Contact Us

Research Areas

Resources in Mechanical Engineering

Resources at Rice University

Jobs/Professional Development Opportunities

Site Map

Department Login

The following regulations concerning graduate study in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Department (MEMS) are in addition to the regulations and deadlines described in the Rice University General Announcements. Students are responsible for meeting both the university and department requirements and deadlines.

Any questions concerning these regulations or their interpretation should be directed to the Director of Graduate Studies in the MEMS Department, or the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

I.     GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A)       Degrees offered: The MEMS Department offers professional masters degrees (MME and MMS), a master of science degree (MS), and a PhD degree. An automatic master's degree is not offered to PhD degree candidates in the department.

B)   Progress review: Earning an advanced degree implies a high level of scholastic performance. In order to evaluate progress, the records of each graduate student will be reviewed at the end of each academic semester. If the results of this review are not satisfactory, the department will either specify additional course or study requirements.

C)   Grades: No credit toward an advanced degree will be given for courses in which a grade of D  or F is received. The record of a graduate student who receives a failing grade in a course will be reviewed, and the department will make specific recommendations regarding further study at the university. In general, a graduate student will be expected to earn grades of B or better in at least 50% of all courses taken (including those in which a grade of D or F is received for the first attempt.).

D)   Course level: Graduate credit will not be given to mechanical engineering graduate students for courses that are required for a BS degree in mechanical engineering at Rice. This rule does not necessarily apply to materials science graduate students, who can petition the department to take certain undergraduate courses for graduate credit. For the materials science majors, up to six semester hours of 400 level courses can be counted toward an advanced degree with advisor and department's approval. Whether or not the petition is granted depends on the individual's background.

E)   Credit transfer: If a student wishes to have graduate courses taken at another university counted for credit toward an advanced degree offered by the department, he/she should petition the department in writing, listing not only the grades earned but also describing the courses involved. These courses must have been in addition to the requirements for all degrees received from the previous institution(s). The decision as to credits transferred rests with the department.

F)    Independent Study: For all MEMS programs and degrees, during a student’s entire graduate studies in the MEMS department, for every 24 semester hours of required coursework, no more than 6 of those semester hours can be taken as Independent Study or as Special Topics courses conducted as independent study.

G)    Non-coursework courses: Credit received for either Graduate Seminar (MECH 606 or MSCI 500 and 501) or Research and Thesis (MECH 800) will not be counted toward course requirements.

H)    Graduate Seminar: All graduate students (except professional master's degree students [MME/MMS]) must attend at least 75% of the MEMS seminars according to the following residence schedule:

MS Students:       First 2 years
PhD Students:      First 3 years

Students must register for either MECH 606 or MSCI 500/501 in their required seminar attendance periods as stated above.

I)     Instructional assistance: All graduate students (except professional master's degree students [MME/MMS]) are required, as part of their advanced degree program and educational experience, to provide instructional assistance to the department. This instructional assistance, which could be in the form of grading, lecturing, assisting in labs or developing course material, will not exceed ten hours per week and will be based on the following schedule:

MS Students:        3 semesters
PhD Students:       6 semesters

J)    Building code: The Mechanical Engineering Building is a "No Smoking" building. Graduate students found smoking in the building or abusing the premises will lose their office space privilege.

K)   Honor system: Rice University operates under the Rice Honor System. All students must read the “Student Handbook - Honor System”, which can be found on the Dean of Undergraduates web site at http://students.rice.edu/

It is the obligation of every student and faculty member at Rice to understand and maintain the honor system at all times.

II.    REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL MASTERS DEGREE – MME AND MMS

A)   Courses: Students are expected to complete thirty graduate level semester hours approved by the department, which can include MME Research Project (MECH 621 and 622). Specific courses to be taken depend upon each student's field of study. Students must discuss their individual degree plans and programs of study with their advisors.

