatically qualify for employee insurance. You must
apply for a Health Insurance Waiver online here each semester in order to prevent being billed for student insurance. All
students are required to carry health insurance, information can be found here.
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3. MSE DEGREE GUIDELINES
Students are strongly encouraged to develop a degree plan right after the first enrollment. A Program of Work (PoW) is a
form that you will need to complete before graduation. It is highly advisable that you review the PoW as soon as possible in
the process of developing your degree plans.
3.1 Degree Requirements
There are three Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree options in the department: master’s with thesis, master’s with
report, and master’s with no thesis/no report.
Coursework hours required for all three master’s degree options are listed below:
THESIS OPTION (30 credit hours)
• 24 credit hours of coursework
• 6 credit hours of Thesis (ME 698A and ME 698B)
REPORT OPTION (33 credit hours)
• 30 credit hours of coursework
• 3 credit hours of Report (ME 398R)
NO THESIS NO REPORT OPTION (36 credit hours of coursework)
• Minimum 18 credit hours in major area
• Minimum 6 credit hours in supporting area
Up to 20% of coursework may be taken on the credit/no Credit basis, not including thesis hours. Click HERE for more
on the Graduate School's requirements. You may take up to six (6) hours of upper-division undergraduate courses
in your degree program. Courses taken for your BS degree may not be included in this allowance of six upper-division
hours.
If you are considering obtaining a PhD, it may be possible to begin immediately in the PhD program depending on which
technical area you pursue. The Graduate Adviser and your research advisor can provide details of this option.
*Master’s students in ORIE have the same options but slightly different credit hour requirements. Please consult the
following page for this outline: https://www.orie.utexas.edu/academics
The selection of a degree plan is your decision; however, the choice may be restricted by your acceptance of a GRA or by your
selection of a research supervisor. If you accept a GRA, the MSE No Thesis/No Report option is not available without written
agreement of the faculty member providing the GRA. The selection between the thesis or report option will be made in
consultation with your research advisor. Some faculty members will only supervise thesis research.
3.2 Satisfactory Progress
Grading standards are different in graduate courses from undergraduate courses. Satisfactory progress in our graduate
program requires a GPA over 3.0. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation by
the Graduate School. If on academic probation, a student cannot hold an academic appointment (TA/GRA) and may lose a
recruiting fellowship. If academic probation continues for two semesters, one would be dismissed from the Graduate School.
Grades for undergraduate courses are not computed in your overall GPA. To graduate, all graduate students must have a
graduate grade point average of at least 3.00. Additionally, candidates for the master’s degree must also have a grade point
average of at least 3.00 in courses included on the Program of Work (see Section 5) and any undergraduate courses taken to
satisfy the MSE degree requirement must have a letter grade equivalent above 3.0.
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3.3 Planning your program
It is good to plan your program early in your academic career with the help of a faculty member in your technical area.
Remember that most graduate courses are offered once a year, and some are offered even less often. Most Masters students
enter in the fall semester. The schedule below shows a possible plan for completing the MSE thesis option that requires
approximately one calendar year plus a long semester (admission in September and graduation in December of the following
year).
Fall: 9 hours of coursework (Selection of research topic)
Spring: 9 hours of coursework
Summer: 3 hrs. Thesis A
Fall: 6 hours of coursework, 3 hrs. Thesis B
A typical schedule would be:
Fall: 9 hours of coursework (Select a research topic)
Spring: 9 hours of coursework
Summer: If enrolled, 3 hrs. Research (to work as TA/GRA)
Fall: 3 hours of coursework, 3 hrs. Research, 3 hrs. Thesis A
Spring: 3 hours of coursework, 3 hrs. Research, 3 hrs. Thesis B
A typical MSE program is completed within 18 – 24 months. Beyond 24 months, your progress will be reviewed to determine
ways to ensure your graduation.
3.4 Selecting a research topic
Selection of a research topic will normally be made near the end of the first semester. If you have a GRA you can write your
thesis or report on the project that funds your GRA, and thus will effectively select your "topic area" based on your research
project. Otherwise, time should be spent during the first semester searching for a topic. This is normally accomplished by
discussing with faculty members in your technical area to get suggestions. A topic is chosen by common consent of the
student and a particular faculty member who agrees to supervise the work.
