Skip to main content

M.S. Textile Engineering FAQ

Specific program requirements can be found in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science (TECS) Graduate Handbook.

Textile Engineering (TE)

The M.S. TE degree has flexibility in what you take as your course load (beyond the other requirements). Out of the 24 credits of courses at the 500 level and above that are required:

  • 4 of which must be engineering courses (which includes the TMS prefix); although we prefer you to take TE or TMS courses, courses in other engineering programs at the appropriate level also qualify.
  • 5 of which must be courses offered by TECS Faculty (which may have prefix of TE, TMS, TC, TT, FPS and TTM; not all courses with these prefixes qualify, check the instructor for it.).
  • Yes, courses that fit both categories will count toward each category.
  • Note that all of these courses must be letter-graded courses, although exceptions can be made in writing by the TECS director of graduate programs (DGP).

Advisory Committee. The advisory committee shall consist of at least three Graduate Faculty members, two of which must be part of the Graduate Program Faculty in Textile Engineering; if the committee has co-chairs, then a fourth member from the Graduate Faculty is also required. The chair or at least one co-chair must be a member of the Graduate Program Faculty in Textile Engineering. The chair or co-chair will also serve as the student’s academic advisor unless the student elects to have a separate academic advisor. The chair or co-chair will also serve as the student’s formal academic advisor, although all committee members have responsibility to advise the student.

Master’s Thesis. The master’s thesis should be a research exercise that necessitates expertise at the M.S. level and is concentrated in the textile engineering area on a well-defined topic that has a restricted scope. The thesis work must be carried out using the scientific method and with care, rigor and ethics. An understanding of the relevant literature and the state of the art in the field of interest is also expected. A thesis research project needs to generate new knowledge, or apply technical knowledge in an innovative way, and thus thesis work should be of sufficient quality that it could yield at least one peer-reviewed publication and/or proceeding or presentation at a technical conference. The committee will supervise the work throughout the preparation of the thesis with the chair or co-chairs taking major responsibility; the student should consult with the chair and the committee regarding any major problems and keep them regularly informed of progress.

Master’s Thesis Document. The thesis document must be formatted according to the NC State Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) guide and submitted electronically to the Graduate School. Once the thesis is orally defended, it must be unanimously approved by the Advisory Committee.

Master’s Thesis Defense and Oral Examination. Candidates for the thesis-based Master’s degree must unanimously pass a comprehensive oral examination that demonstrates to the advisory committee that they possess a reasonable mastery of textile engineering and supporting fields, as well as that they exhibit master’s level critical thinking skills and can apply disciplinary technical knowledge with promptness and accuracy. The oral examination includes a public oral presentation about the thesis work and sufficiently answering questions from the audience and, most importantly, the advisory committee, that are focused on any aspect of the thesis project, including methodology, approach, relevance, data analysis and interpretation. The examination may not be held until all other requirements, except completion of the coursework for the final semester, are satisfied. In order to formally schedule the defense, the student must first get written approval at least 13 business days in advance from both the TECS DGP and the advisory committee chair/co-chairs; approval will not be granted until a complete written thesis document is provided to these individuals.

NC State has several certificate programs (including textiles-related ones) that could interest you; please consider those in your course planning as well, as courses can double count for both the M.S. degree and the certificate, as long as there are 18 credits that are unique to your M.S. degree:

Wilson College of Textiles Graduate Certificates

Graduate School Certificate List

Note that students who choose a certificate that comes with premium tuition, that the provost has decided that students may not add a masters degree or certificate for which premium tuition is charged to their Plan of Work.  The rules about charging the premium make this unworkable for the cashier’s office, without being unfair to the program (do not charge premium tuition for such students), or unfair to the student (charge a premium on all credits being taken).

A common certificate for our students is the nonwovens certificate. More information can be found here.

If you plan to do a minor, the following programs require approval from the respective DGPs: Biotechnology, Plant Physiology, Statistics and Water Resources.

Please refer to this website for specifics, which includes whether courses taken at 400-level and/or as an undergraduate count.

Note that only grades with a C- or better can be counted toward a graduate degree, and for transfer grades, it must be a B or better.