phd for mechanical engineer

Doctoral Program

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The Ph.D. degree is intended primarily for students who desire a career in research, advanced development, or teaching; for this type of work, a broad background in mathematics and the engineering sciences, together with intensive study and research experience in a specialized area, are the necessary requisites.

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is conferred on candidates who have demonstrated to the satisfaction of their department or school

• substantial scholarship
• high attainment in a particular field of knowledge
• and the ability to do independent investigation and present the results of such research.

They must satisfy the general requirements for advanced degrees, the program requirements specified by their departments, and the doctoral requirements for candidacy, as outlined in the Stanford Bulletin.

PhD Admissions information

For Current Stanford Students

The ME Student Intranet has detailed information about processes and requirements for the ME PhD .

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PhD in Mechanical Engineering

The Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering boasts a world-class program leading to the PhD in Mechanical Engineering, offering tremendous flexibility in course selection.

Students may choose whether or not to earn the MS on the way to earning the PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Most students joining the department enter the PhD program in Stage 1, during which students complete their MS degree in Mechanical Engineering or Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. An outline of the steps toward completion of the Mechanical Engineering PhD is presented below.

Stage 1: MS or its Equivalent

Please select a link for information on getting your MS degree in  ME  & or  TAM .*

Students entering directly after earning the BS are considered Stage 1 PhD students until the prerequisite for the qualifying exam has been completed. 

Stage 2: Qualifying Examination, PhD Coursework, Preliminary Examination

The Department requires graduate students to successfully complete a qualifying examination to formally enter the PhD program.

ME PhD Qualifying Examination

The objective of the qualifying exam is to evaluate student’s sufficient depth and breadth of understanding in the area of research. Towards this goal, a committee of two faculty members appointed by the Associate Head for Graduate Programs for each examinee will administer an hour-long oral exam on a peer-reviewed, archival journal article related to student’s area of research. The committee will be asked to select an important paper in the student’s research field, consistent with the fact that the student has a two-week preparation period.  The paper is chosen by the committee in consultation with the student’s advisor, and is provided to the student two weeks ahead of the exam. The article may not be one authored/co-authored by the student or by any faculty in the department.  The exam result is presented as pass, conditional pass or fail, and should be submitted via email to the Graduate Programs Coordinator.  The Assistant Director of Graduate Programs will relay the result to the student’s advisor.

A minimum of B+ grade in each of four independent courses from any one or a combination of any two areas chosen from an approved list (see below) is a prerequisite for taking the qualifying exam.

A student may attempt the examination twice.

Details of the Exam

Prerequisites:   A B+ grade or higher in each of the four independent courses chosen from an approved list (see below) is a prerequisite for appearing in the qualifying exam. These four courses can be chosen from a single area or a combination of any two areas. In addition, the student is required to take the qualifying exam within two years after a master’s degree or within three years of a bachelor’s degree. The advisor must approve the choice of courses. Students would be encouraged to retake a class to improve their grade sufficiently to meet the requirements. Transferred coursework cannot be used to fulfill the prerequisites of the qualifying exam.

Administration of the Qual Exam :  Students who have satisfied the prerequisites for the exam and wish to register should submit the  ME PhD Qualifying Exam Form to the Graduate Programs Office. Exam schedules will be set based on committee availability and must not be earlier than 3 weeks from the time of the request approval.

Advisors will email the names of three suggested committee members and three suggested articles to the Graduate Programs Office.

The Associate Head for Graduate Programs will review the request and select the two members for the evaluation committee.

A notice will be sent from the Graduate Programs Office to the committee, informing them that they have been appointed to administer the examination and who has been named Committee Chair. The notice will also include the suggested articles from the advisor and the timeline in which the exam needs to be scheduled.

Students are responsible for picking a date and time that works for all committee members. Once a date and time are confirmed by all committee members, students must email [email protected]  the date and time of their exam, with each member of the committee carbon-copied (CCed) on the email. 

