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2026-2027 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog [In Progress]

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Combined Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Master of Science in Engineering

Grand Valley State University combined degree programs (see: gvsu.edu/gs/combined degree-programs-85.htm) offer students the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in less time and at a lower cost. Qualified undergraduate mathematics students may be admitted to the program and obtain the B.S. or B.A. in mathematics and an M.S. in engineering (MSE) within an accelerated time frame.

Students graduating with a combined degree in Mathematics and Engineering

  • enhance their bachelor's degree in mathematics;
  • have expanded career opportunities in high demand, interdisciplinary and applied fields like aerospace, robotics, and biomedical engineering. Engineering offers a wide variety of specializations whether in Mechanical or Electrical engineering that benefit from a strong math background where students can tackle complex engineering problems with advanced analytical and quantitative methods.
Application Procedure

Application requirements include:

Students will apply to the MSE program following the completion of the above prerequisites and be reviewed by the Engineering Graduate Committee. Decisions will normally be communicated to students within four weeks of submitting a complete application to the combined degree program. Students are encouraged to meet with an advisor when considering applying to this program.

Admissions decisions will be made by the Engineering admissions committee based on the student's previous academic success in Mathematics, Statistics, CIS, and Engineering courses as indicated by GPA and grades in courses relevant to Engineering.

Requirements During Undergraduate Studies

All university requirements, including general education courses, must be completed before the final (graduate) year of the combined degree program. If any courses are dual listed, students in the combined program taking the graduate version of the course must complete all assignments expected of graduate students and they will be evaluated in the same way as graduate students.

Up to 12 credits may be dual-counted for the BA or BS Mathematics and MSE degrees as follows: a) as one of the courses in lieu of one 300-level math elective, and b) as free undergraduate electives if needed. Students are strongly encouraged to work with the graduate program director in MSE and their mathematics department advisor to ensure all undergraduate and graduate requirements are met.

Requirements During Graduate Studies

The MSE program requires a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate coursework for each of the available MSE emphases - biomedical, electrical and computer, mechanical, and manufacturing and design engineering. In each emphasis, the coursework is distributed in the following clusters: professional practice (9 credits), emphasis-specific (12-18 credits), elective (0-9 credits), and culminating experience (3-6 credits). The courses in these clusters are at the 500- and 600-level and depend on the specific MSE emphasis. In any MSE emphasis, students may take up to three 500-level courses and no more than nine credits from dual-listed courses may be applied toward the MSE degree, in consonance with university standards.

The culminating experience requires one of three routes:

  • A culminating design project, EGR 686, for three academic credits.
  • A culminating M.S.E. project for six academic credits, EGR 693.
  • A culminating M.S.E. thesis for six academic credits, EGR 695.

The culminating experience route for each student must be approved by the graduate program director. Students will select the master's project route if they work on proprietary industry projects; they will select the master's thesis route if they work on nonproprietary projects. Students continuously register for either EGR 693 - Master's Project or EGR 695 - Master's Thesis, in either case, for a total of six credits. If after completing these six credits, students need additional time to finish their culminating work, they must continuously register for a continuation course, EGR 696, of which the credits, following university policies, do not count toward the required minimum of 33 MSE credits.

Graduation Without Completion of the Program

If a student decides at some point to pursue only the undergraduate portion of the combined degree, the Mathematics department will still recognize the graduate courses taken in lieu of undergraduate courses. Credits from the undergraduate degree cannot be used toward a graduate degree at a later date.

Suggested Order of Coursework

A sample sequence for each emphasis is provided below. These are only one of many possible sequences of courses. The following course sequence assumes a strong mathematics background for the entering student. If mathematics deficiencies exist, completing the mathematics prerequisites should be the student's top priority. Students are strongly encouraged to work with the graduate program director in Engineering and their Mathematics Department advisor to ensure all undergraduate and graduate requirements are met and to customize the combined program to their areas of interest. The following sequence makes no attempt to minimize credits. For example, the sequence assumes that all general education courses are distinct, and no "double dipping" is done. Additionally, students pursuing their BA in Mathematics should schedule their university required 3rd-semester language proficiency along with their General Education courses. Note also that years 4 and 5 are identical regardless of emphasis chosen.

Case 1: Applied Mathematics Emphasis

Year One

Fall (15 credits)

Winter (15/16 credits)

Year Two

Fall (16 credits)

Winter (13 credits)

Year Three

Fall (15 or 16 credits)

Winter (15 or 16 credits)

Year Four

Fall (14 or 15 credits)

OR

[MTH 400-level Elective (3 credits) AND General Education course (3 credits) AND General Education course (3 credits)]

Winter (13-15 credits)

OR

[EGR 312 - Dynamics (3 credits) AND EGR 309/EGR 310- Machine Design I(4 credits)]

**Submit application in the Winter or Summer semester of your fourth year for the MSE program**

Year Five

Spring/Summer (3 or 4 credits)

Fall (Grad: 9-10 credits)

Winter (Grad: 9-11 credits)

Year Six

Spring/Summer (Grad: 6 credits)

Fall (Grad: 9 credits)

Case 2: Theoretical Mathematics Emphasis

Year One

Fall (15 credits)

Winter (15/16 credits)

Year Two

Fall (16 credits)

Winter (13 credits)

Year Three

Fall (15 or 16 credits)

Winter (15 or 16 credits)

Year Four

Fall (14 or 15 credits)

OR

[MTH 400-level Elective (3 credits) AND General Education course (3 credits) AND General Education course (3 credits)]

Winter (13-15 credits)

OR

[MTH 400 Elective (3 credits) AND EGR 312 - Dynamics (3 credits) AND EGR 309/EGR 310- Machine Design I(4 credits)]

**Submit application in the Winter or Summer semester of your fourth year for the MSE program **

Year Five

Spring/Summer (3 or 4 credits)

Fall (Grad: 9-10 credits)

Winter (Grad: 9-11 credits)

Year Six

Spring/Summer (Grad: 6 credits)

Fall (Grad: 9 credits)


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