The request to establish a Master of Science in Applied Energy and Electromechanical Systems
Date: August 29, 2013
To: College of Engineering
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: May 30, 2013
Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Spring 2014
Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.
Summary
The Board of Governors approved the request to establish the degree program with an effective date of January 2014.
Catalog Copy
Proposed Catalog Copy
Engineering Technology & Construction Management
•MS in Applied Energy and Electromechanical Systems (MSEEM)
•MS in Construction and Facilities Management (MSCFM)
•Master’s in Fire Protection and Administration (MFPA)
Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management
274 Smith Building
704-687-2305
Graduate Director
Dr. Anthony L. Brizendine
Graduate Faculty
Anthony L. Brizendine, Professor & Chair
Nan Byars, Professor
Tara Cavalline, Assistant Professor
Don Chen, Assistant Professor
Chung-Suk Cho, Assistant Professor
G. Bruce Gehrig, Associate Professor
Rodney Handy, Professor
John Hildreth, Assistant Professor
Hyunjoo Kim, Assistant Professor
Jeffrey Kimble, Associate Professor
Steve Kuyath, Associate Professor
Na Lu, Assistant Professor
Sara McMillan, Assistant Professor
David Murphy, Associate Professor
Thomas Nicholas, Assistant Professor
Maciej Noras, Assistant Professor
Carlos Orozco, Associate Professor
Ron Priebe, Associate Professor
Peter Schmidt, Assistant Professor
Deborah Sharer, Associate Professor
Barry Sherlock, Professor
Ahmad Sleiti, Associate Professor
Patricia Tolley, Associate Professor
Jozef Urbas, Assistant Professor
Sheng-Guo Wang, Professor
Wesley Williams, Assistant Professor
Aixi Zhou, Assistant Professor
Programs of Study
The Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management provides opportunities for discipline-specific and multidisciplinary graduate-level education in applied energy and electromechanical systems, construction & facilities management, and fire protection & administration, and closely related areas.
Advanced course work and research are used to enhance professional development, improve technical competency, and initiate a life-long learning experience.
M.S. in APPLIED ENERGY AND ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS
Application Deadline
Applications can be received by the Graduate Admission Office any time prior to the published deadlines. In order to be considered for assistantships and tuition grants for the following academic year, students should apply by March 1 for priority consideration. The first round of award decisions typically occurs by March 15. However, the Department will evaluate admission applications at any time complete applications are received by the Graduate School.
Early-Entry to Graduate School
Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may be accepted into the graduate program and begin work toward a graduate degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree. An applicant may be accepted at any time after completion of 75 or more hours, although it is expected that close to 90 hours will have been earned by the time the first graduate course is taken.
To be accepted into this program, an undergraduate student must have at least a 3.2 overall GPA and have taken the appropriate graduate standardized test and have earned an acceptable score. If any early-entry student has not met the normal admission requirements of a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA and a 3.0 junior-senior GPA at the end of his/her baccalaureate degree, she/he will be dismissed from the graduate program.
Students accepted into an early-entry program will be subject to the same policies that pertain to other matriculated graduate students. Generally, it will be assumed that early-entry students will finish their baccalaureate degrees before they complete 15 hours of graduate work.
Up to six hours earned at the graduate level may be substituted for required undergraduate hours. (Up to six hours of graduate work may be “double counted” toward both baccalaureate and graduate degrees.)
Assistantships
Research and teaching assistantships are available from the Department on a competitive basis to highly qualified applicants/students.
Tuition Grants
Tuition grants including out-of-state tuition differential waivers and in-state tuition support are available on a competitive basis for both out-of-state and in-state students, respectively.
Admission Requirements
The minimum admission requirements for the program are:
- An earned undergraduate degree in engineering technology, engineering, energy or a closely related field
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
- Acceptable scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the GRE
- Positive recommendations
- Acceptable TOEFL score is required if the previous degree was from a country where English is not the common language.
- Integral and differential calculus (MATH 1121 or MATH 1241 or ETGR 2171, and ETGR 2272 or MATH 1242 at UNC Charlotte or equivalent from other institution)
- Statistics (STAT 1220 or STAT 3128 at UNC Charlotte or equivalent from other institution)
- Other credentials as required by the Graduate School
Documents to be submitted for admission.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- Official GRE scores.
- Official TOEFL scores.
- The UNC Charlotte application for graduate admission online.
