Mechanical Engineering M.Sc. Program

It is the responsibility of students to plan their graduate program in consultation with their academic advisor. Students are required to meet all deadlines. Students should be aware that most core courses are offered only once per year.

The Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree is awarded upon successful completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours. A minimum GPA of 3.0 must be achieved to graduate. Individual courses require a minimum of B- grade for course credit. Students are expected to complete the M.Sc. degree in three semesters (excluding summer session). However, satisfactory participation in every KAUST summer session is mandatory.

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:

ME 200AIncompressible Flows

3

ME 200BViscous and Unsteady Flows

3

ME 211AMechanics of Structures and Solids

3

ME 211BHomogenization and Upscaling Techniques in Solid Mechanics

3

ME 212Continuum Mechanics

3

ME 221A/ECE 271ALinear Control Systems

3

ME 221B/ECE 271BNon Linear Control Systems

3

ME 222A/ECE 272AMechatronics and Microsystems

3

ME 222B/ECE 272BMechatronics and Intelligent Systems

3

ME 232Advanced Dynamics

3

ME 241Classical Thermodynamics

3

ME 242Theoretical and Numerical Heat Transfer

3

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 270Experimental Methods

3

ME 226/ECE 263Cyber-Physical Systems

3

ME 243Statistical Thermodynamics

3

ME 244Combustion Fundamentals

3

ME 252Fundamentals of Circular Carbon Strategies

3

ME 253Sustainable Thermal Technologies

3

ME 254Renewable Fluid Power

3

ME 256Electrochemical Energy Systems

3

ME 261Applications of Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas

3

ME 302Multi-Phase Flows

3

ME 304Experimental Methods in Fluid Mechanics

3

ME 305AComputational Fluid Dynamics

3

ME 305BAdvanced Computational Fluid Dynamics

3

ME 306Hydrodynamic Stability

3

ME 307Turbulence

3

ME 317Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures

3

ME 319Computational Solid Mechanics

3

ME 320Nonlinear Systems

3

ME 326/ECE 376Robust Control

3

ME 340Advanced Combustion Theory

3

ME 342Chemical Kinetics

3

ME 346Turbulent Combustion

3

ME 348Introduction to Spectroscopy and Laser Diagnostics

3

ME 376Introduction to Combustion Engines

3

ME 377Advanced Internal Combustion Engines

3

ME 378Experimental Combustion

3

ME 394Contemporary 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