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Independent Research (ME 590)

ME 590 provides students the opportunity to participate in individual research projects with faculty support and supervision. Master’s and Ph.D. students are eligible to participate in ME 590.

To participate in an ME 590 project, students should follow the steps below.

Step 1: Find a research advisor.

Talk with faculty members whose research is of interest to you and discuss the prospect of doing ME 590 research with the faculty members.  You must have a faculty member who is committed to supporting you in your research over the course of the term before you can submit a proposal and proceed with research.

A note about non-ME Faculty members: A student may work with a non-ME faculty member for research, however the student must also find an ME “shadow” advisor who agrees to be the advisor in the system and is thus responsible for entering the grade.  Often this is the Graduate Chair, however your non-ME research advisor might have someone in mind that might be better suited.

Step 2: Submit ME 590 Proposal & Register for ME 590.

The proposal must be submitted online via the ME 590 Proposal Submission a minimum of one week before the add/drop deadline of the term.  The purpose of this deadline is to give the faculty member time to review and approve.

Submitting a proposal does not register the student for ME 590. The student must go to Wolverine Access and register for the class by the add/drop deadline of the term.  When you are searching for ME 590, be sure to check the box that says “include independent study courses” and select the section with your research advisor or ME “shadow” advisor.

Step 3: Advisor reviews the proposal.

After the student submits the proposal, the faculty member will receive an email asking them to review and approve or reject the proposal online.

Visiting the link, the research advisor has three options:

  1. Approve the Proposal

  2. Reject the Proposal

  3. Send it back to the student for revisions.  When revisions are made, the student will resubmit and the research advisor will receive another email with the same options.

Advisors can always see the status of their students’ proposals, as well as projects they previously supervised, by visiting their faculty index.

Step 4: Independent research proceeds.

The student should take and follow all instructions outlined by the research advisor.  If issues arise with a research advisor, the student should contact the ME Graduate Coordinator.

Step 5: Submit ME 590 report.

The report must be submitted online via the ME 590 Report Submission by the deadline set by the instructor.

Step 6: Advisor reviews the report.

After the student uploads their final report, the research advisor will again receive an email to approve, deny, or suggest revisions.  The independent research is not considered to be complete until the report is approved and a grade of “Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory (S/U)” has been entered in Wolverine Access.  A grade should be entered no later than 72 hours after the last final exam of the term.