The University Senate of Michigan Technological University
Proposal 13-11
(Voting
Units: Academic)
“Proposal to Establish Guidelines for Accelerated
Master’s Programs at Michigan Tech”
Proposed
Name for Policy: “Accelerated Master’s
Programs”
Goals
of the Proposed Policy:
·
Develop a
flexible policy framework that will allow individual departments/programs to offer
integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree programs that meet the needs of their
students, faculty, and academic discipline.
·
Allow students in
coursework degree programs (those that require neither a thesis nor a report) to
apply a limited number of credits towards both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
·
Attract
outstanding Michigan Tech bachelor’s students into our master’s programs.
Policy
Guidelines:
For Programs:
·
The recommended
curriculum for an accelerated master’s program must be established in advance
by each department or program that wishes to offer an accelerated master’s
program to their students.
·
Recommended
curricula for accelerated master's programs can allow students to apply up to six
of the credits earned while an undergraduate to both their bachelor’s and
master’s degree.
·
Accelerated
master’s programs must require students to complete a minimum of 150 total
credits for the bachelor’s and master’s combined.
·
The maximum time
to degree for students in an accelerated master’s program is 5 years from the
time the student is accepted into the program.
·
Proposed
accelerated master’s programs that will result in students earning bachelor’s
and master’s degrees that are both currently offered by Michigan Tech do not have to be reviewed or approved by the University Senate
as they do not involve development of new degree programs.
·
This policy
cannot be used to develop stand-alone accelerated master’s programs.
·
Each plan for an
accelerated master’s programs must be reviewed by the Graduate School prior to
the time it is made available to students. The Graduate School will ensure that
the plan conforms to this policy and will make information about programs available to the Graduate Faculty Council
and the University Senate and will advertise the programs on the Graduate
School website.
For Students
·
Only students who
intend to complete both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Michigan Tech
can enroll in an accelerated master’s program.
·
Students already
enrolled in a graduate program may not retroactively use this policy.
·
In order to be
formally accepted into an accelerated master’s program students must apply to
and be accepted into the Graduate School at Michigan Tech. Applications will be
reviewed by departments and programs according to their normal procedure.
·
Students can
apply for admission to an accelerated master’s program at any time after they
attain junior-level class standing and up until they are awarded their
bachelor’s degree.
·
Only students
with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above are eligible to enter an accelerated
master’s program.
·
Students who are
accepted from the program will not be allowed to continue if their cumulative
GPA falls below 3.0.
For
University Administration
·
Students will be
considered undergraduates for the purposes of financial aid, tuition, and class
standing until their undergraduate degree has been awarded.
·
Once students are
awarded their undergraduate degree, they will be considered graduate students
for the purposes of financial aid, and tuition.
·
Prior to
completion of the master’s degree, students must indicate on their master’s
degree schedule which undergraduate-level courses (if any are allowed by the
program) and credits (up to a maximum of six, if allowed by the program for an
accelerated master's degree) should be applied to both their bachelor’s and
master’s degrees.
Financial Analysis:
During
the 2010-2011 recruiting season a total of 229 students who received a BS from
Michigan Tech applied to graduate school here. Of those, 132 were accepted to a
graduate program. Table 1 shows the final recruiting results and how values for
2010 differed from those for the preceding year (2009).
Table 1: Data for the 52-week period ending August 28, 2010. Values shown are for the students who completed a Michigan Tech
undergraduate degree and applied to graduate school here.
|
Number of Applicants who Received BS from Michigan Tech |
Change
from Prior Year (2010-2009) |
Number of Accepted Students who Received BS from Michigan Tech |
Change
from Prior Year (2010- 2009) |
|
229 |
-1 |
132 |
-16 |
The proposed policy is anticipated to
result in both revenue loss and revenue generation.
Revenue will be lost by the University
for students who pay take courses as an undergraduate that are also applied to
their graduate degree. The maximum amount of revenue that will be lost in such
cases is equivalent to 6 credits times the graduate tuition rate, currently $625
per credit.
