graduate programs handbook web

7/30/2019 Graduate Programs Handbook Web

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Mechanical Engineeringand Aeronautical and Astronautical EngineeringGraduate Programs Handbook

2012-2013 EditionVersion 2

Department of Mechanical and

Aerospace Engineering

The Ohio State University

N350 Scott Laboratory

201 West 19 th Ave.

Columbus, OH 43210-1142

(614) 247-6605

Fax (614) 292-5740


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

SECTION I ADMISSION ................................................................................................................................................ 5

SECTION II REGISTRATION AND ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................... 8

SECTION III ADVISING ............................................................................................................................................... 10

SECTION IV MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM .............................................................................................. 11

SECTION V AERONAUTICAL AND ASTRONAUTICAL ENGINEERING DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM ........................ 17

SECTION VI MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM ............................................................... 24

SECTION VII THE BS/MS PROGRAM .......................................................................................................................... 33

APPENDIX I: ME AND AAE GRADUATE COURSES ......................................................................................................... 36

APPENDIX II: AAE PROGRAM EQUIVALENT COURSES ................................................................................................. 40

APPENDIX III: SUGGESTED COURSES FOR THE MATH REQUIREMENT ........................................................................ 41


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Revisions

II.2 MAXIMUM REGISTRATIONALLOWED

The maximum number of hours permitted by the Registrars Office is 18 credit hours per semester or eightcredit hours in summer session or four credit hours in May session.


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PREFACE

This handbook lists the policies, rules, and procedures relevant to the Mechanical Engineering and Aeronauticaland Astronautical Engineering Graduate Programs. The specific graduate degree programs covered in thisdocument are the Master of Science Program, the Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Program, the Aeronautical andAstronautical Engineering Doctoral Program, and the Combined Degree Program, and the Dual Masters DegreeProgram.

The Graduate School Handbook should be consulted for details regarding university rules and regulations. TheGraduate School Handbook can be located in its entirety on the Graduate School website:http://www.gradsch.osu.edu
http://www.gradsch.osu.edu/http://www.gradsch.osu.edu/


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SECTION I ADMISSION

I.1 GENERALINFORMATION

The Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (AAE) Graduate Programsadmit students for the Autumn and Spring semesters. Applicants must complete the online application(www.gradapply.osu.edu ) and submit all

required application materials by the application deadline for thesemester in which they wish to apply.

Students whose backgrounds are not in engineering, physics, or chemistry should strongly look into takingcourses equivalent to Ohio State's core Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering or Aeronautical andAstronautical Engineering courses before applying for admission to the graduate program.

I.2 APPLICATIONDEADLINES

The deadlines for admission are as follows:

Autumn December 1 (Deadline for funding consideration)March 1 (Deadline for general admission)

Spring September 1

I.3 UNIVERSITYADMISSION CRITERIA

The Graduate School requires applicants to submit documentation that demonstrates fulfillment of thefollowing admission criteria or equivalent qualifications as outlined in the Graduate School Handbook ( seeSection II.2 , Graduate School Handbook ):

1. An earned baccalaureate or professional degree from an accredited college or university by theexpected date of entry

2. A minimum of a 3.0 cumulative point-hour ratio (on the 4.0 scale used at this university) in allprevious undergraduate and graduate work

3. Prerequisite training that will enable the student to pursue the graduate program to whichadmission is sought

4. A minimum score of 550 on the Paper-based (PBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL),213 on the computer-based TOEFL (CBT), or 79 on the Internet-based (IBT) TOEFL. 82 is theminimum score allowed on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB), or 7.0

on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This requirement only applies toapplicants from a country where the first language is not English, unless the student earned abachelors degree or higher in an English-speaking country.

5. Additional criteria published by the Graduate Studies Committee of the local program
http://www.gradapply.osu.edu/http://www.gradapply.osu.edu/http://www.gradapply.osu.edu/http://www.gradapply.osu.edu/


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I.4 PROGRAM SPECIFICADMISSION CRITERIA

In addition to the admission criteria set forth by the Graduate School, the ME and AAE Graduate Programsrequire the following items:

1. One set of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended1

2. A one to two page statement of purpose

3. Three letters of recommendation

Note: It is strongly suggested that these letters be from Faculty members or individuals that have received a PhD

4. A one to two page rsum

5. Official GRE scores are required of all applicants 2

Note: GRE scores are not required for OSU students applying to the Combined Degree

program unless they are interested in being eligible for the University Fellowship competition.

6. At least one of the following scores is preferred if English is not your native language : 96 on theInternet-based (IBT) TOEFL, 590 on the Paper-based (PBT), 243 on the computer-based TOEFL(CBT), 7.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or an 82 on the MichiganEnglish Language Assessment Battery (MELAB).

7. In cases where special conditions are imposed on admission, if these conditions are not met, thestudent may be dismissed from the program

I.5 TRANSCRIPTS FOROHIO STATE STUDENTS

Students, who attended Ohio State for their entire undergraduate education and earned theirundergraduate degree from Ohio State, are not required to obtain official transcripts. The GraduateAdmissions Office and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering will acquire the transcriptdirectly from the University Registrar's online records. If a student transferred to Ohio State or has takenany classes for undergraduate or graduate credit from a different university, then a transcript from theother University(s) must be received directly by Ohio States Graduate Admissions Office andthe Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering prior to being considered for admission.

I.6 TRANSFERRINGINTO ME OR AAE

Students may transfer from another graduate program at Ohio State to the ME or AAE graduate program by

completing the Request for Transfer of Graduate Program form found under Forms and Publications on theGraduate School website at: http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu .

This form requires the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee in the ME or AAE program and thewritten acknowledgment of the Graduate Studies Committee in the students current program.

1 In addition to the transcripts sent to the department, a separate set of official transcripts must be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office at the 6 th floor of the Student Academic Service (SAS) Building.

2 Official GRE scores must be directly from Educational Testing Services (ETS).
http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/


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The Graduate School will verify the student-provided information pertaining to the students academicperformance to the Graduate Studies Committee of the ME or AAE program. The Graduate StudiesCommittee also requires that students who wish to transfer into the ME or AAE program submit thefollowing:

1. A personal statement indicating why the student is requesting to transfer to the program

2. Three letters of recommendation are strongly encouraged. It is suggested that at least two of the letters be from Faculty.

3. Request to have a copy of their current academic file from their current program sent to the MEor AAE Graduate Program.

Graduate Program Transfer requests must be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office at least twoweeks prior

to the students requested starting semester.

If the ME or AAE Graduate Studies Committee approves the transfer, it will specify the admissionclassification and the courses already completed that will count toward the students graduate degree

program. The ME or AAE Graduate Studies Committee must notify the Graduate School of the admissionclassification and courses to count prior to the effective semester of transfer. Graduate School Fellowshipsdo not automatically transfer with students who are approved for transfer into a different graduateprogram. Doctoral Candidacy status does not generally transfer to a new graduate program.

I. 7 TRANSFERRINGGRADUATECREDIT

An unlimited number of graduate credit hours may be transferred from another university. However, atleast 80% of credit hours required for a degree must be earned at The Ohio State University. The transferof hours must be sought no later than the end of the first semester of enrollment in the program. If astudent is pursuing a Doctoral degree at Ohio State and has received a Masters degree at another institution it must be transferred to Ohio State. 1

(Section VII.2 , Graduate School Handbook ).

The number of graduate course credit hours that are transferred from another institution or through theGraduate Non-Degree program will be determined by the students advisor and the ME or AAE GraduateStudies Committee.

When transferring credit from another university, the Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form(www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/TransferCredit.pdf ) must be prepared by the student, verified bythe advisor, and forwarded to the MAE Graduate Advising Office along with a copy of the studentstranscript and a description of the course(s) from the official bulletin that includes documentation that thecourse(s) being transferred is a letter-graded graduate level course. Upon approval by the Graduate StudiesCommittee, the petition will be forwarded to the Graduate School for the final decision and if approved, theGraduate School will notify the student.

For students enrolled in the Graduate non-degree program, Graduate School rules apply.

