The Masters of Science degree in Energy and Mineral Engineering provides a rigorous yet flexible curriculum that can serve as either a professional degree for those interested in pursuing careers in industry or as a foundation for further graduate studies in a Ph.D. program. The program offers a solid foundation in the science, engineering, economics, and statistics relevant to energy and mining applications and state-of-the-art computational methods and laboratory experimental techniques. The options allow a student to specialize in one area of energy or mining, and the base option enables students to design their own individual program.
Thesis-Based M.S. Degree Requirements (30 Credits Total)
The required minimum number of total credits for the EME M.S. degree is 30, including six credits of research. Of the remaining twenty-four (24) credits, six (6) core program credits and twelve (12) option course credits are required. At least 18 of the required course credits for the graduate program must be at the 500 level. Students who choose not to select an option only need to meet the total credit and core program course requirements.
A critical component of the masters degree program is the experience of conducting original research with one of our faculty and their research groups. This research experience complements the coursework and builds valuable expertise. The culmination of the research project is the student's masters thesis, which is also required for the degree.
A thesis defense is required for the M.S. degree. Students select the thesis topic and together with their research adviser choose the most appropriate thesis committee. The thesis committee, consisting of the thesis adviser and at least two other graduate faculty members, will administer the final oral examination of the thesis. A majority of the committee shall be made up of faculty within the EME program.
Non-Thesis Based M.S. Degree Requirements (36 Credits Total)
Students are required to complete a minimum of 36 credits in total (at least 24 at the 500 level) including: 33 credits in course work and 3 credits for the completion of a culminating research experience. Within the 33 credits of coursework, M.S. students must take at least two extra courses (6 credits) from either the EME core course list (beyond the six credit core requirement) or their chosen graduate option list (beyond the option’s minimum requirement). The non-thesis culminating research experiences are:
- Paper-based M.S.: Students take three (3) credits of non-thesis research (EME 596, Individual Studies) and complete a satisfactory scholarly paper evaluated by adviser(s) and a reader.
- Course-based M.S.: Students take EME’s capstone research course: EME 580 (3): Methodology of Research in EME. This is an EME graduate course designed to create a research work product that demonstrates evidence of analytical thinking and synthesis of knowledge in the Energy and Mineral Engineering field. In this capstone research course, students will plan, conduct, and report research results. Students will be required to integrate the knowledge and experiences gained in the process of investigating their own topics and will be made aware that (i) their research is based on a common quantitative approach that includes mechanistic, thermodynamic and kinetic principles, together with a preliminary economic assessment of an engineering process, product or system; and (ii) this process is governed by a set of common ethics and integrity principles. Students will learn how to efficiently understand and explain the results available in the published literature, and apply this methodology to organize, present and discuss their own results by applying the essential principles of research ethics and integrity.
Required Core Program Course for M.S. Degree
M.S. students must take two (2) courses (6 credits of core courses) from this list.
- EME 501(3): Design Under Uncertainty in EME Systems
- EME 511(3): Interfacial Phenomena in EME Systems
- EME 521(3): Mathematical Modeling of EME Systems
- EME 531(3): Thermodynamics in EME Systems
- EME 551(3): Safety, Health, and Environmental Risks in EME Production
EME Options for Course of Study
Students are not required to choose an option and may complete the base program in EME. However, a student who desires disciplinary identity may choose from among the following available graduate options: