AEROACOUSTICS

I. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this handbook is to acquaint graduate students with the requirements that must be satisfied to obtain either the Master of Science or the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Aeroacoustics. Students are solely responsible for familiarizing themselves with the material contained in this handbook and the Graduate School Catalog. Further clarification may be obtained from the Program Coordinator for Aeroacoustics, Dr. John M. Seiner, or the Graduate School, as appropriate.

II. ADMISSION

The appropriate graduate application procedures for admission to the Graduate School must be followed. Note that the minimum Graduate School admission requirements do not guarantee admission to the Aeroacoustics emphasis area-the recommendation of the Aeroacoustics Faculty must be obtained for full standing admission. Offers for Graduate Research Assistantships shall be considered during the time the Aeroacoustics Faculty evaluates all official application materials.

III. FACULTY

Dr. John M. Seiner, Program Coordinator for Aeroacoustics

B.S. (Drexel), M.S., Ph.D. (Penn State).

Dr. James P. Chambers

B.M.E., Ph.D. (Georgia Tech).

Dr. Wm. Garth Fraizier

B.S., M.S. (Mississippi State), Ph.D. (Ohio).

Dr. Lichuan Gui

B.Eng., M.Eng. (Xian Jiaotong), Dr.Ing. (Essen).

Dr. P. Raju Mantena

B.Eng. (Andhra), Diploma (Indian Institute of Technology), M.S., Ph.D. (Idaho).

Dr. Christopher L. Mullen

B.S., M.S. (Rice), Ph.D. (Princeton).

Dr. Jeffrey A. Roux

B.S. (Louisiana State), M.S., Ph.D. (Tennessee).

Dr. Sumon K. Sinha

B.S. (Indian Institute of Technology), M.S., Ph.D. (Miami).

Dr. Lawrence S. Ukeiley

B.S. (Alfred), M.S., Ph.D. (Clarkson).

IV. ADVISING

The Dean of Engineering will assign a temporary adviser to each student who decides to accept the offer of admission. The student should schedule an appointment with the temporary adviser as soon as possible to define an initial program of study. The adviser and the student should work together to determine the student's research interests so that the temporary adviser can be replaced with a research adviser (who may or may not be the same person as the temporary adviser) before completing 9 hours of graduate course work. The research adviser will then serve as the student's mentor in both curricular and research decisions.

V. GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) are awarded on a competitive basis. GRAs will be expected to work toward the M.S. or Ph.D. degree (with full tuition remission) whereby the stipend amount will depend upon the student's preparation for graduate work and the degree sought. GRAs are expected to contribute to the research projects that provide the funds for their stipend. The adviser will serve as the supervisor for the GRA's work performance. The research sponsor (i.e., the faculty member that funds the GRA's stipend who may be different than the adviser) defines the appointment period (from one semester to 12 months) and the appointments are usually renewable if the GRA is making good academic/research progress and adequate funds are available for the stipend. The determination for renewal rests with the research sponsor in consultation with student's adviser provided a minimum grade point average of 3.0 is maintained in each semester of enrollment.

Successful candidates will receive a letter from the Program Coordinator indicating the conditions of the appointment. The letter shall include:

the title, percentage time, and period of the appointment;
the stipend level for the above period and the availability of supplemental fellowships, including conditions for receiving a tuition scholarship;
the minimum and maximum required course enrollment during the appointment period;
evaluation procedure and required grade point average and other performance requirements for continued employment;
procedure for reappointment;
deadline for acceptance of the assistantship offer;
assistantships are usually subject to taxation and must be declared as income;
date on which the appointee is required to report for work duty or training;

The following information should also be provided, if applicable or known at the time of the appointment:

a description of the duties for the assistant;
the name of the faculty supervisor [same as the temporary adviser];
required training sessions;
required English tests or courses (for international students).

General university policies and procedures shall be followed concerning the administration of graduate research assistantships.

VI. MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM

Thesis and nonthesis options are available to receive the M.S. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Aeroacoustics. However, the thesis option must be pursued initially by all students whereby the nonthesis option is permitted only upon the recommendation of the student's graduate committee. Both options require, as a minimum, 30 semester hours of graduate credit (to include 6 hours of math-related courses) in which the student's adviser must approve all course selections. Under the thesis option, the minimum of 30 graduate credits shall consist of 24 hours of graded course work and 6 thesis hours. The nonthesis option requires a minimum of 30 hours of graded course work. A minimum of one-half of the graded course work must be in courses to which only graduate students are admitted. Note that the credit requirement of 30 semester hours represents a minimum and may increase depending upon the educational needs of the student. Regardless of option, each candidate must pass a final oral examination administered by the student's graduate committee.

