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1. Within a few years of graduation, alumni will have attained one or more of the following:
   1. Employment and advancement in mechanical engineering or in another technical or professional field, where advancement could include attaining assignments of increasing responsibility or career promotions, developing a professional network, or advancing toward professional licensure.
   2. Initiation of and advancement in an entrepreneurial venture or business startup.
   3. Admission and progress toward or completion of a graduate degree program in engineering, business, medicine, law, or in another technical or professional field.
2. Within a few years of graduation, alumni will have demonstrated advancement in meeting the standards and values of the engineering profession and of their own company, and involvement consistent with these standards and values such as in communities of practice, professional societies, policy making, and government.
   (See the U.S. Department of Labor’s , the and the for details on standards and values)
3. Within a few years of graduation, alumni will have acted in ways consistent with the values of µÛÍõ»áËù by performing community service and volunteering, voting and being an engaged citizen, engaging in civil public discourse about technical issues, making decisions consistent with the triple bottom line (environmental, financial, social), and/or using their skills and influence in any way that contributes to the greater good.

1. Within a few years of graduation, alumni will have attained one or more of the following:
   1. Employment and advancement in public or private sectors of the multidisciplinary energy field or in another technical or professional field, where advancement could include moving from being an individual contributor to leading projects, being promoted, developing a professional network, or advancing toward professional licensure or Certified Energy Manager (CEM) Certification.
   2. Admission and progress toward or completion of a graduate degree program in engineering, business, medicine, law, or in another technical or professional field.
2. Within a few years of graduation, alumni will have demonstrated advancement in meeting the standards and values of the engineering profession and their own company, and involvement consistent with these standards and values such as in communities of practice, professional societies, policy making, and government. (See the U.S. Department of Labor’s , the Association of Energy Engineers Code of Ethics and the for details on standards and values.)
3. Within a few years of graduation, alumni will have acted in ways consistent with the values of µÛÍõ»áËù by performing community service and volunteering, voting and being an engaged citizen, engaging in civil public discourse about technical issues, making decisions consistent with the triple bottom line (environmental, financial, social), and/or using their skills and influence in any way that contributes to the greater good.

1. Prepare graduates for advanced careers in the engineering profession including doctoral studies, post-doctoral experiences and technical leadership positions
2. Graduate mechanical engineers with the ability to effectively communicate graduate-level engineering concepts and applications
3. Graduate mechanical engineers with advanced engineering research and problem-solving skills

With the recent transition from outcomes ABET a-k to ABET 1-7, program faculty have adopted a decentralized process for outcomes assessment: 1) Every required course taught by program faculty participates in outcomes assessment, and 2) Every participating course has a primary ABET outcome (1-7) that it shares responsibility for.  The faculty member(s) who teach the participating courses are in charge of the ABET assessment for that learning outcome (collecting data / evaluating data / validating assessment rubrics / making changes / closing the loop, summarizing the results for the accreditation reports). 

Our assessment process is centered on direct assessment of student work, and the target is that 75% of students in each specific assessment activity should meet or exceed the marginally acceptable performance level. Generally, focus groups bring together relevant assessments of student work from each of the associated courses related to the outcome of interest, review student performance, and make recommendations as a group for future action items/revisions to improve student learning and assessment within the focus of the outcome. 

With the recent transition from outcomes ABET a-k to ABET 1-7, program faculty have adopted a decentralized process for outcomes assessment: 1) Every required course taught by program faculty participates in outcomes assessment, and 2) Every participating course has a primary ABET outcome (1-7) that it shares responsibility for.  The faculty member(s) who teach the participating courses are in charge of the ABET assessment for that learning outcome (collecting data / evaluating data / validating assessment rubrics / making changes / closing the loop, summarizing the results for the accreditation reports).  

Our assessment process is centered on direct assessment of student work, and the target is that 75% of students in each specific assessment activity should meet or exceed the marginally acceptable performance level. Generally, focus groups bring together relevant assessments of student work from each of the associated courses related to the outcome of interest, review student performance, and make recommendations as a group for future action items/revisions to improve student learning and assessment within the focus of the outcome. 

• Before the proposal stage – each student's selection of elective coursework pertaining to an area of technical specialization is reviewed by their research advisor and thesis committee. Additionally, the program's graduate chair reviews and approves the choice of elective coursework.
• At the proposal stage - each student's graduate committee reviews the proposed research plan for his or her thesis work in written form and in an oral presentation defense. All thesis proposals must contain an approved set of research objectives, a properly cited literature review to demonstrate technical expertise in the chosen area of study, and a comprehensive plan of work to meet the research objectives, including demonstration of knowledge of the engineering tools to be used, the scope of the data to be collected, the methods of data analysis, and the methods used to ensure integrity of the conclusions drawn from the analysis of the data.
• At the thesis defense stage - each student's graduate committee reviews and assesses the student's execution of his or her research plan. Assessment is done on both the written thesis document and in an oral defense presentation to evaluate the level of professional development of the student in attaining expertise in their selected technical area, their ability to collect and analyze data in a robust and repeatable manner, and in their ability to communicate the results to an educated, professional body.
• Students must maintain a B-or-better average in core coursework. Only courses with grades of C or above count towards graduation.