Oral Examination Committee:   A committee of two faculty members from MechSE appointed by the Associate Head for Graduate Programs for each examinee will administer an hour-long oral exam on a peer-reviewed, archival journal article related to student’s area of research.

Journal article:  The student will be examined on a published, peer-reviewed archival journal article related to student’s research. The student’s adviser will provide a suggested list of papers to the Graduate Programs Office with a rationale for the choice of the articles, to be shared with the examining committee.  The committee may choose a paper from the list, or it can choose a paper outside of the advisor’s suggested list, but from within the general research area of the student.  The selected paper must be an important paper in the student’s research field, consistent with the fact that the student has a two-week preparation period. If the article selected is outside the list, the committee needs to provide a rationale for the choice of the article, and a statement describing the reason as to why an article was  not  chosen from the advisor’s suggested list. The committee’s statement will be provided to the Associate Head (AH) for Grad Programs, and  not  to the student’s advisor. AH may communicate the statement to the advisor at his/her own discretion.  The article may not be one authored/co-authored by the student or by any faculty in the department.  In addition to reading the article, the student is expected to review the related literature.  The article will be provided to the student two weeks ahead of the exam, so please contact the Graduate Programs Office with the article selection as quickly as possible. Once the paper is selected, the student will be notified to contact the committee to schedule the examination.

Grading:  The student must present the material from the article in 30 minutes, and answer committee’s questions in the remaining 30 minutes. The exam will be graded on the following points:

• overall significance of the article
• influence of the work on the development of the field
• possible future research directions in the area of the article
• the key findings of the work
• connection to student’s research

Outcome of the exam:  the result can be (a) an unconditional pass, (b) a conditional pass pending taking a specific course or courses with a defined minimum grade, and (c) a fail. On failing, a student may repeat the oral exam once.

Approved List of Areas and Courses

Combustion: ME 403, 501, 503; CHBE 551/CHEM 582; CHEM 522;

Computational Mechanics: ME 412, 447, 471, 570; TAM 470, 570, 574; CEE 576; CS 446, 450; MSE 485

Controls: ME 446, 460, 461, 541, 561, 562; AE 403, 454, 504, 555, 556; ECE 486, 515 (same as ME 540), 517, 534, 553, 555, 568, 573; Math 518, 519, 540, 541, 550, 551

Dynamics: ME 440, 546 (same as ECE 528); TAM 412, 416, 514, 518; TAM 515 / AE 554

Fluid Mechanics: ME 410, 411(same as AE 412), 412, 504, 510; TAM 435, 531, 532, 534, 536, 537, 538, 570; AE 511, 514, 515

Heat Transfer: ME 401, 411 (same as AE 412), 412, 420, 502, 504, 520, 521, 522, 523

Manufacturing: ME 450, 451, 452, 453 455, 458, 541, 550, 554; AE 526

Materials: CHEM 524; ME 430, 431, 530, 531, 532, 533; MSE 455, 460, 480, 488; PHYS 460; TAM 424, 427, 428, 524, 534, 559; AE 525, 526

MEMS/NEMS: ME 485, 487, 523, 586

Solid Mechanics: ME 430, 472; TAM 445, 451, 456, 529, 545, 551, 552, 554, 555, 557, 559; AE 522, 523, 528, 529, 550, 559

Biomechanics: ME 481, 482, 483; TAM 461

Thermodynamics & Energy Conversion: ME 400 (this course will be counted for the Qualifying Examination for those who have taken the course during Spring 2017 or earlier), ME 401, ME 402, ME 404, ME 502, ME 512; CHEM 442, CHEM 524, CHEM 544; PHYS 427/MSE 500 (one or the other--students may not take both), PHYS 486, PHYS 487, PHYS 504