Please inform the Graduate Program Office when you have selected a topic and supervisor (research advisor). In addition to
the supervisor (first reader), a second reader is required to examine your thesis when you submit it for graduation. Be sure
to ask for permission before listing someone as a second reader.
3.5 Writing the thesis or report
While requirements for writing a thesis or report will vary considerably with different faculty members, there are several
suggestions that can be made:
➢ Writing a thesis or report that is acceptable to you and to two faculty members will undoubtedly take longer
than you expect. Start early, plan ahead and work hard. One should expect a minimum of two months of full
time effort for writing, faculty approval, and final editing. This assumes that all the analytical, computational,
and/or experimental work is completed at the time the writing begins.
➢ Before starting the writing phase, it is imperative that a very detailed thesis outline be developed – a minimum
of 4 or 5 pages with the outline detailed to the second level of subheading below the chapters, followed by
brief description, phrases or subjects to emphasize important considerations.
➢ While it may be advisable to provide your adviser with one section (or chapter) for review to determine their
level of expectation, the quality of the first draft provided to your adviser should be complete to the point
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that if it were acceptable to him or her you could word process it in final form. This means among other
things: title, table of contents, list of figures and tables, logically developed, fully referenced, correct grammar
and punctuation, figures and tables sequentially numbered and titled, data or analysis and results fully
assessed, etc. While the format will vary depending on the topic, the candidate and the thesis adviser, the
draft should be complete.
3.6 Applying to graduate
At the beginning of the semester you intend to graduate, you must file to graduate by submitting the Master’s Graduation
Application form online. In addition, you must complete the Program of Work for the Master’s Degree (MS PoW) and have it
signed by your supervisor before delivery to the Graduate Coordinator/Graduate Program Office for final approval. The
online graduation application form consists of identifying your supervisor (first reader) and the second reader, and specifying
the courses you have completed or will take to meet the degree requirements. It is to the student's advantage to develop a
well-defined description of the scope of the proposed work (preferably written) that is agreed upon by the student and
his/her thesis adviser.
BEFORE submitting the online Master’s Graduation Application form, you must complete the MS Program of Work
(PoW) form and obtain your supervising professor approval signature AND submit via email to the Graduate Coordinator
(Micah Jackman). List only the courses that you want to count toward the MS degree; a minimum of 18 credit hours must be
listed under Major Coursework and a minimum of 6 hours must be listed under Supporting Coursework. Once your supervisor
signs the form, you must email it to the Graduate Coordinator (Micah Jackman) for processing.
Your online graduation application will NOT be approved until you submit the signed MS Program of Work form to the
Graduate Coordinator (Micah Jackman). After your approved MS PoW has been received, the coursework information will
be entered into your online degree profile. You will then be able to submit online graduation application. Once the application
is approved by the graduate advisor, the electronic version of your MS PoW will be submitted to the Graduate School and
becomes a permanent part of your academic record.
You must be enrolled in classes (though not necessarily full-time status) during the semester you plan to graduate. If you are
taking the thesis option, you must complete both Thesis A (698A) and Thesis B (698B) courses and be enrolled in Thesis B in
the semester you plan to graduate. Thesis A must be taken before Thesis B and the two cannot be taken concurrently.
(Though these course numbers begin with the number 6, these are three-hour courses.) Thesis B can be repeated if the
thesis itself is not submitted to the Graduate School by the last class day of the semester you are planning to graduate. If
writing a report, you must be enrolled in the Report course (398R) in the semester in which you plan to graduate. Again, this
may be repeated as necessary.
3.7 Important graduation deadlines and final paperwork
The actual deadline dates for these items can be found here. The deadline dates are inflexible.
➢ In the event that you do not graduate when you plan, a new application must be submitted if your semester of
graduation changes.
➢ Students completing the thesis or report option must upload the thesis or report BEFORE submitting the
required pages.
