UB - University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Graduate Manual

(Revised 12/21/2011)

General Academic Information

The department offers separate programs in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.  In each program, the Master of Science, M.S., and the Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., degrees are granted.  Students are accepted for Spring or Fall admission.  Subject to certain limitations, students may undertake their program on a full- or part-time basis.

• Admission Requirements
• Student Classifications
• Application Dates for Admission
• Student Status
• Advisement
• Registration
• Paperwork Deadlines for M.S. and Ph.D. Conferral
• Transfer Credit
• Graduate Credit
• Scholastic Requirements (General)
• Financial Assistance and Tution Scholarships
• Seminar Requirements

  1.1. Admission Requirements

         The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. The B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or the equivalent, with a quality point average of at least 3.0/4.0, is normally required for admission to all programs. Prospective students may apply for either the M.S. or the Ph.D. program. Students with B.S. degree (i.e., without a M.S. degree) can apply for Ph.D. program directly or may choose to first obtain M.S. degree and then enter the Ph.D. program. Students who complete M.S. program and wish to continue for Ph.D. must re-apply for admission to the Ph.D. program.

  1.2. Student Classifications

  a) Degree Student:  Graduate students who have been accepted by the department with an undergraduate quality point average of 3.0/4.0 or better.

  b) Non-degree Student:  Students with appropriate academic qualifications who do not wish to pursue a degree program.

  c) Non-Matriculated Student: 

  i)  Graduate credit earned by non-degree students may be applied toward a degree program by petition to the Director of Graduate Studies after acceptance as a degree student.

  ii)  Students who are admitted to a particular course on a no-credit basis at the discretion of the Department and the instructor of the course.  No transcripts or other supporting papers are required, but an online application must be completed.

  iii)  Provisional Admission:  Students admitted on a provisional basis do not qualify as degree students and must demonstrate their ability to perform satisfactorily at the graduate level before being admitted to degree candidacy.  A grade of B or higher is required in each of the first three graduate courses. Otherwise, the student will be dropped automatically from the program with no further probationary period possible.

  1.3. Application Dates for Admission

  These dates can be found here.

  1.4. Student Status

   a) Full-Time:  A student who carries 12 credit hours (equivalent to four approved courses) of work approved by the advisor is considered a full-time student by the department.  Research assistants (RAs), teaching assistants (TAs) and graduate assistants (GAs) are considered full time at 9 or more credit hours. The following students must be full time: university fellows, department fellows, TAs, RAs, GAs, veterans (supported by the Veteran's Administration), and all foreign students with a student visa.

  Students who are within 12 credit hours of fulfilling their Master's or Ph.D. degree requirements (9 credit hours in the case of RAs, TAs and GAs) should petition the Graduate School for full-time status if registering for fewer than 12 (9 for RAs, GA and TAs) credits.  Petition forms are available here. 

  All supported students and all foreign students falling into this category must file the petition.  Note that an Application to Candidacy (ATC) form (see here) must be submitted and approved before a petition for full-time status will be approved by the Graduate School.  Supported students should also be aware that the number of tuition scholarship credits that will be allowed will be limited to only those credit hours required for a particular degree (30 credit hours for the M.S. or 72 credit hours for the Ph.D., less any transfer credits).

  b)    Part-Time:  A student who carries less than the equivalent of four approved courses and has not filed a petition for full-time status is considered a part-time student by the department.

  1.5. Advisement

  As early as possible in their first semester, students should meet with MAE department faculty members to find a common area of research or technical interest with the purpose of deciding a preference for a thesis/dissertation topic and advisor. Upon reaching mutual agreement with a faculty member on thesis advisement the student should so notify the department graduate office.  The advisor must be a member of the Graduate School Faculty.  Prior to selection of an advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies will serve as advisor.

  Students should select an advisor by the end of their first semester if at all possible. Students are encouraged to actively seek an advisor.

  Students should discuss regularly with their advisors, who must approve all course selections as well as provide thesis or project supervision. In unusual circumstances, students may change advisors only with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies.

  Advisement by non-MAE faculty: Non-MAE faculty can serve as committee members, provided they have a Graduate School appointment.  If a non-MAE faculty member is to serve as the principal advisor, this must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Studies, and in accordance with MAE policy. In such a case, the other committee members must be MAE faculty.If appropriate to the research effort, additional members beyond the minimum number may be added.