Coursework***

If a student is entering with a completed MS degree or plans to earn the MS on the way to the PhD, the coursework requirements are 20 hours of graduate-level coursework beyond the MS, to include: at least 8 hours of 500-level courses, an advanced 500-level math course taught at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus (which can be counted as  part of the required 8 hours of 500-level coursework).  The advanced math requirements may be satisfied by TAM 541, TAM 542, TAM 549, ECE 534, or any 500-level course offered by the Mathematics Department except for the following: MATH 596, MATH 597, MATH 598, and MATH 599.  At least 8 hours of “Enrichment” coursework (graduate level courses that do not strongly overlap with the student’s main research topic) to be chosen in consultation with the advisor, and at least 44 hours of dissertation credit (599) beyond the MS.  Additional courses beyond the 8 hours of 500-level courses may be ME or TAM graduate-level courses (400-500 level), or other engineering graduate-level technical courses chosen in consultation with advisor.  No more than 4 of the 20 hours may be ME or TAM 597, Independent Study.

If the PhD is pursued directly after the bachelor's degree, the coursework requirements are 44 hours of formal graded coursework to include 16 hours at the 500 level, 4 of which may be ME 597 Independent Study and may include the required 3-4 hours of 500-level math.  The math requirement may be satisfied by TAM 541, TAM 542, TAM 549, ECE 534, or any 500-level course offered by the Mathematics Department except for the following: MATH 596, MATH 597, MATH 598, and MATH 599. At least 8 hours of “Enrichment” coursework (graduate level courses that do not strongly overlap with the student’s main research topic) to be chosen in consultation with the advisor, and at least 52 hours of dissertation credit (599) beyond the MS.  Additional courses beyond the 16 hours of 500-level courses may be ME or TAM graduate-level courses (400-500 level), or other engineering graduate-level technical courses chosen in consultation with advisor.  

Preliminary and Final Examinations

Scheduled upon completion of coursework requirement or in the semester in which the final coursework is taken. To schedule your exam, please see this page on the Graduate College website: grad.illinois.edu/thesis/submitting-doctoral-committee-requests  

You should submit your exam request to the Graduate College at least 3 weeks prior to the approximate exam date. Once you have submitted your Graduate College exam request, a notice is sent to the MechSE Graduate Programs  Office to approve the request. Once the request is approved by the MechSE Graduate Programs Office, the Graduate College will send the student and the MechSE Graduate Programs Office notice that the exam has been approved. 

After the Graduate College has approved your exam and you have been notified of the approval via email, the MechSE Graduate Programs Office will direct you to complete the Departmental Preliminary Exam Request Form or Departmental Final Exam Request Form . These forms should be submitted online to the MechSE Graduate Programs Office at least one week prior to the exam. 

Preliminary Examination proposals should be 20 pages in length including introductory pages, figures, etc. It should include statement of proposed research, its objectives and significance; a brief review of previous work on related research; and a short discussion of tentative methods of analysis and/or experimentation. There are no specific format requirements for the proposal. 

Final Examination abstracts should be submitted as a double-spaced Microsoft Word document in Times New Roman, size 12 font. The research summary should be one paragraph long, submitted as a Microsoft word document in size 11, Calibri font.

PROCESS FOR REPORTING EXAM RESULTS

The process for reporting Prelim and Final exam results is as follows:

The Committee Chair should email  [email protected] , cc’d to the committee members.  The email must include the following information:

• For Preliminary Exams : 1) Date of the exam, 2) Result of the exam, 3) Names of committee members
• For Final Exams : 1) Date of the exam, 2) Result of the exam, 3) Names of committee members, 4) How each committee member voted
• For Thesis/Dissertation Approval Forms : 1) Approval of the document, 2) Names of committee members

The Graduate Programs Office will attach the result confirmation email to the PER/FER form, which should include the signature of the EO or DGS at the bottom. This departmental signature confirms the accuracy of the result, which aligns with our standard practice.

