Sep 26, 2024

2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Energy Engineering, Master of Science

Department of Mechanical Engineering
402 Engineering Center (map)
(248) 370-2210 • Fax (248) 370-4416
http://www.oakland.edu/secs/me

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Coordinator
Jonathan Maisonneuve
408 Engineering Center
maisonneuve@oakland.edu

Program Description

The Master of Science in Energy Engineering is designed to prepare students for advanced-level energy engineering careers including in the sectors of power generation, energy distribution and storage, fuels, transportation, and energy use efficiency. The interdisciplinary nature of this field, this program is being offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering in close collaboration with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the program consists of courses from both disciplines.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Oakland University Graduate School by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

February 15 (early) April 15 (regular) and July 15 (late) for fall semester
October 1 (early) and November 15 (regular) for winter semester
March 1 (regular) for summer semester

Admission is open to students with a Bachelor of Science in engineering, physics, or mathematics. Other fields of science may be acceptable, but a student presenting such a degree is required to complete or have completed MTH 1555, MTH 2554, and APM 2555 (or APM 2559 and MTH 2775)or equivalent.

Preparatory undergraduate course requirements for admission to MS in Energy Engineering. These program prerequisites must be completed prior to admission to the program.

An entering student must have completed the following courses or their equivalents.

MTH 1555 Calculus II
MTH 2554 Multivariable Calculus
APM 2555 Introduction to Differential Equations with Matrix Algebra (or APM 2559 and MTH 2775)

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

Graduate Application Requirements
Additional department application requirements

Requirements for recommendations:
Two recommendation forms must be from faculty members of the undergraduate major department or professionals in the field who can evaluate the scholarly achievement and potential of the applicant. These recommendations form an important part of the admission credentials.
Applicants must submit official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if they graduated from an institution not accredited by a regional accrediting agency of the USA. The department may choose to waive the GRE requirement if at least one of the following special circumstances is met:
- Applicant’s last degree is from a U.S. institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.
- Applicant’s overall GPA from last degree is at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Applicant has worked in the USA for at least two years in the engineering profession.
- To request a waiver, applicants must submit a Request to Waive GRE form to the Graduate School as part of the application packet. The request for waiver is subject to the approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.
Bachelor of Science in engineering, physics, or mathematics. Other fields of science may be acceptable with evidence of preparatory course completion or their equivalents (see preparatory course requirements).
Admission to master’s study is selective; applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or better for regular admission.
If the applicant’s undergraduate GPA is between 2.7 and 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, admission with limited standing may be offered. For applicants graduated from an institution not accredited by a regional accrediting agency of the USA, a 70% or better percentile score of the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section is required.
Applicants from institutions with which Oakland University has an articulation agreement containing alternative admission criteria will be admitted according to the criteria in that agreement.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.

Degree requirements

To satisfy the requirements for the MS degree in Energy Engineering, all students admitted to the program are expected to complete a minimum of 32 credit hours of graduate coursework, with a cumulative grade point average of B or better. The program of study consists of foundation, depth, capstone, and elective courses. The program will require 4-8 credit hours of foundation courses, 12 credit hours of depth courses, 4-8 credit hours of capstone courses, and 4-12 credit hours of elective courses for a total of 32 credit hours.

a. Foundation courses (4-8 credits)

Complete 4-8 credits from the following:

Students with a prior degree in Mechanical Engineering are not required to complete this course:

ME 5505 - Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Energy Systems (4 credits)

Students with a prior degree in Electrical Engineering are not required to complete this course:

ECE 5605 - Introduction to Electrical Power Systems (4 credits)

b. Depth courses (12 credits)

Students must declare one depth area and complete 12 credits from that area:

c. Elective Courses

Complete 4-12 credits total from the following list of Energy Electives (up to 12 credits) and/or Sustainability Electives (up to 4 credits)

Energy Engineering Electives (up to 12 credits):

Any SECS graduate course listed in the above depth areas that was not taken to satisfy the depth requirements.

