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GRADUATE
STUDIES AT THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
The College of Engineering offers graduate programs in both
Engineering and Applied Sciences to meet the diverse demands
of the future. This spectrum of program offerings provides
the prospective student with a choice of avenues, depending
upon individual interests, career objectives, and capabilities
for significant technological contributions. Laboratory experience,
as well as real-world participation in technological problem
solving, is a key aspect of a professional engineer’s
college education. The College of Engineering, in addressing
this need, augments its own modern laboratory and research
facilities by close contact with professional societies and
the many industries in the metropolitan Tampa Bay area and
beyond.
Master’s
Degree Programs
Requirements for Master’s
Degree
Five-Year Programs Leading
to Bachelor and Master’s Degrees
Doctoral Degree Programs
Basic and Interdisciplinary Engineering
Multicultural Graduate Programs
College of Engineering Departments
Master’s
Degree Programs
The master’s degree is awarded for advanced study beyond
the baccalaureate degree within an area of specialty. The
College of Engineering offers several programs leading to
degrees at the master’s level. These programs can be
divided into Engineering-oriented and Engineering Science
programs. The Engineering oriented degree programs offered
by the college are: The Master of Science
in a designated engineering field, the post-baccalaureate
Master of Science in Engineering program, the Master of Engineering
in a designated discipline, the Master of Engineering program,
and the Five-Year Program leading to the simultaneous award
of both the bachelor and master’s degree. Each department
determines the degree to be awarded, depending upon the student’s
background and specific program of study pursued.
[>] Master of Science in Designated Engineering Field
This degree is normally awarded to a Master’s graduate
who holds a Bachelor’s degree in the designated field
and who follows a thesis program.
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Master of Science in
Engineering Science
This program includes a combination of engineering principles
and their application to such varied fields as physical sciences,
life sciences, social sciences, environmental sciences, applied
mathematics, and biomedical engineering. A strong foundation
in rigorous scientific and engineering principles and practice
is expected. It is normally awarded for completion of a thesis
program.
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Master of Science in
Engineering
This degree is normally awarded to a Master’s graduate
who has an undergraduate degree in engineering or who has
a bachelors degree from a non-engineering program and has
completed a prescribed series of undergraduate engineering
courses. It is a thesis program.
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Master of Designated
Discipline
This degree is normally awarded to a Master’s
graduate who has an undergraduate degree in the discipline
and who follows an all coursework program or a project program.
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Master of Engineering
This degree is normally awarded to a Master’s graduate
who has an undergraduate degree in engineering or who has
completed a prescribed series of undergraduate engineering
courses, and completes an all coursework program.
Each department in the College is authorized to offer the
Master of Science in Engineering Science and the Master of
Science in Engineering. These degrees are individually tailored
to student needs.
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Manufacturing Option
In addition, the departments of Chemical Engineering, Computer
Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering, and Industrial Engineering offer a Master of
Science in Engineering with a Manufacturing Systems Option
(consisting of an 18 hour core and 18 hours of electives).
The degree is administered by the Industrial Engineering Department
and is a true interdisciplinary degree with areas of Robotics,
Automation, Computer Aided Design, Computer Integrated Manufacturing,
Control Systems, Software Systems, Hardware Systems,
and Production Systems available for emphasis. The student,
upon completion of the core courses, may choose electives
and concentrate within one of the above departments or may
choose to acquire an in-depth knowledge in one of the above
emphasis areas by making elective course choices from several
departments.
Requirements for
Master’s Degree
1. A thesis program must contain a minimum of 24 credit hours
of coursework and a
minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis. (If a student transfers
from a thesis
program to a project or all coursework program, no thesis
hours may be
transferred, converted or counted toward the degree.)
2. Non-thesis program requirements vary according to department
but must contain a minimum of 33 credits of approved coursework.
3. Students must maintain an overall grade point average of
3.0. No grade below “C” will be accepted in a graduate
program. If a student’s average falls below 3.0, the
student will be placed on probation and must obtain a directed
program from
the appropriate advisor, and approval by the Engineering Associate
Dean for
Academic Affairs, prior to continuing coursework for a degree.
4. All students are required to pass a final oral or written
comprehensive examination prior to receiving the degree. These
examinations are arranged and administered by the student’s
department.
