In addition to meeting the requirements of the university as described in the Graduate Education section of this catalog, students must meet the requirements specified below.
Admission
Regular Status. Admission to a master's degree program with regular status may be granted by the department, subject to the availability of resources and to the approval of the dean, upon consideration of the likelihood that the applicant will be able to pursue a master's program successfully without taking collateral courses. As evidence of eligibility for admission, the student may offer any of the following:
- The possession of a bachelor's degree in an accredited program in engineering with a grade–point average not lower than 3.00 for the final two years of the undergraduate program, or with standing in the upper quarter of the graduating class in the student's major.
- The possession of a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field where the applicant has shown very high academic achievement, as certified by the department.
- Evidence of ability and resolution to complete a master's program, as attested by the department upon review of the applicant's academic record, test scores, experience, reference statements, professional qualifications, proposed studies, and other relevant information.
Provisional Status. Admission to a master's degree program with provisional status may be granted by the department, subject to the approval of the dean:
- To an applicant qualified for regular admission except that collateral courses are deemed necessary, or
- To an applicant whose record is incomplete.
If collateral courses are required, the minimum acceptable grades and the semesters by which those courses must be completed will be specified on the admission form. The provisional status will be changed to regular status when the conditions specified on the admission form have been met, as certified by the department and approved by the dean.
Program Filing
The student's program of study must be approved before the student completes 6 credits of graduate work in order for the student to continue to enroll in the master's degree program.
For any independent study or selected topics course that is included in the student's approved program of study, the subject material and the instructor must be specified.
Modification of Program
With reference to the student's approved program of study, none of the following types of changes will be approved:
- Adding or deleting a course for which a grade has already been assigned under any of the three grading systems (numerical, Pass–No Grade, or Credit–No Credit).
- Adding or deleting a course for which grading was postponed by the use of the DF–Deferred marker.
- Adding or deleting a course which the student dropped after the middle of the semester and for which “W” or “N” or “0.0" was designated.
- Adding or deleting a course during the final semester of enrollment in the master's degree program.
Requirements for the Master of Science Degree
The student must:
- Complete a minimum of 30 credits in 400–, 800–, and 900–level courses under either Plan A (with thesis) or Plan B (without thesis). Courses below the 400 level may not be counted toward the requirements for the degree.
- Requirements for Plan A: The student must:
- Complete a minimum of 20 credits in courses at the 800–900 level.
- Complete at least 4, but not more than 8, credits in Master's Thesis Research (course number 899 in the department of the student's major).
- Provide to the major professor and to the department a hard–bound copy of the thesis made from the original unbound manuscript submitted to the Office of The Graduate School. Arrangements for delivery of the copies shall be made when the original manuscript is submitted to the Office of The Graduate School.
- Requirements for Plan B: The student must:
- Complete a minimum of 18 credits in courses at the 800–900 level.
- Pass the final certifying examination administered by the student's department. It is the student's responsibility to obtain detailed information about this examination from the department.
Academic Standards
- Grades. The student must earn a grade of 2.0 or higher in each course in the approved program of study. The student must repeat any course for which the grade earned was below 2.0.
- Cumulative Grade–Point Average. The student must maintain a cumulative grade–point average of at least 3.00 in the courses in the approved program of study.
- Probational Status. A student is placed on probational status if the student's cumulative grade–point average for the courses in the approved program of study is below 3.00. A student in probational status is not allowed to carry more than 7 credits per semester or to enroll in any course the primary focus of which is independent study.
- Retention In and Dismissal From the Program.
- Cumulative Grade–Point Average. Should a student's cumulative grade–point average fall below 3.00 after having completed 16 or more credits in courses in the approved program of study, the student may be enrolled in probational status in the master's degree program for one additional semester. If at the end of the additional semester the student's cumulative grade–point average is 3.00 or higher, the student may continue to enroll in the master's degree program. If at the end of the additional semester the student's cumulative grade–point average is still below 3.00, the student will be dismissed from the program.
- Academic Progress and Professional Potential. Each student's academic progress and professional potential are evaluated by March 15 of each year. A student who in the judgment of the faculty is making satisfactory academic progress and has professional potential may continue to enroll in the master's degree program. A student who in the judgment of the faculty is not making satisfactory academic progress or lacks professional potential will be dismissed from the program.
Transfer Credits
As a member of the Michigan Coalition for Engineering Education (MCEE), Michigan State University will accept up to one less than half of the course credits required for the Master of Science degree program in the College of Engineering in transfer from other MCEE member institutions provided that (1) the student earned a grade of at least 3.0, or the equivalent, in the related courses; (2) the credits were not earned in research or thesis courses; and (3) the total number of credits accepted in transfer from MCEE member institutions and from other institutions does not exceed one less than half of the credits required.