BS/MS Accelerated Program

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers “Accelerated (Five-year) Bachelor of Engineering/Master of Science Program” to qualified Stony Brook undergraduate ME students. Admitted students are allowed to take a specified number of graduate courses that will be counted towards both their undergraduate and graduate degree requirements; subsequently reducing the total time needed to obtain the M.S. degree.

The benefits of the program are:

• It allows students to apply graduate courses taken during their undergraduate years towards both undergraduate and the graduate degrees. As a result, students can complete the both degrees in five years (i.e., just one extra year/two semesters). Generally, three or four semesters are needed to obtain a M.S. degree in the graduate program.
• The application process is simple as it does not involve submissions of a formal application form and letters of recommendation as required for regular graduate program admissions.

About the Program

The Accelerated BE/MS program is designed to allow mechanical engineering students with good academic standing to graduate with both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in five years. This is enabled by allowing undergraduate students in the program to take multiple graduate courses as their undergraduate technical electives. These graduate courses will also be counted towards their Master's degree. Due to the Graduate School policy, up to two courses taken during an undergraduate student may be counted for the both degree. Note that if the third elective is taken during a graduate student, up to three courses may be double counted. However it is not generally recommended as it would delay a student to satisfy the B.E. requirement as well as require to take nine courses during the fifth year as a graduate student.

The below shows a typical course sequences for the last two years of study. Note that the M.S. degree requirement described in MS Degree Requirements Page must be satisfied.

Fall, Senior (undergrad) 16 Credits	Spring, Senior (undergrad) 15 Credits	Fall, 5th year (grad) 12 credits	Spring, 5th year (grad) 12 credits
MEC411	MEC441	MEC5XX	MEC5XX
MEC422	Tech Elect - MEC5XX	MEC5XX	MEC5XX
MEC440	Tech Elect - MEC5XX	MEC5XX	MEC5XX
Tech Elect - MEC4XX or MEC5XX	DEC(I)	MEC5XX	MEC5XX
DEC(H) or other	DEC(J)	MEC 691*	MEC 691*

*Mechanical Engineering Seminar (0 credit) course required for full-time ME graduate student.

 

Requirement for admission:

You need to be a Mechanical Engineering student with the cumulative GPA of 3.1* or above at the time of application to enrol. The Graduate School also requires minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of senior year to matriculate into the graduate program (i.e., you will be out of program if you fail to meet this condition).

*This minimum GPA requirement will be raised to 3.2 after summer 2016.

Application:

You must see our Graduate Program Director or Coordinator to inform your intension to enrol and submit a one-page admission form “Application Form to Graduate School for the Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree”. It will be submitted along with an offer letter from the Department of Mechanical Engineering accepting you into the Accelerated BE/MS program

The application must be made between spring semester junior year to fall semester senior year. Generally, an admission into the program is determined by your cumulative GPA at the end of either fall or spring semester during junior year

Registering for graduate courses:

During each semester of senior years, you must fill out “Permission for Undergraduate Students in the Accelerated Degree Program” form in order to register for graduate courses. This form must be signed by the Graduate Program Director. Note unless you are enrolled in the program, a graduate course taken while an undergraduate student will not be counted toward the M.S. degree even if you are later admitted into the program.

Getting BE degree:

You will get BE degree when you have fulfilled the requirements regardless of whether you are still in the Accelerated Program or not.

Graduate Orientation:

You are required to attend Graduate Orientation (generally given just before the start of semester) once you become a graduate student at the fifth year.

Q & A

Can I continue the graduate portion of the program as a part-time student after completing the B.E. degree?

Yes. In this case, you will not be able to finish both degrees in five years. However, you will still be allowed to remain in the program to complete the M.S. degree requirements.

What about campus housing?

If you are living on campus, you are expected to move from Undergraduate to Graduate Housing once you begin your Graduate Career during the fifth year. However, a grace period of six months may be granted.

What about financial support?

In general, you are expected to be self-funded and would not normally be considered candidates for a Tuition Scholarship. You will not be considered for TA positions since TA positions are only offered to graduate students in Ph.D. program according to the Graduate School Policy. RA positions may be offered, but only in special cases due to the shortened length of the program. However, the SPIR Program may offer opportunities to work part-time at local companies with stipend and tuition waiver. Please contact Lisa Chichura, Ph.D. for more information ( lisa.chichura@stonybrook.edu).

Whom should I contact for more information?

You may contact the Graduate Program Director for program related information or the Graduate Program Secretary, for administrative questions ( MechanicalEngineeringGraduate@stonybrook.edu)