Online Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)
Mechanical Engineering
Program Overview
The online Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, deepens your technical expertise in core mechanical engineering principles—such as advanced mechanics of materials and heat transfer—while providing specialized knowledge in advanced manufacturing. Whether you are seeking to move into a technical leadership role, prepare for research-focused study, or simply stay competitive in an evolving industry, this program provides the tools you need to succeed.
Why Choose Mechanical Engineering?
UT’s online MSME program delivers rigorous technical coursework entirely online with asynchronous lectures. Students learn from faculty with cutting-edge expertise and strong connections to national laboratories and federal facilities such as ORNL, AFRL, NIST, and the Y‑12 National Security Complex. Our instructors include award-winning researchers, Guinness World Record holders, ASME committee leaders, and journal editors who are shaping the future of engineering. While lectures will be available asynchronously, students will be given the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the professors in regularly hosted virtual office hours.
Whether your goal is to lead technical teams in industry or pursue a PhD, this program provides the advanced skills and foundation needed to tackle complex engineering challenges and drive innovation.
The program currently focuses on the Advanced Manufacturing concentration, giving students a deep dive into high-demand, industry-relevant expertise. As the program grows, additional coursework options will be introduced, but all current enrollees will gain specialized training in Advanced Manufacturing.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (qualified graduates of other curricula may be considered)
- Minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA
- Minimum of 3.00 GPA during the senior year of undergraduate study.
- Previous graduate students: 3.00 GPA all graduate work
- Applicants with work experience or entering graduate study after significant time away from an educational institution (typically 5 years) will be given consideration with greater flexibility relative to GPA.
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Program Concentrations
Advanced Manufacturing
The Advanced Manufacturing concentration prepares graduates to excel in the modern manufacturing industry by covering the mathematics and mechanics behind manufacturing techniques such as additive manufacturing, which are used to create high-performance materials. Through coursework in mathematics, mechanics of materials, heat transfer, manufacturing processes, and hybrid materials, students gain a deep understanding of how material properties influence product design and manufacturability. With mentorship from expert faculty, graduates are equipped for high-impact careers in manufacturing, design, research, leadership, and technology adoption.
Featured Courses
Provides new graduate students with a review and introduction of mathematics necessary for engineering problems in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and more. Topics include solution of ODEs, Eigenvectors and Eigenvalues, Complex Variables Calculus, Fourier Analysis and Orthogonal functions, and PDES.
The overarching theme of the class is hybrid materials. We will start with a general overview of how engineering materials are classified and selected for design (Ashby-type analysis), then introduce the different classes of hybrid materials along with basic models for predicting limit behavior. We will then dive more deeply into each class of hybrid material (composites, laminates, sandwich structures, cellular materials, and segmented structures) and introduce models for mechanical and transport behavior, where applicable. At the end of this class the student should have a working knowledge of basic mechanics models for all classes of hybrid materials and be able to apply these models to design hybrid materials given a set of functional and material constraints (e.g. mass, volume, cost, strength, etc.). At the end of this course, the student should also have a working knowledge of the engineering materials landscape and a familiarity with resources available for more in-depth analysis and design of hybrid materials.
Elasticity in three dimensions: equations of equilibrium, strain-displacement relations, compatibility, constitutive equations. Energy methods. Beams on elastic foundation, unsymmetrical bending, shear center.
Fundamental principles of the major classes of manufacturing processes, developing first order mathematical descriptions for selected processes. Comparison of advantages and limitations across various processes in terms of process quality and productivity. Application toward process selection, impact on product design, and quality control.
Fundamentals of additive manufacturing processes within the context of traditional manufacturing life cycle including the basics of product design, processing mechanics and materials science to highlight the advantages of additive manufacturing.
