Okenwa Okoli,
Ph.D., Dean 

Roger Meier, PhD
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
 

www.memphis.edu/herff

Individual program requirements described in the Graduate School Issue of the latest published About Graduate Catalog  of The University of Memphis are subject to change. Please consult your graduate advisor for changes that may occur before publication of the next issue of this Catalog. All graduate students must comply with the general requirements of the Graduate School (see Admission Regulations , Academic Regulations , and Minimum Degree Requirements ) and the program requirements of the degree being pursued (see departmental listings in this section).

The Herff College of Engineering offers graduate programs at the masters and doctoral levels through its departments of Biomedical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, and Mechanical Engineering. A Graduate Certificate in Imaging and Signal Processing is available through the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. A Graduate Certificate in Packaging Engineering is available through the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In addition, the Department of Engineering Technology offers a masters program in engineering technology and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Lean Leadership. Students enrolled in the college at the masters level work toward the Master of Science (MS) degree. The doctoral program of the college leads to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) after successful completion of study and research in one of the following five concentrations: biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and engineering physics. Candidates for all degrees must follow a curriculum plan that has been approved at the departmental level and by the Director of Graduate Studies of the College.

Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation

All college transcripts and test score information should also be sent directly to University Graduate Admissions. The Master of Science and Ph.D. programs in the Herff College of Engineering require three (3) three letters of recommendation from separate evaluators attesting to qualifications for successfully undertaking graduate studies in order to consider your application complete. The evaluators/faculty members who you choose should be individuals that you believe are best able to comment objectively on your intellectual and professional achievements and potential.

We may call or write your recommenders for more information.

Master of Science Degree Programs

The masters degree programs provide opportunity for advanced study in various areas of engineering of current importance. Flexibility is provided in that students have the option of a thesis or non-thesis program.

Program objectives are the ability to: (1) apply advanced knowledge of mathematics, physical sciences, and engineering principles to the solution of practical engineering problems; (2) meet or exceed the needs and expectations of public and private sector employers for MS graduates; and (3) pursue additional advanced studies if so desired.

Admission Requirements

Applicants will be considered for admission to the masters program based upon a common set of criteria. These are the applicant’s attainment of an appropriate bachelors degree, the scores earned on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and the undergraduate grade point average (GPA). The GPA used is either the cumulative or the last 60 semester hours of applicable courses earned toward a degree.

In addition to meeting the University minimum admission requirements, applicants must meet the following criteria established by this College.

The applicant must have:

1. an appropriate bachelors degree as determined by the admitting department.
2. an undergraduate GPA that is competitive for the students’ bachelors program.
3. an acceptable score on the verbal, quantitative, and analytic portions of the GRE as established by their department or program of study.
4. three letters of recommendation submitted to the University Graduate Admissions Office.

In addition to meeting the college minimum admission requirements, applicants must meet admission criteria established by their department of study. An applicant who lacks an appropriate bachelors degree may be required to complete undergraduate deficiency courses. If the number of deficiency courses is large, the applicant may be required to complete an undergraduate degree in engineering before seeking admission to the graduate program.

In addition to the above requirements, applicants whose native language is other than English must have a competativecompetitive score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or The International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The department of study for an applicant whose highest degree is from an international university may require that their credentials be evaluated. The college and/or department of study will accept evaluations done by any credentialing agency listed on the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services web site (http://www.naces.org). A course-by course report is required. Applicants are further advised that the admission requirements for the College are minimum requirements. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into a specific departmental masters program.

English Conditional Admission: International students are required to demonstrate a strong grasp of the English language before admission into graduate programs. Conditional admission may be granted depending on individual academic departmental policy. If English conditional admission is offered, students will need to register for English skills assessment and take instructional sessions (if required as a result of that assessment) through the University’s Intensive English for Internationals (IEI) program (http://www.memphis.edu/iei). Upon successful completion of the requisite sessions, as determined by IEI, the student’s English skills will be considered up to standard and the TOEFL/IELTS requirement may be waived depending on specific academic department policy. The student can then proceed into their graduate academic program. Please note that in order to have a complete application packet, students seeking English conditional admission will need to simultaneously apply for the IEI program through the link above and to the Graduate School (www.memphis.edu/graduateadmissions).

