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Admission Requirements

• Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

• Master of Science
• Doctor of Philosophy

Mailing Address:
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MC 251)
842 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7022

Campus Location: 2041 ERF
Program Codes: 20FS0127MS (MS); 20FS1338PHD (PhD)
Telephone: (312) 996-6122
E-mail: megrad@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.mie.uic.edu/

Head of the Department: Farzad Mashayek
Director of Graduate Studies: Michael J. Scott

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and the Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. Course work and research is available in such topics as manufacturing information systems and manufacturing control, supply chain, logistics, optimization quality control, haptics and virtual reality, industrial automation, safety and reliability engineering, diagnostics, prognostics, controls and statistical modeling. The department also offers a program leading to degrees in Mechanical Engineering at both the master’s and doctoral levels; consult the appropriate section of the catalog for more information on this program.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy

• Baccalaureate Field Industrial engineering or a related curriculum. The degree must be from an American Board of Engineering Technology (ABET) accredited college or university or the equivalent.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study. A grade point average of at least 3.50 is preferred for applicants to the PhD program.
• Tests Required International applicants are required to take the GRE. Applicants seeking a teaching or research assistantship are strongly encouraged to take the GRE General.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
  • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required.
• Personal Statement Required.
• Other Requirements Admission to the PhD program is not automatic for students completing their MS degree in the department. Master’s students who desire to continue on to the PhD must see the department’s graduate coordinator for forms to apply to the PhD program.
• Nondegree Applicants Nondegree applicants may be admitted for no more than 8 semester hours.
• Deadlines The application deadlines for these programs are the same as the Graduate College deadlines. For full consideration for all forms of financial aid including the University Fellowship, all application materials must be submitted by December 15for admission in fall semester of the following year.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 36.
• Student must choose one of the following two options:
  • I. Thesis Option 36 hours total
    • A. 24 hours of course work
      • 1. 12 hours at the 500-level
        • a. Excluding IE 596, IE 598, and IE 599
        • b. 4 hours must be in the IE rubric
      • 2. Remaining 12 hours at the 400- or 500-level
        • a. Up to 4 hours of IE 596 can be used
        • b. 4 hours must be in IE rubric
    • B. 12 hours of IE 598—MS Thesis Research
    • C. All students must enroll in IE 595 every fall and spring semester
  • II. Course-Work-Only Option 36 hours total
    • A. 16 hours at the 500-level
      • 1. Excluding IE 596, IE 598, and IE 599
      • 2. 8 hours must be in the IE rubric
    • B. Remaining 20 hours at the 400- or 500-level
      • 1. Up to 4 hours of IE 596 can be used
      • 2. 8 hours must be in the IE rubric
    • C. All students must enroll in IE 595 every fall and spring semester
• No graduation credit will be given for Credit/No Credit courses
• Students must get director of graduate studies’ approval to take online courses
• All courses must be approved first by the student’s advisor and then by the director of graduate studies.
• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Thesis or course work only. No other options are available.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 108 from the baccalaureate.
• Students must complete one of the following two options.
  • I. Direct PhD (108 hours total from the baccalaureate)
    • A. 48 hours course work
      • 1. 24 hours at the 500-level
        • a. Excluding IE 596, IE 598, and IE 599
        • b. At least 12 hours must be in IE rubric
      • 2. Remaining 24 hours
        • a. Up to 4 hours of IE 596 can be used
        • b. At least 8 hours must be in IE rubric
        • c. 8 hours of mathematics and statistics
          • i. These courses may be at 400- or 500-level.
          • ii. Rubrics MATH and STAT are allowed with approval of the advisor and the director of graduate studies.
          • iii. IE 471 and IE 472 may be used toward this requirement.
    • B. 60 hours of IE 599—PhD Thesis Research
    • C. All students must enroll in IE 595 every fall and spring semester.
  • II. PhD Post MS (108 hours total, including 32 hours transferred from the MS). Credit for MS Degree: Those having an MS degree from an accredited institution will be awarded 32 semester hours of credit toward the PhD degree requirement, which includes 24 hours of course work and 8 hours of IE 599.
    • A. 24 hours of course work
      • 1. 12 hours at the 500-level
        • a. Excluding IE 596, IE 598, and IE 599
        • b. At least 8 hours must be in the IE rubric
      • 2. Remaining 12 hours at the 400- and/or 500-level
        • a. Up to 4 hours of IE 596 can be used
        • b. 8 hours of mathematics and statistics
          • i. These courses may be at the 400- or 500-level.
          • ii. Rubrics MATH and STAT are allowed with approval of the advisor and director of graduate studies.
          • iii. IE 471 and IE 472 may be used toward this requirement.
        • c. At least 4 hours must be in the IE rubric
    • B. 52 hours of IE 599—PhD Thesis Research
    • C. 32 hours transferred from MS degree
    • D. All students must enroll in IE 595 every fall and spring semester.
• No graduation credit will be given for Credit/No Credit courses.
• Students must get the director of graduate studies’ approval to take online courses.
• All courses must be approved first by the student’s advisor and then by the director of graduate studies.
• Examinations Departmental Qualifying Examination: Required.
• Preliminary Examination: Required.
• Dissertation Required. Students in the Direct PhD program must earn at least 60 semester hours in IE 599. Postmaster's students must earn at least 52 hours in IE 599.
• Other Requirements Students must be registered during the semester of intended graduation.

Financial Aid

There are several different forms of financial aid available to incoming graduate students: University Fellowship, Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, and Tuition and Fee Waivers. Applicants may seek financial aid by completing the downloadable Application for Graduate Appointment and mailing it to the MIE Department at UIC. They will automatically be considered for all four forms of financial aid listed above. Additional information and the procedure to apply for financial aid can be found on the MIE home page http://www.mie.uic.edu.