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DEGREE Engineering Mechanics: Research, MS

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Master’s degree in engineering mechanics

As a master’s student in our traditional engineering mechanics major, you’ll gain additional understanding of several areas within the mechanics of materials and astronautics—among them, continuum mechanics, computational mechanics, dynamics and vibration, fluid mechanics, nanomechanics, solid mechanics, and biomechanics.

View department Graduate handbook

At a glance

Mechanical engineering department

Facts & stats
13
undergraduate ranking among public universities in mechanical engineering
8
graduate ranking among public universities in mechanical engineering
31M
average annual research funding

Learn more about what information you need to apply.

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Fall Deadline December 15
Spring Deadline September 1
Summer Deadline December 15
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Not required.*
English Proficiency Test Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241.
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) n/a
Letters of Recommendation Required 3
*

Submitted scores will not be used in admission decisions.

Applicant Considerations

Applicants to our program should have the following:

  1. Degree
    1. ​Bachelor of Science in engineering, mathematics, or physical science and an undergraduate record that indicates an ability to successfully pursue graduate study. 
    2. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited US bachelor’s degree. Review the Graduate School webpage to learn more about comparable degrees by country. 
  2. GPA​
    1. The minimum required GPA is 3.0/4.0 on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours from the most recent bachelor’s degree or a completed master’s degree with a minimum of 3.0/4.0. 
  3. Faculty Advisor​
    1. Applicants must seek out and secure their own faculty advisor as part of the application process. This may be done prior to, during, and/or after submission of the online application.
    2. To seek out a faculty advisor, review the department Research and People websites. Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors are eligible to be graduate advisors. Please do not contact Emeritus faculty, lecturers, Research Scientists, or Faculty Associates. 
    3. You are encouraged to inquire about possible funding opportunities. (See Funding tab in the right-side column on this page for funding information.)
  4. Recommended Preparatory Courses
    1. It is highly recommended applicants take courses that cover the same material as these UW-Madison courses before entering the program. 
    2. Applicants may be admitted without having taken these courses, however, in such cases the applicant must inform their faculty advisor who will then help them select the correct courses to include the required background for the program.
Advanced Mathematics3
MATH 319
Techniques in Ordinary Differential Equations
or MATH 320
 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
or MATH 321
 Applied Mathematical Analysis 1: Vector and Complex Calculus
Linear Algebra and Matrices3
MATH 320
Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
or MATH 340
 Elementary Matrix and Linear Algebra
Mechanics of Materials3
E M A 303
Mechanics of Materials
Dynamics3
E M A 202
Dynamics
or PHYSICS 311
 Mechanics

Application Materials

In addition to the items listed in the table above, a complete application includes the following uploaded to the online application. The submitted application and all application items are due by the deadline above. 

  1. Unofficial Transcripts (PDF)
    1. ​Most up-to-date unofficial transcript(s) from all previous higher education institutions, regardless of whether a degree was earned. Official transcripts are only requested of recommended applicants.
    2. International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Review the minimum requirements link above to learn more. 
  2. Statement of Purpose
    1. ​In this document, applicants should explain why they want to pursue further education in Engineering Mechanics, specifically this program, research interests, and which UW faculty they are interested in working with.
    2. The applicant must specifically state within this document which track they have chosen to follow in the curriculum: the thesis track or the non-thesis track. 
    3. The program does not have a required font, word limit, etc. However, we do recommend (not require) a maximum of 2 pages.
    4. See the Graduate School for more advice on how to structure a personal statement.
  3. Resume​
  4. Three Letters of Recommendation
    1. ​These letters are required from people who can accurately reflect on the applicant’s academics and/or work performance. It is highly recommended these letters be from faculty familiar with the applicant.
    2. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically through the online application.
    3. See the Graduate School FAQs regarding letters of recommendation. 
  5. Application Fee
    1. ​Application submission must be accompanied by the application fee. See the Graduate School FAQs regarding fees. 
    2. Fee grants are available through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School.

Reentry Admissions

Review the Graduate School requirements for previously enrolled students. Contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link) with questions. 

Currently Enrolled Graduate Student Admissions

Students currently enrolled as graduate students at UW-Madison wishing to apply to this degree programs should contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link) to inquire about the process and deadlines. 

Questions

Contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link).