DOCTORAL EXAMINATION COMMITTEE REQUIREMENTS

• Graduate College policy requires this committee shall have a minimum of 4 voting members, 3 of whom must be University of Illinois Graduate Faculty (i.e. they have an appointment with the Graduate College as teaching faculty who instruct a graduate course or courses.   MechSE policy states at least 1 of the 4 voting members must not be from the department of the candidate.  Committee members from outside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are welcome but would serve in addition to the 3 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign committee members.  If a member of the committee is non-UIUC faculty and will participate as a non-voting member, nothing additional is required.  If you desire a non-UIUC faculty member to serve as a voting committee member, a letter/email of justification from the advisor, stating what qualifies the person to be a voting member on the committee along with the person’s CV, must be attached to the exam request at the time of submission.
• Three of the committee members must be listed as Graduate Faculty members and two must be tenured (Associate Professor or Professor).  The committee should include faculty members from more than one area of specialization.
• The “Chair” must be a member of the Graduate Faculty from the candidate’s department and may also be the Director of Dissertation Research.  The chair is responsible for convening the committee, conducting the examination, and submitting the Certificate of Result to the department in which the student is enrolled.
• A “Contingent Chair,” if designated, must be a member of the Graduate Faculty.  The Contingent Chair serves if the original chair is unable to serve for any reason.
•  The Director of Dissertation Research is responsible for guiding/advising the student in their thesis research as part of an ongoing research project.  He/she may also discuss a tentative course of study or recommend a sequence of courses the student can take reflecting the interest of the student.
• A Department Affiliate cannot serve as a “Chair” or a “Contingent Chair” of a Preliminary Examination or Final Examination Committee.  Only faculty members of the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering may serve in that capacity.

SEMINAR REQUIREMENT

Continuous registration in ME 590 is required until completion of the preliminary exam unless the student will not attend the full semester the preliminary exam is administered. In this case, the student does not need to register in their final semester. Seminar credit cannot be counted toward coursework requirements.

Stage 3: Thesis and Final Examination

THESIS FOCUS

Thesis and Final Examination

DOCTORAL DISSERTATION DEFENSE

May be taken no sooner than six months after the preliminary examination.

FINAL EXAMINATION

Residency requirement: The University of Illinois requires that 64 hours must be from courses meeting on the Urbana-Champaign campus or at other locations approved by the Graduate College for resident credit. *A student entering with a MS degree is credited with 32 hours of coursework, leaving 64 hours to be completed at Illinois. **A maximum of 4 hours of ME 597 Independent study may be applied toward the 500-level coursework requirement. ***Coursework applied toward the degree must be approved by the Associate Head for Graduate Programs.

Continuous registration in ME 590 is required until completion of the preliminary exam. Seminar credit cannot be counted toward coursework requirements. Students are required to attend a minimum of 4 seminars in the semester. The seminar schedule is e-mailed to students at the beginning of each semester.

Students enrolled in a course that conflicts with ME 590 or TAM 500 still need to register for ME 590/TAM 500 and are required to attend alternate seminars.

To complete seminar registration with a conflict:

• Request a registration override by contacting the Undergraduate Programs Office at  [email protected] . Include your name, UIN, and the course you are enrolled in that is in conflict with the seminar. Also, list the seminar course you will register for (ME 590 or TAM 500).
• You will receive an email when the override is entered.
• You must register for ME 590 after the override is entered.

To receive credit for alternate seminars:

Alternate seminars include TAM 539 Fluids Seminar Series (for students who are registered in TAM 539), any other MechSE seminars not listed as part of the MechSE Seminar Series, and other seminars in Engineering, Math, or Physics.

Questions? MS/PhD: [email protected] M.Eng.ME: [email protected]

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PhD Program

Our PhD Program offers students opportunities to work in labs specializing in a broad range of mechanical engineering research.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering prepares students for careers in research and academia. Our faculty are investigating a diverse range of research areas like fluid mechanics, renewable energy technologies, materials processing and manufacturing, prosthetics, diagnostic tools, nanotechnology, and much more. As a PhD candidate, you will share in the excitement of discovery as you collaborate with our faculty on cutting edge research. You will also acquire strong, independent research skills and begin to develop your own skills and reputation as a member of the research community.

