Mechanical Engineering

Real-World Design

The mechanical engineering graduate program plays pivotal roles in the economy of the region, leading initiatives in technology and preparing a new generation of innovators.

The educational programs are all capped off with industry sponsored real world design problems, resulting in working prototypes designed and constructed by interdisciplinary teams of student engineers. Students also have the opportunity to work on leading edge research, presenting and publishing research results along with our world-class research faculty.

Meet Joseph

Between 15-18 billion apples are harvested every year in Washington state for fresh market consumption, but often farmers can’t find enough people to pick the fruit. Joseph Davidson, a Mechanical Engineering doctoral student at WSU Tri-Cities, is working with engineers and scientists to create a practically adoptable robot that will pick apples as efficiently as people. Read more…

To be admitted to the Master’s or Doctoral program  at WSU Tri-Cities you must:

Submit an online application to the Graduate School, that includes:

  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • One-page statement of purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation (be prepared to enter recommender’s name and email address)
  • Official GRE score and TOEFL score (if applicable)

The MS program in Mechanical Engineering typically takes two years to complete.

Students have two options for completing the program- the thesis or non-thesis options (described below).

Thesis Option

In order to satisfy MME requirements, the program must contain:

  • A minimum of 21 credit hours of the following graded coursework:
    • 3 credit hours of Math 540
    • 15 credit hours of 500-level ME or MSE courses (minimum) (at least 9 of these must be ME courses)
    • A maximum of 6 credit hours can be non-graduate graded coursework at the 300- and 400-level
    • 6 credit hours of additional courses approved by the student’s advisor
  • A minimum of 4 credit hours of ME 700
    • All programs must satisfy both MME and Graduate School minimum requirements, including the minimum total of 30 credit hours.

    Non-thesis

    The program must contain:

    • A minimum of 27 credit hours of the following graded coursework:
      • 3 credit hours of Math 540
      • 12 credit hours of 500-level ME or MSE courses (minimum) (at least 9 of these must be ME courses)
      • A maximum of 9 credit hours can be non-graduate graded coursework at the 300- and 400-level
      • 12 credit hours of additional courses approved by the student’s advisor
      • A minimum of 4 credit hours of ME 702

    All programs must satisfy both the MME minimum total credits requirement of 31 and the Graduate School minimum total credits requirement of 30.

Students must apply for admission to the Pullman campus. However, by selecting a WSU Tri-Cities resident faculty member as adviser, a student may complete all the requirements of the program by staying at the Tri-Cities campus. Please contact Professor Joseph Iannelli to learn more about this Ph.D. program.

Course Work

  • Graded graduate coursework: 4 credit hours
  • Math 540 or equivalent: 3 credit hours
  • 500-level ME or MSE courses: 12 credit hours
  • Courses approved by advisor: 9 credit hours
  • ME 800 (dissertation): 20 credit hours

B. Successful completion of a preliminary examination, including a research proposal and an oral exam, prepared and administered by the student’s Advisory Committee one or two semesters before semester of final defense.

C. A final examination and defense of the Dissertation.

For more information, refer to the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Graduate Student Handbook and the WSU Graduate School Policies & Procedures Manual.

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