Engineering Systems

Master's Degree Program

Graduate opportunities

Computer chip design, robots, bridge building and software integration all require a host of tools to solve complex problems in a holistic and comprehensive way. As a highly educated, technical problem-solver or manager, which next-generation technology will you tackle?

The Department of Engineering Technology at the University of North Texas offers course work leading to a Master of Science degree in Engineering Systems and a Master of Science/Master of Business Administration dual degree. As the largest of its kind in Texas, our program advances your training and prepares you to design, develop, build and manage modern technological systems.

The College of Engineering is a pioneer in developing project-oriented curricula that allow you to apply knowledge in interesting and tangible real-world applications. Our state-of-the-art laboratories and research facilities are the envy of universities nationwide.

Outstanding support

With small class sizes, you will work closely with distinguished faculty members to solve complex problems faced by businesses and consumers. You can also take advantage of the invaluable contacts we have with leading companies and corporate partners.

Flexible class and laboratory times are available to accommodate full- or part-time work schedules. Most courses are taught at night and on weekends, some including laboratories, and others utilize distance education methods. The college is developing additional online courses to assist you with meeting work and academic obligations.

Our program is dedicated to meeting the increasing demand for advanced training and research in the engineering systems spectrum. The department’s mission is to provide excellence in research, teaching and service relative to technical concentrations. The faculty is committed to exceeding the need for advanced education, training and applied research.

The department resides at Discovery Park, a 300-acre research facility that promotes and supports interactive and multidisciplinary research, education and training that benefits students, faculty and the community. Laboratories supporting each area of emphasis feature state-of-the-art computers, software, equipment and instrumentation. Laboratory equipment in other departments is available to support thesis research.

Degree Options

M.S. degree

In this degree program, you may pursue concentrations in the following areas under a thesis or nonthesis option.

• Electrical Systems enhances your technical background through advanced study in telecommunications, process controls, instrumentation and sensor systems.
• Mechanical Systems emphasizes computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing, applied mechanics and materials in mechanical systems, contemporary materials, quality assurance, research and development, component/product, and process design as well as instrumentation design.
• Construction Management includes scheduling, risk management, building information modeling and dispute avoidance.
• Engineering Management emphasizes experiment design, analytical methods, technological innovation, product design and development, accounting, marketing, and business management.

M.S./M.B.A. dual degree

If you have an undergraduate degree in business, the dual degree helps you to better comprehend how business decisions affect other divisions of a corporation. You develop an understanding of the business side of corporations if you have an undergraduate degree in engineering or engineering technology or another technical field.

Research and laboratories

Our department’s research focuses on technological systems and processes with specific industrial applications. Award-winning, nationally recognized faculty members partner with students on research projects and serve as mentors and advisors. Among them is Associate Professor Cheng Yu who earned a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to study the design of cold-formed steel shear walls and to develop high- performance structures.

Thesis research develops the problem-solving skills needed to transfer theoretical knowledge from the laboratory to the industrial sector (technology transfer). Research themes for each concentration are outlined below.

Mechanical systems: product design and development, quality assurance, composite materials, materials testing, production planning and management, green manufacturing processes, computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, computer numerical control, part programming, electromechanical design, robotics, and computer-integrated manufacturing

Construction management: sustainability, thin-walled cold-formed steel structures, structural stability, computational mechanics, building information modeling, green building, earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, high-rise building lateral systems, and bridge and transportation structures

Electrical systems: hardware and software interfacing, data acquisition and analysis, computer- aided software engineering, local area networks, digital signal processing, real-time control systems, distributed control systems, radio frequency communication systems and solar energy research

Engineering management: inventory management, production planning and control, process optimization, logistics, supply chain management, new product management, and value stream mapping

Current projects are supported by Alcatel-Lucent, Altera Corp., the American Cancer Society, the American Society for Engineering Education, Motorola, the National Science Foundation, Nuconsteel, the Office of Naval Research, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Society of Plastics Engineers, the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program, the Texas Education Agency, TXU, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements

In addition to the following program requirements, you must meet the admission requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School. For requirements and possible exceptions, visit www.gradschool.unt.edu.

Program requirements include submitted GRE scores. If you graduated from an ABET-accredited program, GRE scores are not required. If you do not have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in engineering or engineering technology, including appropriate physics, chemistry and calculus courses, the time required to complete your degree could be longer than average.

Degree requirements

Your program is planned under the direction of a major professor or an advisor during your first semester of graduate study. When the degree plan is approved by the graduate dean, you will be admitted to candidacy.

The 30-credit-hour thesis option consists of 6 credit hours of thesis credit and 24 credit hours of graduate course work. As a candidate for the M.S. in Engineering Systems under the thesis option, you will select and develop the topic and design a thesis in consultation with your graduate advisory committee. This option concludes with a thesis defense.

The 33-credit-hour nonthesis option includes a 3-credit-hour project-in-lieu-of-thesis and 30 credit hours of graduate course work.

Financial assistance

The department has scholarships and research/ teaching assistantships available for full-time graduate students. For additional information, contact the department chair. Information about other financial assistance options is at financialaid.unt.edu.