Mechanical Engineering, Master of Science in Engineering | Johns Hopkins University Academic Catalogue

The Master's Degree Program

The department offers a variety of options to earn the master's degree, known as the Master of Science in Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Essay Option

Students writing an essay will successfully complete a coordinated sequence of eight courses and graduate research, and submit a master’s essay (sometimes known as a “thesis”). The degree typically requires three to four semesters of study.

There are two options to complete the essay:

Research Option

Work with world-renowned engineering professors by conducting original research to produce an essay worthy of publication.
Learn more about the Research option here!

Internship / Co-Op - work in a co-operative educational environment

To broaden the practical training for master’s students, the Institute for Nanobiotechnology (INBT) teams with companies to provide an immersive master’s industry “co-op” experience in a professional working environment. Goals and objectives are developed for the student in conjunction with faculty and INBT academic advisors, which will be used to complete the master’s essay.
Learn more about the Co-Op program here!

All-Course Option

Students completing an “all-course” degree will successfully complete a coordinated sequence of ten courses. A master’s essay or thesis is not required for this degree, which typically requires three semesters of study.

Both options provide students with an intensive exposure to advanced topics in mechanical engineering and strengthens understanding of engineering fundamentals.

MSE Tracks

The Mechanical Engineering department at Johns Hopkins University is renowned for its excellence in both research and education across a broad spectrum of mechanical engineering-related disciplines. Our MSE Mechanical Engineering Tracks harness this deep expertise to provide master’s students with an exceptional opportunity to tailor their program of study to their specific technical interests.

Students can earn up to two tracks in their degree program, which will be recognized with a departmental Certificate of Track Completion upon graduation.

Alumni Success

Visit our Master’s Alumni page to see where our graduates have made their mark around the world. You, too, can join this elite group with an admission to our master’s degree program!

Admissions

To be admitted to graduate study in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, applicants must submit credentials sufficient to convince the faculty that they will thrive in a program of advanced course work and/or research. Graduate Record Examination scores must be submitted.

Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) in Mechanical Engineering requires a minimum of two semesters of registration as a full-time resident graduate student.

Course Requirements:

The M.S.E. degree may be a final degree, or it may be earned en route to a Ph.D. degree. Students who complete the M.S.E. degree are not automatically admitted to the Ph.D. program.

The department requirements for an M.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering are described in Sections “A” and “B”:

SECTION A: Completion of a set of advanced one-semester courses as approved by your advisor.

Six courses, each 3-credits or more from any department other than the Center for Leadership Education.
Additional courses totaling 6 credits – which can include any of these options:
- Two 3-credit courses from any department other than the Center for Leadership Education.
- One 3-credit (or more) course from any department and 3 credits from the Center for Leadership Education (EN.660.6xx, EN.661.6xx, EN.662.6xx, and EN.663.6xx), either two 1.5-credit courses or one 3-credit course.
- Six graduate-level credits (xxx.6xx) from the Center for Leadership Education, any combination of 1.5-credit or 3-credit courses.

SECTION B: In addition to the courses above, students must also complete either two more courses or an essay:

ALL-COURSE OPTION

Two additional one-semester graduate-level courses (xx.xxx.6xx or higher, Engineering for Professionals EN.xx5.6xx or higher).

One of these courses can be EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research. Students must also have completed the appropriate Responsible Conduct of Research and Research Laboratory Safety courses. Students must complete and submit a MSE Mechanical Engineering – Research Course Agreement.
Ineligible Courses: EN.530.800 Independent Study, EN.530.801 Ph.D. Graduate Research, EN.530.822 Master’s - Co-Op, or EN.530.897 Graduate Research – Summer and other departments’ Graduate Research, Independent Study, and Special Studies courses are not eligible to complete Section B’s requirement.

ESSAY OPTION

An M.S.E. essay (the official title of master’s theses at Johns Hopkins) acceptable to your advisor and one other eligible reader.

There are two options to complete the essay:

Conduct Laboratory Research
- Work with world-renowned engineering professors by conducting original research to produce an essay worthy of publication.
- Learn more about the Research option here!
- Students must register for the course EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research every semester that he or she works on master’s essay research and writing. This is separate from the Ph.D. dissertation.
- Students must complete and submit a MSE Mechanical Engineering – Research Course Agreement prior to conducting research.