Five-Year Programs Leading to Bachelor
and Master’s Degrees
Students who, at the end of the junior year, clearly are interested
in graduate study are invited to pursue a five-year program
leading simultaneously to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering
or Engineering Science and Master of Science in Engineering
or Engineering Science degrees. The keys to this program are
1) a two-year research program extending through the fourth
and fifth years and 2) The opportunity to take graduate courses
during the fourth year and deferring senior
courses to the fifth year. The requirements of the combined
degrees do not differ from those for the two degrees pursued
separately. Students apply for admission to this program through
their advisors, who should be consulted when additional information
is needed.
Doctoral Degree
Programs
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded in recognition
of demonstrated scholarly competence and ability to conduct
and report original and significant research. Unlike the baccalaureate
and master’s degrees, the Ph.D. degree cannot be earned
by an accumulation of course credits over a period of residence
alone. After adequate fundamental preparation to gain competence,
the student must demonstrate research capability through completion
of an authoritative investigation in the chosen engineering
field, culminating in a written dissertation.
The dissertation must demonstrate that the student possesses
the ability to reason logically, the talent for engaging in
significant and original research, and the ability to organize
and present conclusions in a professional manner.
Ph.D. Program Requirements
1. Supervisory Committee. An advisor will be appointed by
the chair of the appropriate department or program for each
student during the first semester of registration at the University
of South Florida. The advisor will help determine the student’s
area of research interest and will delineate preliminary course
assignments. At the earliest possible date, a major professor
will be appointed and a supervisory committee formed. This
committee will monitor the student’s program of studies
and has full responsibility for conducting the student’s
qualifying examination. The Supervisory Committee consists
of a minimum of five members. One member of the committee
must be outside the College of Engineering. (The requirement
may be waived if special reasons exist and prior approval
is obtained from the Engineering Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs.) A majority of the committee will be from the College
of Engineering, with at least two departments of the college
represented.
2. Credit Hours. A minimum of 60 hours of coursework beyond
the baccalaureate degree plus a minimum of 20 hours of dissertation
research is required. Total hours of credit must equal or
exceed 90 hours. A minimum of 27 hours coursework in an engineering
area of concentration is required. The 27 hours need not be
coursework in the same department, but must focus directly
upon the areas of concentration; at least 20 hours must be
at the 6000 level. In addition, a
minimum of 8 hours of mathematics or statistics is required.
Engineering Mathematics may be approved by the committee if
appropriate. Also, a minimum of 8 hours of coursework as defined
by the committee outside the major area of concentration is
required. Further requirements may be imposed by the candidate’s
committee.
3. Learning Focus. Throughout the student’s program of
study, independent learning will be emphasized. For the first
time in the participant’s career, in most cases, the
student will be responsible for mastering a new domain of
knowledge without the aid of organized lectures and textbooks.
The principal information source will be current literature.
Such experience is a necessary preparation for a meaningful
career in engineering and other fields where the professional
must keep pace with a large, ever-changing body of knowledge.
4. Diagnostic Examination. All prospective candidates must
pass a Ph.D. diagnostic
examination that includes an area of mathematics and a prescribed
area of concentration. This examination must be taken after
the student has completed appropriate studies, usually equivalent
to one year’s coursework. Students entering with a master’s
degree must take this examination before the end of the first
year after admission to the program.
5. Qualifying Examination. A written and oral qualifying examination,
conducted by the supervisory committee, will be taken by each
Ph.D. student as soon as a substantial majority of coursework
is completed. Completion of this examination and the Tools
of Research admits the student to candidacy.
6. Admission to Candidacy. Students must be admitted to candidacy
before they register for dissertation. Before admission to
candidacy, students must have:
a) passed the diagnostic examination of paragraph 4;
b) passed the qualifying examination of paragraph 5;
c) demonstrated proficiency in written and spoken English;
d) satisfied the Tools of Research requirement;
e) been accepted by a department faculty member credentialed
to serve as chair of the dissertation committee.
It is the responsibility of the Ph.D. committee for each doctoral
student to define the Tools of Research requirement within
2 months after committee formation. It is the responsibility
of the Supervisory Committee to certify by letter to the Engineering
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs that this has been completed,
and the committee shall specify that the Tools/Skills of the
candidate are applicable and sufficient for the field of proposed
study. Once admitted to candidacy students must enroll for
a minimum of 2 credit hours each semester of the academic
year until completion of program.
7. Dissertation Research. The student must carry out an investigation
resulting in an original and significant contribution to the
knowledge in the field of research. The requirement of uniqueness
means that the dissertation research will provide an important
creative experience for the student. As the final stage of
the student’s program, the candidate must prepare a written
dissertation covering the research. Students in the Ph.D.
program must take an appropriate number of doctoral dissertation
credits, but not less than 20 hours; the exact number is determined
by department and/or individual requirements. The defense
of the dissertation will
conform to Graduate Studies general rules.
8. Residency. Minimum residency requirements may be satisfied
by completing at the University of South Florida, beyond the
master’s degree or equivalent, the following:
(1) the University’s minimal requirement, or
(2) 24 hours in one calendar year, or
(3) 30 hours in no more than four semesters within a period
of three calendar years. Any graduate work counted toward
the fulfillment of the requirement for the Ph.D. degree after
admission to candidacy must be accomplished within 5 calendar
years.
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Doctor of Philosophy
in Designated Engineering Field
This degree is awarded to students pursuing a program in one
of the following Engineering disciplines: Chemical Engineering,
Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical
Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Students receiving this degree must demonstrate a thorough
foundation in the designated discipline.
[>]
Doctor of Philosophy
in Engineering Science
This program is designed to meet the needs of students who
wish to pursue doctoral studies in interdisciplinary areas
closely related to engineering. Generally, students in this
program are expected to gain proficiency in two disciplines:
an area of science and an area of engineering. Consequently,
this program is administered jointly by two departments who
cooperate in monitoring the student’s program of studies,
examinations, and dissertation research. To derive maximum
benefit, the student’s dissertation committee should
be constructed to draw on the
expertise of the cooperating departments in Engineering and
Natural Science or other appropriate discipline.
Basic and Interdisciplinary
Engineering
These courses are of a general nature and are taken by students
in various
Engineering disciplines. Collaboration with Other Colleges
and Departments
Advanced study and research challenges exist at the interfaces
between engineering and other academic disciplines. Examples
include surface physics and chemistry applied to semiconductor
processing technology; semiconductor physics applied to VLSI
and analog integrated circuit design, manufacture and quality
control; chemical processing and its relation to chemical
principles; environmental engineering and chemical identification
of minute impurities; environmental and transportation engineering
and its relation to public health and public administration;
water resources engineering and geo-hydrology; and biomedical
engineering, to name only a few. The College collaborates
with other academic units of the University in research activities
and selectively educates students to become proficient in
such interdisciplinary fields. Degree programs associated
with this effort are the M.S. in Engineering Science and the
Ph.D. in Engineering Science.
Multicultural Graduate
Programs
Cooperation and Co-Sponsorship
The activities of the Multicultural Graduate Programs (MGPO)
office are guided by clearly defined goals designed to accommodate
issues in regard to both the student and the institution.
This is reflected in recruitment efforts that target and develop
relationships with minority institutions. A key responsibility
here is to identify departments that either have low participation
levels of minorities, or are actively involved in recruiting
minorities and to assist these departments in their efforts.
This assistance can take the form of advising, sharing resources,
offering fellowships, or brainstorming efforts. Additionally,
the Office of Graduate Studies formally acknowledges these
efforts campus-wide in order to encourage other departments
and colleges to participate in these kinds of efforts. Currently
the MGPO is involved in discussions with the Office of Equal
Opportunity Affairs to provide incentives to department and
faculty actively engaged in recruitment and retention for
minorities.
Student Financial Assistance
Fellowships, assistantships, visitation funding, internships,
and summer experiences and application fee waivers contribute
to the institution's ability to attract and retain the non-traditional
student. As graduate students represent populations over the
traditional age, are generally independent, and forego employment
in order to pursue the graduate degree-the institution's ability
to provide monetary incentives is critical, both for the student
herself and in terms of the institution's competitiveness
for the best and brightest. Facilitating a qualified pool
of applicants for USF's graduate programs, therefore, requires
that funding, advertisement and the fair distribution of incentives
in the form of fellowships and access to on-campus employment.
For more information about financial opportunities for USF
minority graduate students, contact The Office of Graduate
Studies, FAO 126, The University of South Florida, 4202 E.
Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620-7900, (813)974-2846.
College of Engineering Departments
Biomedical
Engineering
Chemical
Engineering
Civil
& Environmental Engineering
Computer
Science & Engineering
Electrical
Engineering
Industrial
Engineering
Mechanical
Engineering
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