General Engineering

Interim Head of Department: Deborah L. Thurston
117 Transportation Building
104 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2732
E-mail: ge-grad@uiuc.edu

Graduate Degree Program

The Department of General Engineering offers graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Science in General Engineering (MSGE) and Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering (SEE). The department also offers a joint degree program, the Master of Science in General Engineering and Master of Business Administration (MSGE/MBA). The program offers an approach to systems engineering, engineering design, and entrepreneurial engineering that crosses disciplinary lines. Graduates of the program are prepared to enter professional engineering positions in industry, government, and private practice. The MSGE program offers flexibility by permitting the student to select from a menu of advanced courses and take a wide range of electives to meet individual career goals. The joint MSGE/MBA program allows the student with an interest in General Engineering and Business Administration to earn both the Master of Science in General Engineering and the Master of Business Administration degrees. The Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering program is founded on the premise of dual competency in both traditional engineering and in the business side of engineering.

Admission

Applicants who have completed degree requirements in an accredited engineering program or its equivalent are eligible to apply for admission. Qualifications for admission include a minimum grade- point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for the SEE programs but is only recommended for the MSGE program. Except in special circumstances, students holding only a Master's Degree in an engineering discipline will not be accepted into the MSGE program, but may be accepted into the SEE program to continue Ph.D. studies.

Master of Science

Master of Science in General Engineering (MSGE). A total of 32 (thesis option) or 36 (project option) graduate hours of credit are required. For both the thesis and project options, 28 hours of coursework must be completed including: 12 hours of 500-level courses with 8 of these hours chosen from a menu of approved GE courses; and a total of 12 of the 28 hours GE courses (excluding independent study). In addition to 28 hours of coursework, 4 hours of GE 599 (Thesis Research) credit are required to complete the thesis option or 8 hours of GE 594 (Project Design) credit to complete the project option

Master of Science in General Engineering and Master of Business Administration (MSGE/MBA). A total of 80 (thesis option) or 84 (project option) graduate hours of credit are required. For both the thesis and project options 76 hours of coursework must be completed: 40 graduate hours of MBA core coursework (completed in one continuous academic year commencing only with the fall semester); 20 graduate hours of MBA elective coursework to fulfill the requirements of a concentration (accounting, finance, marketing, technology management, or student-designed); 16 graduate hours of engineering coursework approved by General Engineering of which 12 hours must be at the 500 level. In addition to 76 hours of coursework, 4 hours of GE 599 (Thesis Research) credit are required to complete the thesis option or 8 hours of GE 594 (Project Design) credit to complete the project option.

Master of Science in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering (SEE). A total of 32 (thesis option) or 36 (project option) graduate hours of credit are required. For both the thesis and project options, 28 hours of coursework must be completed: 12 hours of 500-level courses in General Engineering with 8 of these on the technical side and 4 on the business side of engineering; 16 additional hours of coursework with at least 4 hours in an engineering department. In addition to 28 hours of coursework, 4 hours of GE 599 (Thesis Research) credit are required to complete the thesis option or 8 hours of GE 594 (Project Design) credit to complete the project option.

Doctor of Philosophy

A total of 96 graduate hours of credit including a PhD thesis are required for the PhD in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering. At least 64 of the hours of credit, which may include thesis credit, must be earned in residence. In addition, the student must take the departmental PhD Qualifying Examination, and by passing it be admitted to PhD candidacy, and then must pass the Preliminary and Final Examinations for the PhD degree. Students in the SEE masters program must take the Qualifying Examination before obtaining the MS degree; students in the other two masters programs, if accepted, must pass the Qualifying Examination before or during their third semester in the PhD program.

The 96 graduate hours of credit may be divided into three stages of 32 hours each, consisting of 32 hours generally represented by an MS degree or equivalent (Stage I), 32 hours of course work beyond the MS degree (Stage II), and 32 hours of thesis work for the doctoral thesis (Stage III). Stage I requirements are satisfied by completion of an MS degree in the Department or in a related engineering or technical discipline from the University of Illinois or other accredited university. A non-technical MS or MBA would normally not count toward the completion of Stage I. Such students would be required to enroll in one of the Master of Science Programs in the Department and satisfy the requirements therein in order to satisfy Stage I of the PhD degree.

In Stage II, a total of 32 hours of formal graded coursework are required, at least 16 of which must be 500-level engineering courses and at least 16 of which must be from the list of approved GE courses. To advance to Stage II all students must pass the Qualifying Examination. To advance from Stage II to Stage III the student must pass the Preliminary Exam. Stage III is comprised of a minimum of 32 hours of GE 599 (Thesis Research) credit and a written dissertation followed by a final oral thesis defense.

Research Interests

Graduate study and research may be pursued in the following fields: computer-aided design, optimization, design systems, manufacturing systems, nondestructive testing and evaluation, system dynamics and simulation, control, robotics, real-time decision making, reliability, entrepreneurial engineering, operations research/management science, and biomechanics.

 

Financial Aid

Qualified students may compete for financial assistance in the form of teaching/graduate/research assistantships, fellowships, and tuition waiver scholarships. Under certain conditions, fellowships may be augmented by part-time assistantships.