  1.6. Registration

  Every student is required to register in courses, research, thesis or dissertation work planned as early as possible at the beginning of each semester. The latter may be undertaken only under the direct supervision of a faculty member. No credit will be allowed for work done without proper registration. Proper registration is important for determination of the residence requirements.  "Residence" implies the pursuit of advanced study or research while registered at UB-SUNY under the supervision of the Graduate School Faculty.

  Normally, a minimum registration period of one year on a full-time equivalent basis is expected for the M.S. degree, and two years on a similar basis is expected for the Ph.D. A Ph.D. candidate must also fulfill the Ph.D. residency requirement of at least two semesters as a full-time student.

  Students are required to register continuously during their period of graduate study until all requirements for the degree are completed. Students who, for one reason or another, cannot maintain continuous registration must request a Leave of Absence (using the Graduate Student Petition Form available here) before the start of the semester for which the leave is being requested.  For this purpose, the student must petition the Dean of the Graduate School and obtain the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.  A leave of absence will only be granted to students in good academic standing. If the student is enrolled for less than 12 credits (less than 9 credits for TAs, GAs or RAs, and for all international students), the Certification of Full-Time Status form should be completed; see the page .

  Leaves of absence will normally be granted for only one (1) semester at a time.  Leaves of more than one (1) semester may require additional justification and documentation from the student and the student's advisor.  Documented cases of financial hardship, illness, or compulsory military service constitute valid justification. Students who leave the program after completion of some graduate work, but have not been given an approved leave of absence, must reapply and be readmitted as a new student.  Continued leaves of absence beyond two (2) semesters will not be granted.

  1.7. Paperwork Deadlines for M.S. and Ph.D. Conferral

  It is the responsibility of the student to meet all deadlines specified by the Department and by the Graduate School. Students should consult the Graduate School Policies and Procedures(http://www.grad.buffalo.edu/policies) and the Graduate Newsletter published each Fall and Spring semester as a supplement to The Reporter, for the most up-to-date information on these matters.

  Degree conferral deadlines are available here and are subject to change.  Check at least three months before expected conferral.  Allow time for internal processing.

  It is the responsibility of the student to check with the Graduate School prior to the various deadline dates to be sure that all the requirements and paperwork for the degree have been completed.

  IMPORTANT NOTE ON APPLICATION TO CANDIDACY FORM:  In order to be in compliance with tuition verification policies of the University and other requirements, all full-time students should submit their Application to Candidacy forms before the end of the second semester of full-time graduate study in the case of M.S. and M.Eng. (No new enrollment) students and before the end of the sixth semester (beyond the B.S. degree) in the case of the Ph.D. students.  Students transferring to the University with an M.S. degree should submit the Application to Candidacy form no later than the end of the fourth semester of full-time study for the Ph.D.

  1.8. Transfer Credit

  a) From another school:  Transfer credit will be allowed only for graduate work with a grade of "B" or better.  Graduate work done at other institutions may be offered in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree if the work is of acceptable quality and appropriate to the student's program.  Credits earned in correspondence courses may not be transferred.

  A student desiring to transfer graduate credits should consult with his advisor at the earliest opportunity after admission.  When the student's Application to Candidacy is submitted, it must list the credits to be transferred.

  For the M.S. program, this transfer is limited to a maximum of 20% of the degree requirements (or 6 credit hours total).

  A student entering the Ph.D. program may transfer up to 30 total credit hours of previous graduate course work.  Previous project or thesis work may not be transferred.

  b) From another Department within UB: Graduate work done in another department within UB may be offered in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements if the work is of acceptable quality and appropriate to the student's program and to the satisfaction of the advisor.

  1.9. Graduate Credit

  Graduate credit is granted only to degree students who:

  i) have been accepted into the department prior to registration in any course, seminar, research program, or other type of study.

  ii) are seniors close to graduation with at least a 3.0/4.0 grade point average during their last three semesters and who do not need the course credit to complete the B.S. requirements.  (Petition forms are available in the Student Advising Services office.  Exception registration is done within the department, by the assistant to the chair, with instructor’s permission.)

  Graduate credit is earned for "approved courses" consisting of a minimum of 3 semester hours (1 semester hour of credit is equivalent to 15 hours of class work per semester) and registration in thesis/dissertation which is under the direct supervision of the advisor.

