After being accepted into the Ph.D. program, the following are required for the successful completion of a degree:

• A minimum of 90 semester credits beyond the baccalaureate degree is required for the doctoral degree. If a minor is chosen, a minimum of 12 graduate credits in the minor must be taken. If two minors are chosen, each must include at least 8 graduate credits. For a minor to be valid, a minimum of 3.0 GPA in the minor must be earned.  Students with a recognized master's degree from another institution may petition to have that master’s degree count for 30 of the required 90 credits.
• BASIC SKILLS COURSES All PhD students must demonstrate their basic skills capability by successfully passing (with a B or better) an overall total of nine credits of basic skills courses with a minimum of three credits each in at least two of the following three areas:
  
  1. Applied Mathematics
  • EGM 6321 Principles of Engineering Analysis I
  • EGM 6322 Principles of Engineering Analysis II
  • MAP 6327 Applied Differential Equations I
  • MAP 6505 Mathematical Methods of Physics and Engineering
  • MAP 6506 Mathematical Methods of Physics and Engineering II
  2. Numerical Methods
  • EML 5526 Finite Element Analysis and Application
  • EGM 6341 Numerical Methods of Engineering Analysis I
  • EGM 6342 Numerical Methods of Engineering Analysis II
  • MAD 6406 Numerical Linear Algebra
  • MAD 6407 Numerical Analysis
  3. Statistics and Data Analysis
  • EGM 5121C Data Measurement and Analysis
  • STA 5325 Mathematical Methods of Statistics
  • STA 6166 Statistical Methods in Research I
  • STA 6167 Statistical Methods in Research II
  • STA 6200 Fundamentals of Research Design
  • STA 6207 Basic Design and Analysis of Experiments
  Other courses may be counted towards these Basic Skills requirements if a petition to that effect is approved by the student's supervisory committee and the graduate coordinator. (The Basic Skills requirement does not apply to masters students.)
• All graduate students are expected to have passed one credit of EAS 6935 or EGM 6936 by the end of their second year of graduate study at UF.  Off-campus students are exempted from this requirement.  On campus students can also be exempted if the student’s advisor petitions the Graduate Committee and, with the approval of the Graduate Committee, the student has passed an examination on the first attempt, conducted by the instructor of EAS 6935/EGM 6936, by the end of the first year of graduate study at UF. 
• Students must meet the University’s residency requirement, which states “Beyond the first 30 hours counted toward the doctoral degree, students must complete 30 hours in residence at the University of Florida campus or at approved branch stations of the University of Florida Agricultural Experiment Station.”
• Students must be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.
• There is a minimum time lapse of two semesters between being admitted to candidacy and receiving the doctoral degree. The term in which the oral portion of the qualifying exam is taken may be counted as one of the two semesters, provided that the exam is completed satisfactorily before the midpoint of the semester.
• A dissertation must be presented which shows independent research to the satisfaction of the Graduate school and the supervisory committee.
• The final dissertation defense and examination must be passed.
• All work must be completed within 5 years of the oral portion of the qualifying exam or the written portion must be retaken.

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• For a student pursuing a thesis master's degree, a total of 30 credit hours is required including a minimum of 24 credits of coursework and 6 credits of thesis research. Of this total, at least 12 credits of coursework (excluding S/U courses) must be in the student's major field of study. Technical courses from other fields may be used to satisfy the remaining 12 credits, so long as they are graduate level courses (5000 and above).

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• For a student pursuing a non-thesis degree, a total of 30 credit hours (excluding S/U courses) is required.  Of this total, at least 17 credits must be in the major field. For both the thesis and non-thesis degree, up to 6 credits of coursework at the 3000 or 4000 level from another department may be taken and used to satisfy degree requirements as long as they are a part of an approved plan of study.