➢ Thesis/Report Option students must complete and submit the following Required Printed Pages as PDF files to the
Graduate School at GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu by the semester deadline:
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• A master's committee approval form with signatures of your supervising committee. ALL committee
members must sign the master's committee approval form - no proxy signatures allowed;
• A copy of your Copyright Tutorial grade page - 100% score required;
• A Statement on Research with Human Participants form; and
• Any requests to Delay Publication.
➢ Please complete the Graduation Exit Survey after you have submitted your thesis or report, or have completed
classes.
3.8 Continuing on to doctoral program
You must complete the appropriate internal form if you plan to continue from a Master's to a Ph.D. Please see the Graduate
Coordinator for the form, which will ask you to list three faculty members who will be asked to provide recommendations in
support of your request to enter the Ph.D. program.
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4. PHD DEGREE GUIDELINES
Students are strongly encouraged to develop a degree plan right after the first enrollment in the program. A Program of Work
(PoW) is a form that you will need to complete before graduation. It is highly advisable that you review the PhD PoW as soon
as possible in the process of developing your degree plans.
The essential milestones for completion of a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering are:
• Admission to the graduate school
• Selection of a research (dissertation) topic and faculty adviser
• Passing the qualifying examination
• Selection of a Ph.D. committee, and presentation of research proposal
• Ph.D. committee approval of courses to be taken for Ph.D. Program of Work
• Advance to doctoral candidacy
• Completion of necessary course requirements
• Research for dissertation
• Write dissertation
• Successful defense of dissertation
4.1 Admission to The Graduate Program
New Students: Admission is based on GPA, GRE scores, letters of reference, and a statement of purpose. Generally, admitted
students have a MS degree, but we also have a program to allow students to work on a Ph.D. degree directly from their B.S.
degree.
Continuing UT Students: If you received your MS degree from the University of Texas, you need to complete a form to apply
for admission to the Ph.D. program. This form lists three professors who will be asked to recommend your admission to the
Ph.D. program.
4.2 Selection of Research Topic and Faculty Advisor
The student should, by the end of his or her first semester, if not earlier, select a faculty member as research advisor to
consult on coursework and dissertation topic. Typically, the research adviser serves as the chair of the dissertation committee
that will be responsible for overseeing the student's doctoral program (courses and dissertation). The chair or co-chair of a
dissertation committee, i.e., your supervisor, must be an ME GSC member. See a list of ME GSC members on the graduate
school website.
4.3 Coursework Requirement
Students admitted as MSE/PhD have an option to bypass the MSE degree and pursue the PhD degree directly. In this case,
you will need 36 hours of graduate coursework in the area of specialization. If you have an MSE degree, you will need at least
18 hours of graduate coursework beyond your MS coursework in the area of specialization. All courses to satisfy the
coursework requirement for the PhD must be letter-graded, graduate-level courses.
The dissertation committee may recommend courses to take as part of the Program of Work. Students must pass qualifying
examinations before forming their committee for dissertation proposal and defense.
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4.4 Annual Review for PhD Progress
An Annual Progress Review form must be submitted each year, typically before fall semester, to clear the registration bar.
Attach this form to your fall semester Registration Advising Form and send it to the Graduate Coordinator Micah Jackman in
ETC 2.146D, via email at [email protected], or upload the document to the Graduate Office Secure Box
Folder: https://www.me.utexas.edu/academics/graduate-program/resources/upload-forms.
4.5 Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination is best described as a graduate understanding of upper-division undergraduate and first year
graduate courses. A student who has pursued a MS in the department can typically take the qualifying examination
immediately upon completion of the MS, or possibly after having completed all or most of the MS course work. For a student
entering with a MS from another school it is advisable to take at least one semester of graduate work (to get the perspective
of our faculty on learning objectives) before taking the qualifying examination.
Each of the technical areas in the department administers a qualifying examination. The structure of the examination will
vary depending on the technical area, and the area faculty member who serves as the coordinator should be consulted for
details. Generally, it consists of a combination of written and oral portions and is typically offered twice each year. A
candidate may pass unconditionally, pass conditionally (with specific requirements such as additional courses with a
minimum grade), pass a portion of the exam, or fail. Detailed examination procedure of each technical area can be found
online in the Department website.