1 Doctoral students who wish to transfer more than the 45 hours granted from transferring their Masters degree must have thecourses approved by their Advisor and the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Studies committee Chair.
http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/TransferCredit.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/TransferCredit.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/TransferCredit.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/TransferCredit.pdf


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SECTION II REGISTRATION AND ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

II.1 MINIMUM REGISTRATIONREQUIREMENTS

The minimum registration requirements per semester, including the program seminar (if applicable) andresearch credits (ME 8998/8999 or AAE 8999) are as follows:

1. Eight credit hours is required to be full-time for all students (US citizens, permanent residents,International students, or students holding a 50 percent Graduate Associate position)

Note: Four credit hours is considered full-time for students who hold a 50 percent GraduateAssociate position during the Summer term

2. 12 credit hours is required for to be full-time for all Fellowship students (i.e., university fellowships orother fellowships and scholarships eligible for a fee authorization)

Note: Six credit hours is considered full-time for Fellowship students during the Summer term

3. Three credit hours is the minimum required in the expected semester of graduation

Note: GA's and Fellows must still register for the minimum number of hours required to maintaintheir appointment (s ee 1 and 2 above ).

4. Three credit hours is required to be full-time for all students admitted to candidacy (i.e. passed theCandidacy Exam)

Note: Students who start their doctoral studies Autumn Quarter 2008 or later are required to

register for at least three credit hours during the autumn and spring semesters following

admission to Candidacy. Any student who does not register for at least three credit hours will

not be allowed to continue on in the doctoral program until reinstated (Section VII.8, GraduateSchool Handbook).

II.2 MAXIMUM REGISTRATIONALLOWED

The maximum number of hours permitted by the Registrars Office is 18 credit hours per semester or eightcredit hours in summer session or four credit hours in May session.

II.3 SATISFACTORYACADEMICSTANDING

To be in good academic standing in the Graduate School, a student must maintain a graduate cumulativepoint-hour ratio (CPHR) of 3.0 or higher in all graduate credit courses, and must maintain reasonableprogress toward the degree requirements. A doctoral student who has had two unsatisfactory attempts atthe Candidacy Examination or the Final Oral Examination or Professional Doctoral Examination is notconsidered in good academic standing and may be dismissed from the program per Graduate School rules(Section V.1, Graduate School Handbook).

In addition to the Graduate Schools rules, if a student does not meet the following criteria they are notconsidered in good academic standing within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering:

1. A student who receives a U in ME 8998/8999 or AAE 8999


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2. A student who does not meet any departmental conditions placed upon them

3. A student who has two unsuccessful attempts at passing the Qualifying Exams ( Mechanical Engineering students only )

Students who are not in good academic standing will have their registration in future semesters blocked. Inorder to allow the student to register again, the advisor must contact the MAE Graduate ProgramAdministrator with his or her approval to do so. Students who continue to have unsatisfactory academicprogress may be subject to dismissal from the program.

II.4 COURSES FORGRADUATECREDIT

Courses that count for graduate credit must be 5000-level and above with one exception; 4000-levelcourses outside of the students own program can count for graduate credit but they must be designated bythe Graduate School as approved for graduate credit and approved by the students faculty advisor. 4000-level courses outside of the students program must be approved by the students advisor in order to countfor graduate credit. No courses 3000-level or below and no 4000-level courses or below in the students ownprogram may be counted for graduate credit. A complete course catalog and schedule of classes can befound online at www.buckeyelink.osu.edu .

II.5 CODE OF STUDENTCONDUCT

Students are expected to follow the Code of Student Conduct while they are pursuing a graduate degree inthe Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. The Code of Student Conduct covers the followingtopics:

Academic misconduct Endangering health or safety Sexual misconduct Destruction of property Dangerous weapons or devices Dishonest conduct Theft/unauthorized use of property Failure to comply with university or civil

authority

Drugs Alcohol Unauthorized presence Disorderly or disruptive conduct Hazing Judicial system abuse Violation of university rules Riotous behavior Recording of images without knowledge

The Code of Student Conduct can be found in its entirety at http://studentlife.osu.edu/resource_csc.asp .
http://www.buckeyelink.osu.edu/http://www.buckeyelink.osu.edu/http://www.buckeyelink.osu.edu/http://studentlife.osu.edu/resource_csc.asphttp://studentlife.osu.edu/resource_csc.asphttp://studentlife.osu.edu/resource_csc.asphttp://www.buckeyelink.osu.edu/


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SECTION III ADVISING

III.1 ADVISORSELECTION

Selecting an advisor is probably one of the single most important decisions a student will make during the

course of their graduate career. It is important that students take time when choosing their advisor becausehe or she will be a key component in the students success at the graduate level. It is important to be awarethat masters and doctoral students do have different criteria when choosing an advisor and those criteriaare as follows:

Masters students - The advisor of a masters student must hold membership at the Category M levelor higher in the students graduate program. (Section XV.4, Graduate School Handbook )

DOCTORAL STUDENTS- THE ADVISOR OF A DOCTORAL STUDENT MUST HOLD MEMBERSHIP AT THECATEGORYP LEVEL INTHE STUDENTS GRADUATE PROGRAM. (SECTIONXV.4, GRADUATE SCHOOLH ANDBOOK )

Students are strongly encouraged to choose an advisor, through mutual consent, as soon as possible.Students need to select an advisor by the end of their second semester of enrollment in the graduateprogram. If an advisor has not been selected by the end of the students first two semesters of graduatestudy, students will be denied from further registration until an advisor has been selected. Once an advisorhas been selected, a completed Notice of Graduate Advisor form must be submitted to the MAE GraduateAdvising Office. Once the Notification of Advisor form has been submitted, students who wish to changetheir advisor will be required to submit a new Notification of Advisor form with signatures of the former advisor and new advisor.

III.2 GRADUATEPROGRAM COURSEPLAN

In consultation with their advisor, all students are required to submit a completed MS or PhD Course Plancorresponding to the program and degree they are currently pursuing to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.Students must submit a completed tentative MS or PhD Course Plan by the end of their second semester of

enrollment in the graduate program or further registration in the program will be blocked until a completedcourse plan is submitted. The Course Plan must be signed by the students advisor before

submitting it tothe MAE Graduate Advising Office.

III.3 PETITIONS

Special requests will be processed when initiated by submitting a Petition to the Graduate StudiesCommittee form via the MAE Graduate Program Administrator. A letter of support from the studentsadvisor must accompany the petition. Petition forms are available in the MAE Graduate Advising Office.


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SECTION IV MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM

IV.1 MASTER OFSCIENCEDEGREE REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 30 credit hours, including course work and a satisfactory thesis or research paper, is required

to obtain a Master of Science (MS) degree. The specific requirements for both the thesis option and non-thesis option are outlined in this section.

The entire work for the MS degree must be completed within a period of six calendar years.

AERONAUTICAL ANDASTRONAUTICALENGINEERINGMS REQUIREMENTS Q UARTERS TOSEMESTERSTRANSITION

AERONAUTICAL ANDASTRONAUTICALENGINEERINGMS REQUIREMENTS SEMESTERS

T HESISOPTION

1. One letter graded Math course can be any of the following:a) Mathematics course 500-level and above (quarters) or

4000-level and above (semesters)

b) Statistics course 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-level and above (semesters)

c) Program approved Math Equivalency course2. At least 6 graduate level letter graded courses

a) At least 4 AAE or program equivalent courses 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-level and above(semesters)

b) At least 2 courses 700-level and above (quarters) or6000-level and above (semesters)

3. At least 9 hours of AAE 8999 or a combination of levelapproved coursework and AAE 8999 (at least 6 hours of AAE 8999 is required) (Note: To convert AAE 999 hours to

AAE 8999 hours, multiply the total number of AAE quarter hours of 999 by 2/3s )

4. 3 hours of AAE seminar

T HESISOPTION

1. At least 3 hours of letter graded Mathematics courses 4000-leveland above (except Math 4504), Statistics courses 5000-level andabove, or other program approved Math Equivalency courses

2. At least 18 hours of graduate level letter graded courseworka) At least 12 hours of AAE or program equivalent

courses 5000-level and above b) At least 6 hours of courses 6000-level and above

3. At least 9 hours of AAE 8999 or a combination of levelapproved coursework and AAE 8999 (at least 6 hours of AAE 8999 is required) .

