The M.Sc. Requirements
- Core courses (12 credits)
- Mathematical requirement (6 credits)
- Elective courses (6 credits)
- Research/capstone experience (12 credits)
- Graduate seminar 398 (non-credit) – all students are required to register and receive a satisfactory grade for every semester of the program they attend. Failure to do so may result in academic probation and/or dismissal.
- Completion of one Winter Enrichment Program (WEP)
Core Courses (12 credits)
The core courses are designed to provide students with the background needed to establish a solid foundation in the program area. To complete these 12 credit hours in mechanical engineering, students should register for four core courses from the following list:
Mathematics Requirement (6 credits)
At least two graduate-level courses (i.e., courses numbered 200 and higher) in applied mathematics or statistics are required. It is recommended that students take Applied Mathematics I and II (AMCS 201 and 202), as these courses provide a strong foundation in applied mathematics which is essential for a research career in ME.
To complete these six credits, students should register for two AMCS or STAT courses among those listed in AMCS and STATS master’s courses.
Elective Courses (6 credits)
Two graduate-level courses (i.e., courses numbered 200 and higher) must be chosen with the approval of the academic advisor. To complete these 6 credits, students should register for two elective courses from any academic program, though the students are encouraged to take these elective courses from the ME course list, as listed below.
| ME 200 | Introductory Laboratory Skills | 3 |
| ME 214/ERPE 270 | Experimental Methods | 3 |
| ME 226/ECE 263 | Cyber-Physical Systems | 3 |
| ME 243 | Statistical Thermodynamics | 3 |
| ME 244 | Combustion Fundamentals | 3 |
| ME 252 | Fundamentals of Circular Carbon Strategies | 3 |
| ME 253 | Sustainable Thermal Technologies | 3 |
| ME 254 | Renewable Fluid Power | 3 |
| ME 256 | Electrochemical Energy Systems | 3 |
| ME 261 | Applications of Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas | 3 |
| ME 302 | Multi-Phase Flows | 3 |
| ME 304 | Experimental Methods in Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| ME 305A | Computational Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| ME 305B | Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| ME 306 | Hydrodynamic Stability | 3 |
| ME 307 | Turbulence | 3 |
| ME 317 | Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures | 3 |
| ME 319 | Computational Solid Mechanics | 3 |
| ME 320 | Nonlinear Systems | 3 |
| ME 326/ECE 376 | Robust Control | 3 |
| ME 340 | Advanced Combustion Theory | 3 |
| ME 342 | Chemical Kinetics | 3 |
| ME 346 | Turbulent Combustion | 3 |
| ME 348 | Introduction to Spectroscopy and Laser Diagnostics | 3 |
| ME 376 | Introduction to Combustion Engines | 3 |
| ME 377 | Advanced Internal Combustion Engines | 3 |
| ME 378 | Experimental Combustion | 3 |
| ME 394 | Contemporary Topics in Mechanical Engineering | 3 |
The elective courses (which exclude research, internship credits, and IED courses) are designed to allow students to tailor their educational experience to meet individual research and educational objectives, with the permission of the academic advisor. Innovation and Economic Development (IED) courses are meant as a broadening experience and are not technical electives. Students should consult with their program to ensure credits can be applied toward their degree.
M.Sc. Thesis
Students wishing to pursue thesis option must secure the approval of an academic advisor who will supervise the thesis work. Student should register for a minimum of 12 credits of ME 297 (thesis research).
An oral defense of the M.Sc. thesis is required. Public presentation and all other details related to the format of the oral defense are left to the discretion of the thesis committee. The thesis defense committee, which must be approved by the dean, must consist of at least three members and typically includes no more than four members. At least two of the required members must be KAUST faculty. The chair plus one additional faculty member must be affiliated with the student’s program. This membership can be summarized as:
| Member |
Role |
Program Status |
| 1 |
Chair |
Within program |
| 2 |
Faculty |
Within program |
| 3 |
Faculty |
Outside program |
| 4 |
Additional faculty or research scientist |
Inside or outside KAUST |
Notes:
- Academic advisors may serve as the chair
- Members 1-3 are required, member 4 is optional
- Co-chairs may serve as member 2, 3, or 4, but may not be a research scientist
- Faculty members holding secondary affiliation with ME may serve as member 1 or 2 but not as member 3
- Adjunct professors and professor emeriti may retain their roles on current committees, but may not serve as chair on any new committees
- Professors of practice and research professors may serve as members 2, 3 or 4 depending upon their affiliation with the student’s program, they may also serve as co-chairs
- Visiting professors may serve as member 4
View a list of faculty and their affiliations here.
M.Sc. Non-Thesis
Students wishing to pursue the non-thesis option must complete a total of 12 capstone credits, with a minimum of 6 credits of directed research (299).
Students must complete the remaining 6 credits through one or a combination of the options listed below:
- Broadening experience courses: courses that broaden a student’s M.Sc. experience. These include any graduate-level (i.e., courses numbered 200 or higher) courses offered at the university and the IED courses.
- Internship: summer internship (295) – students are only allowed to take one internship. The internship must be pre-approved by the academic advisor. The academic advisor may require an internship report from the student at the completion of the internship. The report must demonstrate the research carried out during the internship.
- Ph.D. courses: courses numbered at the 300 level