In addition to the Ph.D. qualifying exams offered by the various technical areas, the Department offers an Interdisciplinary
Qualifying Exam. This Ph.D. qualifying exam is offered twice per year and is open to any doctoral student seeking a Ph.D.
degree under the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Studies Committee. Technical area approval is not required for a student
to select this Ph.D. qualifying exam option.
4.6 Advance to Doctoral Candidacy
The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) of the Mechanical Engineering program requires that a student pass the qualifying
exam and be admitted to candidacy before accumulating 50 credit hours towards their Ph.D. degree (this includes research
and seminar hours). This rule was adopted to promote a timely completion of the Ph.D. degree consistent with the
University’s “99” hour rule.
Advance to Ph.D. candidacy requires that a dissertation committee be formed. Per Graduate School rules, the dissertation
committee includes a minimum of four members, including three members of the ME GSC and at least one member from
outside ME GSC. This committee must meet to review the student's course program and dissertation proposal. The
committee will typically make recommendations with respect to the scope and direction of the dissertation. Furthermore,
the committee reviews graduate courses taken, or to be taken, as part of the student’s Program of Work, and may
recommend that additional courses be taken. Courses to be taken are at the discretion of the dissertation committee, but
the following minimum standard has been established by the Mechanical Engineering department GSC:
Completed or planned graduate coursework in the area of specialization, taken for grade, and amounting
to a minimum of 18 credit hours (for students with an MS degree) or a minimum of 36 credit hours (for
students without a MS degree).
Based on the recommendation of this dissertation committee, the student completes the necessary forms for application to
doctoral candidacy. One form is the Ph.D. Program of Work, which involves a listing of the proposed course work (previously
completed and yet to be completed); this form is signed by the student’s dissertation supervisor confirming that the list of
courses in the Program of Work has been approved by the dissertation committee. This form is then signed by the GSC chair
and is held in the student’s departmental file. Another (on-line) form specifies the proposed doctoral program chair and
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committee members, as well as an abstract of the proposed dissertation research. The Chair of the GSC, the Graduate
Adviser, the student’s committee, and the Dean of Graduate School approves this form. The student is then officially a
"doctoral candidate".
Registration Requirements for Doctoral Candidates
Doctoral candidates must enroll continuously for the dissertation course (ME x99W or ORI x99W) for all subsequent long
semesters until graduation. Doctoral candidates must complete at least 6 hours of the dissertation course in order to
graduate. Continuous registration in the summer semesters is not required unless the student plans to graduate in that same
summer semester. Effective spring 2019 the ME x99R and ORI x99W courses are no longer in use. All doctoral candidates
enroll in ME x99W (ORI x99W for ORI doctoral candidates), regardless of time in candidacy.
Doctoral candidates are eligible to switch registration from research hours to dissertation hours mid-semester during the
semester in which their application for candidacy is approved. If you wish to switch registration, contact the Graduate
Coordinator.
4.7 Research for Dissertation
It is recommended that the doctoral committee meet at least twice after the initial meeting: one or more times to review
and possibly redirect the dissertation work, and a final meeting for the dissertation defense. In addition, it is expected that
the research adviser meet regularly with the candidate during the development of the dissertation.
4.8 Writing of Dissertation
The candidate should recognize that it takes significant time to write the dissertation and should allow at least one long
semester for the formal writing after all technical work is done. Also, the candidate should provide to the adviser as the first
draft a complete manuscript, one that is completely satisfactory to the candidate and is in a form that could be word
processed into final form.
4.9 Dissertation Defense
At a time when the candidate and the research supervisor consider that the dissertation is complete and a draft has been
completed, a defense is scheduled. Members of the committee should have a copy four weeks in advance of the defense.
The defense and draft must meet the approval of the committee. If satisfactory, the committee will Pass the student and
sign the Report of the Dissertation Defense. The candidate then has the dissertation prepared in final form, including any
requirements specified by the committee, uploads the dissertation to the Texas Digital Library and submits remaining
documentation to the graduate school. The finished document must be approved by the Graduate School.