Please note that a student cannot be a graduate assistant (GA) until they have been fully admitted and have begun their graduate academic program. Please review your academic program college’s and department’s website and graduate catalog entries to determine admission requirements and steps. Questions can be directed to the program’s graduate coordinator. Students will pay IEI fees until they meet the language criterion. If courses are taken outside of IEI, the student will be charged additional tuition at the regular rate.

Retention Requirements

Refer to the individual program descriptions of each department.

Graduation Requirements

Refer to the individual program descriptions of each department.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program

The Herff College of Engineering offers a program leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with a major in Engineering and concentrations in civil, computer, electrical, mechanical engineering and engineering physics. In addition the College offers a course of study leading to a degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with a major in Biomedical Engineering through a joint academic program with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Program objectives are the ability to: (1) apply advanced knowledge of mathematics, physical sciences, and engineering principles to the solution of practical engineering problems; (2) meet or exceed the needs and expectations of public and private sector employers for PhD graduates; and (3) pursue additional advanced studies if so desired.

Admission Requirements

The Herff College of Engineering has established uniform admissions criteria for all graduate programs. Exceptions to these requirements may be addressed by the Graduate Admissions and Retention Committee of the department and must be approved by the Dean of Engineering.

Applicants will be considered for admission to the doctoral program based upon their educational background, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, grade point average (GPA), and three letters of recommendation from previous instructors/professors attesting to their academic ability and potential for success in a doctoral program.

In most cases, applicants will be considered for admission after completion of a masters degree. However, in certain cases, highly qualified applicants will be considered for admission to the doctoral program after the attainment of a bachelors degree. It may be suggested that the student complete a masters degree while in pursuit of the doctoral degree.

In addition to the above requirements, all applicants must submit an application for admission to The University of Memphis. Applicants whose native language is other than English must have a competitive score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or The International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

The department of study for an applicant whose highest degree is from an international university may require that their credentials be evaluated. The department of study will accept evaluations done by any credentialing agency listed on the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services web site (http://www.naces.org). A course-by course report is required.

Depending on the applicant’s educational background, the Advisory Committee for the individual graduate student may require additional coursework to prepare the student for doctoral studies. The Advisory Committee is composed of Graduate Faculty from the College. The Department Chair, the Director of Graduate Studies for the College and the Graduate School will review and approve the Committee.

In unusual circumstances where the above admission requirements cannot be met, an applicant may seek exceptions by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies for the college.

Applicants are further advised that the College reserves the right to deny some applications for admission because of limited availability of faculty and/or physical facilities to accommodate the student’s research interests.

English Conditional Admission: International students are required to demonstrate a strong grasp of the English language before admission into graduate programs. Conditional admission may be granted depending on individual academic departmental policy. If English conditional admission is offered, students will need to register for English skills assessment and take instructional sessions (if required as a result of that assessment) through the University’s Intensive English for Internationals (IEI) program (http://www.memphis.edu/iei). Upon successful completion of the requisite sessions, as determined by IEI, the student’s English skills will be considered up to standard and the TOEFL/IELTS requirement may be waived depending on specific academic department policy. The student can then proceed into their graduate academic program. Please note that in order to have a complete application packet, students seeking English conditional admission will need to simultaneously apply for the IEI program through the link above and to the Graduate School (www.memphis.edu/graduateadmissions).

Please note that a student cannot be a graduate assistant (GA) until they have been fully admitted and have begun their graduate academic program. Please review your academic program department’s website and graduate catalog entries to determine if English conditional admission is offered. Questions can be directed to the program’s graduate coordinator. Students will pay IEI fees until they meet the language criterion. If courses are taken outside of IEI, the student will be charged additional tuition at the regular rate.

