The Master of Engineering Program in Structural Mechanics and Materials at Cornell University is a forward looking educational curriculum that affords its students with an opportunity to gain a firm foundation in solid mechanics, applied mathematics, computational mechanics, uncertainty quantification, and scientific computing. The program is aimed at educating highly qualified and well prepared engineers, with a firm grasp of the state-of-the-art and emerging techniques in structural engineering and structural mechanics, to support advanced practice within leading firms, national laboratories, and government agencies.
A comprehensive professional experience, involving: a real-world problem, an industry adviser, integrating technical course work, and resulting in a final report is a program requirement. Representative themes for the practice experience include: forensic engineering studies and failure investigations; design of signature buildings or bridges; structural condition assessment and prognosis studies; etc. An additional professional component comprises professional seminars, given throughout the academic year by leading practitioners in the field. The seminar series is run by the students; thus affording them an opportunity to interact directly with industry leaders.
In the Structural Mechanics and Materials Masters of Engineering Program, the coursework focuses on the fundamentals of technical themes, in order to position the graduate well for a career at the frontiers of an evolving practice. At the same time, the comprehensive team-based professional experience immerses the students in current best practices, and serves to inspire and motivate the student during their technical course work.