Because the advisor/graduate relationship is the cornerstone of a successful PhD experience, all new PhD candidates are carefully matched with faculty advisors, based on mutual research interests.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) normally requires four to five years of full-time study beyond the baccalaureate degree. There is no formal course requirement for a doctoral degree. The student develops a technical program involving both research and coursework with the help of his or her faculty advisor.

PhD candidates must pass the departmental exam, the Graduate Board Oral exam, submit a doctoral dissertation, and pass a final dissertation defense.

Where Do Our PhD Graduates Go?

Visit our PhD Alumni page to see where our PhD graduates have made their mark around the world. You, too, can join this elite group with an admission to our highly-ranked PhD program.

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Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.

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Mechanical engineers create the physical systems and devices that define modern society — everything from automobiles to air conditioning, robotic parts to power plants, people movers to artificial limbs, and rocket engines to satellites. At the School of Engineering, we groom our students to become the inventors and innovators of tomorrow. Our PhD in Mechanical Engineering program offers a balanced curriculum that emphasizes the principles behind these designs and approaches. To apply these principles in the field, we make computational and research experience an integral component of your studies.

We also offer you the freedom to choose from 5 distinct areas of specialization:

• aerospace engineering
• controls and dynamic systems
• fluid dynamics and thermal systems
• materials engineering
• mechanics and structural systems

The high faculty-to-student ratio of our program ensures you develop close ties to your instructors and fellow students. This fosters lifelong relationships and a rigorous intellectual community of scholars.

Many of our graduates enter such fields as computer engineering, nanotechnology, software development, and financial engineering. They also occupy positions in bioengineering, manufacturing, astronautics, systems engineering, and corporate management and law.

Admission Requirements

Admission to this program requires an MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or other closely related engineering field or applied sciences. Generally, you must also be able to present a GPA of 3.5 or better in your MS work. In cases where it is unclear that the required MS specialization has been satisfied, the degree requirements for the Mechanical Engineering, MS at the School of Engineering will define the necessary reparation. This same criterion applies for degrees received in other engineering disciplines.

Those with a BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and a GPA of 3.5 or better may apply directly to the program.

Find out more about  admission requirements .

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The general credit requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering degree at the School of Engineering are:

• Transfer from MS degree (30 credits)
• Approved coursework beyond the MS degree (21 credits minimum)
• Ph.D. dissertation (21 credits minimum)
• Minimum Total Required: 75 Credits

The credits above include MS degree credits but go beyond those for the BS degree.

Your studies must also be completed 5 years after the MS degree or the date of admission, whichever is later, unless a formal leave of absence is approved before the period for which the studies are interrupted.

In addition, you must take a written and oral departmental qualifying examination within the first 2 times it is offered after the date you join the doctoral program. Upon passing, you must then form a Ph.D. Guidance Committee and begin your dissertation. To do so, you will need to register for at least 3 credits of ME 9999 each fall and spring semester. Actual registration should reflect the pace of the work and your activity.

An exception to the minimum registration requirement may be made in the last semester of registration if that semester is devoted primarily to complete the work and dissertation. A dissertation grade of U for 2 consecutive terms affects whether or not you will be allowed to continue doctoral work. You must present progress on your dissertation to your guidance committee at least once a year. You can find additional details on degree requirements in the departmental pamphlet available at the department's main office.

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Iskender Sahin

Matthieu Nadini

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

DEGREE Mechanical Engineering, PhD

Doctoral degree in mechanical engineering

As a PhD student in mechanical engineering, you’ll be part of a community of outstanding students who are preparing for advanced work in industry, national labs, and academia. We’ll mentor you on your way to becoming a world-class researcher, and you can choose from opportunities within established and emerging research specializations. Broad research themes within the department include biomechanics, computational engineering, energy, manufacturing, and mechanics and controls, and within those, you’ll also have access to excellent research facilities are available for specialized research.