If
all of the 132 students who completed a BS degree at Michigan Tech took
advantage of the new policy this would result in a loss of revenue of
132*6*625=$495,000.
Revenue
will be generated by this policy if students choose to continue at Michigan
Tech to complete a graduate degree. To offset the revenue loss identified above
($495,000), the University would need to recruit an additional 33 students
(assuming that each of these students pays for 24 rather than 30 credits).
It
is anticipated that recruiting additional students will be enhanced by this
policy and it seems likely that 33 additional students could be recruited each
year. As our graduate programs develop formal statements of curricula plans
that could lead to completion of both a bachelor’s and
a master’s degree within a 5-year time frame, the number of students recruited
should continue to grow.
It
must be noted that our current Senior Rule policy makes it possible for
Michigan Tech undergraduates to earn up to 10 graduate level credits for which
they pay undergraduate tuition. These credits can later be used at Michigan
Tech or applied toward a graduate degree
elsewhere. The proposed policy is intended to make it much more likely for
students making use of our current policy to continue their graduate education,
particularly at the master’s level, here at Michigan Tech in order to justify
this investment in our students’ graduate education
Sample Curricula:
As
part of the benchmarking process leading to this proposal, similar programs at
other universities were examined. “4+1” programs are becoming increasingly
common, and many allow for a reduction in the required number of graduate for a
graduate degree – either through double-counting or a formal articulation for
specific programs.
Example 1: B.S/M.S. Program in Applied and Engineering
Physics – University of Colorado (obtained
from: http://www.colorado.edu/physics/Web/education/undergrad/BS_MS_EPEN.pdf)
This is an example of a “concurrent” degree in Applied and
Engineering Physics BS/MS in which both the BS and MS are awarded upon
completion of the program. It differs from the policy proposed for
implementation at Michigan Tech in that the Michigan Tech policy would lead to
students completing the BS first, followed by completion of the MS; this is a
good example of a 5-year curriculum however.
B.S./M.S. Program in Applied and Engineering Physics
Statement of Purpose: The proposed B.S./M.S. program
in Applied and Engineering Physics aims to provide new opportunities for
undergraduate Engineering Physics majors. The program is specifically addressed
to the students in Plan 4 Engineering Physics Major Program of the Department
of Physics. The Plan 4 major gives students a thorough grounding in theoretical
physics, applied mathematics, and broad exposure to engineering topics, so that
they are well prepared either to proceed with graduate work or with
professional employment in either basic science or in applied fields. For
students interested in graduate studies, the combined B.S./M.S.
program in Applied and Engineering Physics allows an early start on graduate
course work and on research in a broad range of areas (see below). This early
exposure should allow students to save one or two semesters in the time needed
to begin Ph.D. work. For students interested in immediate professional
employment, the B.S./M.S. program would serve as a
terminal degree program that qualifies students for a higher level of
employment.
1. Admission to the program: Students are eligible to apply
for the program at the end of the first semester of their junior year (or upon
completion of the typical first semester Junior
physics courses as described in the Plan 1 curriculum) and may apply at any
time thereafter prior to completion of their undergraduate studies.
Applications are available in the main office of the Department of Physics. The
applicant should normally have a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the time of application
(petitions for admission from students with a lower GPA will be considered).
The application should be accompanied by recommendation letters from two
professors with whom the applicant took/are taking upper division physics
courses. The applicant should also produce a letter of acceptance from a
faculty sponsor/advisor to do research towards their Master’s thesis. Upon
acceptance of the applicant into the program at the departmental level, the
application will be forwarded to the Deans of the College of Engineering and
Applied Sciences and the Graduate School for endorsement.
2. Continuation in the program: In order to continue in the
program after admission, the minimum cumulative GPA required at the end of the
senior year, with 128 hours completed, is normally 3.0. After the senior year,
the student should maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) in graduate physics
courses.
3.
