150 hr Combined BS/MS Program
Page Contents
- Objective
- How it Works
- Application and Admission
- Typical Curriculum
- Financial Support During Graduate Year
- Tuition
- Double Majors
Objective
The 150 hr Combined BS/MS Program provides an opportunity for top ME undergraduates to obtain a BS and MS with 150 credit hours of work (normally: BS =128 hours, MS = 30 hours [thesis option] or 36 hours [non-thesis option]).
How It Works
Students in this program follow the existing undergraduate curriculum for the first seven semesters. In the final undergraduate semester, two graduate courses are taken in lieu of ME electives. The student receives a BS degree at this point. One additional year of study, including one summer, then leads to the MS degree. A typical 5 year program is shown here.
Application and Admission
Students apply to the ME department for admission to the BS/MS program during the final semester of the junior year (i.e., when taking ME 3365). Admission to the program is based on the applicant's cumulative (non-grade replaced) grade point average, GRE scores, and faculty recommendations. The minimum cumulative (non grade replaced) grade point average required for admission is 3.2. Students having a grade point average below 3.2 may be admitted on a case by case basis, depending on GRE scores and faculty recommendations. Students having a cumulative (non-grade replaced) grade point average above 3.5 are not required to take the GRE exam for departmental admission to the BS/MS program, however it is highly encouraged to take the GRE exam.
Once the ME department has notified the applicant of acceptance, the applicant must then apply to the graduate school before beginning the last semester leading to the BSME (i.e., in the semester before you begin your graduate courses).
Graduate Admission Office
Box 41030
Lubbock, TX 79409-1030,
806-742-2787
www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool
Typical Curriculum
The first 3 years of the program are the same as those in the current undergraduate curriculum. Listed below are the courses to be taken in the final undergraduate year and during the graduate part of the program. The graduate curriculum shown below is an example only; the actual student programs will vary according to whether the student is enrolled in the summer, whether the student does the thesis or report option, and other details.
Financial Support During the Graduate Year
The department provides various levels of financial support to the majority of its graduate students. There are two main types of support available:
- Teaching Assistantship (TA): Graduate students are hired to help with undergraduate instructional duties. Examples of TA duties include grading homework for undergraduate classes, conducting help sessions, and conducting laboratory sessions in one of the undergraduate laboratories.
- Research Assistantship (RA): Here the student is paid to work on a grant or contract under the direction of the faculty member who has been funded to do the research. Generally, this work will contribute directly to the student’s Masters thesis. For most students the RA position is preferable, because the student’s job is to conduct research that becomes part of the thesis.
All students admitted to the 150 Hour program will automatically be considered for TA or RA funding. Contact the advising office for current stipend amounts.
A graduate student who is supported as a half-time research assistant or a half-time teaching assistant is required to register for 9 credit hours during any long semester in which the student has half-time support and for 6 credit hours during either summer session in which the student has half-time support. For non-supported students, there are no minimum registration requirements, but maximum registration hours are not to exceed 12 hours in any long semester and 6 hours in each summer session.
Tuition
During the final undergraduate semester the student pays the usual undergraduate tuition for the undergraduate courses and graduate tuition for the two graduate courses. A complete explanation of tuition and fees is available online at www.sbs.ttu.edu.
Double Majors
This program is open to ME double majors (MECS; ENGR PHYS ME OPTION; etc). Students doing a double major should plan on the one additional year of study shown above.
TTU, Mechanical Engineering Dept., 7th and Boston, Lubbock, TX 79409
806.742.3451