Electric-drive vehicle engineering

To reduce the nation's dependence on imported fossil energy as well as the environmental impact of petroleum-based fuel systems, there is an urgent need to electrify a significant proportion of our vehicles. In 2010, Wayne State became the first university to launch a comprehensive electric-drive vehicle engineering curriculum. Thanks in part to a $5 million investment by the U.S. Department of Energy, and surrounded by automotive manufacturers and suppliers, Wayne State students gain the tools and knowledge to become the next generation of automotive masterminds.

At Wayne State's College of Engineering, you'll learn from nationally renowned faculty experts and benefit from our High Impact Practices of Student Success: team-based learning, global perspective, undergraduate research, internships and co-ops, and community service.

• Vision
• Mission
• Program goals
• Program outcomes
• Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering Masters (M.S.) program
• Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering Graduate Certificate (GC) Program
• Admission requirements
• Program requirements and curriculum

Vision

To be a premier program in electric-drive vehicle engineering research, education and outreach.

Mission

• Educate and prepare the technical and scientific workforce for the emerging electric-drive vehicle industry.
• To promote and mobilize/align available resources to develop interdisciplinary research programs.
• To disseminate technical information and raise public awareness on emerging electric-drive vehicle technologies.

Program goals

To reduce the nation's dependence on imported fossil energy and lessen the environmental impact of petroleum-based vehicles, there is an urgent need to electrify a significant proportion of our vehicles. This transformation in the mode of "fueling" our vehicles requires skilled engineers and technicians with specific training and education in electric-drive vehicle technology and infrastructure. Moreover, outreach and public education programs are needed to convince consumers to embrace the technology and understand the impact of this paradigm shift on our national and energy security, as well as on our environment. The overall goal of this program is to develop and implement a comprehensive set of advanced educational programs in electric-drive vehicles, including a master's degree in electric-drive vehicle engineering (EVE), a bachelor's degree in electrical transportation technology (ETT), associate's degrees in automotive technology and electronic engineering technology with an emphasis on electric-drive vehicles.

Wayne State's program was the first of its kind in the United States.

Program outcomes

• A relevant curriculum based on input from the EV industry and "best practices" in EV-related curricula from around the world;
• A cohesive set of graduate-level, undergraduate-level and technician-level courses and state-of-the-art interactive laboratory modules;
• Accredited M.S. EVE and B.S. ETT degree programs;
• National workshops to engage academic institutions with electric vehicle manufacturers, battery, electric components, fuel cell developers, and electric infrastructure companies for the design and development of EVE education programs;
• Outreach programs for the general public, K-12 teachers, and first responders through workshops and seminars on safety and technological concepts of advanced electric-drive vehicle technology.
• An electric-drive vehicle education center website to serve as a resource for the most comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge and materials in EVE technology and educational programs in the nation.

Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering Masters program

The program will admit students with bachelor's degrees in engineering, or the equivalent in engineering from an accredited college or university. Students will receive the master's degree after completing 30 credits of formal courses, directed studies, research or thesis, all of which will be specifically developed for this EVE master's degree program. All courses and curricula will be developed in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and the college, such as academic regulations of the university, degree and certificate requirements, and academic regulations for the College of Engineering. The Master of Science program will have a thesis (eight credits) and a non-thesis option, both of which will have a group of required core courses, supplemented by elective courses.

Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering Graduate Certificate Program

This program is designed to prepare the scientific and technological workforce for the emerging electric-drive vehicle engineering field. It offers an efficient way to obtain a certified level of training, especially for working engineers and researchers. It may be taken as a freestanding program or concurrently with a master's degree program.

Admission requirements

• A 3.0 or above GPA is required to be considered for regular admission to the M.S. Program. Students with a GPA of 2.8 to 3.0 will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis if an applicant has significant relevant professional experience.
• A 2.8 or above GPA is required to be considered for regular admission to the Graduate Certificate Program. Students with a GPA of 2.5 to 2.8 will be considered if an applicant has significant relevant professional experience.
• The program will admit students with bachelor's degrees or the equivalent in engineering from an accredited college or university. Students with mathematics-based science degrees will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
• No other supplemental admission documents are needed. However, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, professional resume/CV, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are encouraged to aid the admission evaluation process.
• All students who have earned degrees from a country where English is not the native language must demonstrate English proficiency via a qualified examination. Applicants must earn a minimum score of 79 from the internet-based TOEFL (iBT) or 550 from a paper-based TOEFL (pBT), an IELTS score of 6.5, or an overall Duolingo score of 125.
• International applicants are required to submit an official course-by-course transcript evaluation. Accepted evaluation services include WES, ECE or SpanTran. Note that the official transcript evaluation must be transmitted directly from the evaluating agency to the WSU Office of Graduate Admissions. The transcript evaluation will serve as your official transcript.
• Students in the EVE graduate certificate program can advance to the M.S. via an internal process. No additional graduate admission application is required.

Program requirements and curriculum

Graduate certificate

The Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering Graduate Certificate will require a minimum of 12 credits. The core course EVE 5110 is required, and a maximum of 4 credits is allowed in Research or Directed Studied. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and the College of Engineering. Should a student become interested later in pursuing the proposed master's degree after completing the graduate certificate, 8 of the 12 certificate credits can be transferred toward the master's degree.

Masters degree

A minimum grade point average of 3.00 is required for the M.S. in Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering. A maximum of 1 course in which a "C" has been received may be used to meet graduation requirements, provided the "C" is offset by equivalent credits of "A" to maintain the required 3.00 average.

This Master of Science degree is offered under the following options:

Plan A: 30 credits, including a 6 credit thesis.

Plan C: 30 credits of course work in an approved EVE Plan of Work.

Both options require at least 12 credits of any Electric-drive Vehicle Engineering (EVE) courses, including 2 core courses:

Requirements for both options include at least 6 credits of 7000-level or higher course work. The 7000-level or higher course requirements can be satisfied through EVE courses, directed studies (EVE 7990), industry internship ( EVE 7991), or thesis credits (EVE 8999) of EVE-related projects, or approved 7000-level or higher classes from other departments in the College of Engineering.

The elective 18 credits can be from other departments in the College of Engineering, such as: 

Computer Science

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

International applicants must complete the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor's degree, including all state and external/internal examinations required for the degree. Some three-year general degrees (from Canada, India, Pakistan, France, Lebanon, etc.) may not be equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. However, if you have completed an honors degree, additional undergraduate coursework beyond the three-year bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree, you may be considered for admission.

If you are applying to a master's program, your minimum undergraduate GPA must be 2.75 or its equivalent in upper division coursework. If you are applying to a doctoral program, your minimum undergraduate GPA must be 3.0 or its equivalent in upper division coursework.

Submit your transcript(s)

To begin the application review, upload unofficial copies of English-translated international transcripts from all post-secondary educational institutions from which you earned a bachelor's degree or higher, including Mark Sheets, if applicable. If you are admitted, you must submit an official course-by-course academic evaluation of your completed bachelor's degree.

Demonstrate English proficiency 

Non-native speakers of English must demonstrate English proficiency by meeting the minimum requirements. You are required to submit an official qualifying score meeting minimum Graduate School requirements. Send official test scores to Wayne State University Graduate Admissions, using the school code 1898.

To begin the application review, upload an unofficial copy of your English proficiency test score(s). Once admitted, an official test score must be submitted to Graduate Admissions.