Tuition

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Funding

Graduate School Resources

The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

There are three mechanisms for Graduate Student funding through the university for MS Engineering Mechanics: Research students:

  1. Fellowships
  2. Graduate assistantships: project assistantships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships
  3. Traineeships 

Funding is awarded based on the qualifications of the student, the number of applicants, the amount of available funding, the number of continuing students receiving support, and the degree program a student is enrolled in. Fellowship and research assistantship funding is only considered for thesis-based MS students. You can apply for funding for research assistantships by contacting individual faculty members directly. Review our website to look for faculty (only those listed with titles of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor can serve as graduate student advisors). Search for faculty who have research interests that align closely with your own by viewing faculty directory entries, visiting the faculty’s website (linked from the directory page), and reviewing publications by the faculty member. After you have identified faculty with interests close to your own, you are encouraged to contact them by email to inquire regarding available research assistant positions. The admissions office does not know if a particular professor has research assistant positions available.

Students who apply to the MS Research program will be automatically considered for fellowship opportunities within the department. Admitted students will be eligible to apply for Teaching Assistantship positions. More information, including the application, will be available to students after admission is complete.

More information on graduate student funding is available from the UW-Madison Graduate School.

Additional Resources

Office of Student Financial Aid

For information regarding student financial aid, scholarships, and more, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid website. 

International Student Services Funding and Scholarships

For information regarding international student funding and scholarships, visit the International Student Services website.

In the Engineering Mechanics graduate research programs, students push the boundaries of fundamental knowledge in fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, and dynamics while working on problems with direct relevance to societal needs–like clean energy, aerospace, human health, and materials discovery–and with direct access to state-of-the art experimental and computational laboratories.

View our research

Minimum graduate school requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Curricular Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement 30 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement 16 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement 15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244.
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.00 GPA required.
Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203.
Other Grade Requirements Students must earn a C or above in all formal coursework.

Students may not have more than two incompletes on their record at any one time.
Assessments and Examinations A thesis is not required for a master’s degree in Engineering Mechanics. Credit for master’s research (E M A 790) will be granted toward meeting the MS requirements only when a formal MS thesis is submitted and approved by the thesis committee. If submitting a MS thesis, a thesis Oral Defense is required. Candidates must pass an oral exam administered by a three-member committee, selected by the student’s advisor. At least two of the committee members must be members of the UW-Madison Graduate Faculty. (For more information, see https://grad.wisc.edu/documents/committees/.) Typically, the student presents an overview of their thesis/research, and then the examiners ask questions in closed session. See the Graduate School’s information https://grad.wisc.edu/current-students/masters-guide/ and note the requirement for an advisor approval page.
Language Requirements No language requirements.

Required Courses

The program requires 30 credits of technical coursework approved by the student’s advisor. All courses must be numbered 500 or above, except for the 400-level courses identified in the pre-defined course lists. Technical coursework is defined as courses in Engineering departments, Physics, Math, Statistics, Computer Science, Medical Physics, and Chemistry. Other courses may be deemed appropriate by a student’s faculty advisor.

