Graduate Program Handbook

Welcome to the ME Current Graduate Student Handbook! Here, you will find important, department-specific information regarding who you should go to with your questions, course and degree requirements, as well as advising. It also contains many resources regarding student life. We hope that this will be one-stop shop for most of the information you need, but if you have any questions or feedback, please be sure to contact the ME Student Services Office.

Contact information for faculty can be found here.

Faculty Office Hours can be found here.

To be officially registered at UC Berkeley you must meet three criteria:

1. You must be enrolled in at least one class.
2. Your tuition and fees must be paid either in full or the first installment of the Fee Payment Plan.
3. You must not have holds against your registration

You must be officially registered for the current term on CalCentral to be eligible to enroll in the next term.

You must be officially registered to access campus services such as library privileges, the Recreational Sports Facility, University Health Services, etc.

4.2.1 – To Enroll

1. Please see:  https://registrar.berkeley.edu/registration/enrollment
2. Complete the Confirmation of Class Schedule (this is a writable form-please do not fill out by hand).  Take a printed copy of this form and meet with the appropriate Major Field Advisor (MFA) to go over your course selections and reach an agreement regarding the courses.  Bring the Confirmation to the Student Services Office in 6189 Etcheverry Hall.  We keep the form in your record.
3. Enroll in at least 15 units for the Standard MS and Ph.D Programs, and at least 12 units for the 5^thYear MS and the M.Eng Programs.  You have until the end of the 5th week of classes to be enrolled in the correct number of units.  However, please keep in mind that most instructors will not take new students after the 2^nd or 3^rd weeks.  It is best to get instructor permission for late adds.  Failing to be enrolled in the required amount of units can result in the recision of any fellowships and/or fee remission as well as incur other penalties.
4. If, after meeting with the MFA and turning in your Confirmation, there are changes to be made to your schedule, you will be able to login to Calcentral and make the changes yourself until the end of the 3rd week of courses.  If you are drastically changing your schedule, it is recommended you revisit your MFA to discuss the changes.
5. To make changes after the first 5 weeks, fill out the Petition to Change Class Schedule Form (instructions can be found at https://registrar.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/ADPetGrad.pdf), obtain the MFA’s signature, and turn it in to 6189 Etcheverry Hall.  Please note each change occurring after the first 5 weeks will incur fees.  If you are not enrolled in a course, you will not receive credit for it.
6. When you have finalized your schedule, make sure that you check your schedule on CalCentral to ensure that all changes have been made.  Ultimately, you are in charge of your own schedule, making sure you are making adequate progress towards your degree, and meeting all deadlines.
7. If you are registered in a class that you did not request, YOU MUST DROP IT.  Otherwise, you will receive an F for non-attendance.

4.2.2 – To Pay Fees

For information on how to pay your bill, please see http://studentbilling.berkeley.edu/.

Students who have ME Department support, such a fellowship, GSI, or GSR may have partial or full fees paid by their Research Advisor’s Grant or by the department.  Some students on external fellowships such as the NSF or NDSEG will also have their fees paid.  Percentages dictate the level of payment.  Please see http://grad.berkeley.edu/financial/appointments/ under “Fee Remission” for details.

Details of your fee payment status can be found in CalCentral under “My Finances.”

In absentia status is a form of registration available to academic and professional graduate students undertaking coursework or research related to their degree programs outside of California.  Students registered in absentia are assessed full health insurance fees, and 15% of the combined University Tuition and Student Services Fees. If applicable, students are also assessed the full non-resident tuition and/or professional school fees. Students in self-supporting programs or exchange programs are not eligible for in absentia registration.

To apply, log in your CalCentral, click on “Special Enrollment Petition” located under “Student Resources“, and follow the instructions.  Information about in Abstentia registration can be found here: http://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/registration-and-exchange-programs-policy/.  All applications are due no later than the first day of instruction.

Please contact the Student Services Office with any questions you may have.

Eligibility Criteria

• The student must be enrolled full-time in regular UC units
• Students in self-supporting programs or exchange programs are not eligible for in absentia registration

Research or coursework

• Must be of a nature that makes it necessary to be completed outside of California for at least one full academic term
• Must be directly related to the student’s degree program as evidenced by faculty approval
• Must involve only indirect supervision appropriate to evaluating the student’s academic progress and performance from UC faculty during the in absentia period
• Must involve no significant studying or in-person collaboration with UC faculty during the in absentia period

Doctoral students:

• Must be advanced to candidacy by the time in absentia begins
• May only use in absentia registration for a maximum of four semesters

Students may hold University fellowships and GSR appointments, but may not hold GSI, Reader, or Tutor appointments during the in absentia period.

International Students planning on registering in absentia

Those students in F and J status who plan to be outside California but still within the U.S. or to go in and out of the U.S. must register in absentia and also inform the Berkeley International Office.

Detailed information regarding withdrawal can be found at https://registrar.berkeley.edu/registration/cancellation-withdrawal.

International students should refer to:  https://internationaloffice.berkeley.edu/students/current/withdrawal

Please notify the Student Services Office that you wish to do this before you put in your request.

Withdrawn Students

• May not take classes
• May not graduate
• Must pay for the Recreation and Sports Facilities (RSF) if using
• Must pay for GSHIP (Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan) if needed.  For enrollment, a memo from Department to GSHIP stating student is was in good standing when s/he left the department is required each semester.
• Must pay for library services, if using
• Cannot hold GSR or GSI appointment
• May be Junior Specialist or Reader – International students see SISS (Services for International Students and Scholars) first
• May take Prelim Exam with permission of Vice Chair of Graduate Study and Chair of Prelim Committee
• May not take Qualifying Exam
• Must apply for readmission.  No guarantee that student will be accepted back into the program.  Please note that there is a reapplication fee.

For information about how to apply for readmission please see Section 8.3.

This Plan is the common master’s degree plan in our department; very rarely do students choose to complete Plan I.  The primary differences between Plan II and Plan I is Plan II requires 24 units (see below for details) and an Oral Presentation and Report, while Plan I requires 20 units and a Thesis (see Section 5.2 for details).

Normative Time

1.5 years or 3 semesters

Minimum Number of Units To Complete Degree

24 Semester Units

Course Restriction: Must be either in 200 series or 100 elective upper division series.  At most, one third of the total units of course work may be taken S/U

Minimum Number of Mechanical Engineering Units

12 Semester Units
Course Restriction:  Must be in 200 series and letter-graded with the exception of the optional 4 units of ME 299 that can be included in the 12

Minimum Units To Be Registered Each Semester

Students must enroll in 15 units each semester.

Maximum Amount of Independent Study Units (298, 299, 300 And Above)

The maximum units in which you can enroll per semester are listed below.

• 298s: 8 units
• 299s: 12 units
• 300s: 6 units

Please note that only 4 units of 299 can be counted towards the 24 unit total requirement.

Minimum Required Number of Units in Major Field Area (ex.  Bioeng, Controls, Etc.)

12 Semester units
Course Restriction:  Must be in 200 or 100 elective upper division series

Residency, Minimum GPA, and P/NP & S/U

To be eligible to receive the Master’s degree, the student must complete at least two semesters in residency and undertake the total coursework units defined for the program, earning a CGPA of at least 3.0.  Only courses with a C- or better can count towards graduate requirements.

Please note that only 1/3 of your unit total at the time of graduation may be pass/not pass or satisfactory/unsatisfactory.  Please note that to earn a “pass” or a “satisfactory” grade in a graduate course you need a grade of B- or better.

Maximum Number of Units You Can Transfer Towards Your Master’s Degree

A master’s student may transfer up to 4 semester units or 6 quarter units of course work completed as a graduate student at another institution.  The units must be equivalent to courses in the student’s graduate program at Berkeley, and the student must have received at least a B in the course(s) and have a grade-point average of at least 3.3 at both Berkeley and the other institution.  However, students cannot use units from another institution to satisfy the minimum unit requirement in 200 series courses or the minimum academic residence requirement.  In addition, they may not present course work previously used to satisfy requirements for another degree program at Berkeley or at another institution.

Berkeley undergraduates who take graduate course work during their last undergraduate semester may petition to backdate graduate standing in order to receive graduate credit for that course work.  Graduate standing may be backdated from the last semester, and students may petition for credit only for the course work that was not required for the undergraduate degree.

All petitions to have units transferred must be first approved by the Vice-Chair for Graduate Study, then forwarded to Graduate Division.  Detailed restrictions can be found in Graduate Division’s Guide to Graduate Policy.

Advancement to Candidacy

Before you can receive a Master’s degree, you must first be Advanced to Candidacy.  The opportunity for this occurs during the first four (4) weeks of each semester.  By Academic Senate regulation, a minimum period of study of one term must intervene between formal advancement to candidacy and the conferring of the master’s degree.

Please complete the Application for Candidacy for Master’s Degree Form and bring it to 6189 Etcheverry Hall for processing.

Filing Your Master’s Report (Plan II)

After you have written your report, formatted it correctly, assembled the pages into the correct organization, and obtained your signatures, you are ready to file your report (Plan II).  The steps are as follows:

1. Convert your report to a standard PDF file.
2. Complete, sign, and convert the Library Permission Form to a standard PDF file.  Each student filing a master’s report must also submit a completed library permission form, stating whether or not the student is willing to allow the University Library to supply copies of the report to any interested persons immediately, or if permission to do so should be withheld (for up to two years).
   • Students who wish to register their copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office (not required), can find related information at the following links:
     • https://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/ownership/ ;
     • https://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/ownership/student-works.html.
3. Log on your account on the College of Engineering Student Progress Summary Database webpage.
4. Under “Document Type”, select “Library Permission”.
5. Under “Upload File”, click on “Choose file” to browse and navigate through your computer to locate and select your signed library permission form.  You should see your file name displayed near the menu “Choose File”.
6. Click on “submit” at the bottom of your summary page.  Once your file is successfully uploaded, you will see it on the page.
7. Repeat the same procedure to upload your Master’s Report.

Note: DO NOT SUBMIT A DRAFT.  Once your report has been submitted, you will not be allowed to make changes.  Be sure that it is in its final form and the cover-page is signed by the committee members!

Please note that all documents should be submitted together (e.g.  signed Report and the signed Library Permission Form).  The Graduate Student Services Office will not accept lone signature pages.  You must submit your electronic report before 4:00 P.M.  on the indicated deadline date listed on the Graduate Division’s website.

Oral Presentation and Final Report (Plan II)

An oral presentation and a written report are required.  2 Faculty are required to be present.  At least one needs to be from the MS Committee.  All committee members are required to be members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate.

Degree Committee Members

Two committee members are needed for the report:

• Your Research Advisor
• ME Professor or Professor outside the ME department
  • At least one committee members must be from ME
  • Both members must also be members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate

Generally, this Plan is used by some people who are funded by government projects whose sponsors require them to write a thesis as a component/stipulation of their support.  It is not a common option.  For Plan II requirements please see Section 5.1.

Normative Time

1.5 years or 3 semesters

Minimum Number of Units To Complete Degree

20 Semester Units

Course Restriction: Must be either in 200 series or 100 elective upper division series

Minimum Number of Mechanical Engineering Units

8 Semester Units

Course Restriction:  Must be in 200 series and letter-graded

Minimum Units Required To Be Registered Each Semester

Students must enroll in 15 units each semester

Maximum Amount of Independent Study Units (298, 299, 300 And Above)

The maximum units in which you can enroll per semester are listed below.

• 298s: 8 units
• 299s: 12 units
• 300s: 6 units

Please note that only 4 units of 299 can be counted towards the 20 unit total requirement.

Residency, Minimum GPA, and P/NP & S/U

To be eligible to receive the Master’s degree, the student must complete at least two semesters in residency and undertake the total coursework units defined for the program, earning a CGPA of at least 3.0.  Only courses with a C- or better can count towards graduate requirements.

Please note that only 1/3 of your unit total at the time of graduation may be pass/not pass or satisfactory/unsatisfactory.  Please note that to earn a “pass” or a “satisfactory” grade in a graduate course you need a grade of B- or better.

Minimum Recommended Number of Units in Major Field Area (E.g.  Bioeng, Controls, Etc.)

8 Semester units from 200 or 100 upper division series                                                                                                      

Maximum Number of Units You Can Transfer Towards Your Masters Degree

A master’s student may transfer up to 4 semester units or 6 quarter units of course work completed as a graduate student at another institution.  The units must be equivalent to courses in the student’s graduate program at Berkeley, and the student must have received at least a B in the course(s) and have a grade-point average of at least 3.3 at both Berkeley and the other institution.  However, students cannot use units from another institution to satisfy the minimum unit requirement in 200 series courses or the minimum academic residence requirement.  In addition, they may not present course work previously used to satisfy requirements for another degree program at Berkeley or at another institution.

Berkeley undergraduates who take graduate course work during their last undergraduate semester may petition to backdate graduate standing in order to receive graduate credit for that course work.  Graduate standing may be backdated from the last semester, and students may petition for credit only for the course work that was not required for the undergraduate degree.

All petitions to have units transferred must be first approved by the Vice-Chair for Graduate Study.  The Vice-Chair then forwards the petitions to Graduate Division.

Detailed restrictions can be found in Graduate Division’s Guide to Graduate Policy.

Advancement to Candidacy

Before you can receive a Master’s degree, you must first be Advanced to Candidacy.  The opportunity for this occurs during the first four (4) weeks of each semester.  By Academic Senate regulation, a minimum period of study of one term must intervene between formal advancement to candidacy and the conferring of the master’s degree.  The form can be found on in Chapter 13.

Thesis

Thesis Committee

Three (3) committee members are needed for the thesis (please see restrictions below).  All committee members are required to be members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate.

• Your Research Adviser
• ME Professor
• Professor outside of the ME Department
• At least two committee members must be from ME
• All members must also be members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate

Procedures for Filing Your Thesis

After you have written your thesis, formatted it correctly, assembled the pages into the correct organization, and obtained your signatures, you are ready to file it with the UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division:

• Convert your thesis to a standard PDF file.
• Print and sign the Thesis Release Form.
• Email your thesis as an attachment to edegrees@berkeley.edu.  Put your full name in the subject line.  Note: DO NOT SUBMIT A DRAFT.  Once your thesis has been submitted, you will not be allowed to make changes.  Be sure that it is in its final form!
• The Degrees Office staff will review your submission and if everything is in order, you will receive an email stating that it has been approved.  If you need to make changes, you will be given the opportunity and will need to re-send a revised PDF.
• Submit the following final documents to the Graduate Degrees Office at 318 Sproul Hall: your signed approval page, and your signed Thesis Release Form.
• Submit a copy of the final documents to the Student Services Office at 6189 Etcheverry Hall.

Please note that all documents should be submitted together (the Graduate Degrees Office will not accept lone signature pages, for example).  You must submit your electronic thesis and bring your final documents to 318 Sproul Hall before 4:00 P.M. on the last day of the term.

For details about filing requirements, including information on deadlines, preparing the thesis, registration, and use of human or animal subjects, please see Instructions for Preparing and Filing Your Thesis (http://grad.berkeley.edu/policies/guides/thesis-filing/) and Policies Affecting Both Master’s and Doctoral Students.

Changes in Committee Membership

Before planning to file their theses, students who wish to change the membership of their thesis committee must be sure that such a change has been approved by the Graduate Division.  A student may request a change in committee by submitting a completed Change in Higher Degree Committee form.  The Head Graduate Adviser (who is our Vice Chair of Graduate Study) must state the reason for the change and sign the form.  The Head Graduate Adviser, rather than any committee member, has the final authority to approve the changes.  Forms are available from the Graduate Division website.

Library Permission Form

Each student filing a master’s thesis must also submit a completed Library Permission Form, stating whether or not the student is willing to allow the University Library to supply copies of the thesis to any interested persons immediately, or if permission to do so should be withheld (for up to two years) while the student applies to obtain copyright.

Normative Time

1 year (2 consecutive semesters)

Minimum Units of Units To Complete Degree

24 Semester Units

Independent Study Courses such as, but not limited to, ME 298 and ME 299 do not count towards this total.  This is a coursework-only program.  

Course Restriction: All courses taken to fulfill degree requirements must be either in 100 or 200 series.  

Minimum Number of Mechanical Engineering Units

12 Semester Units of ME-sponsored courses (must be in 200 series and letter-graded).  The non-MechE side of a crosslisted course does not count in this category of requirements.  

Remaining 12 Units

 12 Semester Units of upper-division and graduate level courses (must be in either 100 or 200 series).  These units can come from the following categories: 

• College of Engineering Courses
• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Statistics
• Biological Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• School of Information
• School of Business
• School of Public Policy

A strong priority is given to courses that are technical in nature.  Other courses can be petitioned to the Vice Chair through the MechE Student Services Office.  

