The ME Townhall Meeting will take place on October 12th, 2009 from 3-4pm, in 3110 Etcheverry Hall.
Introduction
This program is for Berkeley ME Undergraduates that allows them to broaden their education experiences at Berkeley. In contrast to the existing Berkeley Mechanical Engineering M.S. program, it is a course-based program. Students in the 5 year B.S./M.S. program are also able to take some courses in professional disciplines such as business or public policy. This two-semester program is NOT for students with the desire to continue to the Ph.D. These students are advised to apply directly to the M.S./Ph.D. or Ph.D. program.
Further details on this program are as follows:
- This is a terminal full-time master’s degree program.
- If admitted to the program, students must begin the Fall (Spring) semester immediately after the conferral of their Spring (Fall) UCB Mechanical Engineering B.S. degree. Students starting in the Fall (Spring) are expected to graduate with their M.S. in the following Spring (Fall).
- The program is geared primarily toward students who intend to join industry after receiving their Master’s degree, rather than pursuing a Ph.D. and/or academic career.
- Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units per semester (these courses do not include 299 and 298 courses).
- Students must complete at least 12 units of graded 200 level ME courses.
- The remaining 12 units of courses must be upper-division and graduate level courses which are offered by the Schools of Business and Public Policy, the College of Engineering, the Biological Sciences, the Physical Sciences, and the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics. Exception to take courses outside this list must be approved by the Vice Chair for Graduate Study.
- Students must pass an Oral Comprehensive Exam.
- Students have an option to perform research, but the research units do not count towards the 24 units of courses needed to complete the degree.
- Students are not required to select a major field area of study.
- Participants in program are self-funded, and cannot be appointed as Graduate Student Instructors.
- Students are not eligible to take the Preliminary Examination, and continuation to the Ph.D. program is not guaranteed.
Admission Process
You will need to complete and submit the on line application located at
the Graduate Division web site:
http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/index.shtml
The deadline to apply is:
October 29, 2009
for Fall 2010 admission
All supporting documents, (Draft Course of Study Plan, official transcript(s) and 1 letter of recommendation) must be submitted in a single package to the Student Services Office, 6189 Etcheverry Hall no later than 4pm on October 29, 2009.
A sub-set of applicants will be selected for a faculty interview and only a sub-set of those interviewed will be admitted by the Department.
Admission to this program is highly competitive.
- Sustained outstanding
performance in ME and related courses at UCB (cumulative 3.5 GPA
preferred).
- If selected, a faculty
interview affording an opportunity to assess the student's technical
background, life experiences, and ability to communicate orally.
- One letter of
recommendation, from faculty or industrial supervisor, who knows the
applicant well and has seen evidence that he or she can benefit
significantly from a program of this kind.
- A non-binding
"draft" course of study plan, indicating that the applicant
has carefully considered areas of technical depth and skills breadth he
or she wishes to pursue if admitted to the program.
Application Deadlines and Documents
Deadline:
Students apply to the Department during the fall semester of their senior year and are recommended for admission to the 5-year program based on the criteria above. Junior college transfers should apply in the senior year after completing 2 semesters at Berkeley. The Department will render its decision in sufficient time so students can plan their spring senior year programs to take advantage of the flexibility gained by the program. The application deadline is:
· October 29, 2009: Complete and submit
on-line application for admission at Graduate Division
http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/index.shtml
Timeframe:
- Mid-November:
Applicant interviews will take place
- Mid
December: Notification of Admission
decisions
Application Documents:
Required forms and supporting documents for the ME Department application are to be submitted in a single envelope to the ME department.
1. Draft
Course of Study Plan
2. Official transcript(s) – one official transcript from
each school attended
3. 1 Letter of Recommendation
Applications with incomplete documents will be automatically rejected.
For Berkeley students admitted to the 5-year program, the normal departmental requirement of the GRE is waived when applying for the Masters program.
Students selected for the program are required to meet all of the normal requirements for applying for an M.S. degree during their senior year, with the understanding that as long as they maintain good performance in their courses, their admission recommendation to the Graduate Division is pro forma.
Change of Degree Goal
5 year Bachelor/Master students can petition to add the Ph.D. to their current degree goal of M.S. only by completing the Graduate Petition for Change of Degree Goal to the Vice-Chair of Graduate Study by March 1, 2010 for those students who entered the M.S. program in the Fall of 2009. For students who entered the M.S. program in the Spring of 2009, the Change of Degree Goal petition must be submitted to the Vice-Chair of Graduate Study’s office by November 1, 2009. In addition to this petition, the student will need to submit their official GRE scores, 2 additional Letters of Recommendation, and a strong letter of support from the student’s Research Advisor. The Vice-Chair for Graduate Study will issue the final recommendation to the Graduate Division.
As stated above continuation to the Ph.D. is not guaranteed. Students who are successful in petitioning to add the Ph.D. are required to complete their M.S. degree requirements within the two-semester period and to take the departmental Preliminary Examination. In particular, students who entered the M.S. program in the Spring of 2009 are required to take the Preliminary Examination in January 2010, while those students who entered the M.S. program in the Fall of 2009 are required to take the Preliminary Examination in August 2010.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this program different from the existing M.S. program?
