Master of Science Degree Program

The Master of Science (MS) in engineering sciences degree program at Dartmouth stresses innovative research, advanced levels of engineering skills, and extensive project management experience.

Candidates for the MS in engineering sciences degree acquire basic competency in applied mathematics and engineering, a breadth of knowledge through a range of coursework, and a depth of knowledge through both focused coursework and research. MS candidates are required to complete a thesis for graduation, and students are encouraged to arrange their thesis research topic in advance with a faculty willing to sponsor the student in the program.

MS Admissions Info

Admissions Events

Areas & Options

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Program Areas

Dartmouth offers a diversity of concentrations with collaborative synergies between engineering disciplines. Graduate students are expected to propose a plan of study that supports their interests on a path unconstrained by disciplinary boundaries. Both faculty and students draw from these multiple areas of expertise for maximum human-centered impact:

Professor Jifeng Liu works with students in his lab

Matching Interests to Faculty

Engineering MS students are funded through a professor’s sponsored research or a fellowship throughout the thesis phase of their studies. Applicants interested in pursuing a particular area of research are encouraged to reach out to individual faculty members to discuss potential projects.

Arrangement of a thesis research topic is done with the individual faculty member who sponsors the student in the program.

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BE+MS Degree Program

With advance planning and pending a willing Dartmouth faculty sponsor, Dartmouth undergraduate students interested in also pursuing the MS may be able to earn the degree within one year after finishing the requirements for the Bachelor of Engineering (BE). Students may use up to six applicable graduate courses for both their BE and MS programs. Those courses must be beyond the requirements for the AB (typically in the fifth year) and students must have taken a substantial portion of the undergraduate program at Dartmouth or in one of its official exchange programs. Students should discuss their plans to satisfy both program requirements with the MS program director. At least one term prior to their thesis defense, the BE/MS candidate submits to the registrar a BE program plan approved by both their advisor and the BE program director.

For available projects that can satisfy BE+MS degree requirements, see the MS projects list.

Prerequisites

MS candidates are required to hold a bachelor’s level degree in engineering or in one of the physical sciences from an accredited institution. Admitted students who require additional engineering coursework may be required to complete additional undergraduate engineering courses prior to beginning their MS studies.

Courses & Requirements

All students entering the program are required to take six graduate-level courses, beyond the AB degree, which may simultaneously be counted for the BE degree. Courses taken previously (eg. 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.

Please note: The information below reflects degree requirements, effective as of Fall 2023.

Required Coursework

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES

Applied Mathematics

1 course

Choose at least one course, from the following:

ENGS 91: Numerical Methods in Computation
ENGS 92: Fourier Transforms and Complex Variables
ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
ENGS 100: Methods in Applied Mathematics I
ENGS 103: Operations Research
ENGS 104
: Optimization Methods for Engineering Applications
ENGS 105: Computational Methods for Partial Differential Equations I
ENGG 107: Bayesian Statistical Modeling and Computation
ENGS 108: Applied Machine Learning
ENGS 200: Methods in Applied Mathematics II
ENGS 202: Nonlinear Systems
ENGS 205: Computational Methods for Partial Differential Equations II
ENGG 309: Topics in Computational Science

Engineering Depth

3 courses

Choose at least three courses, from the following:

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 Management courses are not permitted.

Engineering Breadth

2 courses

Choose at least two courses, from the following:

Students may choose courses from any graduate course listing area, with approval of the thesis advisor and the graduate program committee.

Research & Written Thesis

Students are required to take ENGG 700: Responsible & Ethical Conduct of Research as part of the requirements for embarking on research for the MS program. The research must lead to a written thesis that demonstrates a depth of knowledge in a specific field of engineering research or design.

Oral Defense

Candidates must also present a public oral defense of the thesis, which is conducted by the candidate's thesis committee. The MS thesis committee typically consists of three Dartmouth faculty members (including the student's thesis advisor); one of the three may be from outside the program of study.

Candidates are responsible for giving final, signature-ready copies of the thesis to each committee member to review at least two weeks prior to the defense. Candidates must submit an electronic notice of the defense to the registrar two weeks in advance for distribution to the faculty and for posting. A hard copy and an electronic copy (eg. pdf) of the thesis must be submitted to the registrar for archiving. Copyright to the thesis is held by the Trustees of Dartmouth College. Additional information is available from the Thayer registrar and the Thesis Guidelines (.pdf).

Service to Society

In the tradition of our founder Sylvanus Thayer, graduate students are encouraged to participate in service activities, such as those sponsored by the Tucker Foundation and Thayer Council.

Academic Honor

All students, upon matriculation, are required to attend a series of workshops in ethics and sign a statement that they agree to abide by the honor principles established by Dartmouth. See Graduate Academic and Conduct Regulations for a full statement of academic honor.

Course of Study

Faculty advisors aid MS candidates in developing their course of study, which is submitted to and approved by Thayer’s Graduate Programs Committee during the student’s first term of residency. For planning purposes, students may use the MS Course Planning Sheet (.pdf) and then submit their MS program plans through the Banner Student portal to complete the MS program plan.

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Residency Requirement

MS candidates are required to be in residence for a minimum of three terms. Students who are registered and enrolled in two or more courses a term are considered full-time and as being “in residence.”

Tuition, Expenses & Aid

Review the cost of attendance breakdown of tuition and college-related expenses. Personal expenses will vary based on individual lifestyle. All tuition and college-related expenses are estimates and subject to change.

MS students are funded through research grants and faculty funding, which begins with the initiation of thesis research. Funding covers tuition, stipend, and health insurance, but does not cover the six graduate courses that MS students must have completed, either at Dartmouth or a prior institution, before commencing thesis work.

Qualified students may be awarded stipends through positions as research or teaching assistants. Graduate research assistantships normally carry an award of full tuition, a monthly stipend, and credit toward medical insurance if purchased through the College.

In addition, a number of scholarship, fellowship and grant programs offer financial awards that are also available to MS students.

Aid for BE+MS Students

Current Dartmouth BE students applying to the MS program may be eligible for need-based "BE aid" for the terms that they need to take classes and then covered by faculty research support. BE aid eligibility is determined through the CSS PROFILE and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Fellowships & Scholarships

There are a number of fellowships offering financial awards that are available to graduate students. We have collected a list, organized by the application deadline, to help you navigate some of the opportunities available.

Graduate Scholarships

PhD & Graduate Student Fellowships