4. 3 hours of AAE Seminar

N ON -T HESISOPTION


4000-level and above (semesters)

b) Statistics course 600-level and above (quarters) or5000-level and above (semesters)

c) Program approved Math Equivalency course2. At least 11 graduate level letter graded courses

a) At least 5 AAE or program equivalent courses 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-level andabove (semesters)

b) At least 5 courses 700-level and above (quarters)or 6000-level and above (semesters)

3. 3 hours of AAE 89974. 3 hours of AAE seminar

Non-T HESISOPTION

1. At least 3 hours of letter graded Mathematics courses 4000-level and above (except Math 4504), Statistics courses 5000-level and above, or other program approved Math Equivalencycourses

2. At least 24 hours of graduate level letter graded courseworka) At least 12 hours of AAE or program equivalent


3. 3 hours of AAE 8997 4. 3 hours of AAE Seminar


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MECHANICALENGINEERINGMS REQUIREMENTS Q UARTERS TOSEMESTERSTRANSITION

MECHANICALENGINEERINGMS REQUIREMENTS SEMESTERTRANSITION

IV.2 CHOOSING THETHESIS ORNON-THESISOPTION

The MS thesis option is open to all entering MS students. Students who are currently supported by the

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering via teaching, research, or administrative associatepositions, University Fellowships, other fellowships, or scholarships that provide a fee authorization areexpected to complete a thesis. The thesis option requires a thesis that represents a maximum of 9 credithours of ME 8998 or AAE 8999 of the 30 credit hours required, and the non-thesis option requires aresearch paper that represents 3 credit hours of ME 8998 or AAE 8997 of the 30 credit hours required.Where there is a choice, the option selected should be reported to the MAE Graduate Advising Office by theend of the first semester of enrollment in the graduate program via the Notice of Graduate Advisor form .

T HESISOPTION


4000-level and above (semesters)b) Statistics course 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-

level and above (semesters)c) Program approved Math Equivalency course

2. At least 7 graduate level letter graded coursesa) At least 4 ME or program approved courses 600-

level and above (quarters) or 5000-level and above(semesters)

b) At least 4 courses 700-level and above (quarters) or6000-level and above (semesters)

3. At least 9 hours of ME 8998 or a combination of levelapproved coursework and ME 8998 (at least 6 hours of

MEE 8998 is required) (Note: To convert ME 999 hours toME 8998 hours, multiply the total number of ME quarter hours of 999 by 2/3s )

4. ME seminar every quarter/semester until graduation

N ON -T HESISOPTION


4000-level and above (semesters)b) Statistics course 600-level and above (quarters) or

5000-level and above (semesters)c) Program approved Math Equivalency course

2. At least 12 graduate level letter graded coursesa) At least 6 ME or program approved courses 600-

level and above (quarters) or 5000-level andabove (semesters)

b) At least 6 courses 700-level and above (quarters)or 6000-level and above (semesters)

3. 3 hours of ME 89984. ME seminar every quarter/semester until graduation

T HESISOPTION

1. At least 3 hours of letter graded Mathematics courses 4000-leveland above (except Math 4504), Statistics courses 5000-level andabove, or other program approved Math Equivalency courses

2. At least 18 hours of graduate level letter graded courseworka) At least 9 hours of ME or program approvedcourses 5000-level and above

b) At least 9 hours of courses 6000-level and above3. At least 9 hours of ME 8998 or a combination of level

approved coursework and ME 8998 (at least 6 hours of ME 8998 is required) .

4. ME seminar every semester until graduation

Non-T HESISOPTION

1. At least 3 hours of letter graded Mathematics courses 4000-level and above (except Math 4504), Statistics courses5000-level and above, or other program approved Math

Equivalency courses 2. At least 24 hours of graduate level letter graded courseworka) At least 12 hours of ME or program approved


3. 3 hours of ME 8998 4. ME seminar every semester until graduation


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IV.3 MATHEMATICSREQUIREMENTS FORMASTERS DEGREE

Masters degree students may take a 4000-level and above Mathematics Department course except Math4504 (History of Mathematics) to fulfill their mathematics requirement. Statistics Department 5000-level orabove letter-graded courses or approved Math Equivalency letter-graded courses (i.e., not graded S/U),may be also be applied to meet the mathematics requirement. Courses taken to fulfill the mathematics

requirement cannot be double counted to meet other requirements. A listing of those courses can be foundin Appendix III of this handbook.

IV.4 6000-LEVELCOURSES

Unless used for mathematics credit 6000-level and above ME or AAE courses can be used to fulfill theprogram specific course requirements and 6000-level requirements for students seeking a Masters Degree.Students are, however, still required to meet the 30 credit hour minimum in order to earn a MastersDegree.

IV.5 AAE PROGRAM EQUIVALENTCOURSES

There are certain ME courses that are able to count as AAE courses and can be used to meet AAE courserequirements. A listing of those courses can be found in Appendix II of this handbook.

IV.6 MASTERS EXAMINATION COMMITTEE

Students pursuing a Master of Science (MS) degree must have a MS Examination Committee that consists of at least two members of the graduate faculty in his or her graduate program, including the students facultyadvisor, with the faculty advisor serving as chair. At least half of the members on the MS ExaminationCommittee should be from his or her graduate program.

IV.7 GRADUATION FORMASTERS STUDENTS

In order to graduate with a Master of Science (MS) degree, students must meet all requirementsestablished by the program (as outlined in this handbook) and the University (see Section VI.6 , GraduateSchool Handbook ). In order to graduate with a MS in ME or AAE a student must meet the minimumrequirements as stated in the Thesis Option Requirements section or the Non-Thesis Requirement section,depending on which program and option is pursued.

IV.8 APPLYING TOGRADUATE

An Application to Graduate Masters form must be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office nolater than the first Friday of the semester in which a student intends to graduate

http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Master%27sGraduate.pdf

for approval by theGraduate Studies Committee Chair. In addition to the advisor, at least one additional MS Committeemember must be listed on the Application to Graduate Masters form . Forms are available outside of theMAE Graduate Advising Offices or online at the Graduate Schools website at

.

IV.9 M ASTERS EXAMINATION

The masters examination is a test of the students knowledge of the field of Mechanical Engineering orAeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. It is the final validation of performance for the MS degree. Themasters examination is taken after submitting the Application to Graduate form and during the semester in
http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Master%27sGraduate.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Master%27sGraduate.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Master%27sGraduate.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Master%27sGraduate.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Master%27sGraduate.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Master%27sGraduate.pdf


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which the student plans to graduate. A student must be registered for at least three graduate credit hoursduring the semester the Masters Examination is taken.

IV.10 ADDING EXTERNAL(NON-OSU FACULTYMEMBERS) TO YOUR MASTERS COMMITTEE

Additional faculty members may be added to a Masters Committee at the discretion of the Graduate

Studies Committee (Section VI.2 , Graduate School Handbook ).To add an external (non-OSU faculty) memberto the Masters Committee, the student or the faculty advisor must submit a petition addressed to theGraduate School to the Graduate Studies Committee Chair, including a brief rationale for the selection, andcurriculum vitae of the external member. Upon approval by the Graduate Studies Committee, thedocuments are forwarded to the Graduate School for final decision and notification to the student.

IV.11 T HESISOPTION (MS EXAMINATION)

Below are details regarding the Masters examination for students pursuing the thesis option:

1. The Masters examination is oral and emphasizes both an exposition and defense of the thesisinvestigation and a test of the candidates knowledge of the course of study pursued. The

examination is normally one hour in duration and should not exceed two hours. The examinationmay include a general presentation by the student open to visitors, followed by the actual thesisdefense limited only to the MS Examination Committee and the student.

2. The committees decision on the Masters examination is recorded on The Graduate SchoolsMasters Examination Report form, and acceptance of the thesis is indicated on the ThesisApproval form. Originals must be submitted to the Graduate School, and copies of the forms,along with a copy of the cover sheet of the Thesis, must be submitted to the MAE Graduate

Advising Office.

IV.12 NON-THESISOPTION (MS EXAMINATION)

Below are details regarding the Masters examination for students pursuing the non-thesis option:

1. The examination will include a written portion and may include an oral portion. The format of theexamination will be selected by the students advisor, consistent with the requirements stated inthis guide and in Section VI.2 of the Graduate School Handbook .

2. The written portion will be a minimum four-hour examination. It may either be a set of researchproblems, requiring the preparation of a formal paper, or a range of questions testing thecandidates broad knowledge of the course of study pursued.