- Three professional recommendations.
- Others as required by the Graduate School.
Degree Requirements
The program leading to the Master of Science degree in Applied Energy and Electromechanical Systems is a 30 semester-hour program. The program consists of a 15-credit hour common core, a 6-credit hour elective core in either applied energy or electromechanical systems, and a capstone experience including either a sequence of 9-credit hours of major electives or a a specified 3-hour research and analytical methods course in conjunction with a formal 6-credit hour graduate research thesis. At least 15 semester hours must be in courses numbered 6000 or above. The 30-credit hour degree program is outlined below:
I. Common Core Courses (15-credit hours)
ENER 6120 Energy Generation and Conversion 3 credit hours
ENER 6135 Energy Transmission and Distribution 3 credit hours
ENER 6150 Systems Dynamics 3 credit hours
ENER 6170 Applied Mechatronics 3 credit hours
ETGR 5272 Engineering Analysis IV 3 credit hours
II. Master’s Thesis and Research Sequence (15-credit hours)
CMET 6160 Research and Analytical Methods 3 credit hours
ENER 6900 Master’s Research and Thesis 6 credit hours
Major Electives 6 credit hours
OR
Coursework Sequence (15-credit hours)
Major Electives 15 credit hours
Major electives will be selected from the following list (or others with approval):
CMET 5270 Operation of Constructed Facilities 3 credit hours
CMET 6130 Building Information Modeling 3 credit hours
CMET 6140 Building Energy Management 3 credit hours
CMET 6155 Facility Instrumentation and Controls 3 credit hours
ENER 5250 Analysis of Renewable Energy Systems 3 credit hours
ENER 5260 Hydrogen Production and Storage 3 credit hours
ENER 5275 Air Conditioning Systems 3 credit hours
ENER 5280 Fuel Cell Technologies 3 credit hours
ENER 5285 Applied Noise and Vibration Control 3 credit hours
ENER 5290 Advanced Instrumentation 3 credit hours
ENER 6000 Special Topics in Applied Energy or Electromechanical Systems 1-3 credit hours
ENER 6220 High Voltage Technology 3 credit hours
ENER 6235 Advanced Transmission 3 credit hours
ENER 6260 Computational Fluid Dynamics for Energy Applications 3 credit hours
ENER 6270 Dynamic Systems Control and Design 3 credit hours
ENER 6800 Independent Study 1-3 credit hours
Additional new major electives courses may be created based on industry needs and faculty research interest. In addition, appropriate existing graduate level courses from other programs may be approved by the program director.
Capstone Experiences
Students pursuing a master’s degree in applied energy and electromechanical systems have two options to complete the 30-credit hour program.
- 24 hours of course work plus 6 hours of thesis project, or
- 30 hours of course work and a comprehensive examination.
Both options require the formation of a program committee. The thesis option is reserved for students who are attending the on-campus program and are performing research under formal graduate research or teaching assistantships. Students receiving such assistantships may be required to pursue the thesis option. The thesis option requires students to submit a written thesis and orally defend their work before their program committee.
All non-thesis students must complete 30 credits of coursework and successfully complete a formal comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is a written exam. A student’s exam will be scheduled when he/she has at least 24 hours of course credit completed or in progress. The student’s graduate advisor and the examining committee will coordinate the examination (to be offered once in the fall and once in the spring semesters), preparing the exam with the assistance of members of the student’s program committee. The exam will measure the student’s mastery of theories and applications in the selected area of specialization within the discipline. Students will have only two opportunities to receive passing marks on the examination.
Advising
Each student is supervised by his/her graduate advisor and a program committee.
Plan of Study Requirements
Each student is required to submit a Plan of Study to the Department’s Graduate Director before completing 18 hours of graduate credits.
Application for Degree
Each student should submit an Application for Degree prior to graduation. If a student does not graduate in the semester identified on the Application, the student must complete a new form and repay the application fee to be considered for graduation in a subsequent semester.
Transfer Credit
The Department, at its discretion, may accept transfer of graduate courses (6 credits maximum) taken at another institution or from another program prior to admission to the master’s program in applied energy and electromechanical systems. Only courses in which the student earned a grade of B or better may be transferred.
Grades required
All candidates must earn an overall 3.0 to graduate. Accumulation of one U grade will result in the suspension of the student’s enrollment in the program.
