Application Deadline

Applications can be received by the Graduate Admission Office any time prior to the published deadlines. In order to be considered for assistantships and tuition grants for the following academic year, students should apply by March 1 for priority consideration. The first round of award decisions typically occurs by March 15. However, the Department will evaluate admission applications at any time complete applications are received by the Graduate School.

Early Entry to Graduate School

Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may be accepted into the graduate program and begin work toward a graduate degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree. An applicant may be accepted at any time after completion of 75 or more hours, although it is expected that close to 90 hours will have been earned by the time the first graduate course is taken.

To be accepted into this program, an undergraduate student must have at least a 3.2 overall GPA and have taken the appropriate graduate standardized test and have earned an acceptable score. If any Early Entry student has not met the normal admission requirements of a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA and a 3.0 junior-senior GPA at the end of his/her baccalaureate degree, she/he will be dismissed from the graduate program.

Students accepted into an Early Entry Program will be subject to the same policies that pertain to other matriculated graduate students. Generally, it will be assumed that Early Entry students will finish their baccalaureate degrees before they complete 15 hours of graduate work.

Up to six hours earned at the graduate level may be substituted for required undergraduate hours. (Up to six hours of graduate work may be “double counted” toward both baccalaureate and graduate degrees.)

Assistantships

Research and teaching assistantships are available from the Department on a competitive basis to highly qualified applicants/students.

Tuition Grants

Tuition grants including out-of-state tuition differential waivers and in-state tuition support are available on a competitive basis for both out-of-state and in-state students, respectively.

Admission Requirements

The minimum admission requirements for the program are:

• An earned undergraduate degree in engineering technology, engineering, energy or a closely related field
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above
• Acceptable scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the GRE
• Positive recommendations
• Acceptable TOEFL score is required if the previous degree was from a country where English is not the common language
• Integral and differential calculus (MATH 1121 or MATH 1241 or ETGR 2171, and ETGR 2272 or MATH 1242 at UNC Charlotte or equivalent from other institution)
• Statistics (STAT 1220 or STAT 3128 at UNC Charlotte or equivalent from other institution)
• Other credentials as required by the Graduate School

Degree Requirements

The program leading to the Master of Science degree in Applied Energy and Electromechanical Systems is a 30 credit hour program.  The program consists of a 15 credit hour common core, a 6 credit hour elective core in either applied energy or electromechanical systems, and a capstone experience including either a sequence of 9 credit hours of major electives or a specified 3 credit hour research and analytical methods course in conjunction with a formal 6 credit hour graduate research thesis.  At least 15 credit hours must be in courses numbered 6000 or above.  The 30 credit hour degree program is outlined below:

Capstone Experiences

Students pursuing a master’s degree in applied energy and electromechanical systems have two options to complete the 30-credit hour program.

1. 24 hours of coursework plus 6 hours of thesis project
2. 30 hours of coursework and a comprehensive examination

Both options require the formation of a program committee. The thesis option is reserved for students who are attending the on-campus program and are performing research under formal graduate research or teaching assistantships. Students receiving such assistantships may be required to pursue the thesis option. The thesis option requires students to submit a written thesis and orally defend their work before their program committee.

All non-thesis students must complete 30 credits of coursework and successfully complete a formal comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is a written exam. A student’s exam will be scheduled when he/she has at least 24 hours of course credit completed or in progress. The student’s graduate advisor and the examining committee will coordinate the examination (to be offered once in the fall and once in the spring semesters), preparing the exam with the assistance of members of the student’s program committee. The exam will measure the student’s mastery of theories and applications in the selected area of specialization within the discipline. Students will have only two opportunities to receive passing marks on the examination.

Advising

Each student is supervised by his/her graduate advisor and a program committee.

Plan of Study Requirements

Each student is required to submit a Plan of Study to the Department’s Graduate Director before completing 18 hours of graduate credits.

Application for Degree

Each student should submit an Application for Degree prior to graduation. If a student does not graduate in the semester identified on the Application, the student must complete a new form and repay the application fee to be considered for graduation in a subsequent semester.

Transfer Credit

The Department, at its discretion, may accept transfer of graduate courses (6 credits maximum) taken at another institution or from another program prior to admission to the master’s program in applied energy and electromechanical systems. Only courses in which the student earned a grade of B or above may be transferred.

Grades Required

All candidates must earn an overall 3.0 GPA to graduate. Accumulation of one U grade will result in the suspension of the student’s enrollment in the program.

Other Requirements

The program has both a thesis and non-thesis track. After admission to candidacy, thesis students will complete a comprehensive oral exam while non-thesis students will complete a comprehensive written exam. Residence will be per Graduate School rules. There is no language requirement. While full-time students will typically take three semesters to complete the program, part-time students are expected to take no more than six years to complete the program as per Graduate School rules.