At a glance

Mechanical engineering department, learn more about what information you need to apply., how to apply.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

Submitted scores will not be used in admission decisions.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS and PROCESS

Degree: Most applicants have a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Students with a Bachelor of Science in other engineering or physical and natural science disciplines will be considered for admission. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree.

GPA: The Department of Mechanical Engineering prefers a 3.2/4.0 GPA. The minimum GPA to be reviewed by the admission committee is 3.0/4.0.

Advisor selection process: Applicants are required to seek out and secure their own faculty advisor. International students must complete this process as part of the application process, before an offer of admission may be granted. To seek out a faculty advisor please review the department Research and People websites. Only those faculty listed with titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, can serve as graduate advisors. Do not contact Emeritus faculty, Lecturers, Research Scientists, or Faculty Associates. You are encouraged to inquire about possible funding opportunities. If a faculty member offers to be your advisor, ask them to email their acceptance to [email protected] .

Each application must include the following:

• Graduate School Application
• Academic transcripts
• Statement of purpose
• Three letters of recommendation
• English Proficiency Score (if required)
• Application Fee

All applicants must satisfy requirements that are set forth by the  Graduate School . Upon acceptance, students without Mechanical Engineering Bachelor of Science degrees may be required to complete one or more courses in addition to degree requirements to satisfy any deficiencies (this requirement cannot be determined prior to admission).

To apply to the Mechanical Engineering program, complete  applications , including supportive materials, must be submitted as described below and received by the following deadline dates:

• Fall Semester—December 15 
• Spring Semester—September 1 
• Summer Session—December 15 

ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT

Within the online application, upload the undergraduate transcript(s) and, if applicable, the previous graduate transcript. Unofficial copies of transcripts will be accepted for review, but official copies are required for admitted students. Please do not send transcripts or any other application materials to the Graduate School or the Department of Mechanical Engineering unless requested. Please review the requirements set by the  Graduate School  for additional information about degrees/transcripts.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

In this document, applicants should explain why they want to pursue further education in Mechanical Engineering and discuss which UW faculty members they would be interested in doing research with during their graduate study (see the Graduate School for  more advice on how to structure a personal statement ).

Upload your resume in your application.

THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

These letters are required from people who can accurately judge the applicant’s academic, research, and/or work performance. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically to graduate programs through the online application. See the  Graduate School for FAQs  regarding letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are due by the deadline listed above. 

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY SCORE 

Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score. The UW-Madison Graduate School accepts TOEFL or IETLS scores. Your score will not be accepted if it is more than two years old from the start of your admission term. Country of citizenship does not exempt applicants from this requirement. Language of instruction at the college or university level and how recent the language instruction was taken are the determining factors in meeting this requirement.

For more information regarding minimum score requirements and exemption policy, please see the Graduate School Requirements for Admission .

APPLICATION FEE

Submission must be accompanied by the one-time application fee. It is non-refundable and can be paid by credit card (MasterCard or Visa) or debit/ATM. Information about the application fee may be found here (scroll to the ‘Frequently asked questions).

Fee grants are available through the conditions  outlined here by the Graduate School . Applicants who do not qualify for a fee grant as explained above, may seek out a Mechanical Engineering faculty advisor and discuss the fee grant option with that individual. If the faculty advisor is able and willing to pay the application fee for the applicant, the faculty advisor should contact the ME Associate Chair for Graduate Studies or the ME Graduate Admissions Team for assistance. 

If you have questions, please contact  [email protected] .

RE-ENTRY ADMISSIONS

If you were previously enrolled as a graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, have not earned your degree, but have had a break in enrollment for a minimum of a fall or spring term, you will need to re-apply to resume your studies. Please review the Graduate School requirements for previously enrolled students . Your previous faculty advisor (or another ME faculty advisor) must be willing to supply advising support and should e-mail the ME Graduate Student Services Coordinator regarding next steps in the process.

