Course Policies

• Undergraduate students may sign up for a graduate level EGR class using the Dual Level Request Form, if they have completed at least 85 credits and have at least a 3.0 GPA  OR be admitted to the MSE program.
• Undergraduate students can take an EGR 6xx class with permission from their undergraduate advisor, the course instructor, and the GPD. Furthermore, they will have to decide whether the course will be used for undergraduate credit or towards a future grad degree.
• Undergraduate students cannot take an EGR 5xx course and have it count towards their undergraduate degree only unless they have already applied, and been accepted, to the Combined BSE/MSE program. In this case two EGR 5xx courses will be counted towards their BSE and MSE degrees.  

Independent Study: EGR 699

• No EGR 699 will be allowed in areas where courses exist and are taught at least once per year.
• Only graduate degree or certificate-seeking students who have completed the core requirements may take EGR 699. All independent study topics and the amount of credit to be earned must be approved by the faculty member who agrees to supervise the project. A student may take multiple EGR 699 courses but no more than 3 credits in total will apply to their MSE degree.
• The conditions, meeting times, workload, and subject matter concerned with the project are mutually agreed to by the initiating student and the assenting faculty member and are consistent with standards of quality education.
• Every EGR 699 course MUST have an approved syllabus before it can be added to the schedule and students can sign up. The syllabus for EGR 699 must be approved, in order, by the curriculum committee (if applicable), and then the graduate committee. Any interdisciplinary syllabi will be approved by the graduate committee who will seek out input from subject matter experts as appropriate. Further, EGR 699s to be offered in the Winter semester must be approved in the preceding Fall, and those to be offered in either the Spring/Summer or Fall semesters must be approved in the preceding Winter semester. 1-credit EGR 699s may be offered in 6-week blocks during the semester.
• In the academic transcript the course will be displayed as EGR 699 Ind. Study in [17 char].

Remediation Policy

There is no separate Remediation Policy for engineering classes since all skills and competencies are assessed in the grade for that course. Currently, there are no assessments that do not contribute to the grade.

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Culminating Experience Practice and Policies

The culminating experience requires permission of the GPD and completion of the Responsible Conduct of Research within the last three years. The MSE program offers three culminating experience options:

• EGR 695 Master's Thesis (6 credits)
• EGR 693 Master's Project (6 credits)
• EGR 686 Capstone Design Project (3 credits)

Students doing the combined program must select between EGR 695 or EGR 693 only.

Registration Process for Culminating Experience Courses (EGR 695, 693, and 686)

1. Identify a Faculty Advisor: The student must identify a faculty member who agrees to serve as their thesis/project advisor. This faculty member will be the instructor of record for the culminating experience course.
2. Request Course Registration: 
   • Send an email to the Graduate Program Director (GPD).
   • Copy the faculty advisor who has agreed to supervise the culminating experience.
   • In the email, request that a section of EGR 695/693/686 be opened for the appropriate number of credits.
3. Obtain a Permit
   • The GPD will issue a registration permit once the course section has been added to the schedule.
   • The student must complete this process every semester they need to register for these credits.
4. Register for Continuation Credit (EGR 696)
   • If the student does not complete their culminating experience within the initial 6 credits of EGR 695 or 693, they must register for 1 credit of EGR 696 for each additional semester.
   • To register for EGR 696:
     1. Request a permit from the GPD.
     2. Complete the registration process once the permit is issued.

• Key Notes:
  • EGR 695/693/686: These courses require a permit every semester.
  • EGR 696: This is a continuation credit for students who need additional time beyond the initial 6 credits.

EGR 695 Master's Thesis (6 cr) OR EGR 693 Master's Project (6 cr)

