Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the status of the proposal?
- What are the areas of specialization?
- What are the degree requirements?
- Do I have to write a thesis?
- What are the available curriculum samples?
- What types of financial support are available?
- What are the special features of this program?
- Can I begin taking classes now?
- If I went to Purdue for my undergraduate degree, do
I still need to request a official transcript from Purdue?
- How can I simplify the process of getting my Purdue
transcripts transmitted to the IPFW Graduate admissions office?
- Where should I mail my transcript, letters of reference and statement of purpose?
Q1. What is the status of the proposal?
On July 10th, 2007 the Indiana Commission of Higher Education (ICHE) approved the IPFW MSE program.
Q2. What are the admission requirements for the MSE program?
To be considered for admission into the MSE program, applicants ideally should have graduated from an approved, accredited engineering program with a Bachelor of Science degree in their selected area of specialization. Graduates with Bachelor of Science degrees from approved programs in closely related areas will be considered for admission. Formal admission to the MSE program requires a Bachelor of Science degree and departmental approval, as well as:
-
Completion of the engineering mathematics sequence which includes MATH 165 and 166 Integrated Calculus and Analytical Geometry I and II, MATH 261 Multivariate Calculus, MA 351 Linear Algebra, and MA 363 Differential Equations or an equivalent sequence of courses.
- Completion of at least two semesters of calculus-based physics.
-
Completion of all undergraduate engineering courses that are the prerequisites to the graduate courses on the student’s plan of study.
Students admitted to the program will be granted either unconditional admission or conditional admission. Unconditional admission is granted to a student whose undergraduate grade point average meets or exceeds 3.0 (B equivalent) on a 4.0 scale. An applicant with an undergraduate grade point average less than 3.0/4.0 may be granted conditional admission. The student is required to maintain a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or better for the first 12 credits of graduate work. In some cases, an applicant may be advised or required to complete additional courses to fill deficiencies in academic background.
Admission for temporary (post-baccalaureate) studies can be granted to a qualified student who wants to take engineering courses for career development or to work toward a degree. However, such an admission does not in any way imply that later admission will be granted for regular status to work towards a degree, and all course prerequisites must be satisfied.
Applicants for whom English is not the native language
must present evidence of their proficiency in English by presenting
a minimum TOEFL s core of 550 or equivalent.
Q3. What are the areas of specialization?
The program has four areas of specialization:
- computer engineering
- electrical engineering
- mechanical engineering
- systems engineering
Students admitted to the program must select an area of specialization and take four required courses in that area of specialization.
Q4. What are the degree requirements?
To earn the Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree, students must complete 30 credit hours. The courses in each area of specialization are divided into four categories:
- engineering required
- mathematics/statistics/computer science elective
- engineering elective
- general elective.
The required engineering courses (12 credit hours) provide students with a solid, yet broad foundation in the fundamentals of their selected area of specialization. These specific courses (see below) were selected to meet the needs of students and local industry, with the strengths and abilities of the IPFW engineering faculty in mind. Each of the required engineering courses will be offered on campus at least once a year. Students will have an opportunity to take some of the courses via video.
| Computer Engineering ECE 502 Linear Control Systems ECE 547 Intro. to Computer. Comm. Networks ECE 565 Computer Architecture ACS 560 Software Engineering |
Mechanical Engineering ME 505 Intermediate Heat Transfer ME 509 Intermediate Fluid Mechanics ME 550 Advanced Strength of Materials ME 562 Intermediate Dynamics |
| Electrical Engineering ECE 502 Linear Control Systems ECE 538 Digital Signal Processing I ECE 547 Intro. to Computer. Comm. Networks ECE 565 Computer Architecture |
System Engineering SE 510 Systems Engineering SE 520 Engineering Economics SE 530 Engineering Management SE 540 System Architecture |
The mathematics/statistics/computer science electives (6 credit hours) provide the students with the opportunity to sharpen their analytical skills and obtain useful tools to apply to future work within their selected area of specialization. Many of these graduate courses are already offered on the IPFW campus, and students will also have the opportunity to take some of these courses via video.
The engineering electives (6 credit hours) offer the student a chance to develop depth in his/her area of specialization and to explore new technologies of interest. Students will have the option of taking engineering elective courses on campus or via distance-learning.
The last category of courses, the general electives (6 credit hours), give the student flexibility to tailor the program to meet his or her specific needs. For example, a student wishing to eventually move into a management position might opt for courses in Business or Organizational Leadership and Supervision, while another student might decide to perform research in areas such as robotics, controls, signal processing, tribology, or heat transfer and produce a thesis.
Note also that students from one area of specialization might chose to take required courses from another area of specialization to satisfy the elective requirements, e.g. computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering students might take courses in Systems Engineering to satisfy their engineering elective and general elective requirements.
For more information, see Section 3 of the proposal.
Q5. Do I have to write a thesis?
Both thesis and non-thesis options are available
Q6. What are the available curriculum samples?
The distribution of the credit hours for each area of specialization is summarized on the following Tables
Q7. What types of financial support are available?
Students in the program will be eligible for all forms of financial aid available to other IPFW students. In addition, graduate assistantships may be developed when the program begins to attract full-time students. Funding for these stipends will be sought from grants. Graduate teaching assistantships are likely to be developed. Moreover, based on the strong letters of support from the local industry, tuition reimbursement and tuition assistance from employers is expected.
Q8. What are the special features of this program?
The curriculum in this program is extremely flexible. Students will be able to tailor the program to meet their needs by blending distance-learning courses offered by IPFW and the Purdue Graduate School, as well as approved courses offered by the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science, and the division of Organizational Leadership and Supervision (OLS).
The development of an engineering graduate program at IPFW will benefit the long-term growth of the northeastern Indiana community by enhancing its attractiveness to additional high technology corporations that rely on knowledge and innovation.
The availability of graduate courses in Systems Engineering
is unique in Indiana. Students in all areas of specialization will have
the opportunity to take courses in Systems Engineering. Engineers with
this type of education are in high demand in northeastern Indiana and
nationwide.
Q9. Can I begin taking classes now?
Prospective students will be allow to transfer a maximum of 12 credits of approved graduate coursework into the program. Once the program has been fully implemented and a student has been accepted, any transfer coursework will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Q10. If I went to Purdue for my undergraduate degree, do I still need to request a official transcript from Purdue?
Yes, you will need to request an official transcript from Purdue. They can be obtained free of charge via:
http://www.purdue.edu/Registrar/Records/transcripts.htm
Q11. How can I simplify the process of getting my Purdue transcripts transmitted to the IPFW Graduate admissions office?
Use the Purdue University West Lafayette Transcript Website:
http://www.purdue.edu/Registrar/Records/transcripts.htm
(Using this site will save you $4 plus the need to stand in line at both
the bursar's and registrar's office.)
Q12. Where should I mail my transcript, letters of reference and statement of purpose?
Have all information sent to:
Ms. Susan Humphrey
Graduate Admissions Office
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
2101 East Coliseum Boulevard
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
USA
260-481-IPFW
Jobs
Avian
Flu
Contact
Maps