3. The oral portion, if selected, will test the range of the candidates knowledge of the course of studypursued and may include a presentation of the results of the formal research paper.

4. The committees decision on the Masters examination is recorded on the Graduate SchoolsMasters Examination Report form. The original form must be submitted to the Graduate School,and a copy must be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.

IV.13 P URSUING ADOCTORALDEGREE AFTEROBTAINING AMASTERS DEGREE ATOHIO STATE

Students planning to immediately continue their studies toward a Doctoral degree should submit a Noticeof Intent to Pursue a Doctoral Degree to the MAE Graduate Advising Office during the semester in whichthey receive their MS degree. The students PhD advisors signature is required on this form.


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For students not immediately pursuing a PhD, the MS Examination Committee must report itsrecommendation on the students suitability for admission to the Doctoral Program using the MSExamination Evaluation which the student will submit to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.

IV.14 T RANSFERRINGEXCESSMASTERS DEGREEHOURS

Credits accrued beyond what is specified in the students MS Graduate Program Course Plan may be used tomeet the ME or AAE programs doctoral degree requirements, however only PhD-level appropriate coursesare transferable. The Graduate Schools Transfer of Excess Masters Hours to the Doctoral Degree form(http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/StatusBeyond.pdf ), along with studentstranscript/advising report showing the grade(s) obtained in the course(s), must be submitted to the MAEGraduate Advising Office for approval by the Graduate Studies Committee.

IV.15 DUALMASTERS DEGREEPROGRAM

Graduate School rules permit a student to pursue Masters degrees from two different graduate programsconcurrently. A minimum of 50 percent of required coursework must be unique to each degree and maynot be used for dual credit. The Programs Graduate Studies Committee may establish a higher minimum

(Section VI.7, Graduate School Handbook ).
http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/StatusBeyond.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/StatusBeyond.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/StatusBeyond.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/StatusBeyond.pdf


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MS Program Checklist

F IRST Y EAR

Select the thesis or non-thesis option .

Choose an advisor and submit the Notification of Graduate Advisor form to the MAE GraduateAdvising Office.

Complete and submit a tentative MS Course Plan . (Course requirements vary depending on theprogram and whether the thesis or non-thesis option is selected.)

T HE SEMESTERY OU I NTEND TOGRADUATE

Submit an Application to Graduate Masters form to the MAE Graduate Advising Office by the firstFriday of the intended semester of graduation.

Consult with your advisor and the committee member(s) to schedule a date and time for the MastersExamination before the deadline set by the Graduate School.

Obtain your advisors signature and your MS Examination Committees signature(s) on the MastersExamination Report and the Thesis Exam Report . If you are pursuing the PhD immediately uponcompleting your Masters degree, youll need to complete the Intent to Pursue a Doctoral Degreeform. If you do not intend to pursue a PhD upon completing your MS, you will need to complete theMS Examination Evaluation instead .

Make and submit a copy of the Graduate School forms ( Masters Exam Report and Thesis ExamReport ) and the original copy of either the MS Examination Evaluation or Intent to Pursue a DoctoralDegree form to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.

Submit the original Graduate School Forms (Masters Exam Report and Thesis Exam Report ) to theGraduate School ASAP.


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SECTION V AERONAUTICAL AND ASTRONAUTICAL ENGINEERING DOCTORALDEGREE PROGRAM

V.1 D OCTORALDEGREEREQUIREMENTS

The specific requirements for both the BS-PhD Track and MS-PhD Track are outlined in this section.Students on the BS-PhD track begin work toward a Doctoral degree directly after receiving a baccalaureatedegree and acceptance as a PhD student whereas students on the MS-PhD track begin work toward aDoctoral degree after receiving a Masters degree. 1

A minimum of 80 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, including coursework and adissertation, are required to obtain a doctoral degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. If astudent has obtained a Masters degree at Ohio State or elsewhere, then a minimum of 50 graduate credithours beyond the Masters is required.

BS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS Q UARTERS TOSEMESTERSTRANSITION

1. At least 2 letter graded

2. At least 11

Mathematics or Statistics courses 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-leveland above (semesters) or program approved Math Equivalency courses

a) At least 6 total AAE or program equivalent courses of which at least 4 MUST be AAE or programequivalent courses 700-level and above (quarters) or 6000-level and above (semesters)

graduate level letter graded courses

b) At least 3 additional courses must be 700-level and above (quarters) or 6000-level and above(semesters)

3. At least 47 hours of AAE 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and AAE 8999 (atleast 30 hours of AAE 8999 is required


) (Note: To convert AAE 999 hours to AAE 8999 hours, multiply the total number of AAE quarter hours of 999 by 2/3s )

BS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS SEMESTERS

1. At least 6 hours of letter graded

2. At least 27 hours of

Mathematics or Statistics courses 5000-level and above or programapproved Math Equivalency courses

a) At least 15 total hours of AAE or program equivalent courses of which at least 9 hours MUST beAAE or program equivalent courses 6000-level and above

graduate level letter graded coursework

b) At least 9 additional hours of courses 6000-level and above3. At least 47 hours of AAE 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and AAE 8999 (at least

30 hours of AAE 8999 is required4. 4 hours of AAE seminar

)

1 A student who starts in the BS-PhD program and later decides not to continue toward a PhD can apply completed course and thesis work toward a master's degree.


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MS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS Q UARTERS TOSEMESTERSTRANSITION

1. One letter graded

2. At least

Mathematics or Statistics courses 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-level andabove (semesters) or program approved Math Equivalency courses

a) At least 3 courses MUST be AAE or program equivalent courses 700-level and above (quarters)or 6000-level and above (semesters) or other program equivalent courses

6 graduate level letter graded courses

3. At least 32 hours of AAE 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and AAE 8999 (at least21 hours of AAE 8999 is required


) (Note: To convert AAE 999 hours to AAE 8999 hours, multiply thetotal number of AAE quarter hours of 999 by 2/3s )

MS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS SEMESTERS




a) At least 9 hours MUST be AAE or program equivalent courses 6000-level and abovegraduate level letter graded coursework

3. At least 32 hours of AAE 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and AAE 8999 (at least21 hours of AAE 8999 is required

4. 2 hours of AAE seminar)

V.2 M ATHEMATICSREQUIREMENTS FORDOCTORALSTUDENTS

Mathematics or Statistics Department 5000-level or above letter-graded courses or approved MathEquivalency letter-graded courses (i.e., not graded S/U), may be applied to meet the PhD-level mathematicsrequirement. Courses taken to fulfill the mathematics requirement cannot be double counted to meetother requirements. A listing of those courses can be found in Appendix III of this handbook.

Students in the BS-PhD program may count one Mathematics course (transition) or 3 hours (semester) atthe 500-level (quarters) or 4000-level (semesters) courses with the exception of Math 504 (quarters) andMath 4504 (semesters)

V.3 AAE PROGRAM EQUIVALENTCOURSES

Specified ME course can count as AAE courses and can be used to meet AAE course requirements. A listingof those courses can be found in Appendix II of this handbook.

V.4 CANDIDACYEXAMINATION

The Candidacy Examination is a single examination consisting of a written portion and an oral portion. Theobjective of this examination is to test the students knowledge of the field and related areas of study,capacity to undertake independent research, and ability to think and express ideas clearly. It is generallytaken after the student satisfies most of the course requirements. All examinations, written and oral, mustbe taken within a 60-day period. It is required that the student take the Ph.D. Candidacy Examinationwithin two years if entering the Ph.D. program with a M.S. degree or within three years if the student isentering the Ph.D. program with a B.S. degree. No student is permitted to take the Candidacy Examinationmore than twice.


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V.5 CANDIDACYEXAMINATION/D OCTORALCOMMITTEE

In consultation with their advisor, all students pursuing a Doctoral (PhD) degree must select their CandidacyExamination Committee which will consist of their advisor and three or more graduate faculty membersand they must identify them on the Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form prior tosubmitting the form to the Graduate School. At least half of the members on the Candidacy Examination

Committee should be from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

The Candidacy Examination Committee for first-time examinees consists of the four person CandidacyExamination Committee. For second-time examinees, the Candidacy Examination Committee also includes aGraduate Faculty Representative (GFR) of the Graduate School. All members of the Candidacy ExaminationCommittee, including the GFR when applicable, are voting members.