• Each student’s advisor reviews the student’s selection of coursework and a plan of study is prepared. The program’s graduate chair reviews the plan of study to make sure that degree requirements are met. The program’s graduate chair also goes through the graduation checklist before the degree is awarded.
• Each student has a graduate committee that consists of members from within the college and outside the college
• Each student must pass a comprehensive exam. The student prepares a written document and then makes an oral presentation to his/her graduate committee. The graduate committee evaluates the work assesses understanding of the material
• Each student must prepare a thorough research proposal - the student's graduate committee reviews the proposed research plan in written form and through an oral presentation. All proposals must contain an approved set of research objectives, a properly cited literature review to demonstrate technical expertise in the chosen area of study, and a comprehensive plan of work to meet the research objectives, including demonstration of knowledge of the engineering tools to be used, the scope of the data to be collected, the methods of data analysis, and the methods used to ensure integrity of the conclusions drawn from the analysis of the data
• Each student must prepare a detailed scholarly dissertation document explaining the research and must defend the research conducted. The student's graduate committee reviews and assesses the student's execution of his or her research plan. Assessment is done on both the written document and in an oral defense presentation to evaluate the level of professional development of the student in attaining expertise in their selected technical area, their ability to collect and analyze data in a robust and repeatable manner, and in their ability to communicate the results to an educated, professional body

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

1. An ability to conceptualize, design, and execute advanced engineering research.
2. An ability to effectively communicate graduate-level engineering concepts and applications in oral and written forms.
3. An ability to use analytical and computational methods to process data and solve engineering problems.

1. An ability to develop personal expertise in one or more areas of technical specialization.
2. An ability to conceptualize, design, and execute advanced engineering research and to test a scientific hypothesis or proposed engineering solution using prior published knowledge as a foundation.
3. An ability to use analytical and computational methods to process data and solve engineering problems.
4. An ability to effectively communicate graduate-level engineering concepts and applications in oral and written forms.

• Direct assessment evidence is collected for each measurable course outcome by the course instructor and is reviewed by the instructor who then "closes the loop" by responding to the assessment evidence by making specific changes to the course learning activities to improve student achievement of outcomes. 
• This process is evaluated periodically by the faculty area of expertise committee, who may make additional suggestions for improvement not only in the course but more broadly in the curriculum. The full faculty, as well as the industrial advisory board, discuss the significant items that result from the assessment and continuous improvement process and vote on any significant changes that are proposed.
• A program indicator [PI] designation is used to identify measurable course-level outcomes that serve as good indicators of performance for each program-level student learning outcome. These representative outcomes are monitored regularly to maintain continuity of assessment, while all other outcomes are formally assessed whenever course or curriculum changes warrant a reassessment, or at a minimum at least once every 3 years.

• Direct assessment evidence is collected for each measurable course outcome by the course instructor and is reviewed by the instructor who then ‘closes the loop’ by responding to the assessment evidence by making specific changes to the course learning activities to improve student achievement of outcomes. 
• This process is evaluated periodically by the core program faculty, who may make additional suggestions for improvement not only in the course but more broadly in the curriculum. The full program faculty, as well as the industrial advisory board, discuss the significant items that result from the assessment and continuous improvement process and vote on any significant changes that are proposed. All outcomes are formally assessed whenever course or curriculum changes warrant a reassessment, or at a minimum at least once every 3 years.
• For this program which draws heavily from courses in ME, EECS, ChBE, ET and other programs, many course-level outcomes are assessed by the programs offering the courses. The EnE specific outcomes, as well as the overall student outcomes, are assessed by the EnE program faculty and evaluated for continuous improvement opportunities.

1. As of Spring 2015, all graduate students in the Mechanical Engineering Department are required to develop a professional research proposal in the Graduate Colloquium course (ME 5800) prior to their actual proposal defense. This will provide the student with additional insight into the technical communication needs and structural understanding of how work plans are related to attainment of research objectives
2. As of Spring 2015, all graduate students in the Mechanical Engineering Department are required to demonstrate basic data analysis skills in the Graduate Colloquium course (ME 5800). Students are given experimental case studies, asked to analyze the data using one or more statistical methods (ranging from simple t-tests to 1-way ANOVA), present the results, and provide a plan for improving the quality of the data and results.
3. In order to use the existing rigorous evaluation of a student’s oral thesis defense and written thesis document for continuous improvement, a standard rubric is being developed to enable a more refined rating of a student’s performance with respect to communication and research skills relative to the expectations of the profession. The rubric will include evaluation of the student, the advisor, and the committee so that there is an opportunity for improvement in both the student achievement of outcomes and the thesis committee mentoring process to help students achieve the program outcomes.

• The Associate Dean for Research, Graduate Studies, and Planning oversees graduate learning with the assistance of departmental graduate chairs
• Graduate learning takes place through 1-on-1 mentoring by research advisors and committee members, coursework, self-learning as guided by advisors, and the execution, and analysis of the research plan
• Students must successfully complete the college graduate writing course ET 6020 to learn proper techniques for presenting scholarly research and the proper use and citation of the work of others
• Students must enroll in ET 7999 – Graduate Seminar. Seminar focuses on writing proposals and publishing journal/conference papers. The course content can be adjusted to address areas of concern
• The department and/or advisors provide partial funding annually to enable each student to present work at a professional meeting
• The advisors require their students to submit their work to relevant professional journals