Master of Science (M.S.)

The M.S. program stresses innovative engineering research, advanced levels of engineering skills, and extensive project management experience. Candidates for the degree acquire:

basic competency in applied mathematics and engineering
breadth of engineering knowledge through taking a range of courses
depth of engineering knowledge through focused research as well as courses

Prerequisites

M.S. students generally hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or one of the physical sciences.

Residency

Students are required to be in residence a minimum of 3 terms.

Number of Courses

Students entering the program with an accredited bachelor's degree in engineering are required to take 6 graduate-level credits beyond any graduate courses taken for the B.E.

Students entering the program without an accredited bachelor's degree in engineering are required to complete 9 graduate-level courses beyond any graduate courses taken for the bachelor's degree, with a minimum of 5 courses in engineering.

Courses taken previously, e.g., as an undergraduate, can be used in satisfaction of the degree requirements, but do not reduce the total number of courses required unless admission is with advanced standing.

Advisors

A faculty advisor aids each student in developing a program, which is submitted to and approved by the Thayer School Program Committee during the student's first term of residency.

Master of Science Course Planning Sheet (PDF) - for planning purposes only. You will need to go to Banner Student to complete the Master of Science program plan.

Course Options

Applied mathematics (choose at least 1)

ENGS 91 Numerical Methods in Computation
ENGS 92 Fourier Transforms and Complex Variables
ENGS 100 Methods in Applied Mathematics I
ENGS 103 Statistical Methods in Engineering
ENGS 104 Optimization Methods for Engineering Applications
ENGS 105 Computational Methods for Partial Differential Equations I
ENGS 106 Numerical Linear Algebra

Engineering depth (choose at least 3)

Courses in the area of the student's research should be chosen to increase the student's depth of expertise and knowledge. These courses should be chosen in concert with the thesis advisor from the graduate engineering listings.

Engineering breadth (choose at least 2)

The remainder of the courses may be any graduate course listing area, with approval of their thesis advisor and the M.S. Program Director.

Thesis Requirements

The M.S. thesis demonstrates a depth of knowledge in a specific field of engineering research or design. A thesis committee typically consists of 3 Dartmouth faculty members (including the student's thesis advisor); one of the 3 may be from outside the program of study.

The candidate also presents a public oral defense of the thesis, which is conducted by the candidate's thesis committee. A two-week notice of the defense is required. Each student must submit 50 copies of the notice to the Thayer Registrar for distribution to the faculty and for posting.

Thesis Guidelines (PDF)

Dual Degrees

B.E./M.S.

Students who wish to be awarded the B.E. degree simultaneously with the M.S. must have taken a substantial portion of the undergraduate program at Dartmouth or in one of its official exchange programs. Students should plan their programs to satisfy both the M.S. requirements and the ABET criteria for the B.E., and discuss their plans with the M.S. program director.

At least one term prior to the scheduled M.S. thesis defense, the B.E./M.S. candidate submits to the Registrar a Bachelor of Engineering program plan approved by both his/her advisor and the Director of the Bachelor of Engineering program.

M.E.M./M.S.

Students who want to qualify both in research and in the practical application of engineering and management may earn the M.S. and M.E.M. degrees simultaneously by completing all the requirements of both degrees.

A separate application to the M.E.M. program is required; the student should work out course choices and funding plans for each degree.

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