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Why Should You Earn an MS Degree?

Through its participation in the distance-learning master's degree program at Georgia Tech, the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering continues to respond to the changing, and often challenging, needs of the professional engineer. The technology-driven global economy of the information age rewards individuals who are well grounded in fundamental knowledge and can adapt to rapid and unrelenting change.

A master's degree from the Woodruff School provides precisely this type of preparation and assures a credential necessary for long-term professional success. A master's degree in engineering or science is a financially sound investment for the future. Our program allows you to stay abreast of advances and changes in your field and offers you the opportunity to pursue a master's degree from one of the most respected institutions of higher learning in the country.

Program Description

The Woodruff School offers both the M.S.M.E. degree (mechanical engineering) and the M.S.M.P. degree (medical physics). To enroll in the program, you must meet the same admission requirements as those who attend classes on campus. You will need to adhere to Georgia Tech's rigorous academic standards to earn the same degree as your on-campus counterparts; there is no distinction in your degree that indicates you completed the program through distance learning. You may apply any time to the Woodruff School for admission the following term. Upon acceptance to the program, working engineers typically enroll in one course per term. Most companies provide tuition reimbursement for these classes.

Thirty credit hours (typically, 10 courses) are required to obtain a master's degree. A thesis is not required. You must maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

How the Program Works

You can take all the classes you need to complete your Georgia Tech master's degree without ever coming to campus. Lecture materials are provided primarily through the Internet, but other technologies are available if that suits your needs.

Video cameras record faculty lectures and student-faculty interaction during regular fifteen-week (semester) graduate classes. Both course and supporting materials are available online for viewing at your convenience. You may interact with faculty via telephone, fax, and e-mail. Access to the electronic library, the computer facilities of Georgia Tech, and the Internet is available to you with a computer and a modem.

In fall 1999, Georgia Tech became the first university in the nation to offer its master's degree in mechanical engineering entirely online. Woodruff School faculty members teach all courses using state-of-the-art streaming audio and video technologies, synchronized slides, simulations, and other multimedia.

Internet instruction includes links to other web-based materials and features the power and capability of Georgia Tech's sophisticated computer network. Student-to-student and student-to-faculty interactions occur using bulletin boards and the threaded discussion capabilities of WebCT and BuzzPort.

Courses

The Woodruff School offers approximately sixteen mechanical engineering courses and three medical physics each semester, except during the summer when a small number of mechanical engineering, mathematics, and industrial engineering courses are available. For current and planned course offerings, check the current Georgia Tech catalog or the Woodruff School Handbook for Graduate Students.

Mechanical Engineering

The Woodruff School is one of the largest mechanical engineering programs in the country, granting approximately 275 bachelor's, 150 master's, and 35 doctoral degrees each year. The School enjoys a close and successful working relationship with industry. As a result, Woodruff School graduates are in great demand by employers.

A variety of coursework is available for the M.S.M.E. in the following areas:

• Acoustics and Dynamics
• Automation and Mechatronics
• Computer-Aided Engineering and Design
• Fluid Mechanics
• Heat Transfer, Combustion, and Energy Systems
• Manufacturing
• Mechanics of Materials
• Microelectromechanical Systems
• Tribology

See the web page at www.me.gatech.edu for information and an application.

Medical Physics

In 2003, Georgia Tech announced a Master of Science in Medical Physics (M.S.M.P.) degree program in cooperation with Emory University's School of Medicine. Medical physics is a well-paid profession involving the application of physical principles to the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. The areas of Medical Physics are diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, health physics, and radiation oncology. The nonthesis degree option is thirty credit hours, including seven required courses and a clinical rotation.

See the web page at www.mp.gatech.edu for information and an application.

Georgia Tech

The Georgia Institute of Technology was founded in 1885 as a school of mechanical engineering. Today, almost 17,000 students from more than one hundred and ten countries are enrolled in more than thirty-five different degree programs. The distance-learning program was started in 1977 and today enrolls more than 500 students.

The program is housed in the new Global Learning Center, a state-of-the-art space for professional education programs. The facility is equipped to send and receive programs worldwide.

According to U. S. News & World Report Georgia Tech's Graduate School of Engineering is consistently ranked in the top ten in the nation. Our online degree program is one of the best, and we are the number one public institution in engineering research.

In addition to the high quality graduate instructional programs, Georgia Tech has a world-class research program with more than $275 million in new grants and contracts awarded during the past fiscal year.

The Woodruff School

The Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering is the oldest and second largest of the ten divisions in the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech. The School offers academic and research programs in mechanical engineering, nuclear and radiological engineering, medical physics, bioengineering, and paper science and engineering. The enrollment includes 1675 undergraduates and 695 graduate students. Studies are directed by 83 full-time professors, 23 research faculty, and five academic professionals, who are supported by 45 staff members. In the current U. S. News & World Report rankings, the mechanical engineering graduate program is ranked seventh in the nation. The George W. Woodruff School is the only educational institution to be designated a Mechanical Engineering Heritage Site by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

For More Information

We encourage you to apply to our distance-learning master's degree programs. For additional information, contact the Woodruff School by any one of the following methods: