Mechanical Engineering, B.S. + M.S.

Students in the Beach EDGE Mechanical Engineering program will complete the requirements for both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Mechanical Engineering.

• Mechanical Engineering, B.S.  
• Mechanical Engineering, M.S.  

Application

Requirements:

1. Completed application form
2. Greater than 3.5 GPA (cumulative GPA)
3. A student in good standing in the CSULB BSME program.
4. Must have completed two full semesters in residence at CSULB
5. All required 300 MAE seminar courses and MATH 370A have been completed by the start of the first 500-level course.
6. Completed at least 60 units of BS coursework.

The GRE is not required.

Timeline

1. Apply as early as the semester the student is expected to complete all 300 MAE seminar courses and MATH 370A. 
2. Applications must be received by the department chair via email by October 1 (for spring admission) or March 1 (for Fall admission). Tentative admission decisions will be made by November 1 or April 1 for the October 1 and March 1 deadlines, respectively.
3. Students will not be officially admitted to the blended Beach EDGE program until grades are posted for that semester and all requirements are met.
4. Admitted students must complete the Beach Edge Agreement Form and have written approval from both the undergraduate and graduate advisors via signature. Students must initiate the discussion with the undergraduate advisor first.
5. Students who apply to the blended program but do not meet the requirements at the end of the semester they applied are eligible to reapply the following semester, assuming requirements are met.
6. Students may start the blended Beach EDGE program in Fall or Spring semester.
7. A department committee will review applications and make recommendations on admissions.

Program Requirements

1. Overview:
   1. Up to 12 units will double count for BS and MS requirements
   2. Degree Award: Students will take 500-level courses (not including MAE 501 and 502) as a BS student. The BS degree will be awarded first before the MS degree is completed.
2. GPA: Must maintain at least a 3.0 for courses applied to MS degree. A grade of ‘C’ in a 500-level course is acceptable (i.e., an ‘A’ will be needed to meet the GPA requirement).
   1. Students whose GPA drops below 3.0 will be subject to academic warning requirements as determined by University policy once they have ‘graduate’ status.
3. Master’s Level Tracks:
   1. Students in the blended Beach EDGE program may take either the thesis or comprehensive exam track.
   2. Thesis track: Students opting to complete a thesis are recommended to find a faculty research advisor prior to, during, or shortly after the application process to facilitate the expedited timeline. Any work completed as part of honors theses, independent study, senior design, etc. is not allowed to be included in the graduate thesis. Follow-on work or results not included in the above-mentioned coursework may be included in the graduate thesis.
   3. Comprehensive exam track: Students in the blended program will take the same exam as students enrolled in the MS programs. Refer to the graduate program handbook for specific details.
   4. Students are encouraged to identify a concentration for the MS degree prior to enrolling in courses. This approach is recommended to prioritize course selection for the concentration-specific courses to facilitate timely graduation.
4. Courses: Students in the blended Beach EDGE program will have the same course requirements as the traditional MS programs.
   1. Students should refer to the latest version of the graduate program handbook for core and concentration course requirements.
   2. 400-500 Course Double Counting Details
      • The 12 units students may choose to substitute are listed below.
      • BSME students can use the following courses to double-count for both degrees
        • MAE 531  for MAE 431
        • MAE 573  for MAE 476
        • Two elective choices taken in consultation with an advisor from the list below
      • Elective List
        • MAE 505  
        • MAE 506  
        • MAE 507  
        • MAE 508  
        • MAE 522  
        • MAE 523  
        • MAE 524  
        • MAE 525  
        • MAE 526  
        • MAE 527  
        • MAE 528  
        • MAE 529  
        • MAE 531  
        • MAE 532  
        • MAE 533  
        • MAE 534  
        • MAE 535 
        • MAE 539  
        • MAE 551  
        • MAE 553  
        • MAE 561  
        • MAE 563  
        • MAE 567  
        • MAE 574  
        • MAE 575  
        • MAE 576  
        • MAE 577  
        • MAE 578  
        • MAE 581  
        • MAE 582  
        • MAE 583  
        • MAE 585  
        • MAE 590  

Advancing to Candidacy

1. Students must have completed their BS program and be in graduate status before being advanced to candidacy.
2. The graduate program requires students to advance to candidacy after the completion of 12 units as outlined by the graduate handbook.
3. Students in the blended Beach EDGE program will have the same requirements.  The GPA used for candidacy will be calculated from the courses that go to the MS degree, whether or not the course is double counted for the BS degree.

Dropping out of the blended Beach EDGE program

1. Students whose GPA drops below the minimum required GPA for the traditional program (e.g., BSME or MSME) will be subject to academic warning and follow procedures set by that respective program and university policy.
2. Blended program students who are in the process of completing their BS degree must maintain a GPA of 3.0 for all 500-level courses.
3. Students who do not meet GPA requirements will be removed from the blended degree program. Students will remain in their BS program and shall follow the course requirements for that program. Previous 500-level courses completed with grades C or above will be substituted for the appropriate 400-level course for the BS degree requirement.
4. A final grade of D/F in any 500-level course while the student has undergraduate status will result in their removal from the blended degree program. Students will need to complete B.S. degree requirements.
5. Students who do not maintain continuous enrollment or have approved academic leave will be dropped from the BS program (if they have undergraduate status) or the MS program (if they have graduate status). In those cases, the student must reapply to the respective program.
6. A student may voluntarily decide to exit the blended program and finish the BS program requirements. A student may choose to discontinue the blended degree and must inform the graduate advisor of their decision in writing prior to the start of the following semester.
7. Any student who is withdrawn from the program for any reason may not re-enroll in the blended Beach EDGE program. Students who wish to obtain an MS degree will have to apply via Cal State Apply after the completion of their BS degree.
8. Any student who withdraws from the program for any reason and is readmitted to the regular MSME program will not double count 500-level courses previously taken as part of their BS degree unless it has been more than 7 years since that course was taken. If a core MSME course was taken as part of the student’s BS degree, the student cannot retake that course for MSME credit. Instead, the student must work with the graduate advisor to substitute another course. 
9. If they change their undergraduate majors or master’s programs, they will be withdrawn from the blended Beach EDGE program.

Advising

1. Students must meet with both undergraduate and graduate advisors until they have graduate status.
2. Undergraduate advisors will help with substituting the appropriate course ONLY AFTER the student has discussed which courses to take with the graduate advisor. The signed, by the student and both advisors, agreement form with the discussed course roadmap is required.

Eligibility, Application, Deadlines, and Additional Information are detailed on the Beach Edge website.