Integrated B.S. Physics & M.S.M.E. Program

Applications for fall semester are due each year on June 15

The Department of Mechanical Engineering along with the School of Physics and Astronomy offers an integrated bachelor's and master's degree program.
This is exclusively available to students officially admitted to the College of Science & Engineering Bachelor of Science in Physics program.
The program allows students with strong academic performance records to take additional credits at undergraduate tuition rates during their last couple of semesters which can be applied towards the Mechanical Engineering MS program.
As science fields have been growing steadily more interdisciplinary, there is an increasing need for people with skillsets homed in one scientific endeavor to bring their expertise to other scientific pursuits.
In the undergraduate physics program, students are immersed in coursework that emphasizes problem solving, specifically probing phenomena in the natural world, via analytical techniques, computation, and experimentation.
Hence, the study of physics is relevant to a whole range of fields, and the career trajectories of those who study physics are quite diverse, ranging from research and development to finance and even law.
Many physics majors often ply their knowledge of mechanics, materials, thermodynamics, and other physical concepts to engineering fields. However, an undergraduate degree in physics may not fully prepare them for an engineering career.
By marrying an undergraduate physics degree to a graduate degree in mechanical engineering, students will discover greater job opportunities as they become more attractive to employers seeking workers with an engineering background, especially as the demand for mechanical engineers is projected to grow rather rapidly in a number of industries, ranging from automotive and aerospace to manufacturing.
Besides the increase in job opportunities, the financial benefits of adding the MS degree in mechanical engineering – the average starting salary of someone with an MS in ME is more than $20K/year greater as compared to someone holding only a BS in physics – will greatly appeal to those undergraduate physics majors who would like to pursue a career in engineering.
By offering the 4+1 degree, combining Physics and Mechanical Engineering, students can complete both their BS in physics and MS in mechanical engineering in a relatively short period of time, jumpstarting their entry into industry. (Check out the integrated program example plan flowchart)
Furthermore, students with such a degree may appeal to employers who seek applicants who possess the technical acumen of an engineer with the foundational scientific knowledge of a physicist.
Such a program should be relatively simple to implement as the current "Engineering Subplan" in the physics major is flexible enough to allow for graduate-level ME courses to be taken during a student's fourth year.
However, Physics B.S. students with any Subplan emphasis are eligible for the BSPHYS/MSME program but the Engineering Subplan is encouraged.
Again, this program should be rather appealing to our students as a 4+1 degree combining physics and mechanical engineering reduces the time needed to obtain a graduate degree and should, ultimately, offer greater opportunities for job placement.

Eligibility Requirements

To be admitted to the BSPHYS/MSME program, students must:
Be enrolled in the physics undergraduate program in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
Have a minimum of 3.25 GPA (cumulative). While this GPA is required to apply, we prefer students with a GPA of 3.50 or greater.
Be completing their junior year and have flexibility in their senior year to complete the requirements for the BSPHYS degree along with extra course work.
Apply for admission at the end of their junior year.

Application Procedure

Students apply to an integrated degree program the semester prior to the last year of undergraduate academic study, this provides the student one year (two semesters) to complete undergraduate degree requirements and take graduate level courses.

Students who wish to apply for admission into the program must submit the following at the end of their junior year (with two semesters remaining before graduation) to the Graduate School:

Completed Graduate School application form.
Necessary application fee.
Original transcripts from post-secondary education institutions.
Statement of purpose including planned area of concentration.
Completed BSPHYS/MSME Combined Course Projection Sheet that includes: a) planned courses necessary to complete the B.S. Physics degree requirements (the semester and year in which the courses will be taken should also be noted as some courses are offered alternate years) b) planned graduate level courses necessary to complete the M.S.M.E. degree requirements (the semester and year in which the courses will be taken should also be noted as some courses are offered alternate years).
One letter of recommendation from a full-time faculty member in the School of Physics and Astronomy.

The applications will be reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of Mechanical Engineering who will make the admission decision.

Once DGS of Mechanical Engineering makes the admission decision, the admission outcome will be updated on the online application system by the end of June. In addition, the admitted students will receive an email with the official admission letter from CSE attached to the email.

No students will be admitted conditionally into the integrated MS program. However, if the admitted students fail to complete their BS degree by the end of their senior year, they will not be allowed to continue with the MS program.

Administrative Admission Processing

Students who receive the acceptance letter by the end of June must notify the Academic Programs Director (APD) in the School of Physics and Astronomy who will verify the information with the ME Graduate Program Manager (GPM). Upon verification, the APD will add or remove the 08CD student group in PeopleSoft and also email the CSE undergraduate records team ([email protected]) with the request to add the IDP sub-plan to the student's record in PeopleSoft. When the students complete their Physics BS degrees in June of the following year, the GPM of Mechanical Engineering will add the graduate career to the student's record.

Course sequence flowchart for 4th and 5th year BSPHYS/MSME degrees, leading to graduation.

Program Requirements

Students admitted to this IDP will complete and be awarded the undergraduate degree within 4 years (8 semesters) for NHS and 3 years (6 semesters) for NAS students.
Admission into the IDP will be revoked if the awarding of this bachelor's degree exceeds 8 semesters for NHS students and 6 semesters for NAS students.
The admitted student's major academic advisor or the DUGS for Physics will be responsible for reviewing the student's APAS and making any necessary exceptions related to the IDP sub-plan.
The associated bachelor's degree must be awarded prior to the beginning of the master's career. Bachelor's and master's degrees cannot be awarded simultaneously.
The CSE Undergraduate Records and Curriculum Team is responsible for clearing the bachelor's degree.
Once enrolled in the master's degree, students must complete a minimum of one semester (6 course credits) as a registered graduate student completing the master's degree requirements before the awarding of the master's degree.
The Graduate Program Manager (GPM) of Mechanical Engineering, along with the ME Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), will be responsible for graduate academic audit, review of graduate student degree progress, graduate degree planning and advising, and graduate degree clearance.
Students may apply up to 12 credits completed during their senior year toward the master's degree as part of the integrated bachelor's/master's program. Eligible credits must be from ME 5xxx- or ME 8xxx-level courses offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, excluding ME 8001, ME 8002, ME 8010, ME 8011, ME 8333, ME 8444, ME 8666, ME 8888, and ME 8990.
Credits cannot be (double counted) used for both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. This includes credits used for other undergraduate degrees, majors, or minors.