ECE 5900 - Special Topics (1 to 4 credits) (with approval)
ISE 5487 - Foundations of Systems Engineering (4 credits)
ISE 5488 - Advanced Systems Engineering (4 credits)
ISE 5490 - Industrial Sustainability (4 credits)
ME 5900 - Special Topics (2 to 4 credits) (with approval)

Sustainability Electives (up to 4 credits):

BIO 5380 - Ecological Problem Solving (4 credits)
CHM 5230 - Chemical Separations (3 credits)
CHM 5730 - Fundamentals of Materials Chemistry (3 credits)
CHM 5740 - Polymer Science and Technology (3 credits)
ECN 5010 - Introduction to Economics (3 credits)
ECN 6850 - Economics of Industries (3 credits)
EHS 5440 - Environmental Standards ( 3 credits)
ENV 5800 - Biogeochemical Cycling (3 credits)
ENV 5850 - Environmental Fate and Transport (3 credits)
ENV 5870 - Natural Resources Management: Exploration, Exploitation, Contamination and Remediation (3 credits)
PH 5350 - Environmental Justice (4 credits)
PHY 5220 - Statistical Thermodynamics (4 credits)
Other 5000-level or greater non-SECS courses (with approval).

d. Capstone Courses

Complete 4-8 credits from the following:

ME 5590 - Energy and Sustainability Engineering Seminar and Practice (4 credits)
ME 6996 - Graduate Engineering Project (2 to 8 credits)
ME 6998 - Master’s Thesis Research (8 credits)
ECE 6996 - Graduate Engineering Project (1 TO 4 credits)
ECE 6998 - Master’s Thesis Research (2 TO 8 credits)

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: The minimum satisfactory grade for graduate work is B. Credit for completion of a course in the Master of Science program will be given for grades of B- or above but no more than two grades may be B-. Graduate credit will not be awarded for grades below B-. To repeat a course, a student must have the permission of the graduate committee of the school.

All grades received as a graduate student are used in computing the GPA except that, if a course has been repeated, the most recent grade is used in the calculation of the GPA. A graduate student is placed on academic probation if the student’s overall GPA drops below 3.0, or if the student receives more than one grade below B, including the original grade(s) of any repeated course(s). A graduate student receiving a grade less than B while on probation is subject to dismissal. A graduate student receiving more than two grades below B is subject to dismissal whether or not the student was put on probation previously.

In all programs the minimum grade point requirement is an average of at least 3.0. If a student’s GPA is less than 3.0 after having attempted 16 credits, the student will be recommended for dismissal from the program.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Oakland University Graduate School.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.

Course approval

Approval by the master’s degree adviser and the department chair is required for independent study, engineering projects, master’s thesis or special topics courses that are used toward the degree. In addition, approval of the faculty administering the independent study, advising the thesis or project, or teaching the special topics course must be obtained before registering for these credits.

Course credit

Graduate credit is awarded only for courses numbered 5000 or higher. Course credit will not be awarded for work applied toward another degree. Students who have received credit for the 4000-level version of an OU slash course (4000/5000 course) cannot receive credit toward a graduate degree for the 5000-level version of that course.

No more than 8 thesis or project credits may be used toward the degree requirements.

Transfer credit

Students transferring from institutions with which Oakland University has an articulation agreement containing alternative transfer credit arrangements will be admitted according to the criteria in that agreement.

Workload and scheduling

Full-time students must register for 8 to 12 credits per semester. Graduate assistants must be full-time students and commit 20 hours per week toward their research or teaching assistantship assignment. Graduate assistants normally register for only 8 credits per semester; however, a 12-credit load can be taken with the approval of the chair of their department.

For the convenience of part-time students employed in industry, courses are arranged in late afternoon and early evening. However, these students should be aware of the very real demands of graduate studies and should keep outside work commitments and their academic load in balance.

Master’s adviser

The progress of each regular student toward the Master of Science degree is directed by the student’s adviser, a faculty member of the School of Engineering and Computer Science who is assigned at the time of admission. Incoming students seeking the degree are urged to discuss their proposed concentration area with their adviser or other faculty members in that area. Students who wish to change their adviser can do so with the approval of the chair of their department.

Master’s project or thesis

Although the master’s degree requirements may be satisfied by taking only coursework, either a graduate engineering project (ME 6996 or ECE 6996 ) or a directed master’s thesis research (ME 6998 or ECE 6998 ) may be included as part of the program in place of elective courses.

Thesis research provides a unique and valuable learning experience in which an individual student works with a faculty adviser in an area of mutual interest. Students are strongly encouraged to include such an experience in their graduate studies.

Students electing a thesis option must accumulate a minimum of 8 credits of ME 6998 or ECE 6998 . Successful completion and defense of a thesis is a prerequisite for earning thesis credits. Students choosing the thesis option must select an advisory committee, which is composed of at least three faculty members from the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The selection of the committee and the Plan of Study must be approved by the department chair. The chair (major professor) of the advisory committee will direct and guide the research. The student must propose a research topic to the committee for approval at least one semester before graduation. The completed thesis must conform to university standards (see Thesis and Dissertation ). At the completion of the research and its documentation, the content of the thesis must be publicly presented and defended. Successful defense of the thesis is a prerequisite for earning the research credits.