Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Master of Science in Engineering, Major in Renewable and Clean Energy

On this page:

Why Choose Renewable and Clean Energy Engineering?

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers a program of graduate study leading to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.) degree with a major in Renewable and Clean Energy. This increasingly critical field of engineering focuses on alternative energy technologies that hold promise of becoming a substantial source of energy for the United States. The Renewable and Clean Energy program includes courses on many types of alternative energy systems, in addition to courses on fundamental concepts related to energy. Included in this program are courses on fuel cells, solar energy, wind power, hydrogen fuel, energy conversion, energy materials, energy efficiency, thermodynamics, etc. The intent of this program is to train the next generation of renewable and clean energy engineers and to develop research in the area of renewable and clean energies.

Facilities, Research, and Collaboration

Graduate students have access to a wide range of modern facilities including classrooms, laboratories and computer systems, interconnected by local and wide area communication networks. Computational facilities include numerous PC clusters, workstations, X-windowing terminals, and personal computers. Students will have access to laboratories not only at Wright State University, but also facilities located at other DAGSI institutes. The Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute (DAGSI) provides collaboration opportunities through the graduate engineering courses, faculty, and research resources of the Air Force Institute of Technology, the University of Dayton, The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati. In addition, several industrial companies, laboratories, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are involved in joint research efforts with the university and have unique facilities available for faculty and graduate research. Research in renewable and clean energy is a new and upcoming field at Wright State University. There has been research done in fuel cells, geothermal energy, solar energy, wind power, batteries, super capacitors, and hydrogen storage. Research topics change as resources and interests change.

Success Stories

Wright State University engineering alumnus Joe Bozeman studies the environmental impact of food consumption along racial lines.

Academics and Curriculum

View the Master of Science Engineering, Major in Renewable and Clean Energy program information, outcomes, and requirements in the Academic Catalog.

Admission

Requirements

To be considered for admission to the M.S.E. in Renewable and Clean Energy program, students must first satisfy basic admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. For regular degree status, this includes having a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related area with an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) or an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.5 with an average of 3.0 or better for the last 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) earned toward the undergraduate degree. View additional information on graduate admissions in the Graduate Policies and Procedures Manual.

Acceptable undergraduate degrees include any four-year engineering degree and many science and math degrees that require at least three semesters of calculus and a differential equations course.  Students who did not complete the following prerequisite courses in their undergraduate program may be permitted to take them after admission to the Renewable and Clean Energy program:

  • Thermodynamics I  (at Wright State this would be ME 3310/5310)
  • Fluid Dynamics (at Wright State this would be ME 3350/5350)
  • Heat Transfer (at Wright State this would be ME 3360/5360)
  • Materials Science (at Wright State this would be ME 2700)

The Renewable and Clean Energy graduate program requires students from non-ABET accredited undergraduate programs to submit general GRE test scores. Please visit http://www.abet.org for additional information on accreditation. International students must also have a TOEFL score of at least 79(IBT)/ 213(CBT)/ 550(PBT). These scores should be sent to the Wright State International Admissions office (244 Student Union, Wright State University, Dayton OH 45435).

While the criteria listed above offer general guidelines, program admission decisions are based on complete application information including overall academic performance and standardized test scores where applicable. Personal statements and letters of recommendation are not required, but applicants are welcome to include them. Application tracking is done through the Graduate School's website, rather than at the department level. If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements listed above, you must apply for the program before your credentials can be reviewed, i.e. the department cannot advise prospective students on whether to apply.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Visit the International Admissions website for information on international graduate student admissions requirements

How to Apply

Graduate students should apply for admission through Wright State's Graduate School.

Graduate Assistantships

The College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) offers you and other graduate students a worthwhile financial aid option in the form of graduate assistantships. All academic departments in CECS hire hourly graders, teaching assistants, and recitation teachers. Individual researchers hire graduate students for graduate research assistant positions that typically include both a stipend and tuition remission. All positions are available on a competitive basis. Please indicate your interest in one of these positions at the time of your application.


Take the Next Step

Finding the right college means finding the right fit. See all that the College of Engineering and Computer Science has to offer by visiting campus.