Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Concentration, M.E.

Program Overview

The Master of Engineering (M.E.) degree program was initiated at TSU in Fall 1979. It has six concentrations: Biomedical Engineering (currently in hiatus), Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Manufacturing Engineering. The Biomedical and Electrical Engineering concentrations are administered through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Environmental and Civil engineering concentrations are administered through the Department of Civil Engineering, and the Mechanical and Manufacturing engineering concentrations are administered via the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.

To be admitted to the M.E. program, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science from an accredited program and must have the necessary prerequisite courses. If the evaluation of a student’s undergraduate degree program reveals prerequisite deficiencies, the student must eliminate them by satisfactorily completing each of the prerequisite courses prescribed before unconditional status is achieved. None of the courses used to eliminate undergraduate deficiencies may be used in the student’s program of study for the Master of Engineering degree.

For admission with unconditional classification, in addition to the above, the student must possess a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students can be admitted with conditional classification if they possess a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 or a GPA between 2.50 and 2.74 and a passing score of 70 on the Fundamental of Engineering (FE) examination. All students applying for admission must submit a completed Graduate Application form and two copies of transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended to the Graduate School.

Students in the M.E. degree program take common core courses and additional courses based on their enrolled concentration. Admission of all degree seeking students to candidacy for the degree occurs after the completion of nine (9) graduate credit hours in residence at TSU. A student must complete a minimum of thirty-three (33) graduate semester hours of course work, including at least six (6) credit hours of mathematics, three (3) credit hours of laboratory-based courses, three (3) credit hours of special problems in engineering applications (design project), and six (6) credit hours of electives with the consent of the advisor. The curricula for each concentration will be presented in a subsequent section.

Program Outcomes

The learning outcomes for the M.E. program are:

1. Students will be able to apply fundamental engineering concepts to solve mechanical engineering problems.
2. Electrical Engineering Students will be able to design, implement, and evaluate solutions to an electrical engineering problem(s).
3. Students will be able to effectively communicate technical information related to solving a civil engineering problem(s) to an audience of engineering professionals.

Admission Requirements

For unconditional admission to the Master of Engineering degree program, the student must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science from an accredited program and must have the prerequisite courses. If the evaluation of a student’s undergraduate degree program reveals prerequisite deficiencies, the student must eliminate them by satisfactorily completing each of the prerequisite courses prescribed before unconditional status is achieved. None of the courses used to eliminate undergraduate deficiencies may be used in the student’s program of study for the Master of Engineering degree.

For admission with unconditional classification, in addition to the above, the student must possess a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.

For admission with conditional classification, in addition to the above, the student must have a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 or a GPA between 2.50 and 2.74 and a passing score of 70 on the Fundamental of Engineering (FE) examination.

All students applying for admission must submit to the Graduate School a completed Graduate Application form and two copies of transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended.

Important Dates

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester                        July 1st 

Spring Semester                    November 1st

Summer Semester                 April 1st 

Registration Deadlines

Fall Semester                       Feb 15 - Apr 12, 2025

Maymester                           March 10-May 5, 2025

Summer Semester               Mar 23 - Apr 27, 2025

Spring Semester                  Oct. 23, 2025 - Jan. 9, 2026

Program Duration

Usually, a student needs about four (4) semesters to complete the coursework. Most students can finish the report/thesis within these two years, but sometimes, students need to take one or two semesters more to finish their report/thesis.

Transfer of Credits

At the master’s level, a student may transfer a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours or eighteen (18) quarter hours of graduate credit. At the specialist’s and doctoral level, a maximum of six (6) semester hours may be transferred. Only courses in which the student earned grades “B” or better, and which are taken within the degree program time limit, will be considered for transfer.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Engineering degree requires

1. Admission of all degree seeking students to candidacy for the degree after the completion of nine (9) graduate credit hours in residence at the University.
2. A minimum of thirty-three (33) graduate semester hours of coursework, including at least six (6) credit hours of mathematics, three (3) credit hours of laboratory-based courses, three (3) credit hours of special problems in engineering applications (design project), and six (6) credit hours of electives with the consent of the advisor.

Substitution within the core courses may be permitted with the consent of the advisor and the department head.

Accreditation Information

Master of Engineering program is a non-accredited degree. Non-accreditable graduate programs in Tennessee must undergo either an academic audit or external peer review on a pre-approved review cycle. Program Review Rubric lists the criteria used to evaluate a program. This rubric consists of 32 criteria. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) uses these criteria to assess standards and distribute points to graduate programs. A self-study report is usually prepared to comprehensively review the Master of Engineering (M.E.) degree program in the College of Engineering at Tennessee State University (TSU).

Career Opportunities

Most of the students who graduated from the M.E. program secure jobs in the industry. Some students continue in the PhD programs.

Faculty Credentials

All faculty who teach in the College of Engineering meet the SACSCOC guidelines for credentials, per review of their transcripts and credentials by the College of Engineering and the Division of Academic Affairs. They hold Ph.D. degrees from respected institutions in areas related to the concentrations they teach. They have also been reviewed by the Graduate Council and certified as Graduate Faculty. Further, as all of the engineering undergraduate degree programs are accredited by ABET, these faculty also possess the credentials and licenses deemed appropriate for their respective programs at the undergraduate level.

Program Coordinator/Contact Information

Muhammad K. Akbar, PhD, PE
Professor & Interim Chair
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department
Torrence Hall, Room ET-136
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd
Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1561
Phone: 615-963-5392
makbar@tnstate.edu