If you are unsure whether a course you intend to take fulfills programmatic requirements, please contact your advisor in the Department.

Minimum GPA, P/NP & S/U

To be eligible to receive the Master’s degree, the student must complete at least two semesters in residency and undertake the total coursework units defined for the program, earning a CGPA of at least 3.0.  Only courses with a C- or better can count towards graduate requirements.

Please note that only 1/3 of your unit total at the time of graduation may be pass/not pass or satisfactory/unsatisfactory.  Please note that to earn a “pass” or a “satisfactory” grade in a graduate course you need a grade of B- or better.

Minimum Units Required to Be Registered Each Semester

As a graduate student in the 5th year BS/MS Program in ME, each student in this program must enroll in a minimum of 12 semester units each semester. There are no exceptions to this rule. Even if you front load courses in the fall, you must enroll in 12 units in the spring.

Backdating Graduate Standing

Berkeley undergraduates who take graduate course work during their last undergraduate semester may petition to backdate graduate standing in order to receive graduate credit for that course work (for a

maximum of 4 units).  Graduate standing may be backdated for only one semester, and students may petition for credit only for course work that was not required for the undergraduate degree.  Please contact your advisor when you first join the program to initiate this process.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students should apply for Advancement to Candidacy early in their second semester.  The form can be found at http://me.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5th-Year-MS-Form-Application-for-Degree-Candidacy.docx. 

Oral Comprehensive Examination

You must arrange for your Comprehensive Oral Examination when you Advance to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree during the beginning of your second semester.

Your Examination Committee consists of 

• Two professors who are members of the Berkeley Academic Senate. Generally speaking, this means that they are tenure-track Professors.  
• At least one of the members of your Examination Committee has to be from the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Please note that both members of your Oral Exam Committee must be present at the time of the exam.

The Oral Comprehensive Examination must be scheduled at least 45 days before the end of your second semester.  The examination is scheduled for 30 minutes.  Questions will be drawn from upper division 100 and 200 level courses taken during the first semester of your masters program, though exceptions to this can be granted due to extenuating circumstances.  

 At the conclusion of your examination, the Committee Members will sign your Report on the BS/MS 5 Year

Completion Examination Form (http://me.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/5th-Year-MS-Form-Oral-Exam-Report.docx).  Should you not pass the examination, you are eligible to retake the exam with the same committee members.  Retakes should take place within 2 weeks of your first examination.

The objective of the Preliminary Examination is the early assessment of a student’s potential for satisfactory completion of the doctoral degree.  The exams are entirely closed – no books or notes are allowed.

Please note that Masters-only students who do not plan to move on to the PhD do not have to take the Preliminary (Prelim Exam).

All students admitted to the MS/PhD program on entry are required to take the examination no later than the end of their first year. 

Current 5th Year and M.Eng Students who wish to add PhD or D.ENG degree must pass the examination within their first year as well, after their change of degree goal request is approved. This policy is to ensure a transparent, thorough, and fair application review process, independent from an applicant’s current or past enrollment at Berkeley.  

For more details about taking the Prelim, please see the Prelim Section of Chapter 7.

This new and accelerated Professional Program has been designed in collaboration with several other department in the College of Engineering and its purpose is to develop professional leaders who understand the technical, environmental, economic and social issues involved in Mechanical Engineering. This one-year program is being launched with support from the College of Engineering’s Coleman Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership. For more information about this interdisciplinary program, please see the Fung Institute Website.

Normative Time

9 months or 2 semesters

Minimum Number of Units To Complete Degree

25 Semester Units (must be in 200 series)

Minimum Number of Mechanical Engineering Units In Area Of Concentration

12 Semester Units

Course Restriction:  Must be in 200 series and letter-graded

Minimum Number of Core Leadership Curriculum Units

6 Semester Units

Course Restriction:  Must be in 200 series and letter-graded

These must consist of:

Fall Boot Camp: August 7 – 17, 2018 (including weekends)

• ENGIN 270A (Organizational Behavior & Negotiations), 1 unit
• ENGIN 270B (R&D Tech Management & Ethics), 1 unit

Fall Semester

• ENGIN 270K (Coaching for High Performance Teams), 1 unit

Spring Boot Camp: January 7 – 18, 2019 (including weekends)
Students must choose 1 of the options below to meet core requirement

• ENGIN 270D (Entrepreneurship), 1 unit
• ENGIN 270E (Strategy & Analysis), 1 unit

Additionally

Students must choose 1 of the options below to meet core requirement

• ENGIN 270F ( Data Analytics), 1 unit
• ENGIN 270G (Marketing & Product Management), 1 unit

Spring Semester Core Requirement

• ENGIN 270C (Project Management & Capstone Integration), 1 unit

Maximum Number of Capstone Project Units (296M A-B)

5 Semester Units of ENGIN 296M A-B (letter graded) can be counted towards the 25 unit total requirement.  The semester enrollment restrictions for these courses are as follows:

• 2.5 Semester Units – Fall
• 2.5 Semester Units – Spring

2 semester Units of Capstone Integration Course (ENGIN 295)

• 1 Semester Unit – Fall
• 1 Semester Unit – Spring

Students are required to complete a capstone project.  The project enables the student to integrate the core leadership curriculum with the concentration and gain hands-on industry experience.

Minimum Grade Point Averages (GPAs)

All students are required to have a minimum overall Grade Point Average of 3.0.  Only courses with a C- or better can count towards graduate requirements.

Minimum Units You Are Required In Order To Be Registered Each Semester

Full-time students must enroll in 12 units each semester.

Maximum Number of Units You Can Transfer Towards Your Masters of Engineering Degree

A Master of Engineering student may petition to transfer up to 4 semester units or 6 quarter units of 200-level courses completed as a graduate student at another UC campus.  They may not present course work previously used to satisfy requirements for another degree program at another institution.

Berkeley undergraduates who take graduate course work during their last undergraduate semester may petition to backdate graduate standing in order to receive graduate credit for that course work.  Graduate standing may be backdated from the last semester, and students may petition for credit only for the course work that was not required for the undergraduate degree.

All petitions to have units transferred must be first approved by the Vice Chair for Graduate Study.   He then forwards the petitions to Graduate Division.

Detailed restrictions can be found in Graduate Division’s Guide to Graduate Policy:
http://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/

Advancement To Candidacy

Students should apply for Advancement to Candidacy at the beginning of their second semester.   The form can be found on the department website.

Comprehensive Exam and Report

An oral presentation and a written report of the capstone project are required by the end of the Spring Semester.   The audience at the oral presentation must consist of ME Advisor, instructor(s), peers and industry partners.

Two committee members are needed for the report:

• Your ME Advisor
• ME or Professor outside the ME department
• At least one committee member must be from ME
• Both individuals must also be members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate

(By Area of Concentration) for the 2018-2019 Academic Year

6.3.1 – Advanced Energy Technology

Fall

• Mech Eng 246 – Advanced Energy Conversion Principles
• Mech Eng 250A – Advanced Conductive and Radiative Transport (formerly listed as ME 292E)
• Mech Eng 255 – Advanced Combustion Process

Spring

• Mech Eng 250B (3 units) – Advanced Convective Tranport and Computational Methods (formerly ME 252)  Scheduled on Tu/Th 9:30 – 11 am (NEW)
• Mech Eng 254 (3 units) – Thermodynamics I (NEW)
• Mech Eng 256 (3 units) – Combustion
• Mech Eng 259 (3 units)  – Microscale Thermophysics and Heat Transfer

6.3.2 – Modeling and Simulation of Physical Processes and Systems

Fall​

• Mech Eng C224 – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method (REQUIRED)
• Mech Eng 290D – Solid Modeling and CAD/CAM Fundamentals

Spring

• Mech Eng C201(3 units) – Modeling and Simulation of Advanced Manufacturing Processes (required)
• Mech Eng 221 (3 units) – Graduate Introduction to Lean Manufacturing Systems (NEW)
• Mech Eng  229 (3 units) – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng  280B (3 units) – Finite Element Methods in Nonlinear Continua

6.3.3 – Experiential Advanced Control Systems Design

Fall

• Mech Eng C231A / El Eng C220B  (3 units)- Experiential Advanced Control Design I (required)
• Mech Eng C232 / El Eng C220A (3 units) – Advanced Control Systems I
• Mech Eng 292B – 002 (3 units) – Feedback Control of Legged Robots (new to MEng)
• Mech Eng 292B – 003 (3 units) – Control and Dynamics of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (new to MEng)

Spring

• Mech Eng C231B / El Eng C220C (3 units) – Experiential Advanced Control Design II (Tentatively scheduled on Tu/Th from 12:30 – 2 pm) (required)
• Mech Eng C237 (3 units) – Control of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems. Scheduled on
• Tu/Th  2 – 3:30 pm (NEW)
• Mech Eng 233 (3 units) – Advanced Control Systems II
• Mech Eng 235 (4 units) – Design of Microprocessor-Based Mechanical Systems

6.3.5 – Product Design

Fall

• Mech Eng 224 ( 3 units) – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng  C231A / El Eng C220B (3 units) – Experiential Advanced Control Design
• Mech Eng 239 (4 units) – Advanced Design and Automation
• Mech Eng C278 (3 units) – Advanced Designing for the Human Body
• Mech Eng 290D (3 units) – Solid Modeling and CAD/CAM Fundamentals
• Mech Eng 292C-001 (3 units)- Human-Centered Design Methods
• Mech ENg 292C-002 (4 units) – Upper-Limb Prosthesis Design

Spring

• Mec Eng C205 (3 units) – Critical Making on Mondays from 10 – 12 noon – NEW (Enrollment by application only.  Application available in end of October)
• Mech Eng 229 (3 units) – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng 235 (4 units) – Design of Microprocessor-Based Mechanical Engineering
• Mech Eng 290H (3 units) – Green Product Development: Design for Sustainability – Day/Time TBD. (NEW)
• Mech Eng 292C-001 (3 units) – “Reimagining Mobility” Room shared with DesInv 181 and taught on Tu/Th 3 – 4:30 pm. (Enrollment by application/instructor permission only. Application link: https://goo.gl/forms/5s12A9L0HAZ2np9c2) (NEW)
• Mech Eng 292C-002 (3 units) – “Global Product Development” Room shared with DesInv 190-002 and the lecture time is Tu/Th 11 – 2pm.   (ENROLLMENT:  This course is open to master’s students and PhD candidates who have prior experience with the human-centered design process. Admission to the course is by application. The application deadline is October 31st and the form can be found at: http://gpd.jacobshall.org ) (NEW)

6.3.6 – Biomechanics

Fall

• Mech Eng C278( 3 units) – Advanced Designing for the Human Body
• Mech Eng 224 (3 units) – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 239 (3 units) – Advanced Design and Automation
• Mech Eng 290D (3 units) – Solid Modeling and CAD/CAM Fundamentals

Spring

• Mech Eng C210 (3 units) – Advanced Orthopedic Biomechanics
• Mech Eng C213 (3 units) – Fluid Mechanics of Biological Systems
• Mech Eng C215 (3 units) – Advanced Structural Aspects of Biomaterials
• Mech Eng C225 (3 units) – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials

AREA	AREA OF CONCENTRATION ADVISOR	OFFICE	EMAIL	PHONE	SEMESTER
Biomechanics	Grace O’Connell	5122 EH	g.oconnell@berkeley.edu	642-3739	FL 18 only
	Shawn Shadden	5126 EH	shadden@berkeley.edu	664-9800	SP 19
Advanced Energy Technology	Chris Dames	6107 EH	cdames@berkeley.edu	643-2582	FL 18 Only
	Van Carey	6123 EH	vcarey@me.berkeley.edu	642-7177	SP 19 Only
Experimental Advanced Control Systems Design	Francesco Borrelli	5133 EH	fborrelli@berkeley.edu	643-3871	FL 18 – SP 19
Modeling & Simulation of Physical Processes & Systems	Sara McMains	5145 EH	mcmains@me.berkeley.edu	852-9359	FL 18 Only
	Hayden Taylor	6159 EH	hkt@berkeley.edu	642-4901	SP19 Only
Product Design	Dennis Lieu	5128 EH	dlieu@me.berkeley.edu	642-4014	SP 19 Only
	Alice Agogino	200E Blum Hall	agogino@berkeley.edu	643-5316	FL 18 Only

Normative Time

5 years or 10 semesters

Minimum Number of Units

36 Semester units.  For students who are in the process of obtaining or have obtained their master’s degrees at UC Berkeley, master’s degree units that meet the restrictions below can be used towards their PhD unit requirement.

Minimum Units Required in Order to Be Registered Each Semester

Students must enroll in 15 units each semester.

Maximum Amount of Independent Study Units (298, 299, 300 and above)

Independent course units are not counted towards the 36 semester units needed to graduate.  The maximum units in which you can enroll per semester are listed below.

• 298s: 8 units
• 299s: 12 units
• 300s: 6 units
• 600s: 8 units

Maximum Number of Courses That Can Be Transferred Towards Degree

• Students can transfer up to 2 courses from another school towards the PhD.
• Courses must be in the major field of study.
• Courses must be letter graded.
• You cannot have used the course(s) for credit to receive your BS degree.
• Courses cannot be from the student’s undergraduate course of study; courses must have been taken while in graduate standing.

Notes on Transferring Courses

Unit credit from Backdated Graduate Standing:

Berkeley undergraduates who take graduate course work during their last undergraduate semester may petition to backdate graduate standing in order to receive graduate credit for that course work.  Graduate standing may be backdated for only one semester, and students may petition for credit only for the course work that was not required for the undergraduate degree.  To petition to backdate courses, please see the ME Student Services Office.

• For a complete list of restrictions regarding transferring units, please see the Guide to Graduate Policy.

To Transfer:

• Obtain an official transcript from the school the course will transfer from as well as a syllabus of the course
• Complete your portion of the Graduate Petition to Transfer Courses and attach the syllabus to this form.
• Obtain the syllabus of the UCB equivalent course as well as the approval of the instructor who would teach the equivalent course here.
• Attach all materials to the form and submit it to the ME Student Services Office for review.

GSI/ME 300-Level Course Requirement

Each student must take a 300-level course on teaching and/or serve as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) for at least 1 semester.

Minimum Grade Point Averages (GPAs)

All students are required to have the following minimum Grade Point Averages:

• 3.5 in Major
• 3.0 in Minors

In order for students to be in good standing, they must maintain an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0 on the basis of all upper division and graduate courses (100 and 200 level) taken in graduate standing.  Only courses with a C- or better can count towards graduate requirements.  Grade-points earned in Berkeley courses numbered below 100 or above 300 are not included in determining a student’s grade-point average for remaining in good standing or earning a degree.  Only 1/3 of your unit total at the time of graduation may be pass/not pass or satisfactory/unsatisfactory.  Please note that to earn a “pass” or a “satisfactory” grade in a graduate course you need a grade of B- or better.

Failure to maintain this minimum GPA can result in your being placed in Academic Probation.  If you cannot raise your cumulative GPA back to the minimum GPA or higher in the next semester after being put on academic probation, you are subject to dismissal from the University.

Required Number of Courses

• 5 Courses in your major, all of which must be letter graded
• 3 Courses in your First Outside ME Minor (only 1 of these courses can be taken with the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option rather than letter graded)
• 2 Courses in your Inside ME or 2nd Outside ME Minor, all of which must be letter graded
• 2 Courses to support your Major or one of your Minor

Please note that 2/3 of the courses counted towards your degree must be letter graded.

Required Emphases

Each student must declare 1 Major area as well as 2 Minors.  At least one Minor is required to be outside of the department.  The minor fields should serve to broaden the base of the studies and lend support to the major field as well as the dissertation research.

