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MS in Reliability and Maintainability Engineering

A Master of Science degree with a major in Reliability and Maintainability Engineering (RME) is offered through an interdepartmental program. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available. See the catalog listings for the appropriate department in the College of Engineering and the Department of Statistics, Operations, and Management Science for more information about the courses offered. The program can be completed on campus or through distance delivery. All IE degree requirements can be accomplished through our distance program.  Non-Tennessee residents who are online students and do not use any on campus facilities will pay a reduced rate for Out-of-State Tuition. The Reliability and Maintainability Engineering Program Coordinator is the curricular contact for all Reliability and Maintainability Engineering majors. If you have any questions, please contact the RME program director Dr. Anahita Khojandi at khojandi@utk.edu.

Admission

BrochureFront

RME Program Brochure

Applicants for admission to the MS program in Reliability and Maintainability Engineering are expected to have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate program in engineering or physics. Students from other appropriate disciplines (e.g. chemistry, mathematics, etc.) can be admitted but additional engineering courses may be required. Entering students must have, as a minimum, competency in mathematics through ordinary differential equations. Students will be apply for admission into one of the departments offering the major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering; and Nuclear Engineering.

Requirements

Students, with the concurrence of their graduate committee, may choose between a thesis option and a non-thesis project option. The chosen coursework must be approved by the graduate student’s major professor and committee. After the completion of the formal program coursework and research, the student must pass an oral examination conducted by his/her graduate committee. The committee will include the student’s major professor, the Reliability and Maintainability Engineering program coordinator (or his/her appointee), and another faculty member at the rank of assistant professor or above.

Thesis Option

Specific requirements of the thesis option are a minimum of 30 semester hours including:

  • Twelve semester hours of RME Core Courses as listed below.
  • Six hours of required statistics sequence.
  • Three hours of reliability and maintainability engineering elective courses or statistics electives chosen from the lists below.
  • Three semester hours in engineering, statistics, business management, or a related field.
  • Master’s thesis: six semester hours through the department of the major professor.
  • A final oral examination covering the thesis and related coursework.

Non-Thesis Option

Specific requirements of the thesis option are a minimum of thirty semester hours including:

  • Twelve semester hours of RME Core Courses as listed below.
  • Six hours of required statistics sequence.
  • Six semester hours of RME Elective Courses chosen from the list below.
  • Three semester hours in engineering, statistics, business management, or a related field.
  • Project in lieu of thesis (three hours). The course will be supervised by the student’s master’s committee. A written project proposal describing what the student will do in the course must be submitted in advance to the graduate student’s committee for approval. A written final report is required. (this course may be taken through the major professor’s department: ChE 580, ECE 501, ES 590, IE 501, ME 590, NE 598 )
  • A final oral examination covering the project and related coursework. The final oral examination must be on the University of Tennessee Knoxville campus.

Note: At least two-thirds of the minimum required hours must be taken in courses numbered at or above the 500 level.

RME Core Courses:

  • Introduction to Reliability Engineering (CBE/IE/ME/NE 483)*
  • Introduction to Maintainability Engineering (CBE/IE/ME/MSE/NE 484)*
  • Process System Reliability and Safety (CBE/NE 585)*
  • Reliability of Lean systems (IE 517)*

Statistics Sequence:

  • Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (STAT 560)*
  • Survival Analysis (STAT 567)*

RME Electives:

  • Applications of Linear Algebra in Engineering Systems (CBE/BME/ECE/IE/MSE/ME 529)
  • Random Process Theory for Engineers (ECE 504)
  • Statistical Methods in Industrial Engineering (IE 516)*
  • Optimization Methods in Industrial Engineering (IE 522)*
  • Mechanical Vibrations (ME/BME/ES 534)*
  • Equipment and System Prognostics (NE 575)*
  • Empirical Models for Monitoring and Diagnostics (NE 579)*

Statistics Electives:

  • Data Mining and Business Analytics (Stat 474)
  • Statistics for Research I (STAT 537)*
  • Statistics for Research II (STAT 538)*
  • Introduction to Data Management and Directed Process Studies (STAT 566)
  • Applied Time Series (Stat 575)
  • Applied Multivariate Methods (Stat 579)

*Currently offered through distance education.
All courses are three-hour courses.
Effective: Fall 2015