MS in Engineering

The MS in Engineering requires the successful completion of 30 credits.

• Core Courses: 24 credits
• Research Thesis: 6 credits
  

Most full-time students complete the requirements in two academic years.

Core Courses

Students in the MS in Engineering program with a textile engineering concentration choose nine courses from the selection below after consultation with their graduate advisor.

Industrial & Specialty Fabrics

This course is concerned with the study of major industrial-fabric applications and constructions. The performance requirements for each major industrial application will be related to the selection of specific fabric constructions. Each major application/market will be covered, wherein specific requirements and qualified fabric construction will be reviewed, while emphasizing the historical development of each to demonstrate the impact of new materials/material forms/processing techniques on the dynamic nature of the industrial fabric business.

Fiber & Yarn Studies

This course advances the knowledge of fibers and yarns. In the case of cotton and wool, a detailed study of how fibers are produced is made and how the properties and structure of fibers vary in relation to variability in growing conditions is explored. For man-made fibers, the length and fineness can be changed during manufacture depending on the type of system on which the yarn is to be produced. Yarn processing systems are covered in detail along with faults that can result from various causes, in either the fiber or the machines. Quality control procedures are emphasized at each stage of processing, along with methods for analyzing test results. Typical products are discussed from the point of view of type of fiber used and type of yarn structure.

Coloration & Finishing Studies

Applications studied in detail will include methods of imparting dimensional stability to cotton fabrics through cross-linking; the problems associated with dyeing fiber blends; textile printing using pigments and various dyes. A study will also be made of binders, e.g., latex use in pigment printing and dyeing. Other methods of textile coloration, e.g., solution dyeing, garment dyeing and transfer printing, will be considered. Instrumental color measurement will also be covered.

Analytical Methods

Statistical process control theories and methods are discussed, and applications toward optimizing both process and product quality in modern textile operations are considered. The objective of these studies is to develop a process/product control system for the progressive textile plant of today. Another major segment of this course will be the review and employment of various methods of analysis of experimental data. Various techniques, and their advantages and disadvantages, will be considered and studied using textile applications.

Advanced Woven Structures - Product Development

Independent pursuit of goals in the development of woven fabrics is emphasized. The student will complete several projects, with product development skills enhancement as a primary goal. Each project will require a search of current literature, the use of CAD, selection of equipment, production of a prototype fabric and submission of a technical report.

Advanced Knitted Structures - Product Development

This course is an in-depth study of weft and warp knitting technologies, fabric constructions, and apparel, home furnishing and industrial products/applications/markets. Weft knit fabric technologies studied include single flat and tubular, double knit, fully fashioned, electronic, etc. Warp knit fabric technologies studied include tricot and raschel, weft inserted, double needle bar, multiaxial, etc. Students are exposed to a variety of weft and warp knitting machines, stitch constructions, and mechanical and electronic design/pattern mechanisms. Knit fabric geometry is analyzed on the machine, off the machine and after finishing. The relationship and interactions between the knitting yarn and knitting elements are well established. Knitting productivity and quality factors are emphasized.

Characterization of Fibrous Materials

Topics will include chemical nature, structure; mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties; viscoelastic properties, use of instrumentation with computer-controlled data acquisition; IR, RAMAN, and molecular spectroscopies; SEM; and creep/stress relaxation. The physical and mechanical testing of fibers, yarns and fabrics are studied, along with the static and dynamic load response of textiles.

Mechanics of Materials

Definitions of stress and strain, uniform states of stress and strain, transformations, principal axes, stress/stress relations, strain/displacement relations. Equilibrium, boundary conditions, simplifying assumption, and yield criteria are presented.

Mechanics of Textiles

Hierarchical mechanical dependency relationships in textiles are discussed. Included are the role of fiber and yarn twist, yarn crimp, finishes, and coatings to mechanical response of textiles. Dynamic and static response to various types of loading are investigated. Tearing, abrasion, and wear properties as a function of textile form are presented.

Advanced Textile Composites

The objectives of this course will be to expose the student to the textile materials and processes used in composite applications and to introduce methods of analyzing and predicting the behavior of the resultant products. Fiber architecture of textiles used for composites is reviewed along with manufacturing processes. Tools for predicting elastic properties will be introduced, along with the relationship of elastic properties and geometric considerations.

Biomaterials Technology

General introduction to the uses of artificial materials in the human body for the purposes of healing, correcting deformities, and restoring lost function are presented. Topics include biocompatibility, techniques to minimize corrosion, and specific uses of materials in various tissues and organs.

