Department of Mechanical Engineering

The MS in Mechanical Engineering builds on a strong undergraduate degree with close linkages to regional industries through faculty consulting and student projects. It is structured as a practice-oriented master’s degree. Programs of study are offered in all areas of mechanical engineering including a special thrust in manufacturing. Its primary purpose is to provide additional professional education to mechanical engineers employed in regional industry, business, and government.

The programs offer small classes, close contact with a diverse faculty, and easy access to well-supported research facilities to provide state-of-the-art learning and research experiences.

Courses are scheduled to permit either full-time or part-time study, and are offered at times that are convenient for students employed in industry and government.

Resources

The Mechanical Engineering Department maintains a wide variety of research and educational laboratories in the areas of robotics, controls, bioengineering, and thermal science. Our manufacturing facilities include a fully equipped machine shop for student use, computer controlled CNC machines, and extensive materials testing equipment.

The robotics lab contains twelve instructional Rhino robots and a SCORBOT with a vision system for state-of-the-art applications in research and manufacturing. The controls laboratory houses instrumentation for various control applications in engineering education and research.

We have laser laboratories that include a laser Doppler velocimeter for the non-invasive measurement of fluid velocity, a clinical laser for the study of laser-skin interactions in medical treatment, and an optical properties measurement lab for studying biological tissues. Other heat transfer research equipment includes a cryopump capable of reaching 10K, differential thermal analyzers, and a wind tunnel.

We also provide extensive UNIX and NT based computer facilities for student use.

In addition, the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering, housed in the College of Engineering; the Laboratory for Marine Science, Environment and Technology; and the Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center (ATMC)—described elsewhere in this catalogue—are especially important for advanced students in engineering.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the MS program is competitive. Students possessing a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a recognized institution and a strong academic background in mechanical engineering or a similar discipline are encouraged to apply for admission. Typically, MS applicants with an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale for all engineering, math and physics courses will be considered.

Applicants for the MS in Mechanical Engineering must submit the required application materials to the Graduate Office. In addition, Graduate Record Examination scores for the General Test must be submitted by applicants who are not or will not be graduates of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth or the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

The department has established a fast-track BS-MS program permitting UMass Dartmouth Mechanical Engineering undergraduates to progress to the masters level smoothly and at a savings of some overall credits. See the General Catalogue for information and special admissions procedures.

Graduate Financial Assistance

Inquiries regarding graduate student financial assistance should be made to the Director of the Graduate Program. For information about loans or other assistance, please consult the chapter on “Expenses and Financial Assistance.”

Many employers will assist employees in furthering their professional education; contact the personnel office at your place of work.

Course Availability and Offerings

Graduate courses are offered in the evenings to accommodate both full-time and part-time students.

BS/MS Undergraduate/Graduate Integrated Program Option

The department offers an integrated program that allows qualified UMass Dartmouth undergraduate majors in Mechanical Engineering to proceed directly to the master’s degree program and complete both degrees with a reduction in overall credits required. See the current General Catalogue for information on this option.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Azadivar, Farhad Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2000), BSc 1970, MSc 1972, PhD1980 Purdue University. Specializations: Modeling and optimization of manufacturing systems, computer simulation, management of technological innovation.

Bhowmick, Sankha Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2002), BE 1992 Jadavpur University, MS 1996 Villanova University, PhD 2000 University of Minnesota. Specializations: Heat and mass transfer, bioengineering.

Chalivendra, Vijaya B Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2005), BS 1993, MS1997 Sri Venkateswara University, India, PhD 2003 University of Rhode Island. Specialization: Fracture mechanics.

El Wakil, Sherif D Chancellor Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1987), BS 1965 Cairo University, MS 1969 Al-Azhar University, PhD 1972 Birmingham University, England. Specializations: Computer-aided manufacturing, design for manufacturing, materials science.

Fowler, Alex J Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1994), BA 1987 Wesleyan University, PhD 1993 Duke University. Specializations: Fluid flow in porous media, heat transfer, thermo dynamics bioengineering.

Friedman, Peter D (chairperson) Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2002), BS 1984 Georgia Institute of Technology, MS 1991 Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD 2001 Johns Hopkins University. Specializations: experimental fluid mechanics and heat transfer, thermodynamics, nuclear power plant operation.

Holtta-Otto, Katja Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2005), BS 1999, MS 2000 Helsinki University of Technology, PhD 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Specialization: Modular design.

Huang, Wenzhen Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2005), BS 1982 Jilin University, China, MS 1984, PhD 1987 Shanghai Jiaotong University, China, PhD 2004 University of Wisconsin Madison. Specialization: Manufacturing systems.

Laoulache, Raymond N Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1988), ScB 1980, ScM 1983 Northeastern University, PhD 1987 Brown University. Specializations: Thermodynamics, multiphase flow, control systems, fluid mechanics, laser doppler anemometry, parallel computing.

Meressi, Tesfay Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1993), BS 1985 Addis Ababa University, MS 1990 PhD 1993 University of California/Santa Barbara. Specializations: Robotics, control theory, machine design.

Rice, John M (Graduate Program Director) Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1984), BA 1974 Northeastern University, MS 1977 Stanford University, PhD 1984 University of Rhode Island. Specializations: Solid mechanics, computer-aided engineering, finite element analysis, composite materials.

Srinagesh, K Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1978), BS 1957 University of Mysore, India, MS 1959, PhD 1967 Indian Institute of Science. Specializations: Manufacturing processes, physical metallurgy, foundry engineering.

Contact

Dr John Rice
Graduate Program Director,
Mechanical Engineering
508 999-8598
jrice@umassd.edu

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300