Seminar Requirement
Two terms of seminar, successfully completed, are required. These should be taken in the first two terms of enrollment. Passing/satisfactory grades are required for both terms.
M E 903
Graduate Seminar (taken twice)
General 1
At least 15 credits must be taken in courses numbered 600 and above OR from the following list:15
E M A 422
Aerodynamics Laboratory
E M A 423
Flight Dynamics and Control
E M A/​CIV ENGR/​M E  508
Composite Materials
E M A 519
Fracture Mechanics
E M A/​M E  540
Experimental Vibration and Dynamic System Analysis
E M A/​M S & E  541
Heterogeneous and Multiphase Materials
E M A/​E P  547
Engineering Analysis I
E M A/​E P  548
Engineering Analysis II
E M A/​M E  570
Experimental Mechanics
Mathematics Requirements 1
Students must take at least 3 credits (1 course) from the following list:3
E M A/​E P  547
Engineering Analysis I
E M A/​E P  548
Engineering Analysis II
MATH 519
Ordinary Differential Equations
MATH 521
Analysis I
MATH 522
Analysis II
MATH 540
Linear Algebra II
MATH 619
Analysis of Partial Differential Equations
MATH 623
Complex Analysis
MATH 703
Methods of Applied Mathematics 1
MATH 704
Methods of Applied Mathematics-2
MATH/​COMP SCI  714
Methods of Computational Mathematics I
MATH/​COMP SCI  715
Methods of Computational Mathematics II
Breadth Requirement 1
Five courses are required to complete the Breadth Requirement. Students must select two of the three area lists below (Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Dynamic) and complete two courses in each of the two area lists. A fifth course must be completed and may be from any of the three area lists. Across the 5 courses, at least 3 courses must be identified with an *.
Solid Mechanics
E M A 406
Aerospace Structures *
E M A/​CIV ENGR/​M E  508
Composite Materials
E M A 519
Fracture Mechanics *
E M A/​M S & E  541
Heterogeneous and Multiphase Materials *
E M A/​M E  570
Experimental Mechanics
E M A 605
Introduction to Finite Elements *
E M A 611
Advanced Mechanical Testing of Materials *
E M A/​E P  615
Micro- and Nanoscale Mechanics *
E M A 630
Viscoelastic Solids *
E M A 700
Theory of Elasticity *
E M A/​M E  703
Plasticity Theory and Physics
E M A 705
Advanced Topics in Finite Elements *
E M A/​M E  708
Advanced Composite Materials
E M A 710
Mechanics of Continua
E M A/​M E  722
Introduction to Polymer Rheology
M E/​B M E  516
Finite Elements for Biological and Other Soft Materials
M E 753
Friction, Lubrication and Wear
Fluid Mechanics
E M A 421
Aerodynamics *
E M A 426
Aerospace Propulsion *
E M A 710
Mechanics of Continua
M E 563
Intermediate Fluid Dynamics *
E M A/​M E  425
Gasdynamics *
M E 573
Computational Fluid Dynamics *
M E 769
Combustion Processes
M E 770
Advanced Experimental Instrumentation
M E 774
Chem Kinetics of Combust Systems
M E/​CIV ENGR/​E M A  775
Turbulent Heat and Momentum Transfer
MATH 705
Mathematical Fluid Dynamics
Dynamics
E M A 423
Flight Dynamics and Control *
E M A/​M E  440
Mechanical Vibrations
E M A 442
Advanced Dynamics *
E M A 450
Orbital Mechanics
E M A/​M E  540
Experimental Vibration and Dynamic System Analysis *
E M A 610
Structural Finite Element Model Validation *
E M A 642
Satellite Dynamics *
E M A 745
Advanced Methods in Structural Dynamics *
E M A 747
Nonlinear and Random Mechanical Vibrations *
M E/​E C E  577
Automatic Controls Laboratory
M E 740
Advanced Vibrations
M E 747
Advanced Computer Control of Machines and Processes
or M E/​E C E  733
 Advanced Computer Control of Machines and Processes
M E 748
Optimum Design of Mechanical Elements and Systems
Depth Requirement 1
At least 2 courses (6 credits) must be numbered 700 or above in mechanics, from the following list:6
Any E M A course except E M A 790, E M A 890, or E M A 990.
E M A 601 Special Topics courses may only be counted as course numbered 700 or above if designated as such by the instructor.
CBE 720
Microhydrodynamics, Brownian Motion, and Complex Fluids
CIV ENGR/​G L E  730
Engineering Properties of Soils
MATH 705
Mathematical Fluid Dynamics
M E 740
Advanced Vibrations
M E 746
Dynamics of Controlled Systems
or M E/​E C E  732
 Dynamics of Controlled Systems
M E 747
Advanced Computer Control of Machines and Processes
M E 748
Optimum Design of Mechanical Elements and Systems
M E 751
Advanced Computational Dynamics
M E 753
Friction, Lubrication and Wear
M E 768
Precision Measurements
M E 769
Combustion Processes
M E 770
Advanced Experimental Instrumentation
M E 774
Chem Kinetics of Combust Systems
M E/​CIV ENGR/​E M A  775
Turbulent Heat and Momentum Transfer
Independent Study
At least 3 credits of the following course is required of all students. A maximum of 6 credits may be applied toward minimum degree requirements.3-6
E M A 599
Independent Study
Thesis Credits
Thesis credits are not required to meet minimum degree requirements. However, they may be used to satisfy degree requirements ONLY if a thesis is written and defended. Students utilizing thesis credits may use a maximum of 12 credits E M A 599 and E M A 790, combined, toward the minimum degree requirement.0-9
E M A 790
Master’s Research and Thesis
Additional Optional Seminar Credits
A maximum of 3 seminar credits, as deemed appropriate by faculty advisor, may be applied to the minimum degree requirements. These optional seminar credits are in addition to the required two terms of M E 903 Graduate Seminar.0-3
Total Credits30
1

Courses used to satisfy the following degree requirements may overlap: General, Mathematics Requirement, Breadth Requirement, Depth Requirement.

Pathway

Students must select to follow either the thesis pathway or the independent study pathway. These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript. 

Graduate Student Services
emgradadmission@engr.wisc.edu
3182 Mechanical Engineering
1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706

Associate Chair for Graduate Studies
grad.chair@me.wisc.edu

View the Graduate Guide for program-specific information on policies, rules and regulations.
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