Admissions to the Mechanical Engineering: Controls, M.S. have been suspended as of fall 2018 and will be discontinued as of fall 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
This is a named option within the Mechanical Engineering M.S.
The Mechanical Engineering M.S. named option Controls is a primarily online degree that includes a full curriculum of courses incorporating the latest research and practices in drive, converter control, and sensor integration. This program consists of 27 online credits and 3 credits taken on campus through a summer laboratory course. The program includes courses in both mechanical engineering and electrical engineering and is designed for practicing engineers.
Admissions to the Mechanical Engineering: Controls, M.S. have been suspended as of fall 2018 and will be discontinued as of fall 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
Students with a strong background in mechanical engineering or a related field with interest in furthering their education in mechanical engineering are encouraged to apply for admission to the department. Applicants accepted into the program generally have an undergraduate grade point average well above the graduate school minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. All applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Applications are evaluated on the basis of previous academic record, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JUNE 1
Applications are accepted for admission during the fall semester.
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website. Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online. |
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
Federal Loans
Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to receive some level of funding through the federal direct loan program. These loans are available to qualified graduate students who are taking at least 4 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and 2 credits during summer. Private loans are also available. Learn more about financial aid at financialaid.wisc.edu.
Employer Support
Many students receive some financial support from their employers. Often, students find it beneficial to sit down with their employer and discuss how this program applies to their current and future responsibilities. Other key points to discuss include how participation will not interrupt your work schedule.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Named Option Requirements
MODE OF INSTRUCTION
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | Yes | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students are able to complete a program with minimal disruptions to careers and other commitments. Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments. Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus. Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information. Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format. |
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 18 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | Half of degree coursework (15 credits out of 30 total credits) must be completed graduate-level coursework; courses with the Graduate Level Coursework attribute are identified and searchable in the university's Course Guide (https://registrar.wisc.edu/course-guide/). |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Students must earn a C or above in all coursework. |
| Assessments and Examinations | None. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
Required COURSES
A minimum of 24 formal course credits (minimum of 15 formal course credits in Mechanical Engineering taken at UW–Madison), one of these courses must be numbered 700 or higher. A minimum of 3 credits of independent study (M E 699). Remaining credits can be formal course credits or independent study.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Students are required to take the following course: | ||
| M E/E C E 577 | Automatic Controls Laboratory | 4 |
| Students are required to take 9 credits (3 courses) from the following ME courses: | ||
| Automatic Controls | ||
| Computer Control of Machines and Processes | ||
| Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Advanced Robotics | ||
| Dynamics of Controlled Systems | ||
| Advanced Computer Control of Machines and Processes | ||
Courses Numbered 400 and above in M E which count toward course, independent study, research credit requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| M E/B M E 415 | Biomechanics of Human Movement | 3 |
| M E 417 | Transport Phenomena in Polymer Processing | 3 |
| M E 418 | Engineering Design with Polymers | 3 |
| M E 419 | Fundamentals of Injection Molding | 3 |
| M E 420 | Introduction to Polymer Composites Processing | 3 |
| M E/STAT 424 | Statistical Experimental Design | 3 |
| M E/CBE/CHEM/E M A 425 | Undergraduate Rheology Seminar | 1 |
| M E 429 | Metal Cutting | 3 |
| M E 437 | Advanced Materials Selection | 3 |
| M E/E C E 439 | Introduction to Robotics | 3 |
| M E 440 | Intermediate Vibrations | 3 |
| M E/BSE/FOOD SCI 441 | Rheology of Foods and Biomaterials | 3 |
| M E 444 | Design Problems in Elasticity | 3 |
| M E 445 | Mechatronics in Control & Product Realization | 3 |
| M E 446 | Automatic Controls | 3 |
| M E 447 | Computer Control of Machines and Processes | 3 |
| M E 448 | Mechanical Systems Analysis | 3 |
| M E 449 | Redesign and Prototype Fabrication | 3 |