As of Fall 2020, the Graduate School requires that all defenses be complete 2 weeks prior to the dissertation
submission date. The Graduate Faculty Assembly voted on this change to provide students with a more reasonable time
frame to receive and incorporate suggestions from their dissertation committee members.
You must schedule the dissertation defense with the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the defense date by
completing the Request for Final Oral Examination form. All members of your committee must sign your request form
indicating their intent to be present at your final oral. Your graduate adviser must also sign this form to indicate you have
been approved to defend.
The supervisor or the candidate should bring a Report of Dissertation Committee form to the defense. After the defense, the
form needs to be turned in to the Graduate Program Office for program check. The official recommendation of the committee
and your program is communicated to the Graduate School on the Report of Dissertation Committee form. The scheduling
information on the Report must be correct; if the time or location changes, the Graduate School must be informed.
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4.10 Special Requirements and Restrictions
The following is a list of requirements and restrictions for doctoral students in the ME department.
• The "99 hour" rule: after accumulating 99 credit hours towards their Ph.D. degree, students will be charged non-
resident tuition. The 99 credit hours include seminar, research, and dissertation hours.
• A doctoral student should pass the qualifying examination and be admitted to candidacy
before accumulating 50 credit hours towards their Ph.D. degree.
• The research courses (180M/380M), internship course (ME 397M) and the seminar courses (ME 397K) may be used to
fulfill your minimum enrollment requirement, but they do not count toward your graduate degree.
• You may add/drop ME courses during the departmental add/drop period in the ME Graduate Office. Courses other
than ME must be add/dropped in the department offering those courses.
• Dissertation is offered only on a CR/NC basis.
• You cannot sign up for dissertation (ME x99W) unless you are admitted to candidacy by the Graduate School.
• Once advanced to candidacy, you must continuously register during all fall and spring semesters unless granted a
"leave of absence" by the Graduate School.
• You must have a minimum of 6 credit hours of dissertation “W” before graduation.
• Refer to the course schedule for the last date to change grade status (CR/NC or letter grade).
• You must pass a qualifying examination to be eligible to apply for Doctoral Candidacy.
• All courses on your Ph.D. Program of Work must be taken on a letter grade basis.
• Since the process of applying for candidacy takes several weeks, apply for candidacy well before the semester in which
you would like to register for dissertation credit.
• Apply to graduate in the semester you plan to graduate (during the first week in the semester). In the event you do
not graduate, a new application must be filed the next semester and every semester after that until you graduate.
• Complete an exit survey after you have submitted your dissertation or defense.
• The coursework you list on Program of Work must be completed by the time you defend your dissertation. If the list
of courses has been changed, you need to update your PoW and get it approved again.
5. RULES GOVERNING TEACHING ASSISTANTS AND GRADUATE RESEARCH
ASSISTANTSHIPS
The following rules apply to both TA’s and GRA’s.
• To be appointed as a TA/GRA, you cannot be on academic probation (GPA > 3.0)
• In order to be appointed for a TA or GRA, you may not have:
o more than two X's (incomplete), or
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o more than one X and one I (permanent incomplete), or
o two permanent incompletes (two I's) .
• If you are appointed as a TA or GRA, you must be registered full-time.
• The different academic areas (Dynamic Systems and Control, Manufacturing and Design, Thermal and Fluid Systems,
OR/IE, etc.) of the ME Department have TA positions in undergraduate courses.
• When you are appointed as a TA, you cannot withdraw to accept a GRA after classes begin.
• GRA's are assigned by faculty members holding research grants or contracts. If you are interested in a particular
research program, you must contact the faculty member directly.
• You cannot be appointed as a TA and/or GRA for more than 14 long semesters.
• If you accept a GRA, the Coursework (no-thesis/no-report) option is not available without written agreement of the
faculty member providing the GRA.
• Students (including international) are permitted to work up to 40 hrs/week (100%) in the summer semester if the
opportunity is available.
• If you are a continuing student, we strongly recommend that you pre-register. If you do not pre-register or if your
registration is canceled (due to non-payment), your appointment as a TA or GRA will be delayed.
• If you are a full time student, you must enroll for at least nine credit hours in each long semester (Spring and Fall).