Curriculum: The following charts show a typical curriculum for years 1
through 4 and the first year of graduate studies.
|
Fall
|
Spring
|
|
Freshman
Year PHYS
1110-4, General Physics 1 |
Freshman
Year PHYS
1120-4, General Physics 2 PHYS
1140-1, Exper. Physics 1 |
|
Sophomore
Year PHYS 2140-3, Methods of
Theoretical Physics |
Sophomore
Year PHYS 2170-3 Foundations of
Modern Physics PHYS 2150-1, Exper. Physics 2 |
|
Junior
Year PHYS 3210-3, Analytical
Mechanics PHYS 3310-3, Principles of
Electricity and Magnetism 1 PHYS 3330-2, Electronics for
the Physical Sciences |
Junior
Year PHYS 3220-3 Quantum Mechanics
and Atomic Physics 1 PHYS 3320-3, Principles of
Electricity and Magnetism 2 |
|
Senior
Year PHYS 4230-3, Thermodynamics and
Statistical Mechanics PHYS 4410-3, Quantum Mechanics
and Atomic Physics 2 3 credits of Physics elective. |
Senior
Year 3 credits of Physics laboratory
elective. 3 credits of Physics elective |
Example 2: B.S/M.S. Degrees for
Excellent Mechanical Engineering Students – University of Alaska (obtained
from: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/cem/me/uafME_msbsFastTrack.pdf)
This is an example of a program in Mechanical Engineering
that is designed to allow students to complete both a BS and an MS in less than
the normally required amount of time. This is a good example of a program in
engineering.
B.S./M.S. Degrees for Excellent Mechanical Engineering Students
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a new
integrated Mechanical Engineering B.S./M.S. degree
program for qualified undergraduate students to complete B.S. and M.S. degrees
in a shorter time than traditional B.S. plus M.S. degrees. The combined
accelerated degree for Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students is
designed for students to complete both Bachelor of Science and Master of
Science in five years.
1. Complete
the following admission requirements:
a. ME major (junior preferred) or senior
standing.
b. GPA 3.25 or above (based on minimum of 24 credits in ME major
requirements). Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to remain in the
program.
c. Submit three letters of references.
d. Submit GRE (general) scores.
e. Submit a study goal statement.
f. Submit a UAF graduate application for
admission.
2.
Complete the
general university requirements.
3.
Complete
B.S. degree requirements (As part of the B.S. degree requirements, complete
MATH F201X, PHYS F211X and PHYS F212X).
4.
Complete the
master’s degree requirements.
5.
Complete the
following B.S. program (major) requirements:
|
ES F101-Introduction to
Engineering |
3 |
|
ES F201-Computer Techniques |
3 |
|
ES F209-Statics |
3 |
|
ES F210-Dynamics |
3 |
|
ES F301-Engineering Analysis |
3 |
|
ES F307-Elements of Electrical
Engineering |
3 |
|
ES F331-Mechanics of Materials |
3 |
|
ES F341-Fluid Mechanics |
4 |
|
ES F346-Basic Thermodynamics |
3 |
|
ESM F450W-Economic Analysis and
Operations |
3 |
|
MATH F202X-Calculus |
4 |
|
MATH F302-Differential
Equations |
3 |
|
ME F302-Dynamics of Machinery |
4 |
|
ME F308-Measurement and
Instrumentation |
3 |
|
ME F313-Mechanical Engineering
Thermodynamics |
3 |
|
ME F321-Industrial Processes |
3 |
|
ME F334-Elements of Materials
Science/Engineering |
3 |
|
ME F403-Machine Design |
3 |
|
ME F408-Mechanical Vibrations |
3 |
|
ME 415W-Thermal Systems
Laboratory |
3 |
|
ME 441-Heat and Mass Transfer |
3 |
|
ME 487 W,O-Design Project |
3 |
6. Complete the following M.S. program
(major) requirements:
|
ME F631-Advanced Mechanics of
Materials |
3 |
|
ME F634-Advanced Materials
Engineering |
3 |
|
ME F641-Advanced Fluid
Mechanics |
3 |
|
ME F642-Advanced Heat Transfer |
3 |
|
ME F608-Advanced Dynamics |
3 |
7. Complete the thesis or non-thesis
requirements:
Thesis
|
Complete the following: |
|
|
ME F699-Thesis |
6 |
|
Electives* |
9 |
Non-Thesis
|
Complete the following |
|
|
ME F698-Project |
3 |
|
Electives** |
12 |
* At least 3 credits at the graduate level.
