Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Purpose

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering proposes this certificate program intended for engineers working in areas related to design, manufacture and development of composite material structures. The proposed program would enable working professionals to enhance their knowledge and keep current with technological changes in the area of composites. Earning a graduate certificate in composite materials and structures will not only provide students the opportunity to strengthen their academic background, but also offer the possibility of pursuing an MS degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.

Curriculum

Students enrolled in the graduate certificate program will take the following four courses offered by the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering graduate degree programs. Alternative courses can be substituted with the departmental approval dependent on the availability of the courses listed below.

Mc Eng 336/Ae Eng 336:  Fracture Mechanics
Mc Eng 382/Ae Eng 311:  Introduction to Composite Materials and Structures
Mc Eng 484/Ae Eng 484:  Mechanics of Laminated Composite Structures
Mc Eng 485/Ae Eng 485:  Mechanics of Composite Materials

Course Description

Mc Eng 336/Ae Eng 336:  Fracture Mechanics
Linear elastic and plastic mathematical models for stresses around cracks; concepts of stress intensity; strain energy release rates; correlation of models with experiment; determination of plane stress and plane strain parameters; application to design.

Mc Eng 382/Ae Eng 311:  Introduction to Composite Materials and Structures
Introduction to fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures with emphasis on analysis and design. Composite micromechanics, lamination theory and failure criteria. Design procedures for structures made of composite materials. An overview of fabrication and experimental characterization.

Mc Eng 484/Ae Eng 484:  Mechanics of Laminated Composite Structures
An overview of isotropic beams plates and shells. Bending vibration, and buckling of composite beams and plates:  exact and approximate solutions. Development of composite shell theory. Some simplified laminated shell solutions. Analysis of composite structures including transverse shear deformation and thermal effects.

Mc Eng 485/Ae Eng 485:  Mechanics of Composite Materials
Effective moduli of spherical, cylindrical, and lamellar systems. Micromechanics of fiber matrix interfaces and unidirectional composites. Application of shear lag and other approximate theories to interfaces and composites including fiber pull-out, debonding and matrix cracking.

Admission Requirements

The graduate certificate program is available to all individuals holding a BS degree in an appropriate engineering discipline who have a minimum of two years of professional experience or are currently accepted into a graduate degree program in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

The certificate program consists of four courses. In order to receive a Graduate Certificate, the student must have an average graduate cumulative grade point of 3.0 or better in the certificate courses taken.

Students admitted to the certificate program will have non-degree graduate status but will earn graduate credit for the courses they complete. If the four-course sequence approved by the graduate advisor is completed with a grade of B or better in each of the courses taken, the student will be admitted to the MS degree program in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering is they apply. The certificate courses taken by students admitted to the program will count towards their master's degrees.

Once admitted to the program, a student will be given three years to complete the program as long as a B average is maintained in the courses taken.

Contact

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
ME Annex 211A
1870 Miner Circle
Rolla, MO 65409
Phone: 573-341-6504
Fax: 573-341-4607
Email: dharani.mst.edu