Retention Requirements

A student will be retained continuously in the program until completion of the degree providing the following conditions are met:

1. All students will be required to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. Should the student’s GPA fall below that mark, a period of one semester or one full summer term will be allowed to correct the deficiency. Failure to regain the minimum 3.00 is considered sufficient reason for being dropped from the program. This period may, at the discretion of the student’s advisory committee, be extended one additional semester or full summer term. If the GPA at the end of this extension is still below 3.00, the student will be dismissed from the program.
2. Accumulation of more than 7 semester hours of cumulative graduate coursework with a grade of “C+” or lower will result in dismissal from the program, i.e., a student who accumulates 6 hours of graduate coursework with a grade of “C+” or lower in a masters program is permitted only one additional hour with a grade of “C+” or lower.
3. All students are required to complete a comprehensive examination with at least a minimum passing score on the written portion and a satisfactory performance on the oral portion of the exam. A second and final attempt to pass this examination may be granted by the student’s Advisory Committee; failure will result in mandatory dismissal from the program.
4. All students must demonstrate reportable activity and progress on their research project to their advisory committee each fall and spring semester after dissertation hours are started. This reportable activity should also be submitted in writing to the Department Chair.

Grade point averages above are based on a 4.00 grading system where A = 4.00. Students presenting transcripts using a different system will be held to similar standards.

Graduation Requirements

General Requirements: Each student must earn at least 72 semester hours beyond the bachelors degree or 42 beyond the masters degree (see Table 1A). Students entering with a bachelors degree can apply up to 24 semester hours of dissertation credit toward these requirements. Students entering with a masters degree can apply up to 18 hours of dissertation credit. Early in each student’s program of study, the Director of Graduate Studies, upon recommendation of the Departmental Chair, will approve an Advisory Committee composed of Graduate Faculty in the College. The Advisory Committee will guide the student’s dissertation research and recommend coursework to support that research endeavor.

For students admitted with a bachelors degree, at least 48 of the 72 semester hours required, including dissertation and research credit, must be in the student’s concentration. No more than 12 semester hours of credit for 6000 level courses will count toward the PhD degree. (See Table 1B)

For students admitted with a masters degree, at least 30 of the 42 semester hours required, including dissertation and research credit, must be in the student’s concentration. No more than 6 semester hours of credit for 6000 level courses will count toward the PhD degree.

Table 1A) Doctoral Program Options

Table 1B) Doctoral Program Course Hours

Residency Requirements: A minimum of 18 semester hours must be earned while the student is in continuous residence. This may be done in two regular consecutive semesters. If the student is retained as a graduate assistant, the residency requirement may be met over a single continuous twelve-month period provided the student completes 18 semester hours in two successive regular semesters. A student is not eligible to complete the residency requirement until a minimum of 18 semester hours of graduate study have been successfully completed.

Mathematics Requirements: Based on the qualifying examination required of all The University of Memphis doctoral students, the advisory committee may stipulate that appropriate mathematics courses be made a part of the student’s program.

Examination Requirements: All students must take a qualifying examination in accordance with University policy outlined under Minimum Requirements for Doctoral Degrees in this catalog. This examination, which is intended to determine the student’s mastery of broad fundamental concepts, will be typically given only after the student has completed between 9 to 27 semester hours of graduate study. For students entering the program with a masters degree, the exam will occur early in their PhD program as directed by the student’s Advisor and Advisory Committee. The results will be used to prescribe the remainder of the student’s academic program, and successful completion of the qualifying exam is required for admission to candidacy as a doctoral student.

The examination will generally be given in written form. However, the student’s committee may require an oral session before making a final decision on the student’s qualification to continue his/her studies.

After the final semester of coursework, the student will be required to successfully complete written and oral comprehensive examinations that will ascertain the student’s mastery of the theoretical material that will underlie the dissertation topic. The student’s Advisory Committee will conduct this oral comprehensive exam.

At the completion of the dissertation, the student must defend the work before the advisory committee and other interested members of the university faculty who may care to question the results of the research. NOTE: Students should familiarize themselves with the Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide before starting to write.

Course Requirements: Nine semester hours of major mathematics, physical science and engineering principles core courses that integrate their doctoral experience are required of all doctoral students. This core is developed by the student’s graduate Advisory Committee. Each concentration requires a minimum of 48 semester hours of coursework post Bachelor’s Degree (and 24 post Master’s Degree) plus research comprising the dissertation hours in the chosen field of study. Each student’s program of study will be developed with the student’s Advisory Committee. NOTE: Students taking Engineering courses will be charged an additional $35 per credit hour.