• In order to be appointed for a TA or GRA you must be in good standing (not on academic probation).
• If you are appointed as a TA or GRA, you must register, and remain registered, for 9 semester hours in the Fall and
Spring semesters. Summer appointees need to register, and remain registered, for 3 semester hours.
• Teaching assistants are assigned by responsible faculty in the academic areas. If you are interested in being a TA, you
must complete a TA application. The application is available at the end of each semester for the following semester.
This must be done every semester, even if you have served previously.
• An international student must be certified as competent in the English language before he or she can be appointed as
a TA. Non-exempt international students (depending on country of origin) must pass the ITA English Assessment,
which is administered by the International Office.
• In general, there is low priority for appointing a student to a teaching assistantship after the student has had a TA
appointment for 2 long semesters.
6. RESOURCES
6.1 Student Organizations
The UT Official Directory, issued annually, contains a list of all Registered Student Organizations, with names and phone
numbers for more information. A comprehensive list can also be found here. These student organizations encompass many
different kinds of clubs, such as political associations, ethnic associations, religious groups, sports clubs, etc. Here are a few
major organizations that are pertinent to ME graduate students:
• ME Graduate Student Board (MEGSB)
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The Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Board (MEGSB) is intended to act as a liaison between graduate
students and faculty in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering. The organization seeks to aid in professional
development of graduate students and to enhance their experience in the department.
• Graduate Engineering Council (GEC)
The GEC is an organization developed to promote social and academic interaction among graduate students in the
College of Engineering. The council is composed of representatives from each graduate program in engineering. The
GEC publishes a Graduate Engineering Guide, sponsors several seminars and social events each semester, and compiles
a resume book.
• Graduate Student Assembly (GSA)
The Graduate Student Assembly is a university-wide organization aimed at representing the interests of all graduate
students at The University of Texas. It provides representation within the formal university structure: Graduate
Assembly, senior cabinet, and Student Senate. GSA has representatives on the Faculty Council, the Graduate Guide,
and various committees such as the TA/AI Welfare, Rights, and Responsibilities Committee. Call 471-3166 for more
information.
6.2 Health Insurance
Students may purchase student health insurance through an optional, affordable plan approved by the University of
Texas System and designed specifically for UT Austin students. More information can be found here:
https://utsystem.myahpcare.com/
Graduate students assigned to work in a student academic title for at least 20 hours a week for at least 4.5 months
(135 calendar days) are eligible for the university’s employee group insurance benefits. More information can be found
here: https://hr.utexas.edu/student/student-employee-insurance-benefits
6.3 Counseling and Mental Health Resources
• Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) 512-232-5050
Are you worried about a student in your class, bothered that your roommate has been acting differently, or concerned
about the behavior of a co-worker? Do you have concerns but are not sure what to do? If so, contact the Behavior
Concerns Advice line at 512-232-5050 or submit your concerns using the online form.
The Behavior Advice Line is a service that provides The University of Texas at Austin’s faculty, students, and staff an
opportunity to discuss their concerns about another individual’s behavior. Trained staff members will assist the
individual in exploring available options and strategies. They will also provide appropriate guidance and resource
referrals to address the particular situation. Any concerns for the welfare of a fellow student can be directed to this
number. Confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible, however the university may be required to release
some information to appropriate parties. Your online request is not anonymous. If you wish to remain anonymous
please call the BCAL line at 512-232-5050.
Cases that present an immediate threat to self, others, or property should be considered an emergency and should be
directed to The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD) by calling 911.
• Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC)
The CMHC provides counseling, psychiatric consultations, and prevention services that facilitate student’s academic
and life goals while enhancing their personal growth and well-being. They have short-term individual counseling, group
counseling, workshops, classes, and MindBody labs. You can find more information here.
• CMHC Crisis Line
CMHC Crisis Line is a confidential service of CMHC that offers an opportunity for UT-Austin students to talk with trained
counselors about urgent concerns. A counselor is available every day of the year, including holidays. You can call us
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when you want, at your convenience. Our telephone counselors will spend time addressing your immediate concerns.
Our telephone counselors also have specific training in responding to crisis situations.
