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The Five Year BS/MS Program

Introduction

In our highly technical and global economy, a bachelor's degree might notprovide sufficient skills for the complex engineeringproblems found in the workplace.  As a result, the master's degree has become a valuable tool that provides the additional knowledge and specialization needed to succeed in a technical career.  To that end, the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering is offering a Five-Year BS/MS Program for outstanding students who want to obtain a graduate degree.

       As a participant in this program you can do a master’s degree with either a thesis or nonthesis option.  If you choose to do a thesis, you will have an opportunity to work with individual faculty members on projects in one of the traditional or cutting edge research areas in the Woodruff School.  This will give you hands-on experience in working with a faculty mentor; the opportunity to work in a laboratory or a research environment; and the chance to perform theoretical and experimental work.  These events will foster your career interests and expand your selection of possible employers.

       In the fifth year of this program you will be encouraged to continue for the Ph.D.  In many cases, you might be working on an interesting topic of study as part of your master's research that could provide the basis for doctoral research.

Degree Opportunities   

As a participant in the Five-Year BS/MS Program in the Woodruff School you can obtain your degrees in various combinations:

• The BS/MS degrees, both in mechanical engineering;
• The BS degree in mechanical engineering and the MS degree in nuclear and radiological engineering, medical physics, paper science and engineering, or bioengineering;
• The BS/MS degrees, both in nuclear and radiological engineering;
• The BS degree in nuclear and radiological engineering and the MS degree in mechanical engineering, bioengineering, or medical physics.

Elements of the Program

Although this is an individualized program, there will be numerous opportunities for participants to interact. The key components of the program are:

• Advising and course planning  with the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, the Undergraduate Academic Advisor, and the Program Coordinator so that you can begin some graduate course work in your fourth year of study at Georgia Tech.
• Meeting with the Program Coordinator, who will help match you with a faculty advisor after identifying your individual research interests.  You will have the opportunity to interview with various faculty members to select the one you would like to work with.
• You can use six hours of ME or NRE electives or technical electrives toward both your B.S. and M.S. degrees.  A maximum of six additional hours taken at the bachelor’s level, but not counted toward your B.S. degree, may be used toward your master’s degree.
• You must completed the requirements for the bachelor’s degree, be awarded the bachelor’s degree, and then continue with the master’s degree program.  Upon receipt of the BS degree your status will be updated to Graduate Student level.  Only course work taken with Graduate Standing counts toward your graduate CPA.
•  In the fifth year of study, you may be considered for support as a graduate research assistant or a graduate teaching assistant, and receive the appropriate tuition reduction and assistantship stipends.
• Course work toward the graduate degree is very flexible.  You combine courses of interest into a program of study.
• Your undergraduate research might evolve into a master's thesis. 
• You need to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher to remain in the program.

Who Should Apply

You are eligible to apply for admission to the Five-Year BS/MS Program if you have:

• Completed thirty credit hours at Georgia Tech ― typically at the end of your freshman year;
• Shown appropriate progress in your degree program;
• Obtained a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher.

You must apply to the program before the completion of seventy-five credit hours, including transfer and advanced placement credits.  This typically occurs at the mid-point of the junior year.

How to Apply

You will need to submit an application package for admission to the Five-Year BS/MS Program.  This consists of:

• A one-page application form;
• One recommendation letter from a Georgia Tech faculty member;
• A short biographical essay about the benefits and opportunities that you will derive from participating in the program.

There is no application fee and you need not take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) for admission to the program. 

The Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services Office at Georgia Tech will process your application package, which is sent to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Woodruff School for a decision.  Admission to the program is based upon your academic performance at Georgia Tech and your potential for advanced study and/or research, as assessed from your essay. 

You may apply at any time for admission to the program the following spring or fall semester.  The application is online at www.me.gatech.edu through either the Undergraduate or Graduate Programs pages.

To Learn More About This Program

The ideal time to be admitted to the program if you area currentlyenrolled student at Georgia Tech is during the freshman or sophomore years.  To learn more about the Five-Year BS/MS Program, we encourage you to speak with Woodruff School faculty members about their work to see if their interests coincide with yours; meet our graduate students; and visit some of our excellent research laboratories.  You may also learn about the program from:

• Our web site at www.me.gatech.edu (see Undergraduate Programs or Graduate Programs);
• Recommendations from the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies or the Undergraduate Academic Advisor;
• Information Sessions given in the Woodruff School by the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and the Program Coordinator.

To learn more about the programs in the Woodruff School, see our graduate study brochure and the research brochure for a detailed description of the faculty and their research.  In addition, view the Woodruff School home page.

The Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering was the first degree-granting program established at Georgia Tech.  Today,  the School is the oldest and second largest of the ten divisions in the College of Engineering.   The Woodruff School offers programs in mechanical engineering, nuclear and radiological engineering, medical physics, paper science and engineering, and bioengineering. The enrollment  includes more than 1450 undergraduates and almost 700 graduate students.  Studies are directed by 83 full-time professors, 22  research faculty, and five academic professionals, who are supported by 44 staff members.  The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering is the only educational institution to be designated a Mechanical Engineering Heritage Site by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

For more information about Five-Year BS/MS Program in the Woodruff School, please contact:

Dr. Wayne Whiteman
Program Coordinator
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia  30332-0405
E-mail     
Phone  (404) 894-3204

               

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