Engineering Degrees

Degrees are awarded in the following fields of engineering:

• M.Eng. in Computer and Systems Engineering
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering
• M.S. in Engineering Science
• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Engineering Programs

Candidates for the master’s degree must:

• Prepare a plan of study with their adviser and have it reviewed and approved by the chair of engineering no later than their fourth course.
• Complete a plan of study with at least 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree with satisfactory grades. At least eighteen of the total major credit hours presented toward the degree must have the suffix numbers 6000–6990 or 7000–7990.
• Complete all requirements within five years of admission.

Culminating Experience (Engineering Seminar)

The culminating experience is a requirement for the master’s degree in Connecticut. It may be fulfilled by any of the following:

• Submitting an Engineering Seminar paper (zero credit hours) in addition to the required 30 credit hours.
• Completing a six-credit hour master’s thesis or master’s project along with 24 credit hours of appropriate course work.
• Completing a three-credit hour master’s project along with 27 credit hours of appropriate course work.

General Engineering Requirements

Students entering the engineering programs are expected to hold a Bachelor of Science degree. Students not holding a degree in one of the traditional engineering disciplines must have at least:

• Mathematics, through Ordinary Differential Equations (3 terms or 12 credits)
• Physics (2 terms)
• Chemistry and/or Engineering Materials (1 term )
• Mechanics (1 term)
• Electronics/Circuits (1 term)

Students lacking one or more of these courses are expected to take corrective action before entering any of the engineering programs.

The Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BET) degree is not generally considered appropriate preparation for admission to master’s degrees and courses in engineering. Applicants with this degree may be required to do significant background repair and/or submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination Engineering test, along with the standard admissions credentials. Application forms for this test may be obtained from the Office of Admissions.

All students entering the engineering programs at Rensselaer at Hartford are expected to be familiar with one of the major higher level programming languages (Fortran, C, Pascal, etc.).

To earn the degree, a minimum of six of the major courses taken at Rensselaer must be at the advanced level (6000–6990 or 7000–7990).

A limited number of elective courses outside a specific engineering discipline may be taken and credited toward an engineering degree. The student’s faculty adviser must approve these elective courses.

Electrical Engineering

The Electrical Engineering curriculum is designed for students who wish to focus their study in Digital Communications, Control Systems, and Digital Signal Processing.

A Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering is the desired background for admission to the program. Other students entering the program should have fulfilled the General Engineering Requirements noted above and the Electrical Engineering Background Requirements listed below.

Electrical Engineering Background Requirements

• Advanced Mathematics (i.e., Complex Variables, Laplace Transforms, Fourier Analysis, Probability) (1 term)
• Digital Logic (1 term)
• Electronics/Circuits (active or passive) (1 additional term)
• Linear Systems or Feedback Systems (1 term)
• Technical Design Elective (e.g., Communications Systems, Semiconductor Devices, Introduction to Microprocessors, Circuit Synthesis(1 term)

Students lacking any of the above courses must consult with their adviser to devise a plan for corrective action.

Electrical Engineering Program Requirements

The following must be included in a plan of study for the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering:

• At least eighteen credit hours in 6000-level courses (or equivalent with approval of adviser)
• At least 21 credit hours in ECSE courses or related technical work
• A three-course specialization to provide depth in an approved technical area
• A two-course sequence outside electrical engineering to provide breadth
• Engineering Seminar

Specializations

From the courses currently available at Hartford, a three-course specialization can be constructed in any of the following areas:

• Digital Communications
• Control Systems
• Digital Signal Processing

The student may propose other areas, but they are subject to adviser’s approval.

Outside Sequences

From the courses currently available at Hartford, a two-course sequence outside of electrical engineering can be constructed in any one of the following areas:

• Computer Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Management and Technology

Computer and Systems Engineering

The Master of Engineering in Computer and Systems Engineering provides the student with the appropriate hardware and software tools needed in such critical areas as digital communications and signal processing, robotics and automation systems, computer communication networks, and software engineering.

Admission Requirements
Students should have received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science. Students with a B.S. degree in another engineering discipline, Mathematics or Physics, are subject to the condition that the following essential prerequisites for their chosen area of specialization have been completed:

Digital Communications and Signal Processing
ECSE-2010 Electrical Circuits
ECSE-2410 Signals and Systems
ECSE-2610 Computer Components and Operations

Computer Communications Networks
ECSE-2010 Electrical Circuits
ECSE-2410 Signals and Systems
ECSE-2610 Computer Components and Operations

Robotics and Automation Systems
ECSE-2010 Electrical Circuits
ECSE-2410 Signals and Systems
ECSE-2610 Computer Components and Operations

Software Engineering
CSCI-1100 Computer Science I
CSCI-2300 Data Structures and Algorithms
ECSE-2610 Computer Components and Operations

Computer and Systems Engineering Program Requirements

The following must be included in a plan of study for the degree of Master of Engineering in Computer and Systems Engineering:

• At least eighteen credit hours in 6000-level courses (or equivalent with approval of adviser)
• At least 21 credit hours in ECSE courses or related technical work
• A three-course specialization to provide depth in an approved technical area
• A two-course sequence outside computer and systems engineering to provide breadth
• Engineering Seminar

Specializations

From the courses currently available at Hartford, a three-course specialization can be constructed in any of the following areas.