Required Emphases Notes

• Each minor program should have an orientation different from the major program and the courses involved should contain concepts not present in the major program.
• One minor program should consist of courses taken outside of the Mechanical Engineering department.  The qualifier that minors should lend support to the major field as well as the dissertation research should be taken strictly.  In general, minors that neither lend support to the major field nor the dissertation research are discouraged.  These include minors in areas outside of engineering, mathematics, statistics and natural sciences, unless they lend support to the dissertation research.  Examples of minors that generally are not allowed include education, languages, and business, unless these courses demonstrably lend support to the dissertation research or the courses for the minor are cross-listed with a Department in the College of Engineering other than Mechanical Engineering.
• Three courses (of advanced undergraduate and graduate level) typically represent a minimum program for a minor.  In some programs of study, a minor that consists only of high-level, upper-division courses taken in a department outside the College of Engineering may be acceptable.
• Use of the number 298 shall be restricted to “Group Studies, Seminars, and Group Research.” No 298 units shall count toward the minimum unit requirements for master or doctoral degrees.  All 298 courses in the College of Engineering are offered on a “Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory” basis.
• The qualifier that minors should lend support to the major field as well as the dissertation research should be taken strictly.  As the intent of the qualifying examination is to ascertain the breadth of a student’s knowledge and preparation in their field of study, the minors play a critical role in this demonstration of breadth.  The use of mechanical engineering courses, including cross-listed courses, as part of an outside minor is not permitted except by petition to the Vice Chair for Graduate Study.  In selecting your minors you should work with both your research and major field academic advisors in identifying the minors that are best suited to your doctoral research and academic program, and then obtain the approval of your major field advisor regarding your selections.

Procedures to Change Major Field Areas

In order to change major, you must either request the transfer during the first three weeks of your FIRST semester or have taken and passed the preliminary examination. You must also take and pass the Preliminary Examination in the new major field area.

After your first semester, you will need to meet with the Major Field Advisor (MFA) of the area you wish to transfer into.  If the MFA approves your transfer they need to notify the ME Student Services Office by email.

Preliminary Examination (also known as Prelims)

This written exam covers various undergraduate and graduate coursework.  All students must pass the exam in their Major Field Area.  Those students who do not have an exam in their major field must select one of the other available exams as their declared Major Field Area exclusively for the Preliminary Examination requirement purpose.  Students receive 2 attempts to pass the exam.  Please see the FAQ on the department website for the latest information.  Please note that students must have a minimum graduate GPA of 3.3 overall and 3.5 in the major field from courses taken at UC Berkeley to take the Preliminary Examination.

• The examination will be given twice a year, the first week of the Spring and Fall semesters.  The examination must be taken following two semesters of registration as a graduate student at the latest.  Tests cannot be taken before entering the program.

Completing a Master’s Degree as Part of an MS/PhD

For each degree you plan on earning, you must first Advance to Candidacy for that degree.  I.e. if your goal is to earn the MS/PhD, you are required to Advance twice – once for the MS and once for the PhD.  Students should advance to MS Candidacy by their 3rd semester.  The opportunity to apply occurs during the first two (2) weeks of each semester.

Both the Advancement to Candidacy Form for Plan I and the Advancement to Candidacy Form for Plan II are completed in consultation with your Major Field Advisor.  Both the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair of Graduate Study must sign these forms prior to being sent to the Graduate Division for Advancement.

Filing Your MS Report

The Engineering Library requires uniformity in the Title Page and binding of your MS Report.  The Engineering Library will not accept ring bindings for your Report.  It should be a plastic braded binding.  Most copy stores will be familiar with the binding style and examples can be found at the ME Student Services Office.  Once you have presented your MS Report to your committee, you need to bring a signed, bound copy of the MS Report to the Student Services Office.  All reports are filed in the Engineering Library at Bechtel.

Qualifying Examination

This is an oral exam which covers courses and research.  Students should submit the required paper work at least 1 month in advance of the scheduled exam date.  In addition, the exam should be taken no later than the end of student’s 3rd year/6th semester.  Students receive 2 attempts to pass.

To be eligible to take the Qualifying Examination, the following coursework requirements must be completed:

• 3 courses in the major for a GPA of 3.5, all of which must be letter graded
• 1 course in the inside or first minor for a GPA of 3.0
• 2 courses in the outside minor for a GPA of 3.0

Qualifying Exam Committee Requirements

• Chair (must be ME faculty member)
• Additional Member 
• Additional member (representing your Inside or first Minor)
• The Academic Senate Representative (ASR – representing your Outside Minor)

Qualifying Exam Membership

• The Chair of the committee must be from ME Department.
• At least 2 members must be from the ME Department.
• A Co-Chair of a Student’s Dissertation Committee can sit as an additional member,  but cannot serve as the Chair or the Academic Senate Representative of the Qualifying Examination Committee.
• The Chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee cannot serve as the Chair of the Dissertation Committee for the same student. However, this rule does not preclude the research advisor from serving on the QE committee (e.g. as additional member.)
• Two members of the qualifying examination committee represent the major field area, the third member must represent the first minor, and the fourth member represents the second minor (outside).  A list of ME faculty and their areas can be found in the Research Areas and Major Fields section.
• All Qualifying Examination Committee Members must be Members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate.  
• There cannot be Co-Chairs for the Qualifying Exam.
• One additional member beyond the required number may be added to the Qualifying Examination Committee.
• Two members beyond the required number may be requested by the Vice-Chair of Graduate Study in a memorandum addressed to the cognizant Associate Dean, in care of the Graduate Services: Degrees Office (318 Sproul Hall, #5900).
• If a student is reexamined, the committee for the second examination must be the same as for the first exam.
• Permission to take the exam must be obtained from the Graduate Division and they require at least a three week notice minimum to approve your request for taking the Qualifying Examination.
• If there is a serious need to change your Qualifying Exam Committee, please log in your CalCentral and complete the “Higher Degree Committee Form” under “Student Resources”, as far in advance of the exam as possible.  All changes must be reviewed and approved by the Vice-Chair of Graduate Study and then the Graduate Division to be official.  There is no guarantee that requests will be granted.

Detailed requirements can be found in Graduate Division’s Guide to Graduate Policy.

Program of Study Form (To Schedule the Qualifying Exam)

When you and your research advisor decide on the time of your Qualifying Exam (at least a few months in advance to ensure room availability), you will need to complete a Program of Study for Doctoral Candidates.  List all classes you have taken as a graduate student at Berkeley.  They are to be organized and listed in your required major and two minors.  At the bottom of the card please provide the date, time and location of the examination. All courses that are used toward the major and the first minor must be taken for a letter grade prior to taking the qualifying examination.  The exceptions are ME research units (298s, 299s), 300-level and 600-level courses.  At most, one third of the total units may be taken S/U.

After having completed the form, please submit it to your Graduate Student Affairs Adviser in the Student Services Office for the approval and signature of the Vice Chair, and to reserve a room for your exam or receive a zoom link if the exam will be conducted virtually.

Add your Higher Degree Committee to CalCentral for Vice-Chair of ME and the Graduate Division for the Dean’s approval.

Advancement To Candidacy

For each degree you plan on earning, you must first Advance to Candidacy for that degree.  I.e. if your goal is to earn the MS and PhD, you are required to Advance twice – once for the MS and once for the PhD.  After you pass the Qualifying Exam, you will be asked to complete the advancement to candidacy application (Higher Degree Committees Form) in CalCentral under “Student Resources“.  You need to complete and submit the eForm in CalCentral within three (3) weeks of passing the examination.  It is important that you return this application as soon as possible as:

• You cannot go on Filing Fee or file your dissertation if you are not Advanced to Candidacy.
• You must be Advanced to Candidacy for at least two (2) semesters before you graduate.  The semester you advance to candidacy counts as the first semester.

The Advancement to Candidacy eForm (Higher Degree Committees Form) are completed in consultation with your Research Advisor.

Doctoral Candidacy Review

The Graduate Council of the Academic Senate requires a Doctoral Candidacy Review (DCR) to be completed each year for all doctoral students after they advance to candidacy until completion of their degree.  This review is designed to assist you to stay on track and help facilitate the completion of your doctoral program in a timely manner.

The Doctoral Candidacy Review form is located online through the CalCentral.

After completion of report, you will need to notify your dissertation committee chair and schedule a meeting to review it.  Once you have met with your dissertation chair then they will complete their section of the report and submit the APR through GLOW.

PhD Dissertation

Dissertations are required of all students.  Each dissertation committee must include:

• Chair (Student’s Research Advisor)
• Additional Member (representing one of the student’s minor)
• Academic Senate Representative (representing one of the student’s minor)

Dissertation Committee Notes

• Two co-chairs may replace one chair (one of these may be a faculty member in a department other than ME). In this case, the committee will end up with four members.  However, in the end you must have more ME faculty than those of any other department in your committee.
• The Dissertation Chair or Co-Chair cannot be the same person as the Chair of the Qualifying Examination for the same student.
• If there is a serious need to change your Dissertation Committee, please complete the eForm “Higher Degree Committees Form” in your CalCentral under “Student Resources” as far in advance of the exam as possible.  All changes must be reviewed and approved by the Vice-Chair of Graduate Study and then the Graduate Division to be official and there is no guarantee that requests will be granted.

All members of the dissertation committee must be members of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate.  Detailed requirements and restrictions can be found in Graduate Division’s Guide to Graduate Policy.

Turning In Your Dissertation

• All PhD Dissertations must now be submitted online.  You will submit the dissertation as a PDF document in a single copy via ProQuest/UMI’s ETD Administrator site.
• The document will be reviewed by staff in the Graduate Services Degrees unit for formatting.
• When the dissertation is in an acceptable form, the student will submit the “Final Signature Submission” eForm, and complete the two exit surveys on the Tasks checklist in CalCentral.
• After conferral of the degree for the semester in question, the PDF will be forwarded to the University Library and to ProQuest/UMI for release to the public.  A doctoral candidate will be able to request with the support of the dissertation committee chair that the dissertation be withheld under certain circumstances from release to the public for a reasonable length of time.  A form for this purpose will be available through the Forms and Application section of the Graduate Division web site.

For further details see Instructions for Preparing the Filing Your Thesis or Dissertation or contact Assistant Director for Degrees, Jeret Lemontt (lemontt@berkeley.edu), (510) 642-7330.

PhD Candidate Seminar

Each student must present their dissertation findings with at least one member of their dissertation committee present during a public exit seminar held in-person, virtually, or in hybrid mode (in-person and virtual).  The seminar must take place prior to filing the dissertation, and before the end of the semester in which you receive your degree. 

Setting Up Your Seminar

1. Complete the Ph.D. Seminar form with the proposed date and time of the seminar, as well as the abstract of the talk.
2. Check with the ME Student Services Office to confirm your room reservation or Zoom link (if the seminar is virtual).
3. The ME Student Services Office will announce the date, time and details of the talk to the department.
4. If the seminar is strictly in person, complete your portion of the Ph.D.  Candidate Seminar Form and take it to your seminar.
5. Obtain the signatures of any faculty present from your committee.
6. Return the form to the ME Student Services Office.

For the “Biomechanical Engineering” Major, you may choose all five courses from the “Core” group, or, choose three from the “Core” group and two others from a range of emphasis areas, such as mechanics, fluids, materials, MEMS, or controls – see the lists below for approved courses in these areas. In either case, you can choose at most two (upper division) undergraduate courses. If opting for the 3/2 major, there must be a thematic connection between the three core courses and the two emphasis courses. Further, for that option, the two emphasis courses should not be in your declared Minor; in that event, we recommend you consider declaring that Minor as your Major, and declare “Biomechanical Engineering” as your Minor since that option better aligns your course interests with your Major area.

For the “Biomechanical Engineering” Minor, you should choose all courses from “Core” group.

If you wish to use other courses not listed below for the “Biomechanical Engineering” Major or Minor, please discuss this with your Major Field Advisor. This option will require formal approval from both your Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair of Graduate Study and will only be approved with appropriate justification.

Core Courses in Biomechanical Engineering

• Mech Eng C117 / Bio Eng C117 – Structural Aspects of Biomaterials
• Mech Eng 120 – Computational Biomechanics Across Multiple Scales
• Mech Eng C176 / Bio Eng C119 – Orthopedic Biomechanics
• Mech Eng C210 – Advanced Orthopedic Biomechanics
• Mech Eng 211 – Cell as a Machine
• Mech Eng C212 / Bio Eng C212 – Heat and Mass Transport in Biomedical Engineering
• Mech Eng C213 / Bio Eng C213 – Fluid Mechanics of Biological Systems
• Mech Eng C214 / Bio Eng C214 – Advanced Tissue Mechanic
• Mech Eng C215 / Bio Eng C222 – Advanced Structural Aspects of Biomaterials
• Mech Eng C216 / Bio Eng C215 – Mechanobiology of the Cell
• Mech Eng C223 / Bio Eng C223 – Polymer Engineering
• Mech Eng  278 Advanced Designing for the Human Body
• Mech Eng C290L – Introduction to Nano-Biology
• Mech Eng C290X / Bio Eng C290D – Advanced Technical Communication
• Mech Eng 292A – Advanced Special Topic

Courses for Emphasis Areas:

Biomechanical Engineering with Design Emphasis

• Mech Eng 290K – Innovation and Life Cycle Thinking
• Mech Eng 290 P – New Product Development: Design Theory and Methods
• Mech Eng C292C – Designing an Upper Limb Prosthesis
• Mech Eng C292C – Human Centered Design
• Mech Eng 290Q – Dynamic Control of Robotic Manipulator

Biomechanical Engineering with Mechanics Emphasis

• Mech Eng 185 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
• Mech Eng 280A/B – Introduction to the Finite Element Method / Finite Element Methods in Nonlinear Continua
• Mech Eng 284 – Nonlinear Theory of Elasticit

Biomechanical Engineering with Fluids Emphasis

• Mech Eng 167 – Microscale Fluid Flow
• Mech Eng 260A/B – Advanced Fluid Mechanics I/Advanced Fluid Mechanics II
• Mech Eng 263 – Turbulence
• Mech Eng 266A/B – Finite Difference Methods for Fluids Dynamics / Spectral Methods for – Fluid Dynamics
• Mech Eng C268 – Physicochemical Hydrodynamic

 Biomechanical Engineering with Materials Emphasis

• Mech Eng 224 – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng C225 / Material Science C212 – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 226 – Tribology
• Mech Eng 227 – Mechanical Behavior of Composite Material

Biomechanical Engineering with MEMS Emphasis

• Mech Eng 119 – Introduction to MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems)
• Mech Eng C219 / Electrical Eng C246 – Parametric and Optimal Design of MEMS
• Mech Eng C218 / Electrical Eng C245 – Introduction to MEMS Design

Biomechanical Engineering with Controls Emphasis

• Mech Eng C134 / Electrical Eng C128 – Feedback Control Systems
• Mech Eng 230 – Real-Time Applications of Mini and Micro Computers
• Mech Eng C232 / El Eng C220A – Advanced Control Systems

If Controls represents the major for your PhD study, you should take at least 5 courses from the lists shown below. Of these, at least 4 courses should be from the Controls Core list.

You must consult your Major Field Advisor if you are planning to include any of the courses listed in the emphasis areas as part of a non-control minor that has common courses with the emphasis area (e.g. an emphasis in Dynamic Systems and a minor in Dynamics).

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Controls represents a minor for your PhD study, you should take at least 2 courses from the Controls Core Course list. You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Core Courses in Controls

Note: Cannot receive credit for both ME132 and MEC134

Eng 231 – Mathematical Methods in Engineering
Mech Eng 292B – Advanced Special Topics
Mech Eng C231A / El Eng C220B – Experiential Advanced Control Design I
Mech Eng C231B / El Eng C220C – Experiential Advanced Control Design II
Mech Eng 132 Dynamic Systems and Feedback
Mech Eng C232 / El Eng C220A – Advanced Control Systems I
Mech Eng 233 – Advanced Control Systems II
Mech Eng C134 / Electrical Eng C128 – Feedback Control Systems
Mech Eng C237 / El Eng C222 – Nonlinear Systems
Mech Eng 290J – Predictive Control for Linear and Hybrid Systems
Mech Eng 290N – System Identification

One Unit Core Courses
Students would need to take all three to count for one core course
Mech Eng 190L – Practical Control System Design: A Systematic Loop Shaping Approach
Mech Eng 190M – Model Predictive Control
Mech Eng 190Y – Practical Control System Design: A Systematic Optimization Approach

Courses for Controls with Control Systems Emphasis
Mech Eng C290S / Electrical Eng C291E – Hybrid Systems and Intelligent Control
Mech Eng C236 / Civ Eng C291F – Control and Optimization of Distributed Parameters Systems
Electrical Eng 221A – Linear System Theory
Electrical Eng 223 – Stochastic Systems: Estimation and Control
Electrical Eng 226A – Random Processes in Systems
Electrical Eng 227A / B – Introduction to Convex Optimization / Convex Optimization and Approximation

Courses for Controls with Dynamic Systems Emphasis
Mech Eng 175 – Intermediate Dynamics
Mech Eng 273 – Oscillations in Linear Systems
Mech Eng 274 – Random Oscillations of Mechanical Systems
Mech Eng 275 – Advanced Dynamics
Mech Eng 277 – Oscillations in Nonlinear Systems
Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method

Courses for Controls with Mechatronics & Robotics Emphasis
Mech Eng 235 – Design of Microprocessor-based Mechanical Systems
Mech Eng 236C – Vehicle Dynamics and Control
Mech Eng 236U – Introduction to Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Mech Eng 292B – Hybrid robotics
Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
Mech Eng C106a / El Eng C106a / Bioengineering C125 – Introduction to Robotics (last offered: Fall 2017)
Mech Eng C106b / Electrical Eng C106b – Robotic Manipulation and Interaction
El Eng 192 – Mechatronic Design Laboratory

If Design represents the major of your PhD study, you should take at least 5 courses from the lists shown below. Of these, at least 3 courses should be from the Design Core list.

