A student works with a drone at Duke University

Master's Concentrations

Our flexible curriculum provides breadth and depth, allowing you to tailor your degree to your career goals

With close advising from the Duke MEMS Director of Master's Studies, our master's students select courses from coursework and research strengths.

Pursue a Master of Science or Master of Engineering in an area of concentration listed below—or design your own.

Choose a Concentration

Duke MEMS offers greater breadth and flexibility with these master's concentrations:

Area of Concentration Topics

Autonomous, Intelligent Systems and Machines

  • Robotic mechanisms, structures, and actuators 

  • Artificial intelligence, machine learning applications 

  • Control algorithms and operating systems 

  • Motion capture and planning

Associated Faculty Research

Energy, Propulsion, and Structures for Earth and Space 

  • Thermal-fluid systems design, machinery 

  • Heat transfer, psychrometrics, and compressible flow 

  • Aerospace and aeroelasticity 

  • Vibrations and acoustics of structures 

  • Environmental implications

Associated Faculty Research

Optimal Design for Virtual and Physical Systems 

  • Simulation-based design synthesis and analysis 

  • Numerical design optimization, algorithm development 

  • Manufacturing tools and techniques 

  • Prototyping skills development 

  • 3D printing; microcontrollers; electronics; programming 

Associated Faculty Research

Multi-scale, Advanced, and Bio-Inspired Materials 

  • Soft and bio-inspired materials research 

  • Nanoscale experimentation 

  • Machine learning for material discovery

Associated Faculty Research

Design Your Path

 You select the courses and projects you want and add them to your educational plan through regular advising sessions with the Duke MEMS Director of Master’s Studies. 

Duke MEMS research Strengths

Duke's research in mechanical engineering and materials science addresses fundamental and applied engineering problems.

Our faculty maintain strong connections with industry and lead multi-university research efforts—providing opportunities for graduate students to pursue research at the forefront of their field, and develop career-relevant experience.

A defining characteristic of our research is an interdisciplinary approach that leverages Duke's strengths as a top research institution.

At a Glance: Duke MEMS Faculty Research Areas