The Candidacy Examination Committee will also serve as a students Doctoral committee. The Doctoralcommittee will serve as the students Advisory Committee, Dissertation Committee, and Final OralExamination Committee. The students faculty advisor will serve as the Chair of the Doctoral committee.

V.6 CHANGING THEMEMBERS OFYOUR CANDIDACYEXAMINATION COMMITTEE

Only the students advisor may request a change in the Candidacy Examination Committee membership bysubmitting a written request to the Graduate Studies Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee mustapprove changes in the Candidacy Examination Committee. If the Graduate Studies Committee approvesthe changes, the request will be forwarded to the Graduate School for the final decision.

V.7 A DDING EXTERNAL(NON-OSU FACULTYMEMBERS) TO YOUR DOCTORALCOMMITTEE

Additional faculty members may be added to a Doctoral Committee at the discretion of the GraduateStudies Committee (Section VII.9 , Graduate School Handbook ).To add an external (non-OSU faculty)member to the Doctoral Committee, the student or the faculty advisor must submit a petition addressed tothe Graduate School to the AAE Graduate Studies Committee Chair, including a brief rationale for theselection, and curriculum vitae of the external member. Upon approval by the AAE Graduate StudiesCommittee, the documents are forwarded to the Graduate School for final decision and notification to thestudent.

V.8 CERTIFICATION OFCANDIDACYELIGIBILITY

Before the student can take the Candidacy Examination, the Notification of Doctoral CandidacyExamination form (http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Notify.pdf ) with the names of theDoctoral Committee members included, should be submitted to the MAE Graduate Program Administratorfor certification of the students eligibility for Candidacy, three weeks prior to the Oral Examination.

Aftercertification by the MAE Graduate Advising Office, the student will submit the Notification of DoctoralCandidacy Examination form to the Graduate School by their mandatory two-week notification deadline .

V.9 W RITTENPORTION OF THECANDIDACYEXAMINATION

The written portion of the examination consists of three separate examinations given by members of theadvisory committee: An eight hour examination by the students advisor, and two four hour examinationsgiven by two other members of the students advisory committee. The formats of the examinations aredetermined by the faculty members administering them.
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If, based on evaluating the written examination, the Candidacy Examination Committee members see nopossibility for a satisfactory overall performance on the Candidacy Examination, the student may waive theright to take the oral examination. The Candidacy Examination Committee may not, however, deny astudent the opportunity to take the oral examination.

If the student decides to waive the right to take the oral examination, a written statement requesting the

waiver must be presented to the Candidacy Examination Committee. In such a case the CandidacyExamination Committee records an unsatisfactory on the Candidacy Examination Report form and returns itto the Graduate School with a copy of the students waiver request.

V.10 O RALPORTION OF THECANDIDACYEXAMINATION

The oral portion of the examination lasts approximately two hours and is normally held within one monthof the written examination. It must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance, and the Graduate Schoolmust be notified of its proposed time and place by the advisor, using the Notification of CandidacyExamination form . The advisor is responsible for transmitting to every committee member the studentswritten portion of the general examination at least one week before the oral examination. A passing graderequires a unanimous vote of the committee.

Attendance at the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination is limited to the student and members of theCandidacy Examination Committee. Except when teleconferencing is involved, all members of theCandidacy Examination Committee must be present during the entire oral examination. According toGraduate School rules, oral presentation of any proposal or other prepared materials must be made prior to, or after, the oral examination. Questioning of the student should occupy the entire period of theexamination. All committee members are expected to participate fully in the questioning during the courseof the examination and in the discussion of and decision on the result of the Candidacy Examination.

1. The written portion of the Candidacy Examination, which necessarily includes the dissertationproposal, must be graded by the dissertation committee. For second-time CandidacyExaminations, the dissertation proposal must be graded by the dissertation committee beforebeing sent to the Graduate Faculty Representative.

2. The student will make no formal or informal presentation during the two-hour oral examinationperiod. Any use of prepared materials must be limited and only in response to a specificquestion.

3. The candidate should expect questions that probe for a comprehensive knowledge of thecandidates dissertation proposal, research area, and graduate coursework. The student shoulddiscuss the scope of the questioning with each member of the committee before theexamination.

4. The candidate should submit the completed Candidacy Examination Report to the GraduateSchool after completion of the Oral Portion of the Candidacy Exam. A copy of the signed formmust be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.

V.11 M AINTAININGCANDIDACY

Note: The following policy was approved in Autumn Quarter 2008 and is effective for all students who wereadmitted to the Graduate School Autumn Quarter 2008 and after. See Section VII.8 of the Graduate School Handbook.


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All students who successfully complete the doctoral candidacy examination will be required to be enrolledin every semester of their candidacy (summer excluded) until graduation. Students must be enrolled for atleast 3 credits per semester. While the Graduate School and the individual graduate programs will monitorthe enrollment of all post-candidacy students, it ultimately will be the responsibility of each student toensure that they are meeting the enrollment provisions of this policy.

Post-candidacy students who do not enroll in a required semester will be withdrawn from active candidacystatus. A student whose candidacy status has been withdrawn will not be allowed to continue on in thedoctoral program until reinstated. A hold will be placed on the students university record preventing anyfurther registration or access to university resources. A student wishing to be reinstated to the doctoralprogram and active candidacy status will need to petition the Graduate Studies Committee in theirprogram. If approved, the Graduate Studies Chair of the program will send to the Graduate School a formalrequest to allow the student to resume studies and register. Non-enrollment does not interrupt a studentsfive year candidacy period.

Upon approval of a post-candidacy reinstatement, the student will be retroactively enrolled in everysemester of missed enrollment for three credits of 8999 research hours under their advisor. The studentwill be responsible for paying the past tuition charges as well as the current university per semester lateregistration penalty. All past due charges will need to be paid before the Graduate School will approve thestudent for any future enrollment.

Post-candidacy students who cannot continue in their doctoral program due to extenuating circumstancescan request a leave of absence from their doctoral studies on a semesterly basis for up to a maximumoverall leave period of one year. While there are many situations upon which a leave can be requested,such as the birth or adoption of a child or a serious medical condition, a leave will not be granted with thesole reason of financial hardship. The initial request for a leave should be submitted by the student to theGraduate Studies Committee in the students home program. If the leave is approved at the program level,the Graduate Studies Chair will formally request the leave in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School. Arequest for a leave needs to be submitted before the actual leave period begins. Verification of circumstances should be included as part of the leave request. If a leave is granted, the students candidacyperiod will be paused until the student returns to continuous enrollment status.

Any student who was admitted to the Graduate School before Autumn Quarter, 2008 is not bound by thecontinuous enrollment policy. However, a student who is not enrolled for at least 2 years will need to bereinstated to their graduate program to resume doctoral studies. As a condition of reinstatement a studentwill be required to follow the continuous enrollment guidelines as a post-candidacy student regardless of when they were admitted to the Graduate School.

V.12 G RADUATION FORDOCTORALSTUDENTS

In order to graduate with a Doctoral (PhD) degree, students must meet all requirements established by thedepartment (as outlined in this handbook) and the University (see Section VII.13 , Graduate School Handbook ). In order to graduate with a PhD in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering a student mustmeet the minimum requirements as stated in the BS-PhD Requirements section or the MS-PhDRequirements section, depending on which option is pursued.

V.13 A PPLYING TOGRADUATE

An Application to Graduate Doctoral form must be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office nolater than the first Friday of the semester in which a student intends to graduate . In addition to theadvisor, at least two additional Doctoral Committee members must be listed on the Application to


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Graduate Doctoral form . Forms are available outside of the MAE Graduate Advising Offices or online atthe Graduate Schools website at http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/DoctoralGraduate.pdf .

V.14 D ISSERTATIONDRAFTAPPROVAL

A complete, typed dissertation draft must be submitted to the Candidacy Examination Committee (whichalso serves as the Dissertation Committee) for approval. The Doctoral Draft Approval/Notice of Final OralExamination form (http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Oral.pdf ), with committeesignatures, and certified by the MAE Graduate Advising Office, must be submitted to the Graduate Schoolno later than two weeks before the date of the Final Oral Examination.

