Mechanical Engineering (Capital)

Penn State Harrisburg (PSH) is located within a short commute from York, Lancaster, Carlisle, Reading, and Harrisburg industrial centers concentrated on manufacturing, engineering consulting, product design, and development. The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree program is designed to provide support for industrial research needs, as well as offer an avenue for Penn State Harrisburg B.S. ME graduates to continue their education in the south central Pennsylvania region. The program is accessible to engineering professionals who wish to pursue advanced studies without giving up their current employment. The program may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Classes are typically scheduled weekly in three-hour evening sessions, offering a convenient format for career professionals seeking to enroll part time. Whenever possible, the program will take advantage of the specialized equipment and research facilities available in the local industries to enhance the training of M.S. ME students.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

Admission into the Master of Science (M.S.) Mechanical Engineering program will be granted only to candidates who demonstrate high potential for success in graduate studies. Applicants should have undergraduate degrees in engineering or technology fields from an accredited university and must meet the admission requirements as set by Penn State's Graduate School.

An undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale, and scores from the GRE are required for admission.

Applicants should submit the following:

• a completed Graduate School online application with the nonrefundable application fee;
• official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended;
• three (3) letters of professional recommendations from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential;
• a personal statement of professional interest, goals, and experience;
• test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
• statement of interest in graduate assistantship, if desired.

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Degree Requirements

Master of Science (M.S.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

A minimum of 31 credits at the 400, 500, 600, or 800 level is required, with at least 18 credits at the 500 and 600 levels combined. A maximum of four 400-level courses (12 credits) can be counted towards the degree requirements for the M.S. A minimum of 12 credits must be earned in 400- and 500-level courses in Mechanical Engineering. 

Students who have deficiencies in the use of spoken or written English may be required to take courses in these areas in addition to the specified degree requirements. Credits earned to remediate deficiencies cannot be applied toward requirements for the M.S. degree.

Degree requirements must be completed within six years of admission to degree status.

Integrated Undergrad-Grad Programs

Undergraduate Degree

• Behrend
• Berks
• Harrisburg

Graduate Degree

• Harrisburg

Students must apply to the program via the Graduate School application for admission, and must meet all the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Mechanical Engineering graduate program for the Master of Science (M.S.) degree, listed on the Admission Requirements tab. Before applying to the Graduate School, students must have completed entrance to their undergraduate major, have completed no less than 60 credits, and be admitted no later than the end of the second week of the semester preceding the semester of expected conferral of the undergraduate degree. Transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State to enroll in an IUG. 

In consultation with an adviser, students must prepare a plan of study appropriate to this integrated program, and must present their plan of study to the head of the graduate program or the appropriate committee overseeing the integrated program prior to being admitted to the program. The plan should cover the entire time period of the integrated program, and it should be reviewed periodically with an adviser as the student advances through the program. 

Students must fulfill all degree requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Degree requirements for the M.S. in Mechanical Engineering are listed on the Degree Requirements tab.  

Up to 12 credits may be double-counted towards the degree requirements for both the graduate and undergraduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted credits must be at the 500 or 800 level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double-counted. 

Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students must complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.S. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied. 

Minor

A graduate minor is available in any approved graduate major or dual-title program. The default requirements for a graduate minor are stated in Graduate Council policy GCAC-218 Minors.

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the Tuition & Funding section of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by the Fox Graduate School.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Mechanical Engineering (ME) Course List

Learning Outcomes

1. KNOW - Graduates will be able to demonstrate broad mastery of core principles in mechanical engineering as well as in-depth mastery in selected mechanical engineering topics.
2. CRITICAL THINKING - Graduates will be able to critically and creatively conceptualize, evaluate and formulate mechanical engineering problems, as well as perform the analyses required for problem definition.
3. APPLY/CREATE - Graduates will be able to apply advanced knowledge, techniques, skills and state of the practice tools to solve mechanical engineering problems.
4. COMMUNICATE - Graduates will be able to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, project outcomes, such as ideas, requirements, designs, analyses, findings, and justification for decisions.
5. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Graduates will be able to demonstrate an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility and conduct themselves accordingly.

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