Master of Science in Energy Engineering

                             SOLAR ENERGY OPTION



The graduate program in Energy Engineering offers professional training at the master's degree level designed to prepare the student to perform state-of-the-art work on energy systems.

Admission Requirements

The Department will consider students for enrollment in the Energy Engineering program who have a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering or similar engineering discipline. Those with degrees in other areas are also admissible to the graduate program. However, during their course of study, they will be required to take the undergraduate courses in which they are deficient. It is highly recommended that such students complete four semesters in mathematics through differential equations, and have a good background in the general area of soft mechanics (thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid flow, etc.). Generally, such students require two to three years to complete the requirements for the M.S. Eng. degree in Energy Engineering.

Advisors and Advisory Committee

The Program Coordinator will be the student's academic advisor. The advisor's primary role is to help remedy deficiencies in prerequisites, select electives of most value, and help plan the overall program of study for each student. The thesis/project advisor will chair the thesis or project advisory committee, which will guide the student in his or her research and supervise the completion of the thesis or project requirements.

Credit Requirements and Thesis

Participants in the program may elect to follow a thesis or non-thesis option. The thesis option requires a minimum of 30 credit hours: 24 hours of course work plus six credit hours of thesis research. The non-thesis option requires a minimum of 33 credit hours: 30 hours of course work plus three credit hours of project work (Master's Project 24.733). A student's thesis or project work must be defended in an oral examination conducted by the student's thesis/project committee. A thesis is usually more formal and more comprehensive than a Master's project.

Course Requirements

Students may choose to specialize in any area of interest in the college related to the energy field. Each student must take a series of core courses appropriate for the area of specialization. The exact makeup of the core curriculum will be guided and approved by the Graduate Committee of the Energy Engineering program. All students working toward the Master of Science Degree in Energy Engineering must take the following core courses:

Solar Energy Fundamentals, 22.521 (web-based, online)

Solar radiation in space and on the surface of the earth. Sunshape, intensity and flux:

effect of location and orientation. Review of heat transfer. Opaque and transparent bodies. Characterization of solar collectors.

System Dynamics, 24.509

Mathematics foundation using the state variable approach. Topics include matrix methods, Laplace and Fourier transforms, transfer functions, frequency response and stability analyses, and distributed/lumped parameter systems.  Applications to thermo-fluid systems.

Energy Engineering Workshop,  22.504

A group/individual design project. The design effort will integrate many aspect of the student’s engineering background including design concepts, technical

analyses, economics, etc. A formal report and oral presentation are required.

Solar Systems Engineering, 22.527 (web-based, online)

Thermal network modeling, passive design tools, photovoltaic system design, solar cooling, daylighting, fuel cells, and economics.

Advanced Transport Phenomena, 10.528

 An advanced study of the mechanism of momentum, heat and mass transfer. The equations of continuity, motion and energy are used to examine steady and unsteady state processes. Considerable emphasis is placed upon solutions to problems.

 

The remainder of the course requirements are to be made up of elective courses. In addition to the course and credit requirements above, all students working toward the M.S. degree are required to participate in the Graduate Research Seminar, 24.601/602.  Some common electives include, but are not restricted to:
  • Mathematical Methods of Engineering
  • Energy and the Environment
  • Environmental Laws
  • Environmental Policy
  • Convective Heat and Mass Transfer
  • Conduction and Radiative Heat Transfer
  • Manufacturing Systems
  • Advanced Fluid Mechanics
  • Control Systems
  • Power Electronics
  • Alternative Energy Systems
  • Power Systems Analysis
  • Optics

For more information contact Prof. John J. Duffy, John_Duffy@uml.edu