You must consult you Major Field Advisor if you are planning to include any of the courses listed in the emphasis areas as part of the non-Design minor that has common courses with the emphasis area (e.g. an emphasis in Mechatronics and a minor in MEMS or Controls).

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Design represents a minor of your PhD study, you should take at least one course from the Design Core list.

Core Courses in Design

• Mech Eng 292C – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 128 – Computer-Aided Mechanical Design (Course has not been taught in the last 5 years)
• Mech Eng C223 / Bioengineering C223 – Polymer Engineering
• Mech Eng 224 – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 224A – Failure Analysis of Structural Material
• Mech Eng C225 / Material Science C212 – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 228 – Computer-Aided, Optimal Mechanical Design
• Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng 239 – Advanced Design and Automation
• Mech Eng 270 – Advanced Augmentation of Human Dexterity
• Mech Eng 290H – Green Product Development: Design for Sustainability
• Mech Eng 290K (A & B: counted together as a single course) – Innovation and Life Cycle Thinking
• Mech Eng 290 P – New Product Development: Design Theory and Methods

Courses in Design with Computation and Optimization Emphasis

• Mech Eng 128 – Computer-Aided Mechanical Design (Course has not been taught in the last 5 years)
• Mech Eng 145 (Course has not been taught in the last 5 years)
• Mech Eng C180 / Civ Eng C133 – Engineering Analysis Using the Finite Element Method
• Mech Eng 280A / B – Introduction to the Finite Element Method / Finite Element Methods in Nonlinear Continua
• Mech Eng 290D – Solid Modeling
• Mech Eng 290M – Expert Systems in Mechanical Engineering
• Comp Sci 160 – User Interface Design and Development
• Eng 128 – Advanced Engineering Design Graphics
• IEOR C215/Information C258 – Analysis and Design of Databases
• IEOR 262A/B – Mathematical Programming I / Mathematical Programming II
• IEOR 268 – Applied Dynamic Programming

Courses in Design with Mechatronics Emphasis

• Mech Eng 133 – Mechanical Vibrations
• Mech Eng C134 / Electrical Eng C128 – Feedback Control Systems
• Mech Eng 135 / 235 – Design of Microprocessor-Based Mechanical Systems
• Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng 230 – Real-Time Applications of Mini and Micro Computers
• Mech Eng C232 / El Eng C220A – Advanced Control Systems I
• Mech Eng 239 – Advanced Design and Automation
• Mech Eng 290Q – Dynamic Control of Robotic Manipulators
• El Eng 192 – Mechatronic Design Laboratory

Courses in Design with Product Design Emphasis

• Mech Eng 101 – High Mix/Low Volume Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 110 – Introduction to Product Development
• Mech Eng 127 – Composite Materials–Analysis, Design, Manufacture
• Mech Eng 221 – High-Tech Product Design and Rapid Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 227 – Mechanical Behavior of Composite Materials
• Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng 239 – Advanced Design and Automation
• Mech Eng 290H – Green Product Development: Design for Sustainability
• Mech Eng 290K (A&B) – Innovation and Life Cycle Thinking
• Mech Eng 290P – New Product Development: Design Theory and Methods
• IEOR 170 – Industrial Design and Human Factors

Courses in Design with Machine Design Emphasis

• Mech Eng 130 – Design of Planar Machinery
• Mech Eng 133 – Mechanical Vibrations
• Mech Eng 172 (Course has not been taught in 5 years)
• Mech Eng 220 – Precision Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 221 – High-Tech Product Design and Rapid Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 222 – Advanced Manufacturing Processes
• Mech Eng C223 / Bio Eng C223 – Polymer Engineering
• Mech Eng C225 / Mat Sci C212 – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 226 – Tribology
• Mech Eng 227 – Mechanical Behavior of Composite Materials
• Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng 239 – Advanced Design and Automation

Courses in Design with MEMS Design Emphasis

• Mech Eng 119 – Introduction to MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems)
• Mech Eng C218 / Electrical Eng C245 – Introduction to MEMS Design
• Mech Eng C219 / Electrical Eng C246 – Parametric and Optimal Design of MEMS
• Mech Eng 290U – Interactive Device Design

If Dynamics represents the major of your PhD study, you should take at least 5 courses from the lists shown below. The two Dynamic Core courses will be required unless you have taken equivalent courses previously.

You must consult your Major Field Advisor if you are planning to include any of the courses listed in the emphasis areas as part of a non-dynamic minor that has common courses with the emphasis area (e.g. an emphasis in Dynamic Systems and a minor in Controls).
If Dynamics represents a minor of your PhD study, you should take at least two courses from the lists shown below. The two Dynamics Core courses will be required unless you have taken equivalent courses previously. In the event that you believe you have taken an equivalent course or courses, it is strongly recommended that you discuss your course options for the Dynamics minor with the Dynamics Major Field Advisor.

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

Core Courses in Dynamics

• Mech Eng 292D – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 175 – Intermediate Dynamics
• Mech Eng 273 – Oscillations in Linear Systems
• Mech Eng 290A – Nonlinear Dynamics of Continuous Systems

Courses in Dynamics with Dynamics Emphasis

• Mech Eng 136U/236 – Introduction to Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
• Mech Eng 170 – Engineering Mechanics III.
• Mech Eng 274 – Random Oscillations of Mechanical Systems
• Mech Eng 275 – Advanced Dynamics
• Mech Eng 277 – Oscillations in Nonlinear Systems

Courses in Dynamics with Dynamic Systems Emphasis

• Mech Eng C134 / Electrical Eng C128 – Feedback Control Systems
• Mech Eng 233 – Advanced Control Systems II
• Mech Eng 234 – Multivariable Control System Design
• Mech Eng 237 – Control of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
• Mech Eng 274 – Random Oscillations of Mechanical Systems
• Mech Eng 275 – Advanced Dynamics
• Mech Eng 277 – Oscillations in Nonlinear Systems

Courses in Dynamics with Other Application Emphases

• Mech Eng 173 – Fundamentals of Acoustics
• Mech Eng 230 – Real-Time Applications of Mini and Micro Computers
• Mech Eng 240A – Advanced Marine Structures I
• Mech Eng 279 – Statistical Mechanics of Elasticity (this course is cross listed with CE C235)
• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method
• Mech Eng 283 – Wave Propagation in Elastic Media
• Mech Eng 288 – Theory of Elastic Stability

7.2.5A – ENERGY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – COMBUSTION

If Energy Science and Technology represents the major of your PhD study, in the area of Combustion, you should take at least 5 courses from the lists shown below. Of these, at least 3 courses should be from the Combustion Core list. Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Combustion represents a minor of your PhD study, you should take 2 core courses from the lists shown below. You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Core Courses in Combustion

• Mech Eng 292E – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 255 – Advanced Combustion Processes
• Mech Eng 254 – Thermodynamics I
• Mech Eng 256 – Combustion
• Mech Eng 257 – Advanced Combustion

Recommended Courses in Combustion

• Mech Eng 252 – Heat Convection
• Mech Eng 253 – Thermal Radiation
• Mech Eng 256 – Combustion
• Mech Eng 260A/B – Advanced Fluid Mechanics I / Advanced Fluid Mechanics II

Courses in Combustion you are encouraged to take

• Mech Eng 251 – Heat Conduction
• Mech Eng 258 – Heat Transfer with Phase Change
• Mech Eng 263 – Turbulence
• Chemistry 122 – Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy
• Chemistry 223A – Chemical Kinetics
• Mathematics 121 (A or B) – Mathematical Tools for the Physical Sciences
• Mathematics 128A/B – Numerical Analysis / Numerical Analysis
• Mathematics 224A/B – Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences
• Mathematics 228A/B – Numerical Solution of Differential Equations

7.2.5B – ENERGY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – HEAT TRANSFER

If Energy Science and Technology represents the major of your PhD study, in the area of Heat Transfer, you should take at least 5 courses from the lists shown below.  Of these, at least 4 should be from the Heat Transfer core list.  Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Heat Transfer represents a minor field for your PhD program, you should take 2 core courses from the list below. If you wish to use other courses for your minor field you must first obtain the approval of the Major Field Advisor. You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Core Courses in Heat Transfer

• Mech Eng 292E – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 246 – Advanced Energy Conversion Principles
• Mech Eng 249 – Machine Learning in Energy Processes
• Mech Eng 250A – Advanced Heat Conduction and Radiation
• Mech Eng 250B – Heat Convection
• Mech Eng 258 – Heat Transfer with Phase Change
• Mech Eng 259 – Microscale Thermophysics and Heat Transfer

Supplementary Courses in Heat Transfer

• Mech Eng C212/Bio Eng C212 – Heat and Mass Transport in Biomedical Engineering
• Mech Eng 254 – Thermodynamics I
• Mech Eng 256 – Combustion
• Mech Eng 260A/B – Advanced Fluid Mechanics I / Advanced Fluid Mechanics II
• Mech Eng C268 / Chem Eng C268 – Physicochemical Hydrodynamics
• Mech Eng 290G – Laser Processing and Diagnostics
• Mech Eng 290T – Plasmonic Materials

If Fluid Mechanics represents the major of your PhD study, you must take at least 5 courses from the lists shown below. Of these, you must take ME 260A/B and at least 2 others from the Core list. The remainder can be from either list. Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Fluid Mechanics represents a minor of your PhD study, you should take 2 courses from the lists below. One of these courses must be ME 260A/B from the Core list. You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Core Courses in Fluids

• Mech Eng 292F – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 213 Fluid Mechanics of Biological Systems
• Mech Eng 241A/B – Marine Hydrodynamics I / Marine Hydrodynamics II
• Mech Eng 260A/B – Advanced Fluid Mechanics I / Advanced Fluid Mechanics II
• Mech Eng 262 – Theory of Fluid Sheets and Fluid Jets
• Mech Eng 263 – Turbulence
• Mech Eng 266 – Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
• Mech Eng 290C – Topics in Fluid Mechanics-Vortex Dynamics
• Mech Eng 248 – Experimental Methods in Single- and Multiphase Flows (NEW)
• Eng 266B – Spectral Methods for Fluid Dynamics

Recommended Courses in Fluids

• Mech Eng 163 – Engineering Aerodynamics
• Mech Eng 167 – Microscale Fluid Mechanics (by Prof. Morris, retired)
• Mech Eng 185 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
• Mech Eng C212/Bio Eng C212 – Heat and Mass Transport in Biomedical Engineering
• Mech Eng 243 – Advanced Methods in Free-Surface Flows
• Mech Eng 248 – Heat Transfer with Phase Change
• Eng 266A/B – Finite Difference Methods for Fluid Dynamics / Spectral Methods for Fluid Dynamics
• ME280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method

If Manufacturing represents the major of your PhD study, you should take at least 5 courses selected from a combination of the lists shown below. Of these, at least 3 courses must be from the Manufacturing Core list.

You must consult your Major Field Advisor if you are planning to include any of the courses listed in the emphasis areas as part of a non-Manufacturing minor that has common courses with the emphasis area (e.g. an emphasis in Design and a minor in Design or an emphasis in Geometric Modeling and a minor in Computer Science). You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Manufacturing represents a minor of your PhD study, you should take at least 2 courses from the Manufacturing Core list.

Core Courses in Manufacturing

• Mech Eng 292G – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 101 – High Mix/Low Volume Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 122 – Processing of Materials in Manufacturing
• Mech Eng C201 (formerly 222) – Modeling and Simulation of Advanced Manufacturing Processes
• Mech Eng C202/Mat Sci C287 (formerly 287) – Computational Design of Multifunctional/Multiphysical Composite Materials
• Mech Eng 203 – Nanoscale Processing of Materials
• Mech Eng 220 – Precision Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method
• Mech Eng 280B – Finite Element Methods in Nonlinear Continua
• Mech Eng 287 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics 
• Mech Eng 290D – Solid Modeling
• Mech Eng 290I (formerly ENG 290C) – Sustainable Manufacturing>
• Mech Eng 290R – Topics in Manufacturing
• Comp Sci 274 – Computational Geometry

Courses in Manufacturing with Design Emphasis

• Mech Eng 228 – Computer-Aided, Optimal Mechanical Design
• Mech Eng 290 C – Human Centered Design Methods
• Mech Eng 290H – Green Product Development: Design for Sustainability
• Mech Eng 290P – New Product Development: Design Theory and Methods

Courses in Manufacturing with Solid Mechanics Emphasis

• Mech Eng 185 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
• Mech Eng 282 – Theory of Elasticity
• Mech Eng 286 – Theory of Plasticity
• Mech Eng 289 – Theory of Shells

Courses in Manufacturing with a Fluids Emphasis

• Mech Eng 260A – Advanced Fluid Mechanics I
• Mech Eng 260B – Advanced Fluid Mechanics II

Courses in Manufacturing with Materials Emphasis

• Mech Eng C223/Bio Eng C223 – Polymer Engineering
• Mech Eng 224 – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng C225/Mat Sci C212 – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 226 – Tribology
• Mech Eng 227 – Mechanical Behavior of Composite Materials

Courses in Manufacturing with Geometric Modeling Emphasis

• Mech Eng C218/Electrical Eng C245 – Introduction to MEMS Design
• Mech Eng C219/Electrical Eng C246 – Parametric and Optimal Design of MEMS
• Mech Eng 281 – Methods of Tensor Calculus and Differential Geometry
• Comp Sci 184 – Foundations of Computer Graphics
• Comp Sci 284 – Computer-Aided Geometric Design and Modeling
• Comp Sci 285 – Solid Free-Form Modeling and Fabrication
• Comp Sci 289 – Introduction to Machine Learning

Courses in Manufacturing with Other Emphases

• Mech Eng 219 – Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems
• Mech Eng 251 – Heat Conduction
• Mech Eng 290G – Laser Processing and Diagnostics
• ENG 290G – International Trade and Competition in High Technology

If Materials represents the major of your PhD study, a maximum of two (2) 100 level courses can be used toward the major area requirements.

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Materials represents a minor of your PhD study, you should take at 2 courses from the Materials Core list. You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Core Courses in Materials

• Mech Eng 224 – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng C225/Mat Sci C212 – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 226 – Tribology
• Mech Eng 227 – Mechanical Behavior of Composite Materials
• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method

Strongly Recommended Courses in Materials

• Mech Eng 127 – Composite Materials–Analysis, Design, Manufacture
• Mech Eng C223/Bio Eng C223 – Polymer Engineering
• Mech Eng 280B – Finite Element Methods in Nonlinear Continua

Courses in Materials you are encouraged to take

• Mech Eng C215 / Bio Eng C222 – Advanced Structural Aspects of Biomaterials
• Mech Eng C117/Bio Eng 117 – Structural Aspects of Biomaterials
• Mech Eng 122 – Processing of Materials in Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 185 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
• Mech Eng 222 – Advanced Manufacturing Processes
• Mech Eng 292H – Advanced Special Topics

If Solid Mechanics represents the major of your PhD study, you should take ME 185 plus ME 280A or ME 282.  The remaining courses for your major should be normally selected from the list of Recommended courses below.

If Continuum Mechanics represents the major of your PhD study, you should take all of the Core Courses. The remaining courses for your major should be selected from the list of recommended courses.

If Continuum Mechanics represents a minor in your PhD study, you should take at least Mech Eng 185/287 and Mech Eng 260A.