| M E 450 | Design and Dynamics of Vehicles | 3 |
| M E 451 | Kinematics and Dynamics of Machine Systems | 3 |
| M E 460 | Applied Thermal / Structural Finite Element Analysis | 3 |
| M E 461 | Thermal Systems Modeling | 3 |
| M E/M S & E 462 | Welding Metallurgy | 3 |
| M E 466 | Air Pollution Effects, Measurements and Control | 3 |
| M E 469 | Internal Combustion Engines | 3 |
| M E/BSE 475 | Engineering Principles of Agricultural Machinery | 3 |
| M E/BSE 476 | Engineering Principles of Off-Road Vehicles | 3 |
| M E 489 | Honors in Research | 1-3 |
| M E 491 | Mechanical Engineering Projects I | 1-3 |
| M E 492 | Mechanical Engineering Projects II | 1-3 |
| M E/CIV ENGR/E M A 508 | Composite Materials | 3 |
| M E/I SY E 510 | Facilities Planning | 3 |
| M E/I SY E 512 | Inspection, Quality Control and Reliability | 3 |
| M E/I SY E 513 | Analysis of Capital Investments | 3 |
| M E 514 | Additive Manufacturing | 3 |
| M E/N E 520 | Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer | 3 |
| M E/CBE 525 | Macromolecular Hydrodynamics | 3 |
| M E/COMP SCI/E C E 532 | Matrix Methods in Machine Learning | 3 |
| M E 535 | Computer-Aided Geometric Design | 3 |
| M E/COMP SCI/E C E 539 | Introduction to Artificial Neural Networks | 3 |
| M E/E M A 540 | Experimental Vibration and Dynamic System Analysis | 3 |
| M E 545 | Fluid Power | 3 |
| M E 549 | Product Design | 3 |
| M E/COMP SCI/I SY E 558 | Introduction to Computational Geometry | 3 |
| M E 561 | Intermediate Thermodynamics | 3 |
| M E 563 | Intermediate Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| M E 564 | Heat Transfer | 3 |
| M E/N E 565 | Power Plant Technology | 3 |
| M E/E P 566 | Cryogenics | 3 |
| M E/CBE 567 | Solar Energy Technology | 3 |
| M E 569 | Applied Combustion | 3 |
| M E/E M A 570 | Experimental Mechanics | 3 |
| M E 572 | Intermediate Gas Dynamics | 3 |
| M E 573 | Computational Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| M E/E C E 577 | Automatic Controls Laboratory | 4 |
| M E 601 | Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering | 1-3 |
| M E/I SY E 641 | Design and Analysis of Manufacturing Systems | 3 |
| M E/I SY E 643 | Performance Analysis of Manufacturing Systems | 3 |
| M E 699 | Advanced Independent Study | 1-3 |
| M E 702 | Graduate Cooperative Education Program | 1-2 |
| M E/E M A 706 | Plates, Shells and Pressure Vessels | 3 |
| M E/E M A 708 | Advanced Composite Materials | 3 |
| M E 714 | Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing | 3 |
| M E 717 | Advanced Polymer Processing | 3 |
| M E 718 | Modeling and Simulation in Polymer Processing | 3 |
| M E/E M A 722 | Introduction to Polymer Rheology | 3 |
| M E/E C E 739 | Advanced Robotics | 3 |
| M E 740 | Advanced Vibrations | 3 |
| M E 746 | Dynamics of Controlled Systems | 3 |
| M E 747 | Advanced Computer Control of Machines and Processes | 3 |
| M E 748 | Optimum Design of Mechanical Elements and Systems | 3 |
| M E 751 | Advanced Computational Dynamics | 3 |
| M E 753 | Friction, Lubrication and Wear | 3 |
| M E 758 | Solid Modeling | 3 |
| M E/COMP SCI/E C E/E M A/E P 759 | High Performance Computing for Applications in Engineering | 3 |
| M E 761 | Topics in Thermodynamics | 3 |
| M E 764 | Advanced Heat Transfer I-Conduction | 3 |
| M E 765 | Advanced Heat Transfer II-Convection | 3 |
| M E 769 | Combustion Processes | 3 |
| M E 770 | Advanced Experimental Instrumentation | 3 |
| M E 774 | Chem Kinetics of Combust Systems | 3 |
| M E 775 | Turbulent Heat and Momentum Transfer | 3 |
| M E/E P 777 | Vacuum Technology | 3 |
| M E 790 | Master's Research and Thesis | 1-9 |
| M E 890 | PhD Research and Thesis | 1-9 |
| M E 903 | Graduate Seminar | 0 |
| M E/CBE/CHEM/E M A 925 | Rheology Research Seminar | 1 |
| M E 964 | Special Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering | 1-3 |
| M E 990 | Dissertator Research and Thesis | 1-9 |
| M E 999 | Advanced Independent Study | 1-5 |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Named Option-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Work from Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to count graduate coursework from other institutions (up to 12 credits) toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement and the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement. No credits from other institutions can be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison Undergraduate
With advisor approval, up to 7 credits numbered 400 or above may be counted toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. These credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement if they are in courses numbered 700 or above. No credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison University Special
With program approval, and payment of the difference in tuition, students are allowed to count up to 15 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison Special student toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement and the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. These credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement if they are in courses numbered 700 or above. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
ProbatioN
The Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who earned grades of BC, C, D, F, or Incomplete in a graduate course (300 or above), or grade of U in research credits. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment or in being suspended from the Graduate School.