V.15 F INALORALEXAMINATION

The Final Oral Examination normally lasts two hours. The advisor schedules the examination by completingthe Notification of Final Oral Examination form . The Final Oral Examination Committee, with the advisor asthe Chair, also includes the following faculty members:

1. The students Candidacy Examination Committee, which also serves as the DissertationCommittee

2. A representative appointed at its discretion by the Graduate Studies Committee

3. The Graduate School Faculty Representative (GFR)

The final oral examination lasts approximately two hours. A presentation of the dissertation research by thestudent is allowable. At least one hour of the two-hour examination period, however, must be allotted todiscussion of the research and to questions of and answers by the student. Local programs may developadditional local protocols and procedures (Section VII.10 , Graduate School Handbook ).

All members of the committee, including the Graduate School Representative, are voting members. The

student must submit the signed Final Dissertation Approval form and the Final Oral Examination Report tothe Graduate School. Copies of the signed forms along with a copy of the cover sheet of the Dissertationmust be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.

A student who has not completed his or her dissertation and final oral examination within four calendaryears after the Candidacy Examination must submit to the Doctoral Committee documentation of theprogress to date, the work remaining, and a schedule. This document must be approved by the DoctoralCommittee and forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee for action. If a student fails to submit thefinal copy of the dissertation document to the Graduate School within five years of being admitted tocandidacy, his or her candidacy is cancelled per Graduate School rules. In such a case, with the approval of the advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee, the student may take a supplemental candidacyexamination. If the student passes this supplemental candidacy examination, the student is readmitted tocandidacy and must then complete a dissertation or D.M.A. document within two years (Section VII.8,

Graduate School Handbook ). Students who do not complete the requirements above within theaforementioned timeframe will be dismissed from the program.
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AERO PHD PROGRAM CHECKLIST

F IRST Y EAR

Choose an advisor and submit the Notification of Graduate Advisor form to the MAE Graduate Advising

Office.

Complete and submit a tentative PhD Graduate Program Course Plan . (Course requirements dependupon whether you have a Masters degree)

Y EARS2-3

Take the Candidacy Examination. It is required that the student take the Ph.D. Candidacy Examinationwithin two years if entering the PhD program with a MS degree or within three years if the student isentering the Ph.D. program with a B.S. degree.


Submit an Application to Graduate Doctoral form to the MAE Graduate Advising Office by the firstFriday of the intended semester of graduation.

Have a draft of the dissertation approved by your Dissertation Committee.

Submit the Notification of Final Oral Examination form to the MAE Graduate Advising Office at least three(3) weeks before the exam. Once the form has been reviewed by the MAE Graduate Advising Officesubmit the form to the Graduate School at least two weeks before the date of the Final Oral Examination.

Inform all Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering faculty members and graduate students one weekin advance of your Final Oral Examination.


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SECTION VI MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM

VI.1 DOCTORALDEGREEREQUIREMENTS

The specific requirements for both the BS-PhD Track and MS-PhD Track are outlined in this section.

Students on the BS-PhD track begin work toward a Doctoral degree directly after receiving a baccalaureatedegree and acceptance as a PhD student whereas students on the MS-PhD track begin work toward aDoctoral degree after receiving a Masters degree. 1

A minimum of 80 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, including coursework and adissertation, are required to obtain a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering. If a student has obtained aMasters degree at Ohio State or elsewhere, then a minimum of 50 graduate credit hours beyond theMasters is required.

BS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS Q UARTERS TOSEMESTERSTRANSITION

1. One letter graded Mathematics or Statistics courses 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-level and above(semesters) or program approved Math Equivalency courses

2. At least 13a) At least 10 courses 700-level and above (quarters) or 6000-level and above (semesters) of which at

least 4 courses MUST be ME or other program approved courses

graduate level letter graded courses

3. At least 47 hours of ME 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and ME 8999 (at least 30hours of ME 8999 is required

4. Seminar every quarter/semester until Candidacy

) (Note: To convert ME 999 hours to ME 8999 hours, multiply the total number of ME quarter hours of 999 by 2/3s )

BS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS SEMESTERS 1. At least 3 hours of letter graded



a) At least 21 hours of courses 6000-level and abovegraduate level letter graded coursework

b) At least 12 hours need to be ME or other program approved courses 6000-level and above3. At least 47 hours of ME 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and ME 8999 (at least 30 hours

of ME 8999 is required4. Seminar every semester until Candidacy

)

1 A student who starts in the BS-PhD program and later decides not to continue toward a PhD can apply completed course and thesis work toward a master's degree.


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MS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS Q UARTERS TOSEMESTERSTRANSITION

1. One letter graded

2. At least

Mathematics or Statistics courses 600-level and above (quarters) or 5000-level and above(semesters) or program approved Math Equivalency courses

a) At least 4 courses MUST be ME courses 700-level and above (quarter) or 6000-level and above(semesters) or other program approved courses

6 graduate level letter graded courses

3. At least 32 hours of ME 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and ME 8999 (at least 21 hoursof ME 8999 is required

4. Seminar every quarter/semester until Candidacy

) (Note: To convert ME 999 hours to ME 8999 hours, multiply the total number of ME quarter hours of 999 by 2/3s )

MS-PHD COURSEREQUIREMENTS SEMESTERS




a) At least 9 hours MUST be ME courses 6000-level and above or other program approved coursesgraduate level letter graded coursework

3. At least 32 hours of ME 8999 or a combination of level approved coursework and ME 8999 (at least 21 hoursof ME 8999 is required

4. Seminar every semester until Candidacy)

VI.2 MATHEMATICSREQUIREMENTS FORDOCTORALSTUDENTS

Mathematics or Statistics Department 5000-level or above letter-graded courses or approved MathEquivalency letter-graded courses (i.e., not graded S/U), may be applied to meet the PhD-level mathematics

requirement. Courses taken to fulfill the mathematics requirement cannot be double counted to meetother requirements. A listing of those courses can be found in Appendix III of this handbook.

VI. 3 Q UALIFYINGEXAMINATIONS

The objective of the Qualifying Examination is to determine whether the student is qualified to enter orcontinue in the Doctoral Program. The examination requires a comprehensive and in-depth understandingof undergraduate-level engineering principles and their application.

The Qualifying Examination is given twice a year and is administered by faculty members in the MechanicalEngineering Graduate Program (the Qualifying Examination Committee) as designated by the GraduateStudies Committee.

Students are required to have an advisor on record prior to registering for the Qualifying Exams. Studentswho do not have an advisor on record will not be allowed to register for the Qualifying Exams. Studentsmust also maintain satisfactory academic standing (see section II.3) in order to register for and take theQualifying Exams.

Students who have a MS degree must take the Qualifying Exams by the second exam offering afterenrolling in the PhD program . Students who are pursuing a PhD directly after completing their BS degreemust take the Qualifying Exams by the fourth exam offering after enrolling in the PhD program. A


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students scheduling window will be locked if the student fails to register for the QE within the requiredtime frame.If a student fails to register for and take the QE within the required time frame it will count as a failure of the Qualifying Exams and the student will forfeit one attempt of all three individual subject

exams. Thestudent must take the Qualifying Exams at the next offering or the student will be dismissed from theprogram.

Each student must take the Qualifying Examination in three elective areas out of the eight areas listed onthe next page. One of these areas must be in the students major research area. Each exam is a writtenthree-hour exam. More details about the Qualifying Examination subjects can be found in the QualifyingExam Guide.

Q UALIFYINGEXAMSUBJECTS

Design: The examination covers fundamentals of mechanical design; failure modes; stress analysis andfailure prevention principles; design of mechanical elements.

Dynamics and Kinematics: Dynamics of particles and rigid bodies; motion and force analysis of

mechanisms.

Fluid mechanics: Integral balances; inviscid flows; viscous flows; turbulent flows; one-dimensionalcompressible flows.

Heat transfe r : Heat conduction; convection; radiation; multimode heat transfer.

Measurements and controls: Performance characteristics of motion, force, pressure, flow, andtemperature transducers; data analysis; performance specifications for control systems; stability anderror analysis techniques; controller concepts.

Mechanics of materials: Static equilibrium analysis of simple structures and machines; stress-strainanalysis of structural components under different load conditions; energy methods.