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

Core Courses in Solid Mechanics

• Mech Eng 284 – Nonlinear Elasticity
• Mech Eng 185/287 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method
• Mech Eng 282 – Linear Theory of Elasticity

Recommended Courses in Solid Mechanics

• Mech Eng 227 – Mechanics of Composite Materials
• Mech Eng C279 / Civ Eng C235 – Statistical Mechanics of Elasticity
• Mech Eng 280B – Finite Element Methods in Nonlinear Continua
• Mech Eng 281 – Methods of Tensor Calculus and Differential Geometry
• Mech Eng 283 – Wave Propagation in Elastic Media
• Mech Eng 284 – Nonlinear Theory of Elasticity
• Mech Eng 285A – Foundations of the Theory of Continuous Media
• Mech Eng 285B – Surfaces of Discontinuity and Inhomogeneities in Deformable Continua
• Mech Eng 285C – Electrodynamics of Continuous Media
• Mech Eng 285D – Engineering Rheology
• Mech Eng 286 – Theory of Plasticity
• Mech Eng 287 – Multiscale Modeling and Design of New Materials
• Mech Eng 288 – Theory of Elastic Stability
• Mech Eng 289 – Theory of Shells

Core Courses in Continuum Mechanics

• Mech Eng 185/287 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
• Mech Eng 260A – Advanced Fluid Mechanics I
• Mech Eng 260B – Advanced Fluid Mechanics II
• Mech Eng 282 – Linear Theory of Elasticity

Recommended Courses in Continuum Mechanics

• Mech Eng 260D – Advanced Fluid Mechanics IV
• Mech Eng 262 – Theory of Fluid Sheets and Fluid Jets
• Mech Eng 263 – Turbulence
• Mech Eng 266 – Dynamics and Stability of Engineering and Geophysical Flows with Rotation, Convection, or Waves
• Mech Eng C268 / Chem Eng C268 – Physicochemical Hydrodynamics
• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method
• Mech Eng 281 – Methods of Tensor Calculus and Differential Geometry
• Mech Eng 283 – Wave Propagation in Elastic Media
• Mech Eng 284 – Nonlinear Theory of Elasticity
• Mech Eng 285B – Foundations of the Theory of Continuous Media
• Mech Eng 285C – Electrodynamics of Continuous Media
• Mech Eng 287 – Multiscale Modeling and Design of New Materials

If MEMS represents the major of your PhD study, you should take at least 5 courses from the lists shown below. Of these, at least 1 course should be from the MEMS Core list.

You must consult your Major Field Advisor if you are planning to include any of the courses listed in the emphasis areas as part of a non-MEMS minor that has common courses with the emphasis area (e.g. an emphasis in Mechatronics and a minor in Design or Controls).

If MEMS represents a minor of your PhD study, you should take at least 2 courses from the lists shown below. Of these, 1 course should be from the MEMS Core list.

If Nanoscale Science and Engineering represent the major of your PhD study, you should take 2 of the Core Courses in the core course and two elective courses chosen from two of the possible areas and the weekly Nanoscale Science and Engineering Interdisciplinary Seminar.

If Nanoscale Science and Engineering represents a minor in your PhD study, you should take the core course and one course from the lists shown below.

You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

Core Courses in MEMS

• Mech Eng 292J – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 118/Mech Eng 218N – Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience
• Mech Eng 119/Mech Eng 219 – Introduction to MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems)
• Mech Eng C218/Electrical Eng C245 – Introduction to MEMS Design (student can’t receive credit for both ME C218/EE C245 and EE 247A&B)
• Mech Eng C219/Electrical Eng C246 – Parametric and Optimal Design of MEMS
• Mech Eng 290 – Bio-nano
• Mech Eng 290G – Laser Processing and Diagnostics
• Mech Eng 290T – Plasmonic Materials
• Mech Eng 290U – Interactive Device Design
• El Eng 247A – Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems
• El Eng 247B – Introduction to MEMS Design

Courses in MEMS with Integrated Circuits Emphasis

• Electrical Eng 230A
• Electrical Eng 143
• Electrical Eng 243

Courses in MEMS with Mechatronics Emphasis

• Mech Eng 130 – Design of Planar Machinery
• Mech Eng C134 / Electrical Eng C128 – Feedback Control Systems
• Mech Eng 224 – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng C225/Mat Sci C212 – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 228 – Computer-Aided, Optimal Mechanical Design
• Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng 230 – Real-Time Applications of Mini and Micro Computers
• Mech Eng C232 / El Eng C220A – Advanced Control Systems I
• Mech Eng 233 – Advanced Control Systems II
• Mech Eng 290U – Interactive Device Design

Courses in MEMS with General Mechanical Engineering Emphasis

• Mech Eng 175 – Intermediate Dynamics
• Mech Eng 185 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
• Mech Eng 226 – Tribology
• Mech Eng 248 – Heat Transfer with Phase Change
• Mech Eng 259 – Microscale Thermophysics and Heat Transfer
• Mech Eng 260A/B – Advanced Fluid Mechanics I / Advanced Fluid Mechanics II
• Mech Eng 275 – Advanced Dynamics
• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method

Courses in MEMS with Bioengineering Emphasis

• Mech Eng C217 – Biomimetic Engineering/Engineering from Biology
• Mech Eng 290L – Introduction to Nano-Biology
• Bio Eng 121 – Introduction to Micro and Nanobiotechnology: BioMEMS
• Bio Eng 151 – Micro/Nanofluidics for Bioengineering and Lab-On-A-Chip

Courses in MEMS with Nano Emphasis

• Mech Eng 290T – Plasmonic Materials
• Electrical Engineering 236A – Quantum and Optical Electronics
• Physics 137A – Quantum Mechanics
• Physics 141A/B – Solid State Physics
• Physics 250 – Special Topics in Physics

Courses in MEMS with Nanoscale Synchesis and Processing Emphasis

• Mech Eng 119 – Introduction to MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems)
• Mech Eng 290R – Topics in Manufacturing
• Chemistry 253A/B – Materials Chemistry I/ Materials Chemistry II
• Electrical Eng 143 – Microfabrication Technology
• Electrical Eng 219C – Computer-Aided Verification
• Electrical Eng 290B – Advanced Topics in Solid State Devices
• Mat Sci 224 – Magnetism and Magnetic Materials
• Mat Sci 227 (not taught in 5 years or pulled from catalog)
• Mat Sci 260 – Surface Properties of Materials

Courses in MEMS with Nanoscale Characterization Emphasis

• Mat Sci 204 – Theory of Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction
• Mat Sci 242 (not taught in 5 years or pulled from catalog)
• Applied Sci and Tech C295R/Chemical Engineering C295R – Applied Spectroscopy

Courses in MEMS with Nanoscale Modeling Emphasis

• Mech Eng 224 – Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 254 – Thermodynamics I
• Mech Eng 259 – Microscale Thermophysics and Heat Transfer
• Physics 240A/B – Quantum Theory of Solids
• Chem C191/Physics C191/Comp Sci C191 – Quantum Information Science and Technology
• Civ Eng C237/Nano Sci C237 – Computational Nano-mechanics

If Ocean Engineering represents the major of your PhD study, you must take at least 5 200- series courses in the core and recommended lists, which must include ME 240A, ME 240B and two from ME 241A, ME 241B, ME 245. Undergraduate backgroung equivalent to at least two courses of ME 164, 165 and 168 is assumed.

Selection of other courses not listed can be done with the approval of the Major Field Advisor and the Vice Chair for Graduate Study. You should prepare a written justification of your selection.

If Ocean Engineering represents a minor of your PhD study, you must take at least 2 courses in the core list, which should include ME 240A, ME 240B or ME 241A or ME 241B. You may not double-count courses towards both the major and the minor requirements.

Core Courses in Ocean Engineering

• Mech Eng 292K – Advanced Special Topics
• Mech Eng 164 – Marine Statics and Structures
• Mech Eng 165 – Ocean-Environment Mechanics
• Mech Eng 168 – Mechanics of Offshore Systems
• Mech Eng 240A/B – Advanced Marine Structures I / Advanced Marine Structures II
• Mech Eng 241A/B – Marine Hydrodynamics I / Marine Hydrodynamics II
• Mech Eng 243 – Advanced Methods in Free-Surface Flows
• Mech Eng 245 – Oceanic and Atmospheric Waves
• Mech Eng 263 – Turbulence
• Mech Eng 274 – Random Oscillations of Mechanical Systems

Courses in Ocean Engineering with Design and Optimization Emphasis

• Mech Eng 228 – Computer-Aided, Optimal Mechanical Design
• Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Math 170 – Mathematical Methods for Optimization
• IEOR 162 – Linear Programming
• IEOR 262A – Mathematical Programming I
• IEOR 262B – Mathematical Programming II
• IEOR 264 – Computational Optimization

Courses in Ocean Engineering with Dynamics and Structures

• Mech Eng 280A – Introduction to the Finite Element Method
• Mech Eng 274 – Random Oscillations of Mechanical Systems
• Mech Eng 277 – Oscillations in Nonlinear Systems
• Civ Eng 193 – Engineering Risk Analysis
• Civ Eng 220 – Structural Analysis Theory and Applications
• Civ Eng 225 – Dynamics of Structures
• Civ Eng 226 – Stochastic Structural Dynamics

Courses in Ocean Engineering with Mathematics and Statistics Emphasis

• Math 220 – Introduction to Probabilistic Methods in Mathematics and the Sciences
• Math 224A/B – Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences
• Math 228A/B – Numerical Solution of Differential Equations
• Eng 230 – Methods of Applied Mathematics
• Eng 231 – Mathematical Methods in Engineering
• Eng C233/Comp Sci C267 – Applications of Parallel Computers
• Stat 200A/B – Introduction to Probability and Statistics at an Advanced Level

Courses in Ocean Engineering with Materials and Fabrication Emphasis

• Mech Eng C217 / Int Bio C217 / Bio Eng C217 – Biomimetic Engineering — Engineering from Biology
• Mec Eng C218 / Electrical Eng C245 – Introduction to MEMS Design
• Mech Eng 220 – Precision Manufacturing
• Mech Eng 222 – Advanced Manufacturing Processes
• Mech Eng C225/Mat Sci C212 – Deformation and Fracture of Engineering Materials
• Mech Eng 227 – Mechanical Behavior of Composite Materials

Courses in Ocean Engineering with Robotics and Control Emphasis

• Mech Eng C134 / Electrical Eng C128 – Feedback Control Systems
• Mech Eng C219 / Electrical Eng C246 – Parametric and Optimal Design of MEMS
• Mech Eng 229 – Design of Basic Electro-Mechanical Devices
• Mech Eng 230 – Real-Time Applications of Mini and Micro Computers
• Mech Eng C231A – Experiential Advanced Control Design I
• Mech Eng C232 / El Eng C220A – Advanced Control Systems I
• Mech Eng 234 – Multivariable Control System Design
• Mech Eng C236 – Control and Optimization of Distributed Parameters Systems
• Mech Eng 237 – Control of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
• Mech Eng 239 – Advanced Design and Automation

This timeline lists the ideal times in your career in which you will reach important milestones. This is based on our 5 Year MS/PhD normative time.

Year 1

• Prepare to become a California Resident if you are not already (Domestic Students and Permanent Residents only)
• By the end of your first semester: find your Research Advisor
• Prepare for Preliminary Exams (Prelims)
• Beginning of second semester: Take the Prelims if you entered with a Masters Degree
• Second semester: Should begin MS research project

Year 2

• First semester: Should officially be a CA resident (Domestic Students and Permanent Residents only)
• First semester: Take the Prelims if you entered with a Bachelors degree
• First semester: Advance to Candidacy for the Masters Degree
• Second semester: Should begin PhD research project
• End of first semester: File Masters Report

Year 3

• First semester: Prepare for Qualifying Exams (Quals)
• First semester: Take Quals
• Advanced to Candidacy no later than the end of the semester following the Qualifying Examination
• By the end of this year, should be done with coursework

Year 4

• Work on research
• Consider conference paper submissions and presentations
• Second semester: Advance to Candidacy for PhD

Year 5

• Hold PhD Seminar
• Consider conference paper submissions and presentations
• Complete and file PhD Dissertation

The objective of the Preliminary Examination is the early assessment of a student’s potential for satisfactory completion of the doctoral degree.  The exams are entirely closed – no books or notes are allowed.

All students admitted to our doctorate programs are required to take the examination.  Students who have entered with a declared MS degree goal and who wish to add an ME doctorate degree must pass the examination as well.

The examination is given twice a year, during the first week of the Spring and Fall semesters, and must be taken following two semesters of registration as a graduate student at the latest.  Tests cannot be taken before entering the program.

College regulations state that a student studying for a doctoral degree should maintain a GPA of 3.5 or better in the major field, at least a 3.0 in the minor fields, and a 3.5 overall.  With this in mind, students are only admitted to the Preliminary Examination with a minimum of cumulative GPA of 3.3, and a 3.5 average in the major field based on work done at Berkeley.  Prior to passing the Preliminary Examination, all courses in the major field, with the exception of ME 299, must be taken for a letter grade.  A maximum of one-third of the total units of course work may be taken S/U.

There are eight (8) examination areas and only two (2) possible exam outcomes:  Pass and Not Pass.  The student must pass in their proposed doctoral major field area.  Students who are planning to change their Major Field Area must take and pass the new Major Field Area as well.  Students may review their solutions along with a typical recommendation solution to the problems with the area Advisor after the exam results are received.

The Preliminary Examination Committee will meet approximately one week after the last exam is given.  This gives the committee an adequate amount of time to gather results and meet to discuss each student’s individual circumstance.  The results will be posted on the College of Engineering Graduate Student Info Web Application, followed by and individual email.  The results of the examinations will be one of the following:

• Pass: Continue in the doctoral program (for change of degree goal candidates admission to doctoral program).  Such students then prepare for the PhD Oral Qualifying Examination.
• Not Pass: The Examination Committee decides whether or not such students retake the examination a second time.
• Fail: If a student fails to pass the examination in two (2) sittings, they will fail the preliminary examinations.  In these cases the student may:
  • Change their degree goal from PhD (or MS/PhD) to MS only and leave with the MS degree at the end of the third semester after completing the applicable requirements.
  • Petition the Preliminary Examination Committee for an additional sitting for a third attempt to pass the examinations.  In such a case, the student must write a request memo to the Preliminary Examination Chair for the committee’s consideration.  Once the committee has met and decided on the request, the student will be notified of the result.  If the petition is not approved within the Normative Time permitted for the MS Degree, students must request to change their degree goal through a CalCentral eForm and leave the graduate program with the MS degree.  If the student has already been awarded an MS degree at another university, they will be asked to leave the program without a degree by the end of the same semester.

Preliminary Examination results are valid for five (5) years from the time you take them.  This is quite important if you leave the program and your tests expire in your absence.  If this becomes the case, you will need to retake the exam prior to the beginning of your first semester.

Please see the FAQ for the latest information.

ME Biomechanics Qualifying Examination

1. The qualifying exam does not focus on coursework, and examiners explicitly do not examine students in a particular class. Students are not expected to review coursework only for the sake of the exam (however, if the material is relevant to their research, they are expected to correspondingly have mastered it).
2. The exam is scheduled for a total of two hours. 
3. The student is to present their research area broadly, and their specific research results. A typical exam would be:

1. 1. The student gives a seminar of no more than 35-40 minutes (timed without interruption – during exam presentation is expected to take longer due to discussions). This can break down as below (the sub-timings are loose suggestions only) – 

1. 1. [~2min] Start with their academic preparation, their planned graduation date (and any planned milestones along the way), and their career ambition (e.g., academia, industry, etc). 
   2. [~15-20 minutes] Present the broader area in which their research lies: what is the problem they’re working towards solving, what are the original contributions of their research, what are other approaches.
   3. [~15-20 minutes] Present their own work. It is OK if the results are only preliminary, it does not have to be published work. It should explicitly include planned next steps for the student, what are they hoping to achieve over the next year or so. Ideally, the student presents (at least an overview of) all the work they’ve done that they think will eventually go into the thesis.

1. 1. 1. The committee may ask questions during the presentation, or questions after the presentation. Examiners may ask any question to determine whether the student possesses the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of their research area. Examiner time is not siloed per-examiner, but rather a broad discussion is encouraged.
      2. The committee is reminded of the objective of the exam, per the graduate division: The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in at least three subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated.
      3. The committee will typically deliberate (often at two or even more distinct points in the exam, and with the student asked to leave the room), and the student will be informed of the outcome of the exam directly at the end of the exam. 

Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the committee also attempts to provide actionable feedback that may assist in improving the student’s research impact, as well as for possible weaknesses to address for their post-graduation career goals.