• Counselors in Academic Residence Program (CARE)
CARE’s primary mission is to provide access to mental health support for students who are
struggling emotionally and/or academically. Our presence normalizes the counseling process and makes us readily
available for services. We decrease barriers by assisting students in a location that is familiar and convenient for them.
CARE counselors get to know the concerns that are unique to their college’s students. They integrate in the college
and provide support and consultation on mental health issues for advisors, faculty and dean’s staff.
The CARE counselor for the Cockrell School of Engineering is Jeni Wade, LCSW. Her office hours are Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday, 1-2pm. Jeni is located in Engineering Student Services South, EER 2.848. Call 512-471-8396.
• Student Emergency Services (SES)
SES helps students and their families during difficult or emergency situations. Assistance includes outreach, advocacy,
intervention, support, and referrals to relevant campus and community resources. Please note, their office does not
provide counseling services.
6.4 Housing, Transportation, and Parking
The Graduate School provides resources that may help you find a housing solution. Check out the Graduate School
website for this information. Also included in the website is information on transportation and parking.
Capital Metro (Austin City transportation system) offers bus, shuttle and rail service to the greater Austin metropolitan
area. Many students prefer not to bring a car to campus, but instead use Capital Metro or take advantage of the
university’s central location by walking or bicycling. UT Austin offers a shuttle service to registered students to many
parts of Austin, including the Pickle Research Center. Maps are available at the Texas Union and at the Information
Desk in the Main Building. Students with valid UT IDs can ride both Capital Metro and UT Shuttles for free.
Parking is very limited at UT Austin. Students are eligible to purchase a “C” permit (student parking). Permits do not
guarantee you a spot and it may be necessary to arrive very early to find parking. Registered graduate students who
are employed by UT for at least twenty hours per week (graduate research assistants, teaching assistants, and some
fellowship holders) may qualify for an “A” permit. The graduate coordinator sends in a parking verification form to the
parking office in late August. If you believe you qualify for “A” parking and the parking office does not have your name,
contact the graduate coordinator. For more information on eligibility, fees, location of the parking lots, or other
information on parking, refer to Parking and Transportation Services here or at 471-7275. You may also complete an
application to receive “A” parking online under My Parking Profile.
6.5 Writing Center
The University Writing Center and the Sanger Learning Center offers a number of services for graduate students,
including feedback on theses and dissertations.
6.6 Offices and Keys
Graduate student desks/space is available to students with academic appointment (i.e. TA/AI/GRA). Unfortunately,
space is very tight and there is a waiting list for desks. Students must submit an application to request a desk. Please
contact the graduate coordinator for more information about the application process. Just because a desk looks
unoccupied does not mean that you can claim it!
Key requests are obtained through supporting administrative staff. Keys must be returned by their due date to the UT
Lock and Key Services center.
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6.7 Copiers
Copiers are available in various places on campus, including libraries. You may get an access code or copy card from
your research supervisor that you can use when making copies for official UT business only. You should obtain a
separate card for yourself if you will use the copiers for personal use.
6.8 Libraries
Professional librarians are available to help students find the resources they need. Don’t hesitate to contact them.
Contact for Engineering Librarians
Library Guides for Graduate Students
6.9 Special Events
The Mechanical Engineering Department offers special events such as parties, seminars, symposiums, etc. Watch the
bulletin boards and your e-mail for announcements of such activities.
6.10 Additional Sources of Information
Pertinent university procedures and regulations are addressed in these university catalogs: General Information and
The Graduate Catalog. Each is available from the Office of the Registrar online here.
General Information, published annually in July, contains current and historical information about the university and
regulations that apply to all students during the academic year printed on the title page. General Information is
intended for use with each of the other issues of the catalog of the university.
The Graduate Catalog is published in July of odd-numbered years, contains degree requirements and official
regulations of the Graduate School. It also contains descriptions for most graduate courses offered by all departments.
The Course Schedule is issued each semester (fall, spring and summer) and is viewable online. It contains procedures
on how and when to register and lists which particular classes are available during the semester and when and where
they meet. It also contains the final exam schedule and the calendar of the university.
