MEAM MSE Requirements

MEAM Curriculum

To earn an MSE degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), a student must complete 10 graduate-level (5000 or above) courses and 2 semesters of seminar.

Engineering Mathematics (2) Graduate-Level ENM, MATH, or Pre-Approved Courses
MEAM Concentration Core (3) MEAM Courses

  • 1 MEAM Concentration Required Course
  • 2 MEAM Concentration Core Courses (from list)
MEAM Electives (2) MEAM Graduate-Level Courses

(any MEAM course except MEAM 5990 or MEAM 6990)

General (Free) Electives (3) Graduate-Level Courses
Seminar Requirement

(Full time students only)

(2) Semesters of MEAM 6990

(or 1 semester of MEAM 6990 and 1 semester of EAS 8960 for international students)

Total 10 Courses + 2 Seminars

See the MEAM Course Catalog or the MEAM MSE Course Planning Worksheets to see the list of courses in the MEAM MSE curriculum.

 

Engineering Mathematics Requirement

Students are required to take two (2) graduate-level engineering math courses.

Engineering Math courses may be any 5000+ level ENM or MATH courses, as well as courses chosen from the approved list.

MEAM Concentration Core Courses

Students are required to take at least three (3) graduate-level MEAM courses in their declared concentration.

  • 1 required course, based on each concentration area.
  • 2 additional courses from the Concentration Core.

MEAM Electives

Students are required to take two (2) additional graduate-level MEAM courses. These can include additional courses from the Concentration Core lists.

  • MEAM 5970 (Master’s Thesis Option) may count for up to 2 MEAM Elective Courses.

General (Free) Electives

Students are required to take three (3) graduate-level courses that are relevant to the student’s career goals or to their subdiscipline of interest.

  • Students may reference a list of suggested General (Free) Elective courses for each concentration.
  • Students may take any graduate-level Penn Engineering course to fulfill this requirement, including additional MEAM courses with approval from their faculty advisor.
  • Students may count graduate-level courses outside of Penn Engineering with approval from their faculty advisor and the Master’s Program Chair.
  • Students may take up to two independent study courses (MEAM 5990). Independent study courses must follow the guidelines detailed in this manual and may only be counted as General (Free) Elective Courses.
  • Students writing a Master’s Thesis cannot take an independent study course for additional degree credit.

Seminar Requirement

Full-time MEAM MSE students (students completing the MEAM MSE within 2 years or a Dual Degree within 3 years) and Accelerated Master’s students must attend departmental and/or professional seminars for 2 semesters.

  • Students should take MEAM 6990.
  • International students may count EAS 8960 towards this requirement during their third semester if they need to reach full-time status for their visa requirements.

Concentrations

The MEAM MSE program has five (5) Concentrations of study. Students should choose a concentration area by their second semester of study. Students may change their concentration at any time during their course of study. Please read descriptions of each of the concentrations below, and visit the MEAM Course Catalog to see which classes are counted in each concentration.

Students can use the MEAM MSE Course Planning Worksheets to help plan out their curriculum plan. Students should use this form ahead of registration, and for meetings with their Faculty Advisor.

Design and Manufacturing

Global business trends have created a demand for companies to rapidly develop new products at lower costs. In response to these demands companies have been exploring new methods to decrease costs, increase productivity, and create innovative products. In keeping with the needs of local industry the graduate courses below prepare students for careers in Product Design and Manufacturing. Students in the program will study topics such as mechatronics, CAD, computer graphics, industrial design, product design, materials engineering, manufacturing processes, assembly, tolerances, design analysis, plant/process modeling and design, robotics, electrical systems, mechanical systems, controls, intellectual property, and management skills. Graduates of the program will be prepared to be leaders in the global manufacturing environment. Much of our work involves collaborations with, among others, the Departments of Computer and Information Science, Electrical and Systems Engineering as well as the School of Design and the Wharton School of Business Administration.

Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, and Energy

Aerospace engineering, materials fabrication and manufacturing, cooling of microelectronic equipment, energy conversion and power generation, and thermal control and treatment of living organisms are critically important in today’s economy. Our program in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and energy is designed to provide the basic tools for dealing with these and other problems of current and future technological interest. The program maintains close collaboration with the departments of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Electrical and Systems Engineering, and Materials Science.

Mechanics of Materials

The development of new technologies often depends critically on the availability of materials systems capable of withstanding extreme thermomechanical loading conditions. Current examples are provided by the development of advanced engines in the aerospace industry and the design of microchips that are resistant to thermal cycling in the microelectronics industry. In addition, new technologies, such as biomedical technologies, often require the development and understanding of completely new classes of materials systems. The Penn MEAM MSE in Mechanics of Materials is designed to provide the fundamental tools needed to tackle these and other problems of current and future technological interest. These include basic courses in continuum mechanics, elasticity, and plasticity, as well as more advanced ones in fracture, composite materials, biomechanics, and atomistic modeling of materials. The program maintains close collaborations with the Material Science Department and with the bio-medical community.

Mechatronic and Robotic Systems

Ongoing effort in mechanical systems focuses on modeling and controlling dynamical systems, especially as applied to mechatronic and robotic systems. The graduate courses provide students with a firm theoretical foundation and the interdisciplinary experimental skills that are necessary for dealing with modern-day complex systems. Much of our work involves collaborations with Computer and Information Science and Electrical and Systems Engineering, as well as the Wharton School of Business Administration.

Micro/Nano Systems

Micro/Nano systems is a broad field encompassing the design, development, and fabrication of devices and systems that derive unique functionality due to the small size of key components within them. Examples of such systems include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanoelectronic devices, and microfluidics. Mechanical Engineering plays a central role in all of these systems, such as the mechanical design of MEMS-based sensors and the understanding of heat transfer in nanoelectronics. The graduate courses in this area of concentration provide students with a solid theoretical foundation, knowledge of micro/nano-fabrication techniques, and skills to design micro/nano systems.

Declare Your MEAM MSE Concentration

MEAM MSE students must officially declare their concentrations before they graduate. Students must themselves declare their concentrations – MEAM staff and faculty cannot do this for students.

 

Directions to Declare Your Concentration

  1. Please visit the Path Forms site.
  2. Select “Declare/Update Field of Study” (the first form in the list).
  3. In this form, select “Adding an additional major, concentration, track or minor”
  4. Under Major, select “Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM)”
  5. Select the appropriate concentration and submit the form.

Curriculum Change Request

Any exceptions from the rules described above will be handled by petition. MEAM MSE students may petition to customize their course plan, after receiving guidance and approval from their Faculty Advisor, by submitting a MEAM MSE Academic Program Request.