  Graduate credit is granted for 500, 600 and 700 level courses, provided the advisement and registration requirements are met.  Graduate courses from outside the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences or Natural Sciences and Mathematics must receive prior approval from the student's advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

  Informal Courses

  Informal courses usually include Individual Problems and Special Topics courses, which are taught on an informal basis.  These courses require a complete narrative description on a special form designed for this purpose, which includes the signatures of the student, instructor, and the Director of Graduate Studies.  A copy of this form, available here, should be submitted to the department Graduate Office during registration time, at the beginning of the semester, and is included along with the student's Application to Candidacy form.

  A maximum of six (6) credit hours of individual problems may be applied toward the minimum 30 credit-hour requirement for the Master's degree.

  Excluding those credits applied towards the Master's degree, a maximum of six (6) additional credit hours of informal course work may be applied towards the minimum 72 credit-hour requirement for the Ph.D. degree.

  Distance Learning for Part-time Students

  4 courses (12 credits) of student's credit hours can come from distance learning; e.g. – EngiNet, for part-time students. Full time students are generally discouraged from taking EngiNet courses, and must discuss with advisor and Director of Graduate Studies.

  Graduate Credit from Undergraduate Courses

  Students wishing to use an undergraduate course for graduate credit must submit a petition along with a statement or syllabus from the instructor showing the additional work required for graduate credit to the MAE graduate office during the first week of classes to receive approval.  Copies of these petitions must be included along with the Application to Candidacy form.  Retroactive approval will not be granted.

  Such courses must be limited to a maximum of two (2) advanced undergraduate courses at the 400 level. This maximum limit applies to the entire M.S. or Ph.D. degree program.

  Undergraduate courses which carry four (4) or more semester hours of credit will receive a maximum of three (3) semester hours of graduate credit.  Graduate students taking a 4 credit hour course must register and pay tuition for the full 4 credits.

  Other

  The following courses may not be employed to fulfill degree credit requirements:

  i) undergraduate courses in which a grade of C or lower is obtained.  Credit for such courses will not be applied to the total program, but the grades will be counted in the overall average.

  ii) a graduate course already used  to fulfill the requirements of an undergraduate degree program; repeat of graduate course already taken at undergraduate level

  iii) graduate courses in which a grade of D, F or U is obtained.

  1.10.  Scholastic Requirements (General)

  a) Grades:  A minimum average of B (3.0/4.0) must be maintained during all graduate work.  This requirement takes effect after 3 courses, and all work taken for graduate credit which could be applied to the degree is used in calculating the grade point average. Courses should not be taken using “S/U” grading unless approval is obtained ahead of time from the Director of Graduate Studies.

  Accordingly, courses taken in excess of that applied toward the degree credit requirements will be included in the computation of grade point average.  Students whose averages fall between 2.5 and 3.0 at the end of any grading period may be permitted, upon the recommendation of their advisors and approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, to make up the grade point deficiency within a specified period.

  A student will be considered for dismissal from the program when:

  i) the grade of F is earned in any course;

  ii) more than two grades are earned from among, C, D, and U;

  iii) probation status has not been removed;

  iv) the grade point average falls below 2.5 at the end of any grading period;

  v) the student is found guilty of academic dishonesty according to existing regulations.

  Incomplete grades (I) are not counted in the program average while they are on the student's record.  However, after no more than two additional semesters, all requirements for such courses must be completed and a letter grade assigned.  If this is not done, the ‘I’ grade will automatically be changed to a U (unsatisfactory), which cannot be used to satisfy graduation requirements.  The program average is not affected by grades received for thesis, dissertation and seminar.

  The grade L is normally to be used for Thesis, Project, Dissertation or Departmental Seminar courses.

  Graduate students are permitted to resign from a course without academic penalty if this is done prior to the last day for dropping a course without penalty.  The student must resign officially by use of a Change of Registration slip which is available in the Student Response Center office.  The student must consult with his advisor before returning the slip.  Students who are required to keep full-time status must also receive approval of the Director of Graduate Studies prior to dropping a course.

  It is important that the student resign officially from a course in the manner described, otherwise a grade of F will be recorded.

  b) Time limits for full-time degree students

  The time limit for the M.S. degree is four years, measured from the first registration as a graduate degree student. For part-time students a time limit of six (6) years from the first registration in the graduate program may be permitted.  At the end of four (4) years, a graduate student petition form must be submitted to request an extension beyond the fourth year. The limit for the Ph.D. degree is five years from the date of the first Ph.D. registration, and seven years from the date of first graduate registration.  The time spent on an approved leave of absence is not included in these time limits.