• Digital Communications and Signal Processing
• Computer Communication Networks
• Robotics and Automation Systems
• Software Engineering

The student may propose other areas, but they are subject to adviser’s approval.

Outside Sequences

From the courses currently available at Hartford, a two-course sequence outside of Computer and Systems Engineering can be constructed in any one of the following areas.

• Computer Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Management and Technology

Preparatory courses do not apply toward the minimum 30 credit hours required for the Master of Engineering degree.

Engineering Science

The Engineering Science curriculum serves students whose educational needs do not correspond to the standard professional engineering curricula. It allows students to tailor courses of study to their particular requirements. Each student’s course of study is developed in consultation with the Chair to allow a strongly directed interdisciplinary approach.

The degree awarded in this area is not, nor is it intended to be, accredited for practice. Students entering the Engineering Science program are expected to have fulfilled the General Engineering Requirements noted above.

Mechanical Engineering

The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering allows the student to increase his or her competence in a number of mechanical engineering subjects, or to specialize in depth in the areas of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mechanical design, solid mechanics, or thermodynamics.

A Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering is the desired background for admission to the program. Other students entering the program should have fulfilled the General Engineering Requirements noted above, and the Mechanical Engineering Background Requirements listed below.

Mechanical Engineering Background Requirements

• Chemistry (1 additional term)
• Statics (1 term)
• Dynamics (1 term)
• Strength of Materials (1 term)
• Fluid Mechanics (1 term)
• Heat Transfer (1 term)
• Mechanisms (1 term)
• Machine Design (1 term)
• Thermodynamics (2 terms)

Students lacking any of the above courses must consult with their adviser to devise plans for corrective action.

Mechanical Engineering Program Requirements

A plan of study must include the following items.

• MEAE-4960 Numerical Analysis for Engineers.
• MEAE-7010 Math of Engineering and Sciences
  (These courses may be waived if the student is competent in the subject.)
• At least 18 credit hours in mechanical engineering courses at an advanced level (or equivalent with approval of adviser). All courses with the suffix numbers 6000–6990 and 7000–7900 apply.
• At least 21 credit hours in MEAE courses.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours, including Engineering Seminar. A limited number of elective courses outside the area of mechanical engineering are permitted. However, the student’s adviser must approve these courses.

Graduate Certificate in Quality and Reliability Engineering

The Department of Engineering at Rensselaer at Hartford offers a Graduate Certificate in Quality and Reliability Engineering integrating technical skills with business knowledge. The production of reliable products requires processes operating under control. The purpose of quality engineering is to measure and improve process control to increase the reliability of products and services. The Graduate Certificate in Quality and Reliability Engineering is designed to develop skills in the application of quality engineering principles to enhance the performance of industrial and business systems. The program consists of three, 3-credit-hour courses which are available via distance delivery. Credit from all of the following required courses can later be applied towards a master’s degree.
DSES-6110 Introduction to Applied Statistics
DSES-6170 Management of Quality Processes and Reliability
DSES-6230 Quality Control and Reliability

Graduate Certificate in Systems Modeling and Analysis

Simulation and other types of modeling tools create manageable representations of complex systems. These models enable managers and technical analysts to study the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of alternative management policies and system designs. Modern simulation software provides easy access to graphical and computational analyses, which enable extensive experimentation with real and proposed systems before resources are committed. These analyses provide the decision support tools needed to assure the reliability, functionality, and efficiency of all types of industrial systems.

This Graduate Certificate is designed to provide skills in the development and interpretation of simulation models of real-world systems. Discrete event models of industrial engineering and management science systems are emphasized. The Systems Modeling and Analysis Graduate Certificate Program requires three 3-credit-hour courses which are available via distance delivery. Credit from all of the following required courses can then be applied towards a master’s degree.

DSES-6110 Introduction to Applied Statistics
DSES-6610 Applied Operations Research
DSES-6620 Simulation Modeling and Analysis

Graduate Certificate in High Temperature Materials

Materials used in the “hot zones” of propulsion and power generation systems must satisfy stringent demands for integrity and performance. Materials exposed to these extreme environments exhibit continuously evolving microstructures, and this must be accounted for during the component design stage of production.

Rensselaer offers a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in High Temperature Materials designed to provide an understanding of the properties of high temperature alloys as well as skills in improving those properties by manipulating the material microstructure through processing.

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in High Temperature Materials Technology in Propulsion and Power Generation is awarded on successful completion of three graduate level courses. Academic credit from these courses can then be applied towards a Master of Science degree.

Professional Engineering

Professional Engineering seminar topics and preparatory programs for the Professional Engineering Exams are provided in our Engineering course schedules and Web site. The exam review courses for Part I (EIT) and II (PE) and Land Surveyor are held evenings for ten to twelve weeks prior to the April and October state exams. Rensselaer at Hartford works closely with the State of Connecticut to provide testing schedule information as well as application requirements.

• Fundamentals of Engineering (EIT) Review Course
• Professional Engineering Review Courses (Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil)
• Land Surveyor Review Course