If you were previously enrolled in a UW-Madison graduate degree, completed that degree, have had a break in enrollment since earning the degree and would now like to apply for another UW-Madison program; you are required to submit a new student application through the UW-Madison Graduate School online application. For ME graduate programs, you must follow the entire application process as described above.

CURRENTLY ENROLLED GRADUATE STUDENT ADMISSIONS

Students currently enrolled as a graduate student at UW-Madison, whether in ME or a non-ME graduate program, wishing to apply to this degree program should contact the ME Graduate Admissions Team to inquire about the process and deadlines several months in advance of the anticipated enrollment term. Current students may apply to change or add programs for any term (fall, spring, or summer).

Tuition and funding

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

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Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

There are three mechanisms for Graduate Student funding through the university for Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. students:

• Fellowships
• Graduate assistantships: project assistantships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships
• Traineeships

Funding is awarded based on the qualifications of the student, the number of applicants, the amount of available funding, and the number of continuing students receiving support. You can apply for funding for research assistantships by contacting individual faculty members directly. Please check our  website  to look for faculty (only those listed with titles of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor can serve as graduate student advisors). Search for faculty who have research interests that align closely with your own by viewing faculty directory entries, visiting the faculty’s website (linked from the directory page), and reviewing publications by the faculty member. Once you have identified faculty with interests close to your own, you are encouraged to contact them by email to inquire regarding available research assistant positions. The admissions office does not know if a particular professor has research assistant positions available.

Students who apply to the department will be automatically considered for fellowship opportunities within the department. Admitted students will be eligible to apply for Teaching Assistantship positions. More information, including the application, will be available to students after admission is complete.

Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may be eligible to receive some level of funding through the federal direct loan program. These loans are available to qualified graduate students who are taking at least 4 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and 2 credits during summer. Private loans are also available. Learn more about financial aid at  their website . 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES FUNDING AND SCHOLARSHIPS

For information on International Student Funding and Scholarships visit the ISS  website .

Global industry partners and U.S. government agencies (like the Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation) entrust Badger engineers to design and conduct complex research into a wide range of theoretical and practical questions. Our faculty and student lab teams create a deeply collaborative research environment to study problems ranging from renewable energy to soft robotics and osteoarthritis to vehicle traction on the Moon.

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Curricular Requirements

Minimum graduate school requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum  academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Required Courses

Two semesters of  M E 903 Graduate Seminar  are required.  These should be taken the first two semester the student is in residence.  If an M.S. degree is received at UW–Madison, additional M E 903 credits are not required.

A minimum of 42 formal course credits beyond the B.S. degree. This includes a minimum of 15 credits (usually five courses) numbered 700 or higher (excluding M E 964 Special Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering courses unless specifically approved). 12 credits (usually four courses) numbered 700 and above must be taken at UW–Madison. A minimum of 6 credits (usually two courses) numbered 700 and above must be in Mechanical Engineering (M E) and/or Engineering Mechanics (E M A) taken at UW–Madison. A minimum of one (3 or more – credit) math course. The following courses would satisfy the math course requirement:

Acceptable courses for the remainder of the required 42 formal course credits (this total includes the courses taken for the PhD breadth requirement) are those numbered 400 and above. Up to two 300 and above courses in engineering, math, or the sciences taken at UW-Madison can also be used towards the formal course credit requirement. The 300 and above courses can be from Mechanical Engineering and/or Engineering Mechanics if approved by the student’s advisor and the ME graduate committee. 

Minimum of 18 thesis credits ( M E 790 Master’s Research and Thesis ,  M E 890 PhD Research and Thesis ,  M E 990 Dissertator Research and Thesis ) are required with an overall grade of S.

