Mechanical Engineering Five Year BS/MS Program

Introduction The ME Department is implementing a two-year pilot project of a five year combined Bachelor's/Master's program for Berkeley ME Undergraduates to broaden their education experiences at Berkeley. To distinguish it from the existing Berkeley Mechanical Engineering M.S. program, a cornerstone of the five year program is interdisciplinary study and/or professional disciplines such as business, law, or public policy as well as the option for course oriented study. Admission Process Multi-step admission process: (1) Departmental Application by beginning of second semester of junior year (including Statement of Purpose, Draft Course of Study Plan, Most current transcript, One Letter of Recommendation); (2) 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; (3) if admitted by the Department, "pro forma" application to Graduate Division for M.S. degree by the advertised deadline in December of Senior Year. Please note: Graduate Division admission contingent on maintaining good progress in courses. Admission to this program will be highly competitive. Sustained outstanding performance in ME and related courses at UCB (cumulative 3.5 GPA preferred). A well-written and compelling personal essay illustrating the student's rationale for entering such a program, and his or her ability to communicate it well in written form. 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 have 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 Tentative Deadlines: Students apply to the Department during the fall semester of their senior year and are provisionally admitted 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 senior year programs to take advantage of the flexibility gained by the program. The application deadline to apply is: Wednesday, October 3: ME Department application and supporting documents October: Applicant interviews November: 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. Applications with incomplete documents will be automatically rejected. Departmental Application Draft Course of Study Plan Statement of Purpose Unofficial Transcripts (Note: If admitted to this program, official transcripts will be required when applying to Graduate Division.) One Letter of Recommendation (could be an industrial recommender). Please print out the ME 5th Year Program Ltr. of Recommendation form, complete the top portion and then give to your recommender. The letter must be sealed and signed by your recommender and included in your application envelope. NOTE: 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. 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? The applications process is in two steps: (1) Apply to the ME Department typically during the Junior year and, if accepted, (2) apply to Graduate School during the Fall semester of the senior year (deadline is mid December). The student is expected to have at least 90 semester units by the end of his/her junior year, a preferred cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better, and a sincere desire to acquire the skills necessary to be a leader in their intended profession. 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? Chances of admission are not good with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.5. However, demonstrated leadership and interdisciplinary (technical or otherwise) skills could augment a slightly lower cumulative GPA. I don't have any research experience. How important is this for my application? Undergraduate research is definitely a plus, but is not required for the application. When are participants admitted? Typically, students will apply and be provisionally admitted by the Department in the second semester of the junior year. As this presents a bias against junior college transfer students, and other students who may later conclude that this program is for them, a limited number of first semester seniors will also be considered for admission. Students in the final semester of undergrad 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. How Do I Find a Research Advisor? Because of the requirement to complete the Masters portion of the program in only one year, it is essential that the student have identified a research advisor among the faculty during the Spring semester of their senior year (if not sooner!). Several faculty will actively seek students from this program. In general, students may pursue independent projects, or join a project team, but they are required to submit an independently written masters report that makes clear their own independent contribution to the research. If I choose the option for course oriented study, is there additional requirement to graduate? Students who choose the option for course oriented study will need to 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 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 delay 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? The department has two types of degree requirements: Master of Science (PLAN I) Thesis Minimum number of units: 20 semester units. Must be either 200 or 100 upper division series. (One third of total units may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.) Minimum number of mechanical engineering units: 8 semester units must be in 200 series and can include 4 Semester units or ME 299. Minimum number of specialty area (e.g. bioengineering, controls, fluids, etc.) units: 8 semester units must be in major field area Master of Science (PLAN II) Project/Presentation Minimum number of units: 24 semester units. Must be either 200 or 100 upper division series. (One third of total units may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory) Minimum number of mechanical engineering units: 12 semester units must be in 200 series and can include 4 Semester units or ME 299. Minimum number of specialty area (e.g. bioengineering, controls, fluids, etc.) units: 12 Semester units (200 or 100 upper division series) *Students who choose course oriented study will need to pass a comprehensive exam before graduation instead of project/presentation. I am interested in course-oriented study. How should I fill in names of research Professors in the application form? Please fill in with "course-oriented study"; you don't need to write down any names of Professors. I have been accepted to the program but I was late for the on-line regular application by 10 seconds and got the denial application notice. What should I do? It is your responsibility to file your regular application via the University on-line system in time (a specific date in the middle of December each year). Missing the on-line regular application process automatically forfeits your admission to the Five Year Bachelor/Master Program. If you have any other questions, please contact Pat Giddings at giddings@me.berkeley.edu or stop by the graduate study office, located at 6189 Etcheverry Hall.