System dynamics and vibrations: Dynamic response of mechanical, fluid, thermal, and electricalelements; mechanical vibrations; frequency response and transfer functions; analytical methods forlinear systems.

Thermodynamics: Conservation and balance principles; properties and property relations; nonreactiveideal-gas mixtures; combustion, thermochemistry, and chemical equilibrium.

Examiners in each subject area evaluate the performance of all students in that elected area and grade theirperformance as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Admission to, or continuation in, the Doctoral Program isdecided according to the following criteria:

1. A student must receive satisfactory grades in each of the three elected areas to continue in or beadmitted to the Doctoral Program.

2. A student who receives three unsatisfactory grades on the first attempt will be denied admissionto, or further registration in, the Doctoral Program.

3. A student must, at the next offering, retake only those parts of the examination in which anunsatisfactory grade was received to in order to continue in the program.


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4. No student may take any part of the Qualifying Examination more than twice. A student who fails any part of the Qualifying Exam twice will be denied admittance to, or further registrationin, the Doctoral Program.

The Qualifying Examination Committee reports each students performance to the Graduate Studies

Committee Chair, which will communicate the results to the student and to the advisor. The decision on astudents qualifications to be admitted to, or continue in, the Doctoral Program is solely the responsibilityof the Graduate Studies Committee, which may take other factors into consideration.

VI.4 CANDIDACYEXAMINATION

The Candidacy Examination is a single examination consisting of a written portion and an oral portion. Theobjective of this examination is to test the students knowledge of the field and related areas of study,capacity to undertake independent research, and ability to think and express ideas clearly. It must be takenwithin three years of passing the Qualifying Examination. Students who do not take the Candidacy Examwithin the timeframe above will be dismissed from the program. In addition, no student is permitted totake the Candidacy Examination more than twice.

If a student fails the Candidacy Exam, the student must retake the Candidacy Exam within a year of the datethe Candidacy Exam was initially taken. Failure to take the Candidacy Exam within that allotted time framewill result in the student being dismissed from the program.

Students are expected to graduate within five years of passing the Candidacy Exam. Per the GraduateSchool rules, if a student fails to submit the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate School within fiveyears of being admitted to candidacy, his or her candidacy is cancelled. Before the cancellation of his or hercandidacy, the student may petition the Graduate School to obtain, at most, a one semester extension of the candidacy period.

If a students Candidacy is cancelled, with the approval of the advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee,the student may take a supplemental candidacy examination. The student is required to take the

supplemental Candidacy Exam by the end of the semester immediately following the cancellation of, or theone semester extension of, his or her candidacy. Failure to take the supplemental Candidacy Exam withinthat allotted time frame will result in the student being dismissed from the program.If the student passes this supplemental candidacy examination, the student is readmitted to candidacy andmust then complete a dissertation within two years. If the student fails to complete his or her dissertationby the end of this two-year period, he or she will be dismissed from the program.

VI.5 CANDIDACYEXAMINATION/D OCTORALCOMMITTEE

In consultation with their advisor, all students pursuing a Doctoral (PhD) degree must select their CandidacyExamination Committee which will consist of their advisor and three or more graduate faculty membersand they must identify them on the Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form prior to

submitting the form to the Graduate School. At least half of the members on the Candidacy ExaminationCommittee should be from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

The Candidacy Examination Committee for first-time examinees consists of the four person CandidacyExamination Committee. For second-time examinees, the Candidacy Examination Committee also includes aGraduate Faculty Representative (GFR) of the Graduate School. All members of the Candidacy ExaminationCommittee, including the GFR when applicable, are voting members.


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The Candidacy Examination Committee will also serve as your Doctoral committee. The Doctoral committeewill serve as the students Advisory Committee, Dissertation Committee, and Final Oral ExaminationCommittee. The students faculty advisor will serve as the Chair of the Doctoral committee.

VI.6 CHANGING THEMEMBERS OFYOUR CANDIDACYEXAMINATION COMMITTEE

Only the students advisor may request a change in the Candidacy Examination Committee membership bysubmitting a written request to the Graduate Studies Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee mustapprove changes in the Candidacy Examination Committee. If the Graduate Studies Committee approvesthe changes, the request will be forwarded to the Graduate School for the final decision.

VI.7 ADDING EXTERNAL(NON-OSU FACULTYMEMBERS) TO YOUR DOCTORALCOMMITTEE

Additional faculty members may be added to your Doctoral Committee at the discretion of the GraduateStudies Committee (Section VII.9 , Graduate School Handbook ).To add an external (non-OSU faculty)member to the Doctoral Committee, the student or the faculty advisor must submit a petition addressed tothe Graduate School to the ME Graduate Studies Committee Chair, including a brief rationale for theselection, and curriculum vitae of the external member. Upon approval by the ME Graduate Studies

Committee, the documents are forwarded to the Graduate School for final decision and notification to thestudent.

VI.8 CERTIFICATION OFCANDIDACYELIGIBILITY

Before the student can take the Candidacy Examination, the Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form (http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Notify.pdf ) with the names of the DoctoralCommittee members included, should be submitted to the MAE Graduate Program Administrator forcertification of the students eligibility for Candidacy, three weeks prior to the Oral Examination. Aftercertification, the Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form must be submitted to the GraduateSchool by their mandatory two-week notification deadline .

VI.9 WRITTENPORTION OF THECANDIDACYEXAMINATION The written portion of the Candidacy Examination is administered and evaluated by the studentsCandidacy Examination Committee. It must include the preparation of a comprehensive dissertationproposal by the student. The dissertation proposal should be concise and precise and should include thefollowing:

1. Title and abstract

2. Significance of the problem

3. Scope and objectives of the research

4. Literature review

5. Methodology

6. Expected results and conclusions

7. Expected contributions to the state of art or the literature
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The Candidacy Examination Committee is free to specify any reasonable length of dissertation proposal itfeels appropriate. However, if the proposal is longer than the NSF format (15 pages), a short documenteffectively summarizing the full proposal is expected. The dissertation proposal must be submitted to all members of the Candidacy Examination Committee for evaluation.

The Candidacy Examination Committee will evaluate the written examination, including the dissertation

proposal and the committee may ask the student to revise the proposal. An acceptable proposal is one thatwill result in a doctoral dissertation suitable for refereed journal publications.

If, based on evaluating the written examination, the Candidacy Examination Committee members see nopossibility for a satisfactory overall performance on the Candidacy Examination, the student may waive theright to take the oral examination. The Candidacy Examination Committee may not, however, deny astudent the opportunity to take the oral examination.

If the student decides to waive the right to take the oral examination, a written statement requesting thewaiver must be presented to the Candidacy Examination Committee. In such a case the CandidacyExamination Committee records an unsatisfactory on the Candidacy Examination Report form and returns itto the Graduate School with a copy of the students waiver request.

VI.10 ORALPORTION OF THECANDIDACYEXAMINATION

The oral portion of the examination lasts approximately two hours and is normally held within one monthof the written examination. It must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance, and the Graduate Schoolmust be notified of its proposed time and place by the advisor, using the Notification of CandidacyExamination form. The advisor is responsible for transmitting to every committee member the studentswritten portion of the general examination at least one week before the oral examination. A passing graderequires a unanimous vote of the committee.

Attendance at the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination is limited to the student and members of theCandidacy Examination Committee. Except when teleconferencing is involved, all members of theCandidacy Examination Committee must be present during the entire oral examination. According to

Graduate School rules, oral presentation of any proposal or other prepared materials must be made prior to, or after, the oral examination. Questioning of the student should occupy the entire period of theexamination. All committee members are expected to participate fully in the questioning during the courseof the examination and in the discussion of and decision on the result of the Candidacy Examination.

1. The written portion of the Candidacy Examination, which necessarily includes the dissertationproposal, must be graded by the dissertation committee. For second-time CandidacyExaminations, the dissertation proposal must be graded by the dissertation committee beforebeing sent to the Graduate Faculty Representative.

2. The student will make no formal or informal presentation during the two-hour oral examinationperiod. Any use of prepared materials must be limited and only in response to a specificquestion.

3. The candidate should expect questions that probe for a comprehensive knowledge of thecandidates dissertation proposal, research area, and graduate coursework. The student shoulddiscuss the scope of the questioning with each member of the committee before theexamination.

