Mechanical Engineering (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Program Overview

The research program in the Department has experienced significant growth over the last ten years. Mechanical and Industrial Engineering faculty members, with extensive scholarly and professional experience, offer high level research and graduate study opportunities to graduate students who are supported through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or fellowships. Annual research expenditures on externally funded research have ranged between $3.5 and $4.5 million during the last five years.

Mechanical Engineering faculty members span general areas of expertise ranging from the traditional ones such as mechanical systems (design & control), materials science & engineering, and thermal-fluid science and combustion, to more novel ones such as micro/nano-systems (design and fabrication) and molecular-level engineering. The ME faculty is primarily involved in research related to Energy, Materials & Manufacturing, Aerospace and Bio-Technology applications. Research is funded through grants from federal agencies (NSF, NASA, DoD, DoE, etc.), state government (Louisiana Board of Regents), national laboratories, and various industries.

Industrial Engineering faculty members’ expertise are in human factors & ergonomics, supply chain, operations research, information technology, and safety. Their research is related to Energy, Information Systems and Health Care applications and is funded by federal agencies (e.g. NASA) but mostly from the State and private sectors.

The graduate program of Mechanical Engineering (ME) encompasses the areas of mechanical systems, thermal-fluid science, materials science and engineering, and microsystems. The graduate faculty works closely with graduate students in research projects that cover both traditional and nontraditional areas. Graduate students are engaged in experimental, numerical, and modeling studies and can select their coursework from mechanical engineering and other departments, in consultation with their advisory committees. Students have access to excellent laboratory facilities and equipment, as well as to extensive computer systems, both in the department and on the LSU campus. Mechanical engineering graduates are prepared for employment in industries, universities, state and federal government, and the private sector.

Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering that is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis and synthesis, as well as the mathematical, physical and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering design to specify, predict, and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems or processes. It encompasses specialized knowledge and skills in the physical, social, engineering, and management sciences, such as human and cognitive sciences, computer systems and information technologies, manufacturing processes, operations research, production, and automation. The industrial engineer integrates people into the design and development of systems, thus requiring an understanding of the physical, physiological, psychological, and other characteristics that govern and affect the performance of individuals and groups in working environments.

Industrial engineering (IE) at LSU is a unique academic program in Louisiana, bringing together in one program, opportunities for students in ergonomics and occupational health, information technology, and production/manufacturing systems, and to develop skills in traditional industrial engineering activities. The program relies on rigorous mathematical and logical approaches to theoretical and practical problem solving, with extensive use of computers and industrial-class software for optimization of integrated processes and systems. The program has a formal program leading to the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering. Students may also pursue master’s and doctoral programs in engineering science, with specialization in industrial engineering.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are received and evaluated by the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School.

Evaluation will be completed by the department within two months of receipt. The department’s deadline is generally two weeks before the application deadlines established by the Graduate School. Students seeking admission must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, acceptable GRE and TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE exam scores, and three letters of recommendation. The admission requirements of the department are in addition to those of the Graduate School and are generally more restrictive.

For MIE graduate programs typically, a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (“A” = 4.0) and a GRE (verbal + quantitative) score of 300-310 are required.

Admission to Mechanical Engineering

To pursue an advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, an applicant must hold a B.S. degree from an engineering department accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET), or the equivalent. Special programs can be developed if the degree is from another discipline. The graduate faculty of the department must approve these special programs. As a potential graduate student of Mechanical Engineering, you must meet the minimum requirements for admission to LSU’s Graduate School before being considered for admission into the Mechanical Engineering graduate program. The admission requirements of the department are in addition to those of the Graduate School and are generally more restrictive. Typically, a minimum undergraduate and/or Masters grade-point average of 3.0 (“A” = 4.0, “B” =3.0) and competitive GRE scores are required. Applications with a Quantitative Reasoning GRE score below the 80th percentile will not be considered unless petitioned by an ME faculty member. For foreign applicants a minimum TOEFL score of 213 (computer-based), 550 (paper-based), 79-80 (internet based – IB) or minimum 6.5 (IELTS) would be expected. As deciding on admissions and assistantships as well as taking care of visa formalities take considerable time, potential students are advised to apply sufficiently early, say six to nine months in advance of the semester in which they wish to enroll.