- Good standing (progressing according to standards; any funding guarantee remains in place).
- Probation (not progressing according to standards but permitted to enroll; loss of funding guarantee; specific plan with dates and deadlines in place in regard to removal of probationary status).
- Unsatisfactory progress (not progressing according to standards; not permitted to enroll, dismissal, leave of absence or change of advisor or program).
A semester GPA below 3.0 will result in the student being placed on academic probation. If a semester GPA of 3.0 is not attained during the subsequent semester of full time enrollment (or 12 credits of enrollment if enrolled part-time), this will be deemed unsatisfactory progress and the student may be dismissed from the program or allowed to continue for one additional semester based on advisor appeal to the Graduate School.
ADVISOR / COMMITTEE
All students are required to obtain a mechanical engineering faculty advisor who assists them in planning a course sequence that meets degree requirements, supervises their independent study project, and discusses career objectives.
CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED
15 credits
Time Constraints
Master’s degree students who have been absent for five or more consecutive years lose all credits that they have earned before their absence. Individual programs may count the coursework students completed prior to their absence for meeting program requirements; that coursework may not count toward Graduate School credit requirements.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Mechanical Engineering Grievance Procedures
If a student feels unfairly treated or aggrieved by faculty, staff, or another student, the University offers several avenues to resolve the grievance. Students’ concerns about unfair treatment are best handled directly with the person responsible for the objectionable action. If the student is uncomfortable making direct contact with the individual(s) involved, they should contact the advisor or the person in charge of the unit where the action occurred (program or department chair, section chair, lab manager, etc.). Many departments and schools/colleges have established specific procedures for handling such situations; check their web pages and published handbooks for information. If such procedures exist at the local level, these should be investigated first. For more information see the Graduate School Academic Policies & Procedures: https://grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/?policy=grievancesandappeals. The Assistant Dean for Graduate Affairs (engr-dean-graduateaffairs@engr.wisc.edu) provides overall leadership for graduate education in the College of Engineering (CoE), and is a point of contact for graduate students who have concerns about education, mentoring, research, or other difficulties.
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The student is encouraged to speak first with the person toward whom the grievance is directed to see if a situation can be resolved at this level.
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Should a satisfactory resolution not be achieved, the student should contact the ME Graduate Committee Chair or Department Chair to discuss the grievance. The Graduate Committee Chair or Department Chair will facilitate problem resolution through informal channels and facilitate any complaints or issues of students. The first attempt is to help students informally address the grievance prior to any formal complaint. Students are also encouraged to talk with their faculty advisors regarding concerns or difficulties if necessary. University resources for sexual harassment, discrimination, disability accommodations, and other related concerns can be found on the UW Office of Compliance website. Other campus resources can be found above.
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If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction the student can submit the grievance to the Graduate Committee Chair in writing, within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.
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On receipt of a written complaint, a faculty committee will be convened by the Graduate Committee Chair to manage the grievance. The faculty committee will obtain a written response from the person toward whom the complaint is directed. This response will be shared with the person filing the grievance.
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The faculty committee will determine a decision regarding the grievance. The Graduate Committee Chair will report on the action taken by the committee in writing to both the student and the party toward whom the complaint was directed within 15 working days from the date the complaint was received.
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At this point, if either party (the student or the person toward whom the grievance is directed) is unsatisfied with the decision of the faculty committee, the party may file a written appeal. Either party has 10 working days to file a written appeal to the School/College.
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Documentation of the grievance will be stored for at least 7 years. Significant grievances that set a precedent will be stored indefinitely.
The Graduate School has procedures for students wishing to appeal a grievance decision made at the school/college level. These policies are described in the Graduate School’s Academic Policies & Procedures: https://grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/?policy=grievancesandappeals.
Other
Students enrolled in this program are not permitted to accept teaching assistantships, project assistantships, research assistantships or other appointments that would result in a tuition waiver. Students in this program cannot enroll in other graduate programs nor take courses outside the prescribed curriculum.
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.