Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Degrees Offered:
 Program Title 

 Ph.D. 

 Ed.D. 

 M.S. 

 M.A. 

Master 
of 

 M.Ed. 

 MFA 
Aerospace Engineering 

 Y 

   

 Y 

   

   

   

   
Mechanical Engineering 

 Y 

   

 Y 

   

 Y 

   

   

GRADUATE FACULTY

R. D. Gould, Interim Department Head

Director of Graduate Programs:
R. T. Nagel, Box 7910, 5-5283, nagel@eos.ncsu.edu, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Dean F. Duncan Distinguished University Professorship in Mechanical Engineering:  T. A. Dow
R. J. Reynolds Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering:  R. D. Gould

Professors: F. R. DeJarnette, H. M. Eckerlin, J. R. Edwards, E. Grant, P. A. Gremaud, H. A. Hassan, R. F. Keltie, C. Kleinstreuer, A. V. Kuznetsov, J. W. Leach, K. M. Lyons, R. T. Nagel, M. K. Ramasubramanian, P. I. Ro, W. L. Roberts, R. O. Scattergood, L. M. Silverberg, J. S. Strenkowski, J. F. Tu, F. Yuan, Y. T. Zhu, M. A. Zikry; Research Professors: R. H. Tolson; Adjunct Professors: N. T. Frink, A. R. Johnson, C. S. Kim, W. Linak, M. N. Noori, T. D. Scharton; Emeritus Named Professors: C. F. Zorowski; Emeritus Professors: E. M. Afify, J. A. Bailey, F. J. Hale, F. D. Hart, T. H. Hodgson, R. R. Johnson, D. S. McRae, J. C. Mulligan, J. N. Perkins, L. H. Royster, F. O. Smetana, F. Y. Sorrell; Associate Professors: M. A. Boles, G. D. Buckner, T. Echekki, J. W. Eischen, A. Gopalarathnam, C. E. Hall, O. A. Harrysson, E. C. Klang, H. Luo, A. P. Mazzoleni, P. L. Mente, G. Ngaile, K. J. Peters, A. Rabiei, A. V. Saveliev, S. Seelecke, F. Wu; Research Associate Professors: Z. Zhang; Assistant Professors: T. Fang, S. M. Ferguson, T. Ward, Y. Zhu; Adjunct Assistant Professors: J. A. Cooke; Extension Assistant Professors: S. D. Terry; Teaching Associate Professors: P. A. Cooper, P. B. Corson

Fields of Graduate Instruction - Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering graduate program prepares students in all aspects of mechanical and thermal systems design and manufacturing. Course offerings and research programs for mechanical engineering students are available in applied mechanics; biomechanics; combustion; design and manufacturing: dynamic systems and control; energy conversion and systems; experimental mechanics; fluid dynamics; heat transfer; mechanics of materials; micro, nano and MEMS; and vibration and acoustics. Sub-areas include adaptive and auto adaptive structures, controls and system identification, CFD, energy conversion and renewable energy, materials processing and tribology, mechatronics, precision engineering, and reactive and multiphase flows.

Graduate students in the Aerospace Engineering program focus on aircraft and space systems design, analysis, and manufacturing.  Students can select course offerings and research programs in aerodynamics and applied aerodynamics; aerospace propulsion; computational fluid dynamics; dynamics and design of spacecraft and space systems; flight dynamics and control; and multifunctional materials and smart structures. Sub-areas include acoustics, aeroelasticity, atomization, sprays, composite materials, reactive and multiphase flows, stability, and transition to turbulence.

Admission Requirements: An applicant to the master's program must be a graduate of an accredited undergraduate program with a B.S. degree in either mechanical or aerospace engineering. Graduates of other accredited programs in engineering, physical sciences and mathematics may be considered but will be required to make up undergraduate deficiencies without graduate credit. Provisional admissions, as well as exceptions, are sometimes granted under special circumstances. The most qualified applicants are accepted first. Applicants to the Ph.D. program must have met the M.S. admission requirements, completed the M.S. degree in mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering and additionally must satisfy the Ph.D. admissions requirements.

Master's Degree Requirements: The thesis-option M.S. degree programs in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering require 24 hours of course credit and six hours of thesis research. The non-thesis M.S. degree  programs in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering require 27 hours of course credit and a three credit-hour project. The non-thesis M.S. degree programs in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering are offered on campus and off campus through distance education.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements: A minimum of 54 hours of credit beyond the master's program is required. A direct path to the Ph.D. from the B.S. is also available with which the student is granted the M.S. degree “enroute” to the Ph.D.

 Student Financial Support: Various types of assistantships and fellowships are available. Awards are made to the most qualified applicants first and generally are not available for all students.

Other Relevant Information: Each new student chooses an area of specialty, selects an advisor and committee, customizes a program of study and begins research in the first semester of residence. The Director of Graduate Programs acts as a temporary advisor initially and should be contacted with questions.

Click on Graduate Courses for current course information.

NCSU Graduate Catalog