Admission to Industrial Engineering

Applicants for admission to the master’s program in industrial engineering or the interdisciplinary doctoral program must meet or exceed all requirements stipulated by the Graduate School, including satisfactory scores on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE, and an overall grade point average of 2.75 or a 3.00 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. In general, the student who wishes to enroll for graduate study must have earned a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university. Although there are no restrictions regarding the major area of study pursued in the baccalaureate program, graduates of curricula outside the program area will be required to satisfy prerequisite requirements in the program area. This prerequisite work will not carry graduate credit, but is intended to satisfy deficiencies. The number of courses required will depend on the student’s background and preparation.

English Requirements

All applicants whose native language is not English and who have not completed their degree requirements at an accredited U.S. college or university are required to submit their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Graduate School has minimum requirements for TOEFL scores depending on which version of the TOEFL test is taken. International students whose native language is not English must have a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper based test, a 213 on the computer-based test, or a 79 on the Internet-based test, an IELTS score of 6.5; or PTE score of 59.

Additionally, international students must take the LSU Comprehensive English Language Test after arrival on campus and before registration. If the test results indicate a deficiency in English, the student will be required to register for appropriate English language courses. International graduate assistants (teaching, service, or research) must complete ENGL 1051 during their first semester unless a waiver is granted as a result of interview with the English Department. Repeated registration of such courses may be required until the student can demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English.

As deciding on admissions and assistantships as well as taking care of visa formalities take considerable time, potential students are advised to apply as early as possible, usually six to nine months in advance of the semester in which they wish to enroll. 

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to some students. Support may be available through the department in the form of research or teaching assistantships. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted in accordance with deadlines established by the LSU Graduate School. Research assistants take active part in research activities and projects as directed by relevant faculty members advising the assistants. Research assistantships are negotiated and eventually offered through direct discussions between the student and faculty members.

Some departmental/programmatic assistantships are available for qualified students and are awarded each semester, based on programmatic needs and student qualifications. Except in unusual cases, no master’s candidate will be awarded a departmental/programmatic assistantship for more than four semesters. A doctoral candidate may be awarded a departmental/programmatic assistantship for up to six semesters. Faculty who have funded research projects provide additional assistantships for participating graduate students. Faculty members also recommend students for fellowships and stipends when these become available.

Facilities

The Industrial Engineering (IE) Computer Laboratory, used for computer lab instruction and open use by IE students, is equipped with 48 computers. Software includes Microsoft Office Professional, Visio, Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, AutoCAD, Simio (factory simulation), Lingo (optimization), SAS, Minitab, MATLAB, Maple, Visual Studio.NET (C++, C#, VB, ASP), Java, and many other applications supporting IE coursework. The lab is supported by a bank of twelve servers providing support of coursework in development of information systems, Web application systems, eCommerce systems, and client/server support for project management and simulation courses.

The Human Factors Laboratory offers and supports training and research in safety engineering, human factors, and ergonomics by providing laboratory space and computing equipment. Two laboratories supporting human factors and safety, the Work Evaluation Laboratory and a Human Factors Laboratory, provide students with the appropriate tools and environment for research in the areas of biomechanics, work environment design, cognitive ergonomics, and control systems. Some of the available research equipment includes a treadmill, 2-D and 3-D Motion Analysis System (Ariel performance analysis system), force platform, 8 Channel Wireless EMG System, Dual Axis Goniometers, GPM Anthropometer, Computerized Exercise Machine, C-Motion - Motion Analysis Software, Human CAD Software, 3D Static Strength Prediction Program, Deltatrac metabolic monitor), human musculoskeletal models, vibration meter, and the like. The Safety Laboratory allows hands-on demonstrations of industry safety equipment in addition to simulation software for modeling petrochemical control room operations.

The Systems Integration Laboratory is used for research and instruction in the integration, automation, and control of process and discrete-part manufacturing systems with particular emphasis on the application of information technologies to these systems. The Systems Integration Lab has twelve workstations. Equipment includes three Allen Bradley PLC with modules for digital and analog I/O and thermocouple measurement; AC and DC motor controllers; a four-axis motion controller; servo and stepper motors and other actuators; high speed data acquisition and control boards; a remote national instruments data acquisition fieldpoint unit, digital and analog sensors and instrumentation, a visual inspection system, and networking equipment for use in laboratory instruction. Software available includes WonderWare and Lookout SCADA software, Labview Development Suite (virtual instrument development), Visual Studio.NET, Java, SAS, Lingo, ARENA, and Rockwell Software RSLogix Ladder Logic programming, AutoCAD, Matlab, and numerous other application and development packages.

Graduate Faculty

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Programs

• Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.

• Mechanical Engineering, M.S.ME