** At
least 6 credits at the graduate level.
Electives are ME or other engineering,
science, or mathematics courses at F400-level or above approved by the
student’s advisory committee.
8.
A
minimum of 150 credits is required for both degrees.
Note: This
degree program must be completed in 7 years or the student will be disqualified
from the program. If a student is disqualified for exceeding the 7 year limit
for the fast track degree program, a ME B.S. will be awarded if: 1) completed
in 10 years, and 2) meet ME B.S .requirements.
Taken
separately, the degrees would require 161 credits (131 B.S. and 30 M.S.). The
difference of 11 credits comes from the electives of the B.S. program:
a. Taking the B.S. degree and the M.S. degree separately, the
student needs to take 11 elective credits (6 for ME electives, 3 for technical electives, and
2 for free electives) for the B.S. degree, another 9 or 12 graduate elective
credits for the M.S. degree for the non-thesis and thesis option, respectively.
b. Taking the B.S./M.S. degree, the
student needs to take 9 or 12 elective credits (for thesis and non-thesis
option, respectively) instead of both B.S. elective credits and M.S. elective
credits.
|
Sample
Five-Year Study Plan YEAR 1 |
|||
|
FALL
|
credits
|
SPRING
|
credits
|
|
Math 200X |
4
|
Math 201X |
4
|
|
ES 101 |
3
|
ES 201 |
3
|
|
Core 1 |
3
|
Core 2 |
3
|
|
Chem
105X |
4
|
Chem
106X |
4
|
|
English 111 |
3
|
Comm
131/141 |
3
|
|
|
17
|
= 17 |
34
|
|
YEAR
2 |
|||
|
FALL
|
credits
|
SPRING
|
credits
|
|
Math 202X |
4
|
Math 302 |
3
|
|
ES 209 |
3
|
ES 210 |
3
|
|
ME 321 |
3
|
ES 346 |
3
|
|
English 211/213 |
3
|
Core 3 |
3
|
|
Physics 211X |
4
|
Physics 212X |
4
|
|
|
17 |
= 16 |
33
|
|
YEAR
3 |
|||
|
FALL
|
credits
|
SPRING
|
credits
|
|
ES 307 |
3
|
ES 341 |
4
|
|
Core 4 |
3
|
Core 5 |
3
|
|
ME 302 |
3
|
ME 313 |
3
|
|
ES 301 |
3
|
ME 334 |
3
|
|
ES 331 |
4
|
ME 308 |
3
|
|
|
16
|
= 16 |
32
|
|
YEAR
4 |
|||
|
FALL
|
credits
|
SPRING
|
credits
|
|
ME 441 |
3
|
ME 403 |
3
|
|
ME 408 |
3
|
ME 415 |
3
|
|
ME 4xx or 6xx |
3
|
ME 487 W,O |
3
|
|
ME 6xx |
3
|
ME 6xx |
3
|
|
ESM 450W |
3
|
Core 6 |
3
|
|
|
15
|
= 15 |
30
|
|
YEAR
5 |
|||
|
FALL
|
credits
|
SPRING
|
credits
|
|
ME 6xx |
3
|
ME 6xx |
3
|
|
ME 4xx or 6xx |
3
|
ME 6xx |
3
|
|
ME 6xx |
3
|
ME 6xx/699 |
3
|
|
ME 698/699 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
12 |
= 9 |
21
|
|
total
|
150
|
||
Adopted by Senate: 16 February 2011
Approved by Administration: 25 February 2011
Became Senate Policy 413.1