1. Admission requirements The B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or the equivalent, with a quality point average of at least 3.0/4.0, is the normal background required for admission for all Masters programs. Prospective Ph.D. students may apply for either the M.S. or Ph.D. program, but those without an M.S. degree will initially be accepted as M.S. candidates. Full-time students admitted to the M.S. program who show research ability and are in good academic standing may apply for admission to the Ph.D. qualifying examination after two semesters. The procedure for applying is the same as for students who first complete the M.S. program. Students who complete the M.S. program and wish to continue must apply for admission to the Ph.D. program and qualifying examination as described in Sec. 11. Students applying for admission with a quality point average less than 3.0 or without a B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering may occasionally be admitted on a provisional basis, depending on the circumstances of their case and their letters of recommendation. Admission on a provisional basis requires that the student obtain a grade of B or higher in each of the first three graduate courses taken.