Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Program

Track III - Accelerated BS/ME-MS Program

FOR STUDENTS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAMS ONLY

Students with strong scholarly and/or research interests may apply for admission to a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program to begin their graduate programs during their junior or senior year of undergraduate study. This plan allows for flexibility in the scheduling and completion of upper division undergraduate requirements while concurrently fulfilling graduate course requirements for the Master’s of Engineering (ME) or Master’s of Science (MS) degree in mechanical engineering. Students who are accepted into this program have the GRE requirement waived and are allowed to apply 9 credits of 500-level course work to both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.  Before applying to this program, interested students should review graduate research opportunities and and the Graduate Study Guidelines.


Eligibility

To apply, students must be enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program in mechanical engineering and have:

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.25 or above
  • Grades of B or better in MECH 307, MECH 324, and MECH 342
  • Completed 75 credits of course work towards the undergraduate degree, including 15 credits in mechanical engineering courses (prefix MECH)
  • A commitment from a mechanical engineering faculty member to serve as their graduate adviser

Students must maintain at least a 3.25 GPA to remain in the program and may elect out of the accelerated program at any time without affecting undergraduate status.


Advanced Placement

During the junior and senior years of undergraduate study in mechanical engineering, Track III students may take advanced placement in up to 9 credits of graduate level classes. They may select from mechanical engineering senior technical electives and related courses in science and mathematics. For courses to count towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, they must be:

  • Regular credit courses (no independent study)
  • 500-level
  • Passed with a grade of B or better

The BS degree will be awarded upon completion of undergraduate requirements and the ME or MS degree will be awarded upon completion of all graduate requirements.

 

Application

1) Apply to the Graduate School

Click on Online University Application. Select “Go To Online Application” and follow the prompts.  When prompted for admission type, indicate Track III.  When prompted to input your “essay” please leave this area blank.    

2) Email resume to megradstudies@engr.colostate.edu.  Please include:

  • Record of all professional employment including dates of service, including military service.
  • List of special skills or competencies, including licenses or certificates.
  • List of all publications, exhibitions, prizes, awards, or other recognitions.
  • List of service activities, including community and charitable organizations.

3) Provide three recommendations

  • Formal letters (or Track III Recommendation Form) must be emailed directly from recommending parties to megradstudies@engr.colostate.edu or delivered in person to the graduate coordinator.
  • Recommendations should come from at least one ME faculty member whose course(s) you have taken, one faculty member from another department, and another faculty member, research supervisor, academic adviser, or work supervisor.

 

Deadlines

Generally, Track III candidates apply during the fall semester of the senior year for graduate school admission the following spring. In some rare situations, students may apply in their junior year when they have very few credits remaining toward their BS degree. The application deadline for spring admission is October 1. The application deadline for fall admission is April 15.

 

Financial Considerations

Once Track III students are admitted to the Graduate School, tuition and fees increase; however, full time status is achieved with 9 credit hours instead of 12. It is up to the student to determine the best course of action in terms of finances.  It is also important to note that students receiving undergraduate scholarships from the University and/or outside sources may lose scholarship funds once accepted into a graduate program. Some College of Engineering scholarships still may be available with permission from the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs. In addition, the department does not assign teaching assistantships during the transition semester. To offset these financial limitations, many Track III students finish their graduate degrees one semester early.


Admissions Process

Applications that pass departmental review are forwarded to the Graduate School for final evaluation. Students who are admitted to the Track III program receive notification from the Graduate School in the mail, and become classified as graduate students for the next semester indicated on the application.

After Admission

During the first week of the semester, Track III students should schedule meetings with the departmental undergraduate adviser and graduate program coordinator for required paperwork.

Within the first 30 days of the semester, students are required to submit an exclusion form with their undergraduate graduation contract for the bachelor of science degree and an eGS6 Program of Study form for the graduate degree.

Students who are pursuing the ME Plan C degree (coursework only, no thesis) are required to meet with a faculty adviser as assigned by the graduate program coordinator to determine the plan of study and to complete the approved eGS6 before the 30-day deadline. This degree does not require a graduate committee.

Students pursuing the MS degree (research and thesis) should have a commitment from a mechanical engineering faculty member to serve as their graduate adviser. To complete the eGS6 form, the student selects a graduate committee that includes an adviser, an additional mechanical engineering faculty member, and a faculty member from outside the Mechanical Engineering Department. All parties are required to sign the form before it is submitted to the graduate program coordinator. It is in the student’s best interest to begin planning to get commitments from faculty in the final semester of the junior year and to have the faculty selections made by the first semester of the senior year.  It is reasonable to expect that the letters of recommendation required for the application come from the student’s committee members.

CONTACTS:

Chriselda Engel
Undergraduate Adviser
(970) 491-5597
chriselda.engel@colostate.edu

Karen Mueller
Graduate Program Coordinator
(970) 491-3872
karen.mueller@colostate.edu


Timeline

JUNIOR YEAR – SECOND SEMESTER

Determine the degree you plan to pursue:

  • ME  Master’s of Engineering (coursework only; no thesis)
  • MS  Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering (choose research area)

ME Option

  • Meet with graduate program coordinator for program details.
  • Meet with assigned faculty adviser for course selection.
  • Choose 9 credit hours of 500-level courses to take in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year to count towards both degrees.

MS Option

  • Meet with graduate program coordinator for program details.
  • Determine research area.
  • Get commitment from a faculty member to serve as your adviser.
  • Choose 9 credit hours of 500-level courses to take in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year to count towards both degrees.

SENIOR YEAR – FIRST SEMESTER

  • Complete all tasks above by the end of September.
  • Complete Online University Application for spring admission to Graduate School.
  • Submit application materials to the graduate program coordinator.
  • APPLICATION DEADLINE:  OCTOBER 1

SENIOR YEAR – SECOND SEMESTER

If you are admitted to the program, this will be your first semester in graduate school under the higher graduate tuition and fee schedule

ME Option

  • Meet with undergraduate adviser to complete the graduation contract and exclusion form to indicate the courses that will be used for both degrees.
  • Meet with graduate coordinator for instructions on the required eGS6 form.
  • Meet with faculty adviser for assistance with course selection (program of study).
  • Complete the online eGS6 form through your RamWeb account, print and submit to graduate program coordinator.

MS Option

  • Meet with faculty adviser to discuss plan of study.
  • Meet with undergraduate adviser to complete the graduation contract and exclusion form to indicate the courses that will be used for both degrees.
  • Meet with graduate program coordinator for instructions on the required eGS6 form.
  • Confirm members of your graduate committee.
  • Meet with faculty adviser for assistance with course selection (program of study).
  • Complete the online eGS6 form through your RamWeb account and print, obtain adviser and committee member signatures, and submit to the graduate program coordinator.

CONGRATULATIONS …

YOU HAVE NOW FINISHED ONE SEMESTER OF GRADUATE SCHOOL!

 

 

Undergraduate Program

Graduate Program

Other Information