Graduate Student Services [email protected] 3182 Mechanical Engineering Building 1513 University Ave., Madison

Associate Chair for Graduate Studies [email protected]

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Doctoral Program in Mechanical Engineering

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Shantanu Thakar

Yeo Jung Yoon

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Published on June 8th, 2021

Last updated on August 18th, 2023

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Shantanu Thakar PhD in Mechanical Engineering

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The best piece of advice I was given was to not take your career related defeats too seriously and most importantly not letting them affect your mental health. To get into detail, at the time when something you’re not happy with happens, it feels like a huge deal. But for the long term such things do not matter much. For example, if one doesn't get admission in their dream university, although it feels like a huge defeat at the time, after 10 years you won’t even remember much about it. Hence, it is necessary to not take any such defeat too seriously. Ofcourse, you should feel sad and strive to achieve better but it is very important to not let it affect your mental health. Things have a way of falling in place. For example, even if you do not get your dream university, you may end up getting a job better than most people at that university.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

For me the greatest accomplishment would be successfully completing my PhD from one of the top universities and receiving the Best Research Assistant award in the process. 

What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?

It has to be the new Tesla that is yet to be delivered.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it

My research is in the area of AI and machine learning for motion planning for complex robots like robotic arms, or robotic arms mounted on mobile robots or multiple robotic arms moving together for performing several tasks. Making sure that such complex robots move safely and successfully  is extremely challenging. Coming up with novel solutions for solving such challenging problems for different applications is what excites me. However, the thing that excites me most is actually seeing robots move and perform interesting tasks like disinfection, grasping, transportation of objects, to name a few. It is highly satisfying to see that my research can benefit making life easier and safer for people. 

If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be? 

It has to be one of astronomer or a soccer player

What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?

The two most important factors for me were my advisor, Prof. Satyandra K. Gupta and the excellent infrastructure and facilities for robotics at USC. Prof. Gupta’s research was exactly what I was interested in and looking to get into. Moreover, he is an excellent advisor who gives you a lot of freedom to express yourself, but also makes sure you are moving towards the goal. He makes sure his students work on problems that are relevant for the industry. The facilities at the center for advanced manufacturing, where he’s the director at, are state-of-the-art. I have not seen so many varieties of robots and 3D printers anywhere else. 

If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?

It is really difficult to recommend just 3 places in Southern California, let alone in the entire California. Let me stick to SoCal. The first place I recommend is one of my favorite national parks, Channel Island National park, off the coast of Ventura. Not only are the islands extremely beautiful with blue waters and rich marine life for snorkelling and scuba diving, but also, on the way there, you will get to see dolphins, seals and if you’re lucky whales. It’s a must visit! The second is my favorite beach in LA, Hermosa Beach. It is a small city of its own with amazing restaurants. The sunset from Hermosa beach is one of the prettiest I have seen. The third place would be my absolute favorite ice cream place near Westwood, Saffron & Rose. The Persian ice cream they serve is one of the best ice creams I have ever had. 

What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?

Some of the memories I’ll cherish the most are working late at night at the lab chasing a deadline, after which, our entire lab would go to the diner close by for late night food and beer. Apart from this, I miss playing soccer at the Brittingham field till late at night.  

What's one thing about you that might surprise me?

I could solve the Rubik’s cube in less than 30 seconds 

What are your plans after graduation?

I have joined Amazon as a Research Scientist in Robotics.

Hometown (city, country):

Pune, India

Personal Website (if any):

shantanuthakar.github.io

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Satyandra K. Gupta

Yeo Jung Yoon PhD in Mechanical Engineering

“Be positive!” 

Whenever I face a challenge in my graduate studies, I try to have a positive and fresh mindset. Positive thoughts help me a lot to overcome various hardships. I believe the way I think really affects the way I react.

In my first year of my PhD, My colleagues and I won the best paper award for robotic 3D printing research at ASME IDETC-CIE conference. We worked hard for the project and it felt really great to see our hard work finally pