FAMU—FSU College of Engineering

Graduate

Dean: Suvranu De; Associate Deans: Michelle Rambo-Roddenberry, Mark Weatherspoon, Zhiyong (Richard) Liang; Assistant Dean: Janine Welch

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering was authorized by the 1982 Legislature as a joint program between Florida A&M University and Florida State University. Graduate programs of study lead to the Master of Science (MS) degrees and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in biomedical, civil, chemical, electrical, industrial, materials science, and mechanical engineering. A Master of Engineering (MEng) degree program in civil engineering and an MS degree in systems engineering are also available. A student entering the college applies for admission at one of the two universities and must satisfy the admission and general degree requirements of the university, the college, and the department. The degree is granted through the College of Engineering by the university where the student is enrolled. All College of Engineering classrooms and administrative and faculty offices are housed in a modern engineering complex located at 2525 Pottsdamer Street in Innovation Park.

The mission of the College of Engineering is as follows: to provide an innovative academic program of excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, judged by the highest standards in the field and recognized by national peers; to attract and graduate greater numbers of minorities and women in professional engineering, engineering teaching, and research; and to attain national and international recognition of the college through the educational and research achievements and the professional service of its faculty and students.

Facilities

The college occupies over 200,000 square feet of classroom, office, and laboratory space in a building complex especially designed for engineering education. It is located less than three miles from each main campus in an area adjacent to Innovation Park, which also houses the following research facilities: the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL); the Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics and Energy Center (AME); the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS); the High Performance Materials Institute (HPMI); and other university, public and private organizations engaged in research, development, and entrepreneurship. The college also maintains other research centers, including the Applied Superconductivity Center (ASC); Center for Accessibility and Safety for an Aging Population (ASAP); Center for Intelligent Systems, Control, and Robotics (CISCOR); Center for Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response (RIDER); Center for Transportation and Public Safety (CTPS), Energy and Sustainability Center (ESC); and Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP).

Each department of the college operates specialized laboratories for teaching and research that are listed in the department sections of this General Bulletin. In addition, the college operates computing facilities, a library and reading room, as well as a machine shop and electronics shops for the common use by all programs.

Library

The mission of the Engineering Library is to support and enhance the learning, teaching, research, and service activities of the FAMU-FSU engineering communities by providing organized access to quality information in all formats, promoting information literacy, preserving information, and engaging in collaborative partnerships to disseminate ideas for advancing intellectual discovery. The main book and journal collections for engineering are housed in the Dirac Science Library at Florida State University and in the Coleman Library at Florida A&M University. The Engineering Library is a satellite for both university libraries and houses a small collection along with extensive access to electronic collections. Materials not available at the library may be requested through Interlibrary Loan or U-Borrow.

The library is serviced by a full-time librarian and several assistants who offer research assistance in person, over the telephone, and via e-mail and text. Instruction in library and information literacy is available to classes and groups upon request.

Library services also include Flip video cameras, laptops, headphones, and other technology that is available for check out upon request. Modern group study tables, lounging stations, and tutoring areas are in the Engineering Library for student use.

Computing Facilities

Students have access to various computing resources at the College of Engineering. The college has over 2,000 computing devices connected to its local network, managed by College Computing Services (CCS). Computers connect to the college's network via high-speed wired and wireless LAN services. Over 200 high-end Intel-compatible workstations are provided for general student use, supplying a wide range of Engineering software applications. These computers are housed in four labs: one of the computer labs is open 24 hours a day when classes are in session, while the other three are used primarily as classrooms. The college also provides workstations in public areas that are available to students 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additionally, most of the same applications are available virtually through the myFSUVLab system. Behind the scenes, a number of servers and a Storage Area Network provide services to the college user community. CCS continues to evaluate and upgrade computer capabilities as computational needs grow. Additionally, both universities provide on-campus facilities that are available to all students. Research labs at the college contain dozens of computational systems to provide enhanced research capabilities, including complex number crunching for simulations. College researchers also take advantage of shared computational clusters located on the engineering campus and at each university. The college's computing infrastructure uses high-end core router/switches interconnected to edge switching via gigabit fiber. The college internet connection is a gigabit link connecting through the Florida State University backbone (Florida State University acts as the network manager and internet services provider for the college) allowing for fast access to the Internet2 and the LambdaRail network. Florida A&M University's computing facilities are also connected to the Tallahassee MAN, thus providing a link to the college for its students. The college has state-of-the-art instructional classrooms. The multimedia equipment in every classroom generally includes LCD projector, document camera, BluRay player, and sound system. The ceiling-mounted LCD projector is used for large-scale projection and is linked to the PC at the instructor's console. All regular classrooms are equipped to support hybrid and remote instruction via the internet. Some rooms have additional support for distance learning, including equipment to support synchronous and asynchronous instructional delivery and advance recording needs.