• Students typically select EGR 693 or EGR 695, which are equivalent culminating experiences and have similar requirements.
• Differences between Thesis (EGR 695) and Project (EGR 693) requirements are highlighted below:
  • Thesis and Project are taken in integer number of credits over multiple contiguous semesters until a total of 6 credits have been accumulated.
  • Thesis and Project require the student to plan and perform research under the guidance of an engineering graduate faculty advisor and committee.
  • Thesis and Project require the student to attend the mandatory workshop held each semester by the Graduate School. Workshop must be completed by the time 3 credits of EGR 693 or 695 have been taken. 
  • Thesis and Project scope is determined in consultation with the advisor and the committee
  • Thesis and Project topic and committees must be approved by the engineering Graduate Committee using the approval form template provided. This must be done in the semester the student takes the first EGR 693/695 credits.
    • Thesis committee form is additionally submitted to the Graduate School while the Project committee form is not.
  • Committee makeup:
    • Must have at least 3 members. Faculty on the committee must have Graduate Faculty standing. See here for a list. Applications for Graduate Faculty status may be found here. 
    • Any external committee members MUST have at least a Master’s degree in engineering to officially serve on your committee.
    • One committee member on a Project committee may be from the company sponsoring the project and must have a Master's degree or higher in engineering. 
  • Student will defend their Thesis/Project by the deadlines posted for each semester by the Graduate School. Student may request an extension of the deadline.
    • For Thesis that request is made to the Graduate School (Trista Shumway)
    • For Project that request is made to the GPD.
  • Defense
    • The Thesis defense is public and in person; students will provide Allyson Albrecht with their Thesis title, committee, and time and date of their defense for public posting. This must be done at least 7 days in advance of the planned defense.
    • The Project defense is confidential and in person; students must schedule a time to defend with their committee but no public postings are made.
  • Committee signatures on the final Thesis/Project indicate that the student has successfully defended and completed all the requirements for their Thesis/Project
    • The final signature page for the Thesis is signed by the Dean of PCE. It is then sent with the completed Thesis to the Graduate School for the signature by the AVP of the Graduate School.
    • The final signature page for the Project is signed by the GPD. It does not get submitted to the Graduate School.
  • Once all the signatures are in, the faculty advisor will submit a grade change form to covert all EGR 695/693 credits to PD or PS.
  • Combined students only: your final thesis/project MUST include a section expressly listing any applicable engineering codes and standards for your work. In addition, you must document the iterative design aspect for addressing multiple constraints.

EGR 686 - Capstone Design Project (3 cr)

• Single semester, 3 credits, so students can take an extra class.
• Student works with a single graduate faculty member on a project of mutual interest.
• Best practices when undertaking an EGR 686 include:
  • Student and faculty should prepare an initial document detailing scope and deliverables of the project.
  • Student should present and submit a final project report to the faculty for a grade.
  • It is recommended that the student be given an opportunity to present/disseminate their work at conferences and/or the GVSU Graduate Showcase and Engineering Project Days.

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Graduate Assistantships

• Unlike most graduate engineering programs around the country, we have a limited number of funding opportunities for Master's students that are awarded on a merit basis.
• Graduate Assistants (GAs) support the teaching mission of our program and help with outreach, support our labs, assist professors, and mentor students.
• Each year faculty are able to request funding for Special Project GAs (SPGAs) to help with research, pedagogical analysis, or targeted outreach. 
• A full-time GA covers 9 credits of graduate tuition (5xx and 6xx courses only) and offers a stipend of $6500/semester in return for 20 hrs/week of work.
• A half-time GA covers 4.5 credits of graduate tuition (5xx and 6xx courses only) and offers a stipend of $3250/semester in return for 10 hrs/week of work.
• All GAs are entitled to a free parking pass worth $210/semester.
• GAs are assigned each semester and are renewable based on academic performance, supervisor feedback, and the availability of funds.

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International Students (F1 visa)

• Graduate international students must be enrolled in at least 9 credits each semester - 6 of those in-person - to maintain full time status and be in compliance with the USCIS.
• Students in their final semester OR in their penultimate semester with an approved program plan that has been discussed with the GPD, can be authorized for Reduced Course Load. 
• Students enrolled in EGR 693, EGR 695, or EGR 686 are considered full-time.
• Students can work on campus up to 20 hrs/week during Fall and Winter semesters, and up to 40 hrs/week during breaks (Spring break, Winter break, Spring/Summer semesters) without additional immigration authorization.
• Students may work off campus BEFORE graduation via Curricular Practical Training (CPT). In engineering, the two classes supporting CPT are:
  • EGR 685 Graduate Practicum (3 credits): Students must be employed full-time (40 hrs/week) as engineers in industry. Students must be supervised by a degreed engineer. This course may only be taken once during the MSE program.
  • EGR 699 Ind Study in Experiential Learning (1 credit): Student must be employed part-time or full-time (5 hrs/week - 40 hrs/week) as engineers in industry. Students must be supervised by a degreed engineer. This course may be taken multiple times but only 3 credits will count towards the MSE degree provided the student has not taken EGR 685.

• CPT, credit load, and GA funding
  • A student enrolled for 0 - 4 credits (excluding EGR 699 Experiential Learning - 1 credit) 
    • is ineligible for full GA funding and can be authorized for up to 40 hrs/week of CPT.
    • is eligible for half GA funding and can be authorized for up to 30 hrs/week of CPT.
  • A student enrolled for 5 or more credits (excluding EGR 699 Experiential Learning - 1 credit)
    • is eligible for full GA funding and can be authorized for up to 5 hrs/week of CPT.
    • is eligible for half GA funding and can be authorized for up to 15 hrs/week of CPT.
    • can be authorized for up to 24 hrs/week of CPT with no GA funding.

Visit the International Student Services Request Center for forms and information.

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