Each student's M.S. graduate committee shall consist of the research advisor and a minimum of two additional faculty members. The student will work with the adviser to determine the additional committee members. For the thesis defense, the student shall prepare a 30-minute oral presentation for the graduate committee in which all committee members are free to pose questions. While the committee shall direct the examination primarily to the defense of the thesis, questions may be posed that cover the student's entire program of study. The total length of the defense, with questions and answers, will be approximately 2 hours in duration but may vary significantly depending upon the nature of the ensuing discussion. The thesis must conform to style policies presented in the Manual for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation, available in The Graduate School.

If the student's progress in his/her thesis research precludes the preparation of a manuscript in a timely manner but the adviser deems the student to be a worthy candidate for the M.S. degree, then the adviser will recommend to the student's graduate committee that the student be considered for the nonthesis option. With committee concurrence, the adviser will work with the student to select courses to fulfill the credit hour requirement for the nonthesis option. The student must then pass an oral examination by the graduate committee. If the oral examination is unsatisfactory, the student will be permitted to retake the examination once.

VII. DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM

The Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Aeroacoustics requires, as a minimum, 66 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the baccalaureate degree, which includes 18 hours of dissertation credit. To help in determining the student's preparation for doctoral work, the student must pass a preliminary examination within six months of beginning the Ph.D. program (the exact time will be at the discretion of the student's adviser). All students must pass a comprehensive written examination and prepare and defend a doctoral dissertation. Note that the credit requirement of 66 semester hours represents a minimum and may increase depending upon the educational needs of the student.

A committee of Aeroacoustics faculty will serve as the preliminary examination committee whose role shall be to prepare a preliminary examination that covers various areas of engineering and mathematics. The examination shall consist of two 3-hour written sessions separated by a one-hour break in which the first half of the examination shall cover engineering and the second half mathematics. In general, each student shall have options with respect to the problems solved during each half of the examination. Upon reviewing the results of the examination, the preliminary examination committee shall decide: (a) whether the student shall continue with the doctoral program; (b) whether the student shall be retested in part or whole; or (c) whether the student's program shall be terminated. Students may retake an unsatisfactory preliminary examination, as permitted by the committee, once.

Each student's Ph.D. graduate committee shall consist of the research adviser (a.k.a. the committee chair) and a minimum of three additional faculty members (two from the Aeroacoustics faculty and one from a related area outside of engineering). The student will work with the adviser to determine the additional committee members. The Aeroacoustics faculty committee members are responsible for preparing and evaluating the comprehensive examination while the entire four-member committee is responsible for evaluating the candidate's work from the prospectus stage forward.

Near the completion of all coursework, the student must pass a comprehensive examination covering the student's entire degree program.

The examination shall consist of a 6-hour written session followed shortly (within a few weeks) by an oral examination. Upon reviewing the results of the examination, the graduate committee shall decide: (a) whether the student shall continue with the doctoral program; (b) whether the student shall be retested in part or whole; or (c) whether the student's program shall be terminated. Students may retake an unsatisfactory comprehensive examination, as permitted by the committee, once. After the successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree.

All doctoral candidates shall conduct a major research project that culminates into a written dissertation. The dissertation must be a thoroughly investigated and original contribution to the field of Aeroacoustics and must display the candidate's scholarly attainment of competence in the chosen research area. The prospectus is a preliminary document that outlines the proposed dissertation research.

The candidate must prepare and orally defend the dissertation prospectus to the graduate committee. The committee shall determine the form of the prospectus; however, as a minimum, it should include a thorough but concise literature review, the objectives of the proposed research, and the proposed methodology for conducting the research. All committee members are free to question the candidate during the defense.

For the dissertation defense, the candidate shall prepare a 45-minute oral presentation for the graduate committee in which all committee members are free to pose questions. While the committee shall direct the examination primarily to the defense of the dissertation, questions may be posed that cover the candidate's entire course of study. The total length of the defense, with questions and answers, shall be approximately 2-2½ hours in duration but may vary significantly depending upon the nature of the ensuing discussion. This final oral examination may be given only after the dissertation is in final form and ready to be submitted to The Graduate School (with the exception of corrections required by the graduate committee). The dissertation must conform to style policies presented in the Manual for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation, available in The Graduate School. There shall be one intervening calendar year between the prospectus and dissertation defenses.

VIII. FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

There is no foreign language requirement for either the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees in Engineering Science.

IX. TIME LIMITS

All work applying to the M.S. degree should be completed within a six-year time period; all work applying to the Ph.D. degree should be completed within a seven-year time period. Extensions to these time limits must be granted via policies outlined in the Graduate School Catalog.

X. TRANSFER OF GRADUATE CREDIT

The specific guidelines concerning the transfer of credit from other institutions are presented in the Graduate School Catalog. In general, transferred credits for the M.S. degree must fall within the overall six-year time limit period. No work will be accepted for transfer to the Ph.D. program; however, program requirements may be altered as a result of graduate work completed at other institutions provided that the Graduate School's minimum degree requirements are satisfied.