  Time limit extensions may be granted for adequate reasons by petition to the Executive Committee of the Graduate School.  The petition must be forwarded with a recommendation from the Director of Graduate Studies.  The extension of time limit is normally granted for a maximum period of one year.

  c) Other requirements

  Any general requirements of the Graduate School or SEAS (see here) must also be satisfied.

  1.11. Financial Assitance and Tution Scholarsips

  All Students are automatically considered for financial aid on application for admission to graduate studies. There are three main types of financial support:  Teaching or Graduate Assistantships, provided by state funds for lines allotted to the department, Research Assistantships provided by research grants held by individual faculty members, and Graduate Fellowships provided by state funds administered by the Graduate School. In addition to Research Assistantships, potential new graduate students applying for admission are also eligible for Teaching Assistantships on which the decisions are made by the Graduate Studies Committee of the department. For TAs, the general policy of the department is to limit them to two semesters. Ph.D. students as TAs are eligible for support beyond the first two semesters; however the expectation is that the bulk of the support of Ph.D. students is to be provided by Research Assistantships and Graduate Fellowships based on satisfactory performance. The University has imposed a two-year limit on support (TA and GA) of Masters students on a state line; the limit for Ph.D. students is four years.

  The duties of TAs, which are assigned by the Department Chair, typically require 15 hours per week and consist of conducting undergraduate laboratories or assisting faculty in recitations or the grading of problems. The stipend and duties of RAs are decided by the Principal Investigator or grant holder; the stipend is subject to the same maximum limitation as Teaching Assistantships.  Usually the work of RAs contributes directly to their thesis study or at least is closely related.  Graduate or University Fellowships are awarded annually to new students, by the Graduate School on a University-wide competitive basis. The department proposes several of its most promising candidates for these Fellowships every February when applications are solicited by the Graduate School.

  Assistantships and fellowships normally include a full or partial tuition scholarship. However, the University has imposed a four semester limit on tuition scholarships for all Masters students and an eight semester limit (beyond the B.S. degree) for Ph.D. students. Extensions of these limits are approved only by petition. For master’s students, it is unusual for the time limit to be extended.  For PhD students, no tuition scholarship or remission will be awarded beyond the tenth semester of graduate study. Tuition Scholarship credit hours will generally be limited only to those credits required for the degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) being pursued. Continuing students who are eligible for tuition scholarships must complete and submit the necessary forms by the end of May each year for the Fall semester. Entering students should submit tuition scholarship verification forms before the end of the first week of classes. In cases of late appointments, tuition scholarship forms may be filed until the middle of the second week of classes each semester.  Failure to do this could result in the loss of the tuition scholarship regardless of the initial appointment terms. Students should also note that tuition scholarships are not granted for courses or thesis/dissertation work undertaken during the summer months. It is therefore necessary that all graduate students register for adequate thesis or project credit during the fall and/or spring semesters in order that tuition scholarships are received for such study. This should be done even though most of the thesis or project work might actually be delayed until a later period.  Registration for up to 19 credit hours per semester is permitted without petition.

  Supported students in the Ph.D. program must take the Ph.D. qualifying exam, at the first opportunity as described in Sec. 3.2. Failure to observe these requirements may result in the termination of financial support.

  In the department's view the main purpose of assistantship or fellowship support is to assist the student to complete the objectives and requirements of a degree program. It is mutually advantageous for the student to complete his program in the shortest period of time consistent with high academic performance. All assistantship appointments are subject to continuous departmental review and require satisfactory progress towards the program objectives as well as satisfactory performance of any assigned assistantship duties.

  The granting of a teaching assistantship to a continuing student first requires a nomination by the student's faculty advisor. Students are not permitted to nominate themselves.

  Teaching and research assistants, as well as Fellows, are expected to pursue their programs vigorously and as a continuing full-time commitment. During the various recesses and periods without classes which occur in the 10-month academic year (September through June) all Teaching and Research Assistants are expected to be present and actively engaged in thesis, project work, or assigned duties. Leaves of absence for time away from the campus must have the prior approval of the student's advisor.

  Unfortunately, the department does not have sufficient financial resources to assist all students deserving of support. In fact, only a fraction can be supported. For this reason students should consult the websites including to search for competitive awards available from sources outside the department or outside the University.

  1.12. Seminar Requirement

  All full-time students should register for, and attend, the departmental seminar series (MAE 503-504). In cases where courses or formal assignments preclude regular attendance at the seminar, students may be excused. It is suggested that full-time M.S. students sign up for two semesters of seminar during their degree programs and that Ph.D. students take an additional two semesters.  All students are encouraged to attend seminars, whether registered or not.