The combined Bachelors/Masters program encourages an interdisciplinary
focus, with concentrations in ME and allied fields like the sciences, other
engineering, or business, law, or public policy. The program is structured to
develop future leaders in industry, exhibiting interdisciplinary technical
skills as well as a broader understanding of the business, legal, and social
context of technology development and use.
What is the application process and what are the requirements?
You will
apply to the program in the Fall of your Senior year on-line at the Graduate
Division web site
http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/index.shtml
. This on-line application as well as the supporting
documents to your application listed below must be submitted by the October
29, 2009 deadline.
1. Draft Course of Study Plan
2. Official transcript(s)
3. 1 Letter of Recommendation
All supporting documents must be
delivered to 6189 Etcheverry in a single envelope.
I don't quite meet the GPA requirement
of 3.5. Will exceptional applicants be considered with a cumulative GPA of
less than 3.5?
No. The minimum GPA for this program is 3.5.
I don't have any research experience. How important is this for my
application?
The program is a course-based program, therefore no research experience in necessary.
When are participants admitted?
Typically, students will apply and be recommended for admission by the Department in the first semester of their senior year. Students in the final semester of their undergraduate studies are not eligible to apply.
I'd like to take some time off between completing my bachelor's degree
and starting the master's degree. Is this possible?
No. This program will not accommodate leaves of absence. Admitted students are expected to transition immediately from the undergrad program to the grad program in order to complete the entire program in five consecutive years. You are encouraged to apply to the regular graduate program.
I recently graduated from ME with my B.A./B.S.. Can I apply for this
program?
No applications will be accepted from students not currently enrolled in our undergraduate degree program. These students are encouraged to apply to the regular graduate program.
Can 5th Year Students Receive Assistantship Support?
In principle, the answer is yes, but in practice the answer is very likely to be no. Completing the requirements for the M.S. degree in two semesters will be very challenging and time consuming (unless the student can transfer units from the final semester of his or her undergraduate study that were not counted toward his or her Bachelor degree requirement), and the student will not have time to commit to teaching. However, if a faculty member wishes to support a 5th year student to complete his or her M.S. program within two semesters, then that is the decision of the individual professor.
Is there additional requirement to graduate?
Students pass an oral comprehensive exam before a M.S. degree can be granted.
Is this program well suited for someone who eventually wants a Ph.D.?
This program is not intended for students who want a Ph.D. It is intended as a terminal. M.S. degree.
I am considering applying to the Five Year Bachelor/Master Program, but I may also apply for a Ph.D. program at other schools and Berkeley as well. If I am accepted into the Five Year Program, how will that affect my potential Ph.D. application?
Acceptance to the ME Five Year Bachelor/Master Program, will neither positively nor negatively affect your application to Berkeley's M.S./Ph.D. or Ph.D. program. However, applying for admission to Berkeley's M.S./Ph.D. or Ph.D. program, automatically forfeits your admission to the Five Year Bachelor/Master Program.
NOTE: Once admitted to the 5th year program, students may change his or her degree goal from M.S. to Ph.D. by applying to the department during or after their MS studies with all required materials, including statement of purpose, 3 recommendation letters, GRE and official transcript. However, if the student is truly interested in a PhD, he or she should apply to the PhD program directly through the existing processes.
Am I allowed to apply into this program and, if not admitted, apply into the regular M.S./Ph.D. program later?
Yes.
I am studying abroad as an exchange student and won't be able to attend the face-to-fact interview process if selected
We will arrange a phone interview in this case.
My scheduled graduation date is in Fall semester and not the regular Spring semester, when should I apply for the ME Five Year Bachelor/Master Program?
The ME department does not admit new students in Spring semester. Therefore, you need to apply in the Fall semester one year before your graduation. If admitted, you can petition to defer your enrollment as a MS student for one semester so there is no gap between your Bachelor/Master studies.
What is the MS degree requirement and this will help me to design my draft of course plan?
Minimum number of units:
24 Semester units
Must be either in 200 or 100 upper division series
Only one third (1/3) of total units may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory
Minimum number of Mechanical Engineering Units:
12 Semester units (must be in 200 series) letter graded
Remaining 12 Units:
12 units of upper-division and graduate level courses offered by the Schools of Business and Public Policy, the College of Engineering, the Biological Sciences, the Physical Sciences, and the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics. Exception to take courses outside this list must be approved by the Vice Chair for Graduate Study.
Backdating Graduate Standing:
You may backdate your Graduate standing and use courses taken in your last undergraduate semester, not used towards your BS degree.
Oral Comprehensive Examination:
You must arrange for your Comprehensive Examination Oral Exam when you Advance to Candidacy for the MS Degree. You will Advance to Candidacy for the MS Degree in your second semester following admission. At the top right hand corner of the Advancement to Candidacy application you will find a box. Inside this box you are to schedule your Comprehensive Examination.
Your Examination Committee will consist of 2 professors. One member must be from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the other may be from outside the Department. However, both must be members of the Berkeley Academic Senate.
The Oral Comprehensive Exam will be scheduled 45 days before the end of your second semester. The exam will be schedule for ½ hour periods and you can contact our Student Services Office to reserve a conference room for the examination.
At the conclusion of your examination the faculty will sign your Application of Completion. Should you not pass the examination, you are eligible to reschedule a second examination within 2 weeks of your first examination. This second examination must be conducted with your original examination committee members.
|
