Graduate Study in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Professor Marjolein van der Meulen prepares a whole bone for a mechanical test in her lab.

The Graduate Fields of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering are two of ninety-two major fields of study offered by The Graduate School at Cornell University. Graduate fields cross traditional college and department boundaries and afford a graduate student maximum flexibility in designing a program represented by faculty from virtually any discipline on campus. Both fields offer programs for M.S./Ph.D, Ph.D., and M.Eng degrees. Forty-three faculty members comprise the Graduate Field of Mechanical Engineering and thirty-five faculty members, the field of Aerospace Engineering. The fields of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering share a Graduate Field Office and Graduate Field Administrator. Each field has a Director of Graduate Studies, a faculty member from the field who serves in the position for a three-year term.

M.S./Ph.D & Ph.D. Programs
Research degrees, the M.S./Ph.D. and Ph.D, are offered by the Graduate Fields of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering; no terminal Master's degree is offered. Prospective students with a bachelor's degree may apply directly to the Ph.D. program or to the M.S./Ph.D. program. Students who have already completed, or are in the process of completing, a Master's degree, apply for the Ph.D. program. Within each field, a student may indicate interest in one of the following six areas of research:

• Biomedical Mechanics
• Dynamics, Systems, and Controls
• Engineering Materials
• Fluid Dynamics
• Nano-and-Micro Scale Systems
• Thermal Systems

Graduate study is conducted under the Special Committee system with the student's research advisor serving as Chair. Three faculty members representing the student's major and minor subjects comprise the typical Special Committee. Committee members are selected by the student with the guidance of his or her research advisor. The student's Special Committee has complete discretion in determining the direction of the student's studies including necessary coursework. The Graduate Field and Special Committee systems are inherently well-suited for inter-disciplinary studies.

Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Program
The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree program in either mechanical or aerospace engineering is a one-year professional course of study that allows students to develop a high level of competence in engineering science, current technology, and engineering design.  It is highly interdisciplinary in nature, and a great deal of flexibility is available in tailoring a program to fit individual needs and interests.  Typical M.Eng. graduates enter the work force with greater opportunities and at significantly higher salaries than those entering with a B.S. degree,  and many are offered earlier chances of  advancement.  Although the majority of M.Eng. students start the program immediately following the completion of their B.S. degree, some are industrial employees who have enrolled through their companies' continuing education programs. 

Whereas the M.S. and Ph.D. programs are largely oriented towards research, the M.Eng. program is more directed to engineering design and professional employment in industry after graduation.  Some M.Eng. students have successfully entered the Ph.D. program after completing the requirements for the M.Eng. degree.

Contact Information
Marcia Sawyer, Graduate Field Coordinator
Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
107 Upson Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853

607/255-5250