The mission of the graduate program in Mechanical Engineering is to provide graduate students with learning opportunities for acquiring a broad foundation of mechanical engineering knowledge, an in-depth research experience at the frontiers of mechanical engineering, and skills for life-long learning and professional development.The Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering requires 24 hours of course work, six hours of thesis preparation and a thesis.The Graduate School has general requirements for M.E., M.S., and Ph.D. students that must be met by all degree candidates (including earning at least 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree for master's degrees and at least 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree for doctoral degrees). The Department of Mechanical Engineering has added requirements (some of which are described below) that must be met before students can complete their degrees. Consult the department for complete, current requirements.