Beginning in the fall of 2006, the Mechanical Engineering Department will offer a Master of Engineering degree. Mechanical engineers with the skills necessary to lead the design of a complex system are highly sought by industry; therefore, the degree is a practice oriented degree with a heavy design emphasis, as opposed to the research emphasis of a traditional Master of Science degree. Well qualified high-school graduates may be admitted directly into a five-year mechanical engineering program. On completion of this program, both the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and the Master of Engineering degree will be awarded. Students may also be admitted to the graduate program following completion of the bachelor’s degree.