B)  Residency: The minimum residence requirement for the professional master’s degree is one semester of full-time study at the university.

III.  REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MS DEGREE

A)   Time period for completion: Full-time students seeking the MS degree are expected to complete all the requirements for the degree within two calendar years following entrance into the program. Continuation in the program beyond this time limit will require special approval of the department.

B)   Courses: The minimum semester hours of course work (a course usually consists of 3 semester hours) required for the MS degree are tabulated below as a function of the degree held upon entrance into the program. In all cases, a student's specific course of study is formulated in consultation with the departmental advisor (thesis director) and must be approved by the department.

C)   Preliminary Candidacy Evaluation (PCE): All entering graduate students pursuing a thesis degree program will be subject to a preliminary evaluation of their candidacy for the highest degree program they intend to pursue. The evaluation will be conducted by the end of the second semester of enrollment in the graduate program in the MEMS department. Students are responsible for working with their advisor in order to ensure that their PCE is conducted in a timely fashion. The evaluation will be based on a review of the academic performance up to the time of evaluation, including performance in course work and graduate research in the form of course grades, course ranking, GRE scores, and other relevant information. The reviewed material will be made available to the students. A panel of MEMS faculty members selected by the research advisor and approved by the director of graduate studies will conduct the evaluation. The number of panel members will be 3 for the MS degree. The evaluation by the panel will normally result in one of the following four possible outcomes:

1. Approve preliminary candidacy.
2. Approve preliminary candidacy conditionally, and specify conditions.
3. Extend the period of evaluation, and re-do the evaluation latest by the end of the third semester of enrollment in the MEMS graduate program.
4. Disapprove candidacy.

D)  Research and Thesis:

1. Each candidate for the MS degree must complete a thesis demonstrating ability in research of a fundamental nature (analytical or experimental). It is expected that the research will be of sufficient importance and quality that positive results would lead to publication. Instructions for preparation of theses can be obtained at the appropriate time through the office of graduate and postdoctoral studies.
2. Candidates for the MS degree must register for Research and Thesis (MECH 800) during the year preceding the anticipated date of graduation.
3. The student must select a thesis director during the first semester of study. Active research should begin by the end of the first semester.
4. Candidates for the MS degree who are not on campus and who have completed all requirements except the thesis must register for Research and Thesis (MECH 800) every semester until graduation.

E)   Language requirement: The MEMS department does not have a foreign language requirement for its graduate degrees. It is recommended that every student understands at least one computer language.

F)   Final thesis defense: Upon completion of the thesis, a committee comprised of at least three members will examine each candidate for the MS degree. Two, including the committee chair, must be members of the department. The thesis must be made available to the members of the examining committee at least two weeks before the examination date. The oral examination will consist of questions concerning the candidate's grasp of the fundamental principles underlying his/her field of study. In connection with this review, the guidance of the thesis director should be sought. Should the candidate fail in this examination, he/she is allowed to repeat it once with the approval of the committee. A public notice of the MS oral examination must be given by posting an announcement on the departmental bulletin board at least one week prior to the examination.

G)  Residency: The minimum residence requirement for the MS degree is one semester of full-time study at the university.

H)  Thesis deadline: Students must observe the deadlines set by the office of graduate and postdoctoral studies for submission of the final thesis to receive their degree for either January or May conferral. Otherwise students have six months from the date of defense to submit their final thesis to the office of graduate and postdoctoral studies.

IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PhD DEGREE

A)  Courses: The minimum semester hours of course work (a course usually consist of 3 semester hours) required are tabulated below as a function of the degree held upon entrance into the program. In all cases, a student's course of study is formulated in consultation with the thesis director and must be approved by the department.

