Colorado School of Mines signs MOU with MSU Denver

Metropolitan State University of Denver and Colorado School of Mines have created a pathway for Roadrunners to become Orediggers. The universities recently signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding that allows qualifying MSU Denver Advanced Manufacturing Sciences students to transition seamlessly to Mines upon graduation. There, they can earn a Master of Science – Non-­Thesis degree in Advanced Manufacturing. Taking 12 credits per semester at Mines, students can earn their M.S. in as little as one year.

The program was developed collaboratively by MSU Denver and Mines faculty, including Robert Park, Ph.D., Lockheed Martin endowed director of the MSU Denver Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute, and Craig Brice, Ph.D., director of the Advanced Manufacturing Program at Mines.

“The MSU Denver Advanced Manufacturing Sciences program produces outstanding graduates who are ready and eager to continue their education,” said Park. “Partnering with an institution like Colorado School of Mines aligns with our mission and our desire to establish academic and professional pathways for these motivated students.”

Through the 4+1 Advanced Manufacturing Graduate Transfer Agreement, MSU Denver seniors can begin working on their Mines degree even before completing their bachelor’s degree. Roadrunners must complete two required upper-division courses with at least a “B” grade or higher to qualify for the transfer and must graduate with at least a 3.0 grade-point average. After students qualify, Mines will waive graduate admissions application fees, and students will not be required to submit letters of recommendation or GRE test scores.

“Mines’ Advanced Manufacturing program is one of our newest, most innovative and industry-ready graduate offerings,” said Lori Kester, associate provost of enrollment management at Mines. “We know how talented MSU Denver graduates are, and now there is a clear pathway for students to transition to a master’s program at Mines in this growing field. We are optimistic that these efforts will continue building a strong pipeline between our two universities.”

Continuing their education at Mines provides opportunities for students to work with a variety of equipment, systems and materials and develop skills for optimizing manufacturing processes, with an emphasis on additive manufacturing techniques. They can access a dedicated teaching lab and state-of-the-art equipment for the additive manufacturing of metals, ceramics and polymers as well as new industry and government research partnerships.

To serve students who have previously graduated from MSU Denver, Mines also will allow Roadrunners who graduated with an AMS degree since spring 2016 to participate if they meet all requirements.

To learn more, please visit the Colorado School of Mines Advanced Manufacturing website and the MSU Denver Advanced Manufacturing Sciences webpage.