Work in a Cooperative Educational Environment (Co-Op)
- To broaden the practical training for master’s students, the Institute for Nanobiotechnology (INBT) teams with companies to provide an immersive master’s industry “co-op” experience in a professional working environment. Goals and objectives are developed for the student in conjunction with faculty and INBT academic advisors, which will be used to complete the master’s essay.
- Course Registration
  - All students must register for…
    - EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op, plus…
    - Either EN.910.600 Non-Resident (Fall and Spring) or EN.530.897 Graduate Research – Summer (Summer) every semester that they work in a co-op program to prepare to write a master’s essay.
    - Students cannot register for any other courses while on Co-op.
    - Students must complete and submit a MSE Mechanical Engineering – Research Course Agreement prior to engaging in the co-op.
  - International students completing the degree with an Essay - Co-Op option must also enroll for EN.500.851 Engineering Research Practicum and apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). Visit these sites for information: applying for CPT and extending the F-1 visa.

The courses can be taken in one semester of six credits or split into three-credit courses over two semesters. If a student needs subsequent semesters to continue essay work, they can simply register for the same course each semester.

The intent of this program is to provide the student with an intensive exposure to fundamental and advanced topics within mechanical engineering. Students must follow a course of study approved by their individual advisor.

Additional Required Courses:

To fulfill, the University-wide requirements, students must complete:

EN.500.603 Graduate Academic Ethics (passing grade)
AS.360.624 (online) or AS.360.625 (in-person) Responsible Conduct of Research – see the policy page for details on which to take
Title IX Sexual Harassment Prevention, Effort Reporting – Certifier, and Opioid Epidemic Awareness training courses.

Research Requirements

If conducting research, either by taking EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research in the all-course option or by completing an essay or taking a research course in another department you must also complete the eight Laboratory Safety Assessment online modules and, for some, the optional EN.500.601 Research Laboratory Safety lecture course.

Additional Course Requirements

At least four courses must be at the graduate level (xxx.6xx or higher, up to two Engineering for Professionals xx5.6xx or higher).
No more than four courses may be at the advanced undergraduate level (full-time programs xxx.400 – xxx.499). If a course is offered at both the 600 and 400 level, it should be taken at the 600 level.
All courses counting towards the degree requirements must be at least three credits.
EN.xx5.6xx or EN.xx5.7xx – courses from the Engineering for Professionals (EP) program – no more than two “EP” courses can count.
At least two courses should be in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, or computational methods. This requirement can be waived in writing by your advisor, if sufficient prior preparation in these areas can be demonstrated.
At least 4 courses if taking an “all-course option, or at least 3 courses if writing an essay – must be Mechanical Engineering or related courses:
- EN.530.xxx Mechanical Engineering
- Any of these courses:
  - EN.510.625 Advanced Batteries
  - EN.520.601 Introduction to Linear Systems
  - EN.520.627 Photovoltaics and Energy Devices
  - EN.520.773 Advanced Topics In Microsytem Fabrication
  - EN.560.449 Energy Systems / EN.560.649 Energy Systems
  - EN.560.661 Additive Manufacturing and Design
  - EN.560.772 Non-Linear Finite Elements
  - EN.560.730 Finite Element Methods
  - EN.580.452 Cell and Tissue Engineering Lab
- EN.535.xxx – courses from the Engineering for Professionals (EP) program.
Ineligible Courses: AS.370.602 American English Pronunciation, AS.370.603 Public Speaking in Academia, EN.530.800 Independent Study, EN.530.801 PhD Graduate Research, EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op, EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research, EN.530.897 Graduate Research – Summer, and other departments’ Graduate Research, Independent Study, and Special Studies are not eligible courses to complete Section A’s requirement. Seminars are not counted toward the degree. See Section B for information on how research courses could count for the degree.

Grade Requirement:

For All-Course and Essay-Research options, at least 9-11 of the 10-12 courses, or the equivalent of 27 credits or more, must have a grade of B- or higher to count toward the degree. The last course, or the equivalent of at least 3 credits, can be graded C- or higher.

For Essay-Co-Op, at least 7-9 of the 8-10 courses, or the equivalent of 21 or more credits must have a grade of B- or higher to count toward the degree. The last course, or the equivalent of 3 credits or more, can be graded C- or higher. The EN.530.822 Master’s Essay Co-Op course is graded with a Pass grade and the EN.910.600 Non-Residency is not graded.

Additional details on grade requirements, probation, and other departmental academic policy for the M.S.E. degree can be found on the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Advising page.