ME Controls Qualifying Examination

1. The qualifying exam does not focus on coursework, and examiners explicitly do not examine students on a particular class. Students are not expected to study or review coursework only for the sake of the exam (however, if the material is relevant to their research, they are expected to correspondingly have mastered it).
2. The exam is scheduled for a total of two hours. 
3. The student is to present their research area broadly, and their specific research results. A typical exam would be: 
   1. The student gives a seminar of no more than 45 minutes (timed without interruption, during exam presentation is expected to take longer due to discussions). This can break down as below (the sub-timings are loose suggestions only) – 
      1. [~2min] Start with their academic preparation, their planned graduation date (and any planned milestones along the way), and their career ambition (e.g., academia, industry, etc). 
      2. [~15 minutes] Present the broader area in which their research lies: what is the problem they’re working towards solving, what are the original contributions of their research, what are other approaches.
      3. [~20 minutes] Present their own work. It is OK if the results are only preliminary, it does not have to be published work. It should explicitly include planned next steps for the student, what are they hoping to achieve over the next year or so. Ideally, the student presents (at least an overview of) all the work they’ve done that they think will eventually go into the thesis.
   2. The committee may ask questions during the presentation, or questions after the presentation. Examiners may ask any question to determine whether the student possesses the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of their research area. Examiner time is not siloed per-examiner, but rather a broad discussion is encouraged.
   3. The committee is reminded of the objective of the exam, per the graduate division: The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in at least three subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated.
   4. The committee will typically deliberate (often at two or even more distinct points in the exam, and with the student asked to leave the room), and the student will be informed of the outcome of the exam directly at the end of the exam.

4. Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the committee also attempts to provide actionable feedback (in written form, and/or the chair has a later 1:1 meeting with the candidate) that may assist in improving the student’s research impact, as well as for possible weaknesses to address for their post-graduation career goals.

ME Design Qualifying Examination

1. The qualifying exam is primarily based around a research presentation given by the examinee. Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of the research material presented and will be asked questions by committee members related to their research presentation. While examiners do not primarily examine students on a particular class, if the material is relevant to their research they are expected to correspondingly have mastered it. 
2. The exam is scheduled for a total of two hours. 
3. The student is to present their research area broadly, as well as their specific research results. A typical exam would be as follows:
   1. Brief introductions, student leaves the room.
   2. Committee has a brief private discussion and reviews the student’s materials (transcript, etc.) provided by the department. 
   3. The student gives a seminar of no more than 35-40 minutes (timed without interruption – during exam presentation is expected to take longer due to questions and discussions). This can break down as below (the sub-timings are loose suggestions only) – 
      1. [~2min] Start with their academic preparation, and their career ambition (e.g., academia, industry, etc.). 
      2. [~10-15 minutes] Present the core motivation and background for the research. What is the problem they’re working towards solving? Situate the problem within the broader research field. What are the original contributions of their research, and what are other approaches?
      3. [~20-25 minutes] Present their own research. It is OK if the results are only preliminary, it does not have to be published work. It should explicitly include planned next steps for the student, what are they hoping to achieve over the next year or so. Ideally, the student presents (at least an overview of) all the work they’ve done that they think will eventually go into the thesis.
      4. [~2min] An outline of their anticipated timeline and major planned milestones, including graduation date. 
4. The committee may ask questions during and/or after the presentation. Examiners may ask any question to determine whether the student possesses the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of their research area. Examiner time is not siloed per-examiner, but rather a broad discussion is encouraged.

1. 1. 1. When questions are completed and the exam is close to time the committee will ask the candidate to leave and deliberate on the outcome.
      2. The candidate is invited back in and informed of the outcome. If it is favorable there will be congratulations and if not a thorough discussion of areas needing improvement and plan for a re-take, if recommended. Even for examinees who pass, constructive feedback is key for the exam to be a successful use of everyone’s time. 

5. The committee is reminded of the objective of the exam, per the UC Berkeley Graduate Division: The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in at least three subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated.

6. Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the committee also attempts to provide actionable feedback (in written form, and/or the chair has a later 1:1 meeting with the candidate) that may assist in improving the student’s research impact, as well as for possible weaknesses to address for their post-graduation career goals.

ME Energy Science & Technology Qualifying Examination

1. Students are encouraged to take the ES&T Qualifying Exam as soon as course requirements are completed (https://me.berkeley.edu/gradbook/7-1-phd-degree-requirements/ , specifically please see the section titled “Qualifying Examination”).  
2. The qualifying exam is primarily based around a research presentation given by the examinee. Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of the research material presented and will be asked questions by committee members related to their research presentation. While examiners do not primarily examine students on a particular class, if the material is relevant to their research they are expected to correspondingly have mastered it. 
   1. For example, if the focus of the research is on optics or combustion, if heat transfer may even loosely play a role in the student’s research, apparatus, etc. committee members will typically ask at least one question about conduction, convection, or radiation related to their work. 
   2. Therefore, it is still recommended to study material from courses that may be relevant to the research presented, especially those courses taught by your committee members.
3. The exam is scheduled for a total of two hours. 
4. The student is to present their research area broadly, and their specific research results. The structure of the exam (loosely) is as follows:
   1. Brief introductions, student leaves the room
   2. Committee has a brief private discussion and reviews the student’s materials (transcript, etc.) provided by the department
   3. The student gives a seminar of no more than 20-25 minutes (if timed without interruptions; during the actual exam the presentation is expected to take longer due to discussions). This should include:
      1. A slide on their academic preparation, their planned graduation date (and any planned milestones along the way), and their career ambition (e.g., academia, industry, etc). This can also be two separate slides (before intro and after conclusion).
      2. Background on the broader area in which their research lies: what is the problem they’re working towards solving, what are the original contributions of their research, what are other approaches.
      3. Presentation of their own work. It is OK if the results are only preliminary, it does not have to be published work. It should explicitly include planned next steps for the student, what are they hoping to achieve over the next year or so. Ideally, the student presents (at least an overview of) all the work they’ve done that they think will eventually go into the thesis.
         1. If the work involves others, be sure to highlight the student’s own specific contributions to the research. 
      4. The committee may ask questions during the presentation, and/or questions after the presentation. Examiners may ask any question to determine whether the student possesses the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of their research area. Examiner time is not siloed per-examiner, but rather a broad discussion is encouraged. After the presentation the committee chair will often lead a round-robin to each committee member for final questions.
      5. When questions are completed and the exam is close to time the committee will ask the candidate to leave and deliberate on the outcome.
      6. The candidate is invited back in and informed of the outcome. If it is favorable there will be congratulations and if not a thorough discussion of areas needing improvement and plan for a re-take, if recommended. Even for examinees who pass, constructive feedback is key for the exam to be a successful use of everyone’s time. 
5. The committee is reminded of the objective of the exam, per the UC Berkeley Graduate Division: The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in at least three subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated.
6. Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the committee also attempts to provide actionable feedback (in written form, and/or the chair has a later 1:1 meeting with the candidate) that may assist in improving the student’s research impact, as well as for possible weaknesses to address for their post-graduation career goals.
7. Exam Committee
   1. Students are encouraged to select committee members that generally have knowledge relevant to their research, whom they have taken classes from, or generally may contribute to their academic path in some way. 
   2. Students are encouraged to discuss the exam format with their committee chair before the exam
   3. Students are encouraged to give a brief overview of their research with committee members before the exam (not necessarily a presentation, even an abstract may suffice for some members of the committee), followed by a discussion on any recommendations on material they recommend studying. This is especially important for outside committee members. 

ME Fluids & Ocean Qualifying Examination

1. The purpose of the qualifying exam is to gauge the students ability to complete a PhD and to provide guidance how student can become better prepared to complete their PhD
2. The qualifying exam does not focus on coursework, and examiners explicitly do not examine students on a particular class. Students are not expected to study or review coursework only for the sake of the exam (however, if the graduate or undergraduate course material is relevant to their research, they are expected to correspondingly have mastered it).
3. The exam is scheduled for a total of three hours. 
4. Students should not provide any refreshments or snacks to the committee.
5. At minimum two of the four examiners must be tenure track or tenured faculty in the student’s major field. At most one examiner can be an adjunct or emeritus. Committee has to be approved by the MFA.
6. The student is to present their research area broadly, and their specific research results. A typical exam would be:
   1. The student gives a seminar of no more than 30 minutes (when timed without interruption, during exam presentation is expected to take longer due to discussions). This can break down as below (the sub-timings are loose suggestions only) – 
      1. [~2min] Start with their academic preparation, their planned graduation date (and any planned milestones along the way), 
      2. [~10 minutes] Present the broader area in which their research lies: what is the problem they’re working towards solving, survey of relevant research to date, what will be the original contributions of their research that advance the state-of-the-art. 
      3. [~238 minutes] Present a research proposal with, as applicable, progress to date. The student is expected to have made some preliminary research progress, although it  does not have to be at the level of published work. The presentation should concretely discuss  their future research plans and how these plans will contribute to completing their dissertation research. 
   2. The committee may ask presentation related questions during the presentation, or questions after the presentation. Examiners may ask any question to determine whether the student possesses the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of their research area. Examiner time is not siloed per-examiner, but rather a broad discussion is encouraged.
   3. After the presentation and presentation related discussion each examiner is encouraged to ask at least one question (with potential followup sub-questions) examining the students’ fundamental knowledge relevant to their research. (E.g. if a student’s research is on waves in shallow water a fundamental question on theory of waves, forces due to water motion, boundary layers, dimensional analysis, etc. would be something the student can be expected to be able to answer confidently.)
   4. The committee is reminded of the objective of the exam, per the graduate division: The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in at least three subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated.
   5. The committee will typically deliberate (often at two or even more distinct points in the exam, and with the student asked to leave the room), and the student will be informed of the outcome of the exam directly at the end of the exam. 
   6. The student and at least two of the committee members (including chair) must be present in-person. If approved by MFA due to special circumstances, at most two committee members may participate online.
7. Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the committee also attempts to provide actionable feedback (in written form, and/or the chair has a later 1:1 meeting with the candidate) that may assist in improving the student’s research.

ME Manufacturing Qualifying Examination

1. The qualifying exam primarily focuses on the student’s graduate research and does not focus on a specific course (however, if the material/course is relevant to their research, they are expected to correspondingly have mastered it).
2. The exam is scheduled for a total of two hours. 
3. The student is to present their research area broadly, and their specific research results. A typical exam would be:
   1. The student gives a seminar of no more than 30 minutes, with the following topics: 
      1. Start with their academic preparation, their planned graduation date (and any planned milestones along the way), and their career ambition (e.g., academia, industry, etc). 
      2. Present the broader area in which their research lies: what is the problem they’re working towards solving, what are the original contributions of their research, what are other approaches.
      3. Present their own work. It is OK if the results are only preliminary, it does not have to be published work. It should explicitly include planned next steps for the student, what are they hoping to achieve over the next year or so. Ideally, the student presents (at least an overview of) all the work they’ve done that they think will eventually go into the thesis.
   2. The committee may ask questions during the presentation, or questions after the presentation. Examiners may ask any question to determine whether the student possesses the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of their research area. Examiner time is not siloed per-examiner, but rather a broad discussion is encouraged.
   3. The committee is reminded of the objective of the exam, per the graduate division: The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in the subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated.
   4. The committee will typically deliberate (often at two or even more distinct points in the exam, and with the student asked to leave the room), and the student will be informed of the outcome of the exam directly at the end of the exam. 
4. Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the committee also attempts to provide actionable feedback (in written form, and/or the chair has a later 1:1 meeting with the candidate) that may assist in improving the student’s research impact to achieve their post-graduation career goals.

ME Materials Qualifying Examination

Scope. The main purpose of the qualifying exam (QE) in the Materials major field is to determine whether the student has mastered the underlying fundamentals and experimental/analytical methods of the PhD thesis research. Consequently, the student is expected to also demonstrate good knowledge of the material covered in the courses consisting of the major and two minor areas. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the student develops a thoughtful plan of course work in consultation with the research advisor (RA) and major field advisor (MFA). Importantly, the two minor areas together with the Materials major should form a coherent course program providing adequate breadth of knowledge that is complementary to the student’s PhD thesis research.     

Scheduling the exam. It is recommended to schedule the QE after 4-5 semesters from the start of the student’s doctoral studies, including the PhD thesis research, and the successful completion of 2/3 of the required courses in the Materials major field of study and at least one course in each minor area. In preparing for the QE exam, the student should study the material from courses relevant to the performed research, especially courses taught by QE committee members representing the major and minor areas.

The QE committee. The selection of the QE committee members should be carefully done in consultation with the RA and the MFA to include faculty who are familiar with the research and course work of the candidate. In the case of shortage of faculty representation for either the major or minor areas, the RA can be included in the committee as a participant member, but should be excused from the deliberation stage at the end of the exam.     

The exam. The QE can last up to two hours. The student is expected to make a comprehensive presentation of about 45-60 minutes, which will include the following topics (in order of presentation):  

1. An outline of the student’s background, academic preparation, completed course work, and reason for selecting the particular research area (3-5 min).
2. A timetable showing important milestones since the admission to the PhD program up to the expected graduation date and a brief statement of future career plans (8-10 min).
3. An appraisal of the broader research area in which the student’s research topic lies, the current state-of-the-art in this area, the significance of the problem(s) under investigation, and the merits of the adopted methodology (10-15 min).
4. A presentation of the work performed so far (preliminary results can be included), highlighting important findings, obstacles encountered, planned next steps, goals hoping to achieve within the projected time frame, and a back-up plan in case of unforeseen needs to reevaluate the research direction (20-30 min). 

The QE committee’s role. The committee members may ask questions during and after the presentation to evaluate the student’s ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and practical aspects of the research. The committee’s principal objective is to determine the breadth of the student’s comprehension in the subject areas related to the major field of study and whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and practical aspects of these areas. The committee will typically deliberate at several distinct points in the exam, with the student (and RA) asked to leave the room during that time, and the student will be informed of the outcome of the exam directly at the end of the exam. Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the QE committee is also expected to provide actionable feedback, either in written form or in a meeting of the chair with the candidate, which may assist the student to achieve the set research goals and research impact in the field of study, and also to suggest ways for attaining the post-graduation career objectives.

ME Mechanics/Dynamics Qualifying Examination

1. The qualifying exam will focus on coursework and broad knowledge of the field. It may be preceded by an optional 20-minute research presentation, which may furnish a point of departure for questions during the exam.
2. The exam is scheduled for a total of two hours with an option to continue for an additional hour at the discretion of the committee.
3. The committee will deliberate (typically at one point during the exam, and with the student asked to leave the room), and the student will be informed of the outcome of the exam directly at the end of the exam. 
4. Besides evaluating the student, the committee will also attempt to provide actionable feedback that may assist in improving the student’s research and/or mastery of the field. 

MEMS/Nano Qualifying Examination

1. The qualifying exam primarily focuses on the student’s graduate research and does not focus on a specific course (however, if the material/course is relevant to their research, they are expected to correspondingly have mastered it).
2. The exam is scheduled for a total of two hours. 
3. The student is to present their research area broadly, and their specific preliminary research results. A typical exam would be:
   1. The student gives a seminar of no more than 30 minutes (30 slides), with the following topics: 
      1. Start with their academic preparation, their planned graduation date (and any planned milestones along the way), and their career ambition (e.g., academia, industry, etc). 
      2. Present the broader area in which their research lies: what is the problem they’re working towards solving, what are the original contributions of their research, what are other approaches.
      3. Present their own work. It is OK if the results are only preliminary, it does not have to be published work. It should explicitly include planned next steps for the student, what they are hoping to achieve before graduation. Ideally, the student presents (at least an overview of) all the work they’ve done that they think will eventually go into the thesis.
   2. The committee may ask questions during the presentation, or questions after the presentation. Examiners may ask any question to determine whether the student possesses the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of their research area. Examiner time is not siloed per-examiner, but rather a broad discussion is encouraged.
   3. The committee is reminded of the objective of the exam, per the graduate division: The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in the subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated.
   4. The committee will typically deliberate (often at two or even more distinct points in the exam, and with the student asked to leave the room), and the student will be informed of the outcome of the exam directly at the end of the exam. 
4. Besides evaluating the student (as per the above), the committee also attempts to provide actionable feedback (in written form, and/or the chair has a later 1:1 meeting with the candidate) that may assist in improving the student’s research impact to achieve their post-graduation career goals.

Full details can be found at http://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/registration-and-exchange-programs-policy/#d2-filing-fee

The Filing Fee is a reduced fee (one-half of the University Registration fee) for doctoral students who have completed all requirements for the degree except for filing the dissertation (Plans A and B) and presenting the Final Defense (Plan A).  It is also available to master’s students with no requirements remaining except for filing the thesis (Plan I) or completing the final report and presentation (Plan II).  The Filing Fee is not a form of registration nor is it equivalent to registration.  If students wish to use university services that are supported by registration fees, they must pay those fees.  Filing Fee is available for the fall and spring semesters only.