4. The candidate should submit the completed Candidacy Examination Report to the GraduateSchool after completion of the Oral Portion of the Candidacy Exam. A copy of the signed formmust be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.


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VI.11 M AINTAININGCANDIDACY

Note: The following policy was approved in Autumn Quarter 2008 and is effective for all students who wereadmitted to the Graduate School Autumn Quarter 2008 and after. See Section VII.8 of the Graduate School Handbook.

All students who successfully complete the doctoral candidacy examination will be required to be enrolledin every semester of their candidacy (summer excluded) until graduation. Students must be enrolled for atleast 3 credits per semester. While the Graduate School and the individual graduate programs will monitorthe enrollment of all post-candidacy students, it ultimately will be the responsibility of each student toensure that they are meeting the enrollment provisions of this policy.Post-candidacy students who do not enroll in a required semester will be withdrawn from active candidacystatus. A student whose candidacy status has been withdrawn will not be allowed to continue on in thedoctoral program until reinstated. A hold will be placed on the students university record preventing anyfurther registration or access to university resources. A student wishing to be reinstated to the doctoralprogram and active candidacy status will need to petition the Graduate Studies Committee in theirprogram. If approved, the Graduate Studies Chair of the program will send to the Graduate School a formalrequest to allow the student to resume studies and register. Non-enrollment does not interrupt a studentsfive year candidacy period.

Upon approval of a post-candidacy reinstatement, the student will be retroactively enrolled in everysemester of missed enrollment for three credits of 8999 research hours under their advisor. The studentwill be responsible for paying the past tuition charges as well as the current university per semester lateregistration penalty. All past due charges will need to be paid before the Graduate School will approve thestudent for any future enrollment.

Post-candidacy students who cannot continue in their doctoral program due to extenuating circumstancescan request a leave of absence from their doctoral studies on a semesterly basis for up to a maximumoverall leave period of one year. While there are many situations upon which a leave can be requested,such as the birth or adoption of a child or a serious medical condition, a leave will not be granted with the

sole reason of financial hardship. The initial request for a leave should be submitted by the student to theGraduate Studies Committee in the students home program. If the leave is approved at the program level,the Graduate Studies Chair will formally request the leave in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School. Arequest for a leave needs to be submitted before the actual leave period begins. Verification of circumstances should be included as part of the leave request. If a leave is granted, the students candidacyperiod will be paused until the student returns to continuous enrollment status.

Any student who was admitted to the Graduate School before Autumn Quarter, 2008 is not bound by thecontinuous enrollment policy. However, a student who is not enrolled for at least 2 years will need to bereinstated to their graduate program to resume doctoral studies. As a condition of reinstatement a studentwill be required to follow the continuous enrollment guidelines as a post-candidacy student regardless of when they were admitted to the Graduate School.

VI.12 GRADUATION FORDOCTORALSTUDENTS

In order to graduate with a Doctoral (PhD) degree, students must meet all requirements established by thedepartment (as outlined in this handbook) and the University (see Section VII.13 , Graduate School Handbook ). In order to graduate with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering a student must meet the minimumrequirements as stated in the BS-PhD Requirements section or the MS-PhD Requirements section,depending on which option is pursued.


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VI.13 APPLYING TOGRADUATE

An Application to Graduate Doctoral form must be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office nolater than the first Friday of the semester in which a student intends to graduate

http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/DoctoralGraduate.pdf

. In addition to theadvisor, at least three additional Doctoral Committee members must be listed on the Application toGraduate Doctoral form . Forms are available outside of the MAE Graduate Advising Offices or online at

the Graduate Schools website at .

VI.14 DISSERTATIONDRAFTAPPROVAL

A complete, typed dissertation draft must be submitted to the Candidacy Examination Committee (whichalso serves as the Dissertation Committee) for approval. The Doctoral Draft Approval/Notice of Final OralExamination form (http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Oral.pdf ), with committeesignatures, and certified by the MAE Graduate Advising Office, must be submitted to the Graduate Schoolno later than two weeks before the date of the Final Oral Examination.

VI.15 FINALORALEXAMINATION

The Final Oral Examination normally lasts two hours. The advisor schedules the examination by completingthe Notification of Final Oral Examination form. The Final Oral Examination Committee, with the advisor asthe Chair, also includes the following faculty members:

1. The students Candidacy Examination Committee, which also serves as the DissertationCommittee

2. A representative appointed at its discretion by the Graduate Studies Committee

3. The Graduate School Faculty Representative (GFR)

The final oral examination lasts approximately two hours. A presentation of the dissertation research by the

student is allowable. At least one hour of the two-hour examination period, however, must be allotted todiscussion of the research and to questions of and answers by the student. Local programs may developadditional local protocols and procedures (Section VII.10 , Graduate School Handbook ).

All members of the committee, including the Graduate School Representative, are voting members. Thestudent must submit the signed Final Dissertation Approval form and the Final Oral Examination Report tothe Graduate School. Copies of the signed forms along with a copy of the cover sheet of the Dissertationmust be submitted to the MAE Graduate Advising Office.

A student who has not completed his or her dissertation and final oral examination within four calendaryears after the Candidacy Examination must submit to the Doctoral Committee documentation of theprogress to date, the work remaining, and a schedule. This document must be approved by the DoctoralCommittee and forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee for action. If a student fails to submit the

final copy of the dissertation document to the Graduate School within five years of being admitted tocandidacy, his or her candidacy is cancelled per Graduate School rules. In such a case, with the approval of the advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee, the student may take a supplemental candidacyexamination. If the student passes this supplemental candidacy examination, the student is readmitted tocandidacy and must then complete a dissertation or D.M.A. document within two years (Section VII.8,Graduate School Handbook ). Students who do not complete the requirements above within theaforementioned timeframe will be dismissed from the program.
http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/DoctoralGraduate.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/DoctoralGraduate.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Oral.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Oral.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Oral.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/Doc_Oral.pdfhttp://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/DoctoralGraduate.pdf


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MECHANICALPHD PROGRAM CHECKLIST

F IRST Y EAR

Choose an advisor and submit the Notification of Graduate Advisor form to the MAE Graduate

Advising Office.

Complete and submit a tentative PhD Graduate Program Course Plan . (Course requirements dependupon whether or not you have a Masters degree)

Students with a Masters degree need to sign up to take the Qualifying Examinations no later than thesecond time it is offered. Remember to sign up for three elective areas out of the eight areas listedearlier in this guide. One of the examination subjects must be in your major research area.

SECONDY EAR( IF APPLICABLE )

Students with a Bachelors degree who are pursuing a PhD directly need to sign up to take theQualifying Examinations no later than the fourth time it is offered. Remember to sign up for threeelective areas out of the eight areas listed earlier in this guide. One of the examination subjects mustbe in your major research area.

W ITHIN T HREE Y EARS OF P ASSING THE QUALIFYINGE XAMS

Take the Candidacy Examination. Students who do not take the Candidacy Exam within this timeframewill be dismissed from the program.


Submit an Application to Graduate Doctoral form and an updated final PhD Graduate ProgramCourse Plan to the MAE Graduate Advising Office by the first Friday of the intended semester of graduation.

Have a draft of the dissertation approved by your Dissertation Committee.

Submit the Notification of Final Oral Examination form to the MAE Graduate Advising Office at leastthree (3) weeks before the exam. Once the form has been reviewed by the MAE Graduate AdvisingOffice submit the form to the Graduate School at least two weeks before the date of the Final OralExamination.

Inform all Mechanical Engineering faculty members and graduate students one week in advance of your Final Oral Examination.


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SECTION VII THE BS/MS PROGRAM

VII.1 THECOMBINED BS/MS PROGRAM

The purpose of the combined BS/MS program is to give exceptional OSU undergraduate students an

opportunity to double-count up to 12 credit hours depending on their program of study

(see section VII.3 )of their undergraduate technical elective courses toward a Master of Science (MS) degree in Mechanical orAeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, thus reducing the amount of time normally required tocomplete the MS degree.

VII.2 BS/MS PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

Students who have earned at least 90 total credit hours in the Department of Mechanical and AerospaceEngineering or other engineering related disciplines, and have a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher in allprevious undergraduate courses taken at Ohio State, may apply. Undergraduate students from rel

graduate programs handbook web

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