Advanced Nonwoven Structures -Product Development

Nonwovens have a vast range of physical properties and end-use applications, with an exceptionally high performance-to-price ratio. Such remarkable characteristics are possible due to the range of fiber type, bonding methods, and finishing methods possible at an exceptionally low cost. This course is intended to give a broad range of knowledge in nonwoven manufacturing methods cost and end use applications and consumption. This will be accomplished by lecture, laboratory experiments, literature searches, research, cost analysis, statistical comparisons and modeling.

Advanced Yarn Studies

This section of Yarn Studies allows for an independent pursuit of advanced knowledge through a literature search in a selected area of research. Further, the course is structured toward an advanced study of the newer methods of yarn manufacture, and the latest developments in processing, computerized control, and testing methods. Relationships between yarn properties and product properties are investigated.

Product Evaluation

The processes for the evaluation of fabrics and products are examined. The use of product assessment as a tool for process and product improvement is emphasized. The complexity of the fiber, yarn, fabric, and product forming systems is such that it requires careful evaluation at each stage of the manufacturing process. A comprehensive understanding of the interrelationships of the fabric and product forming stages as related to their evaluation is developed. Established and innovative methods of evaluation are explored.

Textile & Apparel Operations Management

This course is intended to cover the usual operations management topics, but with direct emphasis on textile and apparel operations. It deals with such topics as global competitiveness, product layout, strategies of life cycle management, capacity planning and forecasting, quality management, materials management, human resource management, facilities management, production planning, characteristics of textile equipment, and managing technological change.

Quality Management

Quality has emerged as a formal management function—no longer restricted to manufacturing and operations areas, it now includes the design, purchasing, and marketing processes. Through lecture, discussion, and experiential activities, this course examines quality theory and practice—how a more sophisticated understanding of quality can lead to a strategic approach to utility management which is necessary to compete in today's world marketplace. Factors required for creating and maintaining a corporation's strategic and competitive edge are thoroughly analyzed.

Sustainable Textiles

This course will examine sustainability efforts in textiles and in the world as it relates to textiles. It will begin with an overview of waste generated in the US, a brief history of recycling in the textile industry, legislation addressing hazardous materials, and delve into organizations involved in creating a more sustainable textile industry and their regulations for compliance. Critical issues in the world involving textiles, such as release of fibers from care of textiles, care of textiles, and life cycle analyses will be studied. Confusion about sustainability and greenwashing will be explored. Textile fibers and potential new fibers and their influence on sustainability will be examined. Fiber, yarn, and fabric formation will be examined in regards to sustainability. Dyeing and finishing processes and the materials used will also be explored. The course will conclude with a study of sustainable textile products and efforts to make those products. 

Advanced Integrated Engineering Product Development

The AIEPD course introduces the student to product development activities from identifying a market opportunity, to the successful delivery of a product to the customer. Throughout the course, students will be working in groups to design, develop, prototype and analyze technical, economic and marketing aspects of engineered products. The focus will be on discrete, engineered and physical products using fibrous materials. Opportunity to work on sponsored projects in a multidisciplinary group exists.

Lean Manufacturing

This course is designed to give students an overview of a “Lean Enterprise Systems” as an approach companies use to achieve world-class performance and customer satisfaction. This course will show how Continuous Improvement principles improve an organization’s ability to provide added customer value to products and services. The focus of the course will be on introducing these key concepts, methods, and tools by demonstrating how they are applied in decision-making situations.

Life Cycle Assessment

The goal of this course is to bring perspective to the practical application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to products, processes, and business activities. The course will address how industry and government are applying LCA and assess its potential as it evolves both as an environmental tool and as an ethic, much as pollution prevention has. Case studies will be offered as examples of how the use of LCA can lead to beneficial results. The course will cover all facets of LCA to help the student thoroughly understand the subject. Discussion will range from the full, robust LCA model (inventory, impact assessment, and improvement analysis) to issues surrounding the development of a streamlined approach. Applications in life-cycle design and ecolabeling will be presented, as well as initial attempts to include life cycle thinking in the development of public policy in the United States and abroad. Of course, no discussion of industrial applications would be complete without consideration of life cycle costing and its importance as a factor in corporate decision making.

Internship

Student completes an internship opportunity according to regulations set by Career Services.

Independent Study

Students may select an independent project or research topic with the approval of the Dean of the School of Design and Engineering.

Research Thesis

In consultation with the thesis advisor, the student will select an area for concentrated study. The elements of the study will include, but not be limited to, literature searches, experimental design, research, thesis preparation, and oral thesis presentation. This project is the culmination of a rigorous preparation in one or more areas of specialization and leads to the establishment of expertise in a chosen field.

Foundation Courses

For students matriculating in MS Textile Engineering program with no undergraduate background in textiles, a group of foundation courses may be required.

For a full listing of courses and descriptions, please visit the Course Catalog.