An examination is not required for a master’s student taking the thesis option or a non-thesis M.E. degree; however, an exam is required for all master’s students electing the non-thesis M.S. option. 
 The student’s supervisory committee is responsible for the exam, which may not be scheduled earlier than the term preceding the semester in which the degree is to be conferred.  The exam may be written or oral.  A course project with a significant practice component and a significant oral or written component may be considered as an acceptable examination by the supervisory committee.  Passing the written qualifying Ph.D. exams is an acceptable M.S. non-thesis examination for those continuing towards for Ph.D.

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The Engineer degree is primarily for students who can benefit from the additional technical depth and diversification of course work but choose not to pursue the in-depth research necessary for the Ph.D.
 Admission and degree requirements for the Engineer degree are essentially the same as the doctoral degree with the following exceptions:

• A minimum of 30 semester credits beyond the master's degree is required.
• The thesis/report may be based on scientific research, a design project, or an industrial project approved by the supervisory committee. The thesis/report work may be conducted in an industrial or government facility with the approval of the supervisory committee. A maximum of 6 credits of thesis research may be applied to the 30-semester credit minimum.
• A minimum of 30 credits must be completed within five calendar years of awarding of the degree.
• The supervisory committee for the Engineer degree shall consist of at least three members of the graduate faculty. Two are selected from the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department and at least one from a supporting department. An effort should also be made to have a representative from industry serve as an external member of the committee.  An Appointment of Supervisory Committee Form, must be filed with the graduate office.
• Students pursuing an Engineer degree must pass a final comprehensive oral examination, including a defense of their thesis/report.

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• Any master's degree candidates may elect to pursue the Master of Science degree (MS), but only those holding ABET-accredited baccalaureate degrees in engineering (or equivalent in articulation courses) may choose the Master of Engineering degree (ME). There is a difference in examination requirements for the non-thesis MS and ME degrees.  All other requirements are the same.  Selection of the MS or ME title is a matter of personal choice of the student in co-operation with the advisor.  In either case, a student has the option to pursue a thesis or non-thesis degree. However, students receiving graduate assistantships or some fellowships are normally expected to pursue a thesis degree.

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The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers a combined bachelor’s and master’s program of study to undergraduate students.  In this program a qualified student is allowed to take up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses and to double count them for both BS degree and MS degree requirements.  It is expected that a student admitted into the program can often receive a MS degree without thesis in two semesters of graduate study after completing the BS degree requirements or a thesis MS in one semester less than normal.
 Admission Requirement and Procedure
 Students interested in the program must have an upper division GPA of at least 3.50.  The student must apply to and interview with the Undergraduate Coordinator.

• On behalf of the student the Undergraduate Coordinator makes a recommendation to the Graduate Committee.
• If the application is accepted, the Graduate Coordinator will meet with the student to discuss the program.
• An Advisor will be identified and recommended to help outlining the student’s study plan.
• The student is admitted to the graduate school upon successful completion of BS degree requirements and an achievement of a combined score of at least 1100 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE.

M.S. Degree Requirement

 All requirements for a MS degree must be satisfied.  The nine credit hours double counted for both degrees must be acceptable in both the B.S. and M.S. degree programs.

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A joint degree program leads to a graduate degree and a professional degree. Normally 12 credits of professional courses count toward the graduate degree and 12 credits of graduate courses count toward the professional degree. Individual academic units determine whether a joint degree program is appropriate. Joint programs established before January 1, 2003, may have other requirements.
To participate in a joint program, a student must be admitted to both programs. Enrollment in one program may precede enrollment in the other according to timelines set by the program. During the term the student is graduating, registration is required (at least 3 credits fall or spring, or 2 credits summer). This course work must be credit that applies toward the graduate degree requirements. See graduate coordinator for details. (The forms needed are found here.)

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Any student interested in pursuing two master's degrees in two different programs or two master's degrees in the same program concurrently should discuss the proposed study with Graduate Student Records (392-4643, 106 Grinter) before applying. Written approval is needed from each academic unit and the Graduate School Dean. The student must be officially admitted to both programs through regular procedures. No more than 9 credits from the first program may be applied toward the second.  (The forms needed are found here.)

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For UF doctoral students who want to earn a master's degree outside of their doctoral department. (The forms needed are found here.)

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