Distance delivery of classes to/from the FSU Panama City campus occurs regularly, and distance-learning collaborations with other universities are frequent. Live and recorded programs, classes, and events are streamed via the Internet to authorized viewers. Multi-point IP videoconferencing is also available.

Supporting Facilities

Other nearby resources include the following: the FSU Information Technology Services; the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (the 'Mag Lab'); the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS); the High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) and the Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics and Energy Center (AME). Information on additional research centers affiliated with the College of Engineering is available at https://www.eng.famu.fsu.edu/research. The college also operates the Tallahassee Challenger Learning Center, a K-12 STEM outreach facility serving the southeastern United States. Located in downtown Tallahassee, the center houses a 3-D IMAX theatre, planetarium, and a Challenger Space Mission simulator with Control Center. Other supporting facilities are Northwest Regional Data Center (NWRDC), Florida Department of Transportation research facilities, WFSU Public Broadcasting television and radio stations, as well as FAMU Information Services.

Opportunities

A large number of graduate students in the College of Engineering are supported through department teaching or research assistantships. University fellowships are available for exceptionally qualified students. In addition, tuition waivers for graduate assistants and fellows are available on a competitive basis. Students should contact the department of their proposed major regarding financial support.

Master of Science (MS) Degree

The departments of Chemical and Biomedical, Electrical and Computer, Industrial and Manufacturing, and Mechanical Engineering, offer both thesis and non-thesis programs for the Master of Science degree. The department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a thesis program for the Master of Science degree. The department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering offers specialized, non-thesis programs in engineering management and systems engineering. The College of Engineering administers the interdisciplinary thesis program for the Master of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering. The thesis-based programs are designed to provide the student with advanced coursework and experience in the chosen engineering discipline. The non-thesis programs are designed to provide the student with a strong technical education with less emphasis on research. The thesis programs are appropriate for a student who plans to engage in research or to continue graduate studies for the doctoral degree. Candidates for the master's degree must satisfy all regulations and requirements of the department in which they enroll. For additional departmental requirements consult the degree requirements under each department.

Master of Engineering (MEng) Degree

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers the Master of Engineering (MEng) degree program option. This is a non-thesis, coursework-only master's degree tailored to civil engineering professionals who are working in the field as well as for recent BS in Civil Engineering or BS in Environmental Engineering graduates. The option is designed for students who wish to pursue their advanced degree either part-time or on an accelerated one-year track. Please visit the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering website at https://eng.famu.fsu.edu/cee/ for more information.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded after the student satisfies all requirements of the university, the college, and department. This degree is offered in biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering. The College of Engineering administers the interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy program in Materials Science and Engineering.

Graduate Certificate

The Aerodynamics/Aerospace Engineering graduate certificate program is offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) while the Engineering Data Analytics and Systems Engineering Leadership graduate certificate programs are housed in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME). All applicants to the certificate program must be currently enrolled as a graduate student in good standing or be admitted as a graduate degree seeking student or graduate non-degree seeking student. In addition to the appropriate university application and acceptance, acceptance to the certificate program by way of a supplemental departmental application is required. Additional information can be found at https://eng.famu.fsu.edu/me/aerospace-engineering-aerodynamics-certificate for ME and at https://www.eng.famu.fsu.edu/ime for IME programs.

Admission Requirements

A candidate must meet the following, minimum criteria to be considered for admission into the graduate program:

  • A Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or a closely allied field from an accredited institution of higher learning or a comparable degree from and international institution.
  • A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale on all work while registered as an upper-division student.
  • Test scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Applicants for non-thesis MS or MEng programs that meet certain specified criteria may be eligible to request a waiver of the GRE. Current students and alumni of FAMU-FSU College of Engineering may be eligible to request a waiver of the GRE when applying for PhD programs.
  • An international applicant whose native language is not English must have taken an English language proficiency exam within the last five years. Minimum test scores are set by individual academic departments. See the College of Engineering website at https://eng.famu.fsu.edu/prospective/graduate/admissions-requirements for more information.

For further details on graduate or research programs, contact the College of Engineering at (850) 410-6619 or by e-mail at gradstudies@eng.famu.fsu.edu. The college also maintains a website at https://eng.famu.fsu.edu/ with detailed information on all its graduate programs.