Eligibility requirements for the Filing Fee

To use the Filing Fee in a fall semester, the student must have been registered in the previous spring or summer and must be advanced to degree candidacy.  Summer Sessions enrollment must be for a minimum of three units.  To use the Filing Fee in spring, the student must have been registered in the previous fall.  Filing Fee status is not available for Summer Sessions.  However, students are permitted to file a thesis or dissertation while registered for Summer Sessions.  Please note that a letter of support from the Head Graduate Adviser must accompany all Filing Fee applications.

Limitations on Filing Fee status

The Filing Fee may be used only once during a student’s career.

If a student does not complete the final degree requirements (filing the dissertation or thesis, or passing the final comprehensive exam) during the semester for which the Filing Fee is approved, the student must be readmitted and pay regular registration fees during the semester in which the requirements are completed.  Readmission procedures can be found in Section 8.3.

Filing Fee status and academic student appointments

Students with academic appointments for which registration is required are not eligible for Filing Fee status.  To hold an appointment, students must be appropriately registered and enrolled in at least 15 units unless advanced to doctoral candidacy.

Filing Fee status and international students

To avoid visa problems with the U.S.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement, international students must contact the Berkeley International Office well before the beginning of the semester during which they plan to use the Filing Fee.  Filing fee status can satisfy the SEVIS requirement for international students only if the student has obtained the signature of the BIO student adviser (contact the Berkeley International Office (BIO).

Health insurance for students on Filing Fee

U.S. resident students may purchase Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) coverage for the semester they are on approved filing fee status if they have not already purchased SHIP during a period of withdrawal beyond one semester.  UHS allows purchase of SHIP if a student is in a non-registered status for two semesters only, which pertains to both filing fee and withdrawal.  For eligibility information and enrollment details, refer to the UHS website.

Summarization of Key Issues

• Filing may be used once for MS and once for PhD
• Students must be Advanced to Candidacy for either MS or PhD Degree before eligible
• Students may not take classes
• Students lose all UC Berkeley Building Access
• Students must pay for GSHIP, RSF, & library card, if they want to use these resources
• Students may not hold GSR or GSI appointment
• Students are not eligible to receive awards from departmentally restricted funds
• Students are not eligible to hold any university funding.  University funds are any funds that are administered by the University such as contracts and grants, gifts and endowments, state, and federal funds.  Funds at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) are not classified as University funds.
• While on Filing Fee, students may not take the Prelim Exam or Qualifying Exam
• Students may graduate while on filing fee
• Costs one-half of the University Registration Fee

• Apply for the Filing Fee by the deadline.
• Complete and submit the eForm “Special Enrollment Petition“ available in CalCentral under “Student Resources“.
• Print a copy of the form for your personal file.
• Once submitted, the eForm will be routed to the Student Services Staff for approval.

If Filing Fee is approved:

• You will be charged one-half of the University Registration fee through CARS.
• You will be able to see your status on Bear Facts.
• The degree cannot be awarded until the Filing Fee is paid.

To apply for re-enrollment after being on filing fee status or short leave of absence, a student should submit a Re-enrollment Application for the Vice-Chair of Graduate Study’s approval. Students must submit all their required forms to the ME Student Services Office no later than April 15 for the Fall Semester and October 15 for the Spring Semester.

Important: Students who are requesting a re-enrollment in the same degree program after a short period of leave of absence must provide a letter of support from their Research Advisor in addition to the re-enrollment form indicated above.  If the former research advisor is no longer in service, they must find one prior to submitting their application.

It is important for students to note that our department is not obliged to readmit a student who has withdrawn for any reason.  Readmission is recommended at the judgment of the department, which assesses the strength of the student’s academic record in weighing its approval.  Although a student may have left having made satisfactory academic progress, the Department of Mechanical Engineering may weigh petitions for re-enrollment and readmission against the pool of new applicants for admission, who may be stronger candidates.

For tuition purposes, U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are not residents of California may be able to establish California residency to be effective in one year.  Please note that International students cannot become residents unless they become Permanent Residents or U.S.  Citizens.

To become a California resident for tuition purposes you must show that you have lived in California and established the intent to make California your permanent home for more than one (1) year before the first day of classes in the semester for which you seek resident status.  You must begin to document your presence in the state as soon as you arrive.  Be sure to:

• Obtain a driver’s license or a California Identification Card (if you have never had an out-of-state driver’s license) within ten (10) days of settling in California.  You must have a valid California operator’s license to drive a car, motorcycle or moped in the state.  You can obtain a license at any of the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices in nearby Oakland (5300 Claremont Ave.), (800)-777-0133, El Cerrito (6400 Manila Ave., (510) 235-9171.  If you have a driver’s license from another state you will be required to pass a written test of California vehicle laws, pass an eye exam and provide a certified copy of your birth certificate.  A driving test is required if you do not have a valid license from another state or if you plan to operate a motorcycle.  The DMV handbook is located at the following web site: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/pubs.htm.
• Register your vehicle in the state of California within 20 days of settling in California.  Vehicles are registered at the local DMV office.
• Open a local bank account as soon as possible and close all non-California bank accounts.  Retain official documents showing the opening and closing of your accounts.
• Register to vote and vote in California elections.  Voter registration forms are available from the Graduate Division and at voter registration tables on Sproul Plaza or any fire station, public library or DMV office.  The form is postage-paid – just fill it out and mail.  You should receive verification from the County Registrar within four weeks of submitting your application.  If you do not receive confirmation of your voter’s registration you should immediately contact your County’s Registrar of Voters.
• Use your California address as your permanent address.  Do not list your parents or any other out-of-state address as a permanent address on any University form or other legal documents.
• Remain in California when school is not in session.  Some travel allotted for purposes of research, fieldwork or a fellowship may not necessarily jeopardize your resident classification if the absence is part of a regular requirement for your degree program or fellowship.  Contact the Residence Affairs Unit for more information regarding any absences outside California.
• Financial independence is another factor considered when determining your eligibility for classification as a California resident for tuition purposes.  For fall classification, you are presumed by law to be financial independent if you are at least 24 years of age by December 31.  If you will not be 24 years of age by this date, then you must show that you are not claimed as an income tax deduction by your parents or any other individual for the next tax year.
• Financial independence is not a factor in determining residence for graduate students who are employed as Graduate Student Instructors or Graduate Student Researchers for a minimum of 49% time or awarded the equivalent in University-administered funds for the term in which resident classification is sought.
• Your physical presence in California must be demonstrated during nonacademic periods.  You should keep all dated material that proves your presence in the state, including airline tickets; paycheck stubs from work; credit card receipts; and bank and credit card statements showing ATM, credit card and debit card activity.  Students with joint accounts should consult with the Residence Affairs Unit.  The credit card receipts need not be signature copies.  The foregoing items are primary indicators of physical presence and will be weighted heavily in determining your status.  Items such as copies of lease agreements, rent or utility checks etc., are much lesser indicators of physical presence and are not acceptable alone.
• Your intent will be questioned if you are absent from California for more than 21 total days during the period in which you are establishing resident status for tuition purposes.  Graduate students who are planning to travel outside California for more than 21 total days during nonacademic periods should visit the Residency Affairs Unit at 120 Sproul Hall to seek advising prior to filing for classification and leaving the state.

Please Note: This summary is not a complete explanation of the law regarding California residence.  Changes may be made in the residence requirements between this publication date and the relevant residence determination date.

For more details regarding Residency, please click here.

Numerous programs provide ways you can cut the cost of graduate school.  Fellowships, loans, Graduate Student Instructorships, Research Assistantships, Readerships, and even subsidized housing and childcare each can help a great deal.  Some programs are merit-based and administered through the Graduate Division Fellowship Office.  Others are need-based and administered through the Financial Aid Office.  The academic departments also administer additional funding sources.  By tapping these and other resources you can plan a program of financial support.

If you are not a resident of California, you will need to know the current requirements on establishing legal residency.  While all out-of-state students are required to have three years of financial independence in California before being eligible to reclassify for lower registration fees.  In most cases graduate students can qualify for legal residency by their second year of graduate school, thereby significantly reducing their fees.

International students and students who are not US citizens or permanent residents cannot establish California residency and should expect to pay nonresident tuition each semester of their graduate study.  Doctoral candidates will be eligible for a NRT waiver for up to three (3) years after Advancement to Candidacy.

10.2.1 Graduate Student Instructor Appointments

GSIs are appointed to various courses based upon class enrollment. Appointments which are made at the 25%-50% time (10-20 hours per week) will pay your University Registration Fee, Educational Fee and Health Insurance Fee as well as provide a monthly stipend.

GSIs are responsible for various aspects of course instruction. GSIs hold regular office hours and may also be asked to proctor exams, make solution sets and grade homework problems. Larger classes have Readers who help the GSI with grading homework.

GSIs believe that being a teaching assistant is great preparation for the Qualifying Examination as both situations require good English skills and think accurately and spontaneously.

GSIs are paid automatically each month after their appoint has been submitted to the hiring unit.

For more information about applying to a GSI position, please see the GSI/Reader Information section.

10.2.2 Reader Appointments

Appointees to the Reader title are employed to render diverse services as course assistants, which will normally include the grading of student papers and examinations. Subject to assignment by the department, duties might also include attendance at lectures, office hours, consultation with the instructor, and other course-related duties. Readers may not perform teaching duties.

Readers are paid at an hourly rate and must turn in timecards each month to be paid. Time cards are usually due in the Financial Services Office, 6195 Etcheverry Hall by the 25th of each month to receive you paycheck on time the 15th of the following month.

For more information about applying to a Reader position, please see the GSI/Reader Information section.

10.2.3 GSI/Reader Appointment Paperwork

Hiring paperwork for those who have received official GSI/Reader position offers from the Vice-Chair of Instruction can be found under the GSI/Reader Forms section.

If your GSR is sponsored by the Mechanical Engineering department, you will be hired by ERSO (Campus Shared Services, Team 2).  ERSO’s offer letter will include instructions and forms to complete.

If you are requesting an exception for one of the following reasons, please fill out our Request for Exception Form.

• Your GPA falls below minimum for his/her appointment type
• You, as a GSI/Reader/Tutor, will assist in a graduate course (200, 300, 600)
• Your GSI appointment exceeds 10 semesters
• This appointment will cause the you to work over 75% and you are domestic student (international students are not allowed to work over 50%)
• You have more than 2 Incompletes in upper division or graduate courses

If your GSR is sponsored by the Mechanical Engineering department, you will be hired by ERSO (Campus Shared Services, Team 2).  ERSO’s offer letter will include instructions and forms to complete.

If you are requesting an exception for one of the following reasons, please fill out our Request for Exception Form.

• Your GPA falls below minimum for his/her appointment type
• You, as a GSI/Reader/Tutor, will assist in a graduate course (200, 300, 600)
• Your GSI appointment exceeds 10 semesters
• This appointment will cause the you to work over 75% and you are domestic student (international students are not allowed to work over 50%)
• You have more than 2 Incompletes in upper division or graduate courses

If your GSR is sponsored by the Mechanical Engineering department, you will be hired by ERSO (Campus Shared Services, Team 2).  ERSO’s offer letter will include instructions and forms to complete.

If you are requesting an exception for one of the following reasons, please fill out our Request for Exception Form.

• Your GPA falls below minimum for his/her appointment type
• You, as a GSI/Reader/Tutor, will assist in a graduate course (200, 300, 600)
• Your GSI appointment exceeds 10 semesters
• This appointment will cause the you to work over 75% and you are domestic student (international students are not allowed to work over 50%)
• You have more than 2 Incompletes in upper division or graduate courses

The purpose of this procedure is to afford graduate students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering an opportunity to resolve conflicts, complaints or issues regarding dismissal from graduate standing, placement on probationary status, denial of re-admission, and other administrative or academic decisions that terminate or otherwise impede progress toward academic or professional degree goals.

The scope of this procedure is limited to the matters listed above and excludes complaints regarding denial of admission, student records, grades in courses of instruction, student employment, student discipline and auxiliary student services such as housing, child care, etc.  This procedure may not be used for complaints regarding actions based solely on faculty evaluation of the academic qualify of a student’s performance, or evaluation of a student’s appropriate academic progress unless the complaint alleges that the actions may have been influenced by non-academic criteria.

A student may pursue informal resolution of a complaint by scheduling a meeting with the Vice Chair of Graduate Study to discuss the issue and explore possible avenues of resolution. If informal resolution is pursued, it must be initiated and should be completed within 30 business days during the academic year. At any point in this process, if a satisfactory solution cannot be reached, the student may initiate formal resolution by putting the complaint in writing.

A written complaint must include information regarding the action being complained of and the date it occurred, the grounds upon which the appeal is based and the relief requested.  The complaint must be based on one or more of the following grounds:

• Procedural error or violation of official policy by academic or administrative personnel;
• Judgments improperly based upon non-academic criteria including, but not limited to, discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, medical condition (cancer related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran;
• Special mitigating circumstances beyond the student’s control not properly taken into account in a decision affecting the student’s academic progress.

A written complaint must be received by the Vice Chair of Graduate Study within thirty (30) days from the time the student knew or could reasonably be expected to have known of the action that is the subject of the complaint.  The department should complete its investigation and notify the student of the outcome of the complaint within sixty (60) work days of the date received.

The time frame for filing a written complaint may be extended by the department if the student has been involved in continuing efforts toward informal resolution, and the informal resolution process was initiated within thirty (30) work days of the time the student know or could reasonably be expected to have known of the action that is the subject of the complaint.  All time frames referred to in the procedure refer to calendar days.  Summer and inter-semester recesses are not included within these time frames.

Upon receipt of a written complaint, the Vice Chair of Graduate Study will assign an individual to investigate the complaint and make a recommendation to the Vice Chair of Graduate Study regarding the outcome of the complaint.  Generally, the investigation will include an interview with the complainant, review of any relevant written materials, and an effort to obtain information from available witnesses (e.g., interviews or written statements or documents).  The Head Graduate Advisor will notify the student in writing of the outcome of the complaint.  A written complaint under the procedure satisfies the requirement of a unit level resolution process pursuant to the Graduate Appeals Procedure.

If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint under the department’s procedure, he or she may bring the complaint to the Formal Appeal Procedure of the Graduate Appeals Procedure.  The formal appeal must be received in the Office of the Dean of the Graduate Division, 424 Sproul Hall within fifteen (15) days of the date of the written notification for the result of the unit level procedure.  Copies of the Graduate Appeals Procedures may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate Division.

If the complaint is about an action taken by the Vice Chair of Graduate Study, the complainant may elect to take the complaint directly to the Department Chair.  If the student is still not satisfied with the outcome, the student may take the complaint to the Formal Appeal State of the Graduate Appeals Procedure.  Such a complaint must be received by the Office of the Dean of the Graduate Division.

If the complaint involves allegations of discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, race, national origin, color, age, religion, sexual orientation or disability, the department should consult the appropriate campus compliance officers prior to commencing informal or formal resolution procedures. The names, telephone numbers and campus addresses of these individuals are listed in various campus publications and may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate Division at (510) 642-5472 or the Academic Compliance Office at (510) 642-2795.

Currently enrolled ME students in M.S., M.Eng and 5th Year B.S./M.S. program who wish to continue their studies and enroll in the Ph.D. program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering need to submit the following materials to Yawo Akpawu at the Student Services Office by the first Monday of March (for Fall) and the first Monday of November (for Spring):

1. A revised statement of purpose
2. An unofficial transcript
3. A letter of support from their Faculty Research Advisor
4. The Funding Verification Form
5. The GRE test is not required.

All the applicants will be reviewed simultaneously with the regular applicant pool using the same criteria and standards by the same faculty. This policy is to ensure a transparent, thorough, and fair application review process, independent from an applicant’s current or past enrollment at Berkeley. Final Decisions regarding the application will be sent to the student by the end of the ongoing semester.

Students who request the change of their degree goal must aim to complete their M.S. by the end of the master’s degree normative time then continue on to the PhD program if approved.

Graduate Division Deadlines can be found here. Please note that most forms associated with these deadlines must be provided to the ME Student Services Office in advance for processing and submitting to the Graduate Division.

Graduate Division Fellowship Deadlines can be found here.