Other requirements
The program has both a thesis and non-thesis track. After admission to candidacy, thesis students will complete a comprehensive oral exam while non-thesis students will complete a comprehensive written exam. Residence will be per Graduate School rules. There is no language requirement. While full-time students will typically take three semesters to complete the program, part-time students are expected to take no more than six years to complete the program as per Graduate School rules.
Courses in APPLIED ENERGY AND ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS
ENER 5290: Advanced Instrumentation (3) Prerequisite: ELET 2241 or ETME 3163. This course provides methodologies for measurement, analysis and control of physical components of conventional and renewable energy conversion and storage systems. (On demand)
ENER 6000: Special Topics in Applied Energy or Electromechanical Systems. (1-3) Study of specific new areas emerging in the various fields of energy and electromechanical systems. May be repeated for credit. (On demand)
ENER 6120: Energy Generation and Conversion (3) Prerequisite: ETGR 3171. Overview of energy use. Fossil fuel resources and energy conversion. Solar energy principles, solar collector, photovoltaic cells and applications. Wind energy and wind turbines. Nuclear energy principles, nuclear reactors and power generation. Geothermal and Hydraulic energy conversion. Hydrogen energy, storage and transportation, Overview of fuel cell, fuel cell types and application. (On demand)
ENER 6135: Energy Transmission and Distribution (3) Prerequisite: ETGR 3171. Power transmission and distribution network architectures. Transmission line models, parameters, and equivalent circuits. Symmetrical components. Power flow studies. Symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults. Transient operation and power system protection. Power system stability. Distribution optimization. (On demand)
ENER 6150: System Dynamics (3) Pre or co-requisite: ETGR 5272. Energy-based modeling of dynamic mechanical, electrical, thermal, and fluid systems to formulate linear state equations, including system stability, time domain response, and frequency domain techniques. (On demand)
ENER 6170: Applied Mechatronics (3) Prerequisite: ENER 6150. Analog electronic design for purposes of controlling electromechanical systems, including electromechanical sensors and actuators, analog electronic design of filters, state-space and classical controllers, and transistor-based servoamplifiers and high voltage amplifiers. Significant laboratory component with design and fabrication of circuits to control electromechanical systems. Implementation of digital controllers. (On demand)
ENER 6220: High Voltage Technology (3) Prerequisite: ETGR 3171. Covers concepts of high voltage generation, measurements, protection and safety. Students will study high electric fields theory, breakdown mechanisms in gases, liquids, and solid dielectrics. The high voltage insulation, including insulation coordination, will also be discussed. The course will also provide instructions on high voltage applications and safety. (On demand)
ENER 6235: Advanced Transmission (3) Prerequisite: ENER 6135. This course provides instruction on network steady-state analysis; faults; protection systems; switching equipment; voltage and power static control; surge voltages and protection, transient operation and stability, “smart grid” enabling technologies. (On demand)
ENER 6260: Computational Fluid Dynamics for Energy Applications (3) Prerequisites: ETME 3133 and ETGR 3171. Introduction to the use of commercial CFD codes to analyze flow and heat transfer in energy related problems. Finite difference and finite volume methods, SIMPLE model for incompressible flow, models of simple geometries are developed and studied, post processing and visualization. Overview of turbulence and turbulence modeling. (On demand)
ENER 6270: Dynamic Systems Control and Design (3) Prerequisite: ELET 4242 or ENER 6150. This course covers dynamic systems control, its analysis and design. Analysis of linear feedback systems, deterministic and stochastic dynamic systems, their characteristics, robust stability and robust performance. Robust control, Kalman filter, and its design and compensation of deterministic and stochastic dynamic systems, including wind turbines system control and piezo (mechatronics) systems. (On demand)
ENER 6800: Independent Study. (1-3) Prerequisite: Consent of graduate committee advisor. Individual investigation and exposition of results for a directed project in energy and electromechanical systems. May be repeated for credit. (On demand)
ENER 6900: Master’s Research and Thesis. (1-6) Prerequisite: Consent of graduate committee advisor. Individual investigation culminating in the preparation and presentation of a thesis. May be repeated for credit. (On demand)
ETGR 5272: Engineering Analysis IV. (3) Cross listed as ETGR 4272. Prerequisite: ETGR 2272 or MATH 1242 with a grade of C or better and STAT 1220 with a grade of C or better. A continuation of engineering analysis to include additional topics and applications in vector operations, probability, and statistics. (On demand)