B)   Preliminary Candidacy Evaluation (PCE): All entering graduate students pursuing a thesis degree program will be subject to a preliminary evaluation of their candidacy for the highest degree program they intend to pursue. The evaluation will be conducted by the end of the second semester of enrollment in the graduate program in the MEMS department. Students are responsible for working with their advisor in order to ensure that their PCE is conducted in a timely fashion. The evaluation will be based on a review of the academic performance up to the time of evaluation, including performance in course work and graduate research in the form of course grades, course ranking, GRE scores, and other relevant information. The reviewed material will be made available to the students. A panel of MEMS faculty members selected by the research advisor and approved by the director of graduate studies will conduct the evaluation. The number of panel members will be 4 for the PhD degree. The evaluation by the panel will normally result in one of the following four possible outcomes

1. Approve preliminary candidacy.
2. Approve preliminary candidacy conditionally, and specify conditions.
3. Extend the period of evaluation, and receive candidacy approval no later than the end of the third semester of enrollment in the graduate program in the MEMS graduate program.
4. Disapprove candidacy.

C)   Oral Qualifying Examination: By the end of the third year of enrollment in the graduate program in the MEMS department, the student must pass an oral qualifying examination. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the student is qualified to conduct independent research at the technical level required for the PhD thesis. The student's grasp of fundamental concepts in his/her field and related fields of interest will be examined. A committee consisting of at least three faculty members of the department and one member of another department will administer the examination. The result of this examination will be the principal factor in the department's decision as to the student's admission to candidacy for the PhD program. Should the student fail in this examination, he/she may be allowed to repeat it once only with the recommendation of the examining committee. Additional details on the structure of the examination for students pursuing PhD degree in materials science are provided below:

The students will be examined in four areas: (1) thermodynamics and kinetics; (2) structures, crystallography and diffraction; (3) mechanical properties; and (4) electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. These four areas are covered in the courses MSCI 401, 402, 406, and 535, and the student is expected to have a thorough understanding of the material covered in each of these courses in order to pass the examination. The examination will take place in four separate sessions, each covering one area and lasting approximately one hour. If one or more parts of the examination are failed, with the recommendation of the examining committee, the student may be allowed to retake the examination or the appropriate parts of it at the beginning of the following semester.

D)  Language requirement: The MEMS department does not have a foreign language requirement for its graduate degrees. It is recommended that every student understands at least one computer language.

E)   Research and Thesis:

1. Each candidate for the PhD must complete a thesis that constitutes an original contribution to scientific knowledge. The thesis will be bound in buckram and permanently preserved in  the library. Instructions for preparation of theses can be obtained at the appropriate time through the office of graduate and postdoctoral studies.
2. Candidates for the PhD degree must register for Research and Thesis (MECH 800) during the year preceding the anticipated date of graduation.
3. A student must select a thesis director during the first year of study. Active research should begin by the end of the first year.
4. Candidates for the PhD degree who are not on campus and who have completed all requirements except completion of the thesis must register for Research and Thesis (MECH 800) every semester until graduation.

F)    Final thesis defense: Upon completion of the thesis, each candidate for the PhD degree must pass a final public oral examination. A committee consisting of at least three members will conduct the examination. Two, including the committee chair, must be members of the department. One member must be from another department within the university. The members of the committee will be announced early enough so that the candidate may discuss with them the nature of the thesis research and the contents of the thesis. The thesis must be made available to the members of the examining committee at least two weeks before the examination date. Although the examination will be concerned primarily with the candidate's thesis, the questioning may also cover other areas. The oral defense may be scheduled at any time except during official examination periods. Public announcements of the oral examinations for the doctoral degree must be made at least two weeks in advance.

G)   Thesis deadline: Students must observe the deadlines set by the office of graduate and postdoctoral studies for submission of the final thesis to receive their degree for either January or May conferral. Otherwise students have six months from the date of defense to submit their final thesis to the office of graduate and postdoctoral studies.

H)  Residency: Normally, three or more years of study past the Bachelor's degree are required for the PhD degree. The minimum residence requirement for the PhD degree is four semesters (fall/spring) of full-time study at the university.