The most common of the Registrar’s Office are the following:

– Confirmation of Class Schedule (For Doctoral Students Only)

– Confirmation of Class Schedule (For Standard Master’s Only)

– Confirmation of Class Schedule (For 5th Year BS/MS Students only)

– Confirmation of Class Schedule (For MEng Students Only)

– Petition to Change Class Schedule (aka the “Add/Drop Form”)

– Graduate Petition for Change of Major or Degree Goal

 

Graduate Division Forms Website

• Application for Candidacy for Master’s Degree (Plan 1) is available on CalCentral under “Higher Degree Committees Form” in the “Student Resources” section
• Application for Candidacy for Master’s Degree (Plan 2)
• Application for Candidacy for Master of Engineering Degree (M.Eng)
• Application for Candidacy for 5 Year BS/MS Degree
• Title Page Template for the Masters Report
• 5 Year BS/MS Oral Examination Form
• Library Permission Form (Plan 1)
• Library Permission Form (Plan 2)

• Application for Candidacy to the Doctorate Degree – Plan B (“Higher Degree Committees Form“) is available in CalCentral under “Student Resources” section.
• Program of Study for Doctoral Candidates in Mechanical Engineering
• Graduate Student Verification Form
• Application for Qualifying Examination (“Higher Degree Committees Form“) is available in CalCentral under “Student Resources” section.
  • Report to the Graduate Division on the Qualifying Examination
    • For information regarding Voting Procedures, please click here.
• PhD Candidate Seminar

– Confirmation of Class Schedule

– 5th Year Confirmation of Class Schedule

– Fellowship Applications and Deadlines

– Filing Fee Application

– Graduate Petition to Transfer Courses

– Graduate Student Verification Form

– GSI and Reader Application Forms

– Application for Non-Resident Tuition (NRT) Fellowship

– Preliminary Exam Application (for MS Candidate Only)

– Request for Change in Higher Degree Committee

– Request for Certificate of Degree Completion

– Graduate Appeal Procedure Form

– For more information about the Graduate Appeals Procedure, please click here.

Copy Services

Students may use the copy machine on the 6th floor for course support or research purposes (it is not available for personal use). Your faculty member must submit a memo to the Financial Assistant in 6195 Etcheverry requesting an account number. This account number is valid during the current semester only. Please remember that students are last in line in terms of priority for using the machine – after faculty, staff and visiting scholars.

Student Shop Safety Orientation

Before you can work in the machine shop, it is necessary for you to attend an orientation. This orientation is to familiarize you with various types of equipment within the machine shop. These orientations are given as group training sessions once or twice per semester by appointment. Contact the Safety Coordinator in 1168 Etcheverry to make an appointment. You are also required to take a Shop Safety Class from the Environmental Health & safety (EH&S) office prior to doing any research in any of the Mechanical Engineering Laboratories. These safety classes are usually given during the first 3 weeks of the Fall and Spring Semesters.

Disabled Student Program

The campus offers many different resources for graduate students with disabilities. The purpose of an academic accommodation is to offer the graduate student an equal opportunity to meet the department’s academic standards and requirements.

• The Disabled Student Program (510-642-0518) serves graduate students with disabilities (who complete the process for establishing eligibility) by authorizing academic accommodations.
• The Disabled Access Services (510-643-6473 or 510-643-6456) can usually assist with accommodations to extra-curricular events.
• The Campus Access Guide is the office where most physical access issues are addressed.
• The Disability Resolution Officer (510-642-2795) will assist with problems accommodations reported on campus.

Photo Identification

• All students must have their photo taken for your student ID card. The Cal Photo ID card is the official student identification. It is important that you obtain your card as soon as possible. Your ID card will be created on the spot using a computerized photo identification system. To obtain your card you need to bring your TeleBears letter or Letter of Acceptance, Student Identification Number and a valid photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card or passport). We recommend that you bring reading material as the lines can be quite long at times.
• Your Cal ID card will last for years. Lost or damaged cards may be replaced at the Cal Photo ID Office. Please note that there may be a charge for the replacement.

The Cal Photo ID Office is located at 180 Cesar Chavez Center in Lower Sproul Plaza. The office is open Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm. For additional information please check the website: http://services.housing.berkeley.edu/c1c/static/index.htm.

Library

• Your Cal Photo ID serves as your library card at both the Doe and Moffitt libraries as well as subject specialty libraries. It also allows you to use the library of any other campus in the UC system, as well as interlibrary borrowing (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ILS/ibs.html). You are eligible for free borrowing privileges from the Stanford University Libraries and the University of Texas, Austin through the Research Library Cooperative Program (RLCP). For more information, visit the Library Service Desk at Level A, Gardner Stacks.
• When you arrive on campus, a good way to get acquainted with the vast resources of the Library is to enroll in drop-in library research, Internet and other workshops (including online catalog and article database orientation) or a faculty seminar offered by the Teaching Library, (510) 643-9959. For more information about the workshops, please see http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Help/index.html.
• If you are a Graduate Student Instructor you can arrange for a library resources session for your class by calling the Teaching Library. If a subject specialty library serves your discipline, telephone that library for specific tour information. A listing of subject specialty libraries is available on the Library web site http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/.

Kresge Library (i.e. The Engineering Library)

• The services and collection of the Kresge Engineering Library support the research and teaching programs of the College of Engineering. They are located in 110 Bechtel Engineering Center.
• The collection includes more than a quarter of a million volumes in all areas of engineering, except for chemical engineering. The library collects at the research level for our core priorities: bioengineering, civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, offshore engineering, operations research, and nuclear engineering.
• The Engineering Library subscribes to more than 1,200 print and 2,400 electronic journals. The library provides access to all the major engineering article databases, as well as a substantial number of online reference materials and monographs. The library also houses a large collection of technical reports of federally sponsored research, particularly reports from NASA, DOE, and the EPA.
• For more information, services and to learn how to use to library, please visit their website at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENGI/.

Sports and Exercise

• You will find just about everything you need to stay in shape at the campus Recreational Sports Facility (RSF): swimming pool, racquetball/handball courts, weight room, cardiovascular machines, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, fitness classes and more. Once you have your Cal Photo ID you can use the RSF fee of charge. CalAerobics, CalFIT classes and one-on-one personal training are available at special student rates. Spouses of UC Berkeley graduate students can buy a pass to the RSF at a special rate. For more information call (510) 7642-7796 or at the web site http://recsports.berkeley.edu/.

Campus Safety Services

The campus provides a number of Safety Services for both Students and Staff on campus such as BearWALK, Owl Service and WarnME. For details and guidelines, please see the UC Police’s Site on Safety.

Housing and Transportation Office

For information about Student Housing Options, please see the UC Berkeley Residential and Student Services Programs’ website.

Parking and Transportation Office

Parking for students near campus is severely limited and on the street parking in the surrounding area is restricted to 2 (two) hours for nonresidents of the area. The best plan is to walk, bike or use public transportation.

Bike racks outside most buildings make bicycling to campus a convenient and inexpensive transportation solution. Be sure to always lock your bike securely and register it with the UC Berkeley Police Department.For more information, please see http://pt.berkeley.edu/

Class Pass

Funded by a $69.50 portion of every student’s registration fees each semester, an incredible $1,200 of value is provided to students to ride free of charge on AC Transit (including the Transbay lines to San Francisco and U-Line from Fremont BART to Stanford) and BearTransit campus shuttle buses. For details please see https://cal1card.berkeley.edu/passes.

Center for Student Conduct & Community Standards
The Center for Student Conduct and Community Standards has an educational purpose in helping our community discuss and hold each other responsible for living up to the standards outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. We address behavior through a resolution process that reflects the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved. The Student Code of Conduct can be found here.

Course Catalog for UC Berkeley
Lists courses and department information for each department on campus. The Mechanical Engineering section of the catalog can be found at http://guide.berkeley.edu/courses/mec_eng/.

Course Registration Deadlines

Degrees Office
The Degrees staff monitors student progress from registration to graduation. Much useful information can be found on the Degrees Office web pages, including answers to frequently asked questions, policies, procedures, and almost all of the forms and applications that you might need. After consulting staff in your department, you can drop in or schedule an appointment in the Degrees Office to discuss specific academic or personal concerns such as readmission, the qualifying exam, advancement to candidacy, filing fee, probation, and eligibility for the Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship. Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations are filed in this office.

Degree Programs in ME
This page offers short descriptions of our degree offerings. For more detail on these degrees, please use this handbook.

Disabled Students’ Program
The Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) is committed to ensuring that all students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities at UC Berkeley. We offer a wide range of services for students with disabilities. These services are individually designed, and based on the specific needs of each student as identified by our Disability Specialists.

Division of Student Affairs
The mission of Student Affairs includes three strategic priorities: Access: Maintain access and affordability; provide opportunities for equity and excellence; Service: Improve and sustain cutting edge student services, making them more applicable to this generation of students; Engagement: Foster learning and leadership development, transforming students into engaged local, national, global citizens. Together these create the student experience and foster student success.

Electronic Communications Policy
This page contains regulations that pertain to all electronic communications on campus, including email.

ERSO (The Engineering Research Support Organization)
The Engineering Research Support Organization functions as a central hub, providing research administration support to all research centers, departments, and affiliated ORUs in the UC Berkeley College of Engineering. ERSO focuses on providing effective and efficient research administration, which allows the faculty to focus on developing and growing the research enterprise rather than managing business services. ERSO will maintain a customer-oriented operation, with appropriate levels of faculty and staff oversight to support a culture of continuous improvement.

Financial Aid Office
The Graduate and Professional Unit (GPU) of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office (FASO) administers Federal Direct Student Loans for Berkeley graduate students as well as several smaller federal loan programs, and the Federal Work Study Program. Federal loans and work-study are limited to U.S. Citizens and permanent residents.

Graduate Division’s Website for Current Students
This contains information that you may find helpful during your graduate studies at Berkeley.

GSI, GSR, Reader or Tutor Information
For information regarding GSI and/or Reader positions in the department, please see the GSI/Reader Information section.

Graduate Division’s Student Life & Resources Page

International Office
Berkeley International Office’s mission is to enhance the academic experiences of international students and scholars by providing the highest levels of knowledge and expertise in advising, immigration services, advocacy, and programming to the UC Berkeley campus community.

Labor Relations
The University of California and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) have agreed to a one year agreement which will be effective October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010. This labor agreement will cover the Academic Student Employee Unit at the following campuses: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.

Legal Services
The Attorney for Students advises currently registered Cal students regarding their legal questions, rights, and obligations. A student legal consultation might include (but is not limited to) one of the following examples: a landlord-tenant dispute, a citation for a criminal infraction or misdemeanor, filing an action in California Small Claims Court, questions related to credit card debt and/or collection actions, issues arising from a car accident or auto insurance, or questions about family law. Please note that Student Legal Services provides counsel and guidance only, and does not represent or advocate for individual students with regard to their potential legal claims or disputes. If your situation requires legal representation, the Attorney for Students will help refer you to appropriate resources. Student Legal Services counsel and guidance is limited to California law only.

Map of Campus

MEGSCo (Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Council)
MEGSCo is a group of ME grads who present student concerns to the faculty, provide relief from the monotony and stress of graduate school, and assist new students entering or prospectives considering the Berkeley Mechanical Engineering graduate program.

Office of the Registrar
Services from the Office of the Registrar support every currently registered student at UC Berkeley as well as all faculty and staff members who interact with those students. Specifically, we are responsible for: class enrollment and registration, fee assessment, verifying graduation, diplomas, preservation of student academic records and protection of their privacy, transcripts, maintenance of the schedule of classes, reservations for over 200 classrooms on campus, residency determinations, and assistance for special populations such as veterans.

OMBUDS Office for Students and Postdoctoral Appointees
The Ombuds Office can be your first step, your last resort, or anything in between. If you wish assistance sorting through a campus-related conflict or concern, please contact us. The Ombudsperson will listen to your concerns, serve as a sounding board, discuss your options with you, and help you get a new perspective and determine the next steps to take. The office is strictly confidential and no one will know you have spoken with us unless you wish them to. The only exception to this confidentiality is where there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm or danger.

Parents Network
This web site contains thousands of pages of recommendations and advice contributed by members of the Berkeley Parents Network, a parent-to-parent email network for the community of parents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1993, the BPN is run by a group of volunteer parents in their “spare” time. We send out 10-12 email newsletters each week to 26,754 local parents. Many busy parents have taken the time to enlighten and inform us all with their suggestions, their wisdom, and their experience, archived here for all who need it. Please help yourself and use it in the spirit of sharing!

Registrar Forms

Schedule of Classes

Student Code of Conduct
The University of California at Berkeley is a community of scholars committed to maintaining an environment that encourages personal and intellectual growth. It is a community with high standards and high expectations for those who choose to become a part of it, including established rules of conduct intended to foster behaviors that are consistent with a civil and educational setting. Members of the University community are expected to comply with all laws, University policies and campus regulations, conducting themselves in ways that support a scholarly environment. In this context, faculty are guided by The Faculty Code of Conduct, Section 015 of the Academic Personnel Manual, and students by the Berkeley Campus Code of Student Conduct, articulated here.

Tuition and Fees

University Health Services (UHS)
University Health Services (UHS) provides comprehensive medical, mental health and health promotion services to all Cal students and a variety of occupational health services to faculty and staff. UHS also provides services to UC staff who choose UHS as their Health Net provider, and to staff at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Berkeley campus visiting scholars and spouses/domestic partners of Berkeley students may also use UHS on a fee-for-service basis.

Berkeley Parents Network
This web site contains thousands of pages of recommendations and advice contributed by members of the Berkeley Parents Network, a parent-to-parent email network for the community of parents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1993, the BPN is run by a group of volunteer parents in their “spare” time. We send out 10-12 email newsletters each week to 28,301 local parents. Many busy parents have taken the time to enlighten and inform us all with their suggestions, their wisdom, and their experience, archived here for all who need it. Please help yourself and use it in the spirit of sharing!

Child Care for Student Families

Childcare Reimbursement Program

Family Student Housing

A Handbook for Student Parents

Health Insurance for Dependents of Students

MEMO: Graduate Council Policy on Accommodation of Research Doctoral Student Parents

MEMO: Graduate Council Student Parent Policies

Petition for Childbirth Accommodation Funding for Women Doctoral Students

Pregnancy Disability Leave

Student Family Assistance 
Learn more about campus resources that aid student families in the search for affordable housing, child care, health insurance, and more.

The Transfer, Re-entry, and Student Parent Center
The Transfer, Re-entry, and Student Parent Center (TRSP) serves a diverse population of students and is dedicated to providing programs and services in support of the academic and personal success of transfer, re-entry, and student parents. As a supportive and inclusive community, we are committed to increasing students access to and awareness of campus resources and enrichment opportunities. The center also promotes campus and community engagement and leadership development that enrich and support students’ academic and professional goals.

UAW Contract (Article 17): Leaves

UCB Early Childhood Education Program Parent Handbook

UCB Early Childhood Education Programs

UC Berkeley hosts hundreds of student organizations which connect students with a stronger sense of community while providing opportunities for students to engage in organizational and leadership development. Cal’s many student organizations serve as outlets for self expression and sharing of talents. The staff of the Center for Student Leadership provide comprehensive advising and resources for all student organizations at Cal. The Center provides guidance to student organizations for recognition, organizational and leadership development, and event planning.

Please see the College of Engineering website for a complete list of Student Groups.

For a list of groups campus-wide, please see UC Berkeley’s Student Organization site and the Campus life and Leadership site.

Please see the Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors site.

Office of Student Affairs

The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) exists to promote, encourage, and facilitate students’ growth and development through their involvement in student organizations by providing program advice, support, and direction. The OSA also serves as functional advisor to the Graduate Assembly and the undergraduate student government — The Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). It’s website is a clearing house for most student activities on campus.

Division of Student Affairs

The mission of Student Affairs includes three strategic priorities: Access: Maintain access and affordability; provide opportunities for equity and excellence; Service: Improve and sustain cutting edge student services, making them more applicable to this generation of students; Engagement: Foster learning and leadership development, transforming students into engaged local, national, global citizens. Together these create the student experience and foster student success.

UC Berkeley’s Campus Life Page

UC Berkeley’s Entertainment and Recreation Page

Recreational Sports Facility

Cal Recreational Sports is dedicated to enhancing the knowledge, wellness, fitness, personal skills and quality of life for students, faculty, staff, and the community. By providing facilities, programs, activities and the opportunity for cooperative and competitive play, Recreational Sports teaches life-long fitness skills, leadership, management, interpersonal skills, and helps to balance the stress of studying and working in a rigorous academic environment.

Campus Safety

This is UC Berkeley’s Police Site for all Safety Issues on Campus.

Parking and Transportation

The UC Berkeley Parking and Transportation Department provides a full range of parking and transportation services, serving a diverse community of more than 32,000 students and 19,000 faculty and staff in the City of Berkeley, at the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a bike or a car, this is a good resource.

Daily Cal
Daily campus newspaper: interesting articles, editorials, comics on campus and community

East Bay Express
Free Bay Area newspaper. Will keep you informed on entertainment in and around the East Bay. Also includes movie reviews and a classified section.

Bay Guardian
Published in San Francisco

The Berkeley Graduate
Electronic publication by the Graduate Assembly