Detailed Information
Program of Study
The Department of Technology offers the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in manufacturing systems. The objective of the program is to develop manufacturing professionals who can design and implement modern manufacturing systems to increase productivity and improve product quality. Course offerings and research are available in manufacturing processes and control, quality control, and computer applications. This technically oriented, nonengineering program provides advanced education for students with baccalaureate degrees in technology and is also an excellent continuing education opportunity for individuals who wish to expand their education in the area of manufacturing systems.
The degree program offers two options–a thesis and a nonthesis course of study. All candidates must take a minimum of 24 semester hours of acceptable graduate credit, including 18 semester hours selected from course offerings in manufacturing systems. Mandatory core courses include Research Methods, Recent Advances in Quality Assurance, Computer-Aided Manufacturing II, Product Reliability Theory, and Automated Factory Technology. Thesis-option students take an additional 6 semester hours of master’s thesis credit, while nonthesis students take 12 additional hours of acceptable graduate-level courses.
The thesis program of study is determined by the graduate adviser and the student. Each student selects a graduate committee, which includes the graduate adviser and 2 additional faculty members, subject to the approval of the Graduate School.
Research Facilities
The laboratory facilities are furnished with modern equipment and are located in the College of Engineering building complex near the 26-acre campus lake. Laboratories are available for research in the areas of biomedical engineering, circuits and systems, communications, VLSI design and test, electrochemical engineering, electronics, electric machines, information processing, lasers, power systems and power electronics, microelectronics, microprocessors and digital systems, microwaves, optics, control and robotics, signal processing and pattern recognition, intelligent and expert systems, fluid mechanics and hydraulics, heat transfer, holography, materials testing and stress analysis, friction systems, materials science and metallurgy, chemical rate processes, bioremediation, combustion, internal-combustion engines, ultrasonics and catalytic research, air and water quality, coal conversion and utilization, rock and soil mechanics, blasting and fragmentation, coal combustion by-product utilization, and coal cleaning.
Financial Aid
Teaching or research assistantships and fellowships are available for qualified applicants. Requests for application materials should be made to the director of graduate studies in manufacturing systems.
Cost of Study
In-state graduate tuition is $328 per credit hour in 2009–10. Out-of-state tuition is 2.5 times the in-state tuition rate ($820 per credit hour). Graduate students with at least a 25 percent appointment as a graduate assistant receive a tuition scholarship. Fees vary from $589.03 (1 credit hour) to $1557.50 (12 credit hours). Students with a graduate assistantship receive a 25 percent reduction in the primary care medical fee.
Living and Housing Costs
For married couples, students with families, and single graduate students, the University has 690 efficiency and one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments that rent for $499 to $720 per month in 2009–10. Residence halls for single graduate students are also available, as are accessible residence hall rooms and apartments for students with disabilities.
Student Group
Of the 23 students, 13 are full-time, and 3 are women. There are 7 minority and 5 international students.
Location
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is 350 miles south of Chicago and 100 miles southeast of St. Louis. The scenic main campus occupies 981 acres and includes a wooded area preserved in a natural state, a lake with a beach and swimming area, canoe and boat rental facilities, a walking (or jogging) trail, and fishing piers. The campus provides an array of cultural activities, including frequent performances by opera, theater, symphony, and dance groups, given by both local and traveling performers.
The University and The College
Since its chartering in 1869, Southern Illinois University Carbondale has grown into a comprehensive university with a student body of approximately 24,000. Supported by the state of Illinois, the University offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, engineering, medicine, and law. The objective of the University is to provide a comprehensive educational program that meets a student’s needs.
The College of Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale excels in engineering and technology education and research through the quality of its faculty and staff members, graduates, students, facilities, and programs. The College strives to provide world-class programs in engineering and technology education, research, and service so as to enhance the economic and social well-being of the citizens of Illinois, the nation, and the world.
Applying
Candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree with a major in a technical area and a GPA of no less than 3.0, although conditional admission is possible for those with lower GPAs. Applicants must complete the online application for admission to the Graduate School and submit the nonrefundable $50 application fee, all official transcripts, and three letters of recommendation. In addition, international students must submit a copy of their passport, official TOEFL scores, and the completed Financial Information Sheet/Financial Statement for Graduate International Students.
The Faculty and Their Research
- Mandara Savage, Associate Professor and Chair; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1999. Manufacturing systems and processes and lean manufacturing systems design.
- Roger Chang, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Ohio State, 1985. Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, and quality.
- Garth Crosby, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Florida International, 2007. Wireless networks, network security, wireless sensor networks.
- Bruce DeRuntz, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Southern Illinois Carbondale, 2005. Human resources development of quality programs.
- Julie Dunston, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Florida State, 1995. Artificial intelligence in manufacturing, statistics in quality.
- Carl Spezia, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Southern Illinois Carbondale, 2005. Electric power systems, industrial automation energy management and control.
- Tomas Velasco, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator; Ph.D., Arkansas, 1991. Quality assurance, reliability, manufacturing, artificial intelligence.
Correspondence and Information
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Dr. Mandara Savage, Chair
or
Dr. Tomas Velasco, Graduate Coordinator of Manufacturing Systems
College of Engineering
Mail Code 6603
Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6603
Telephone:
618-536-3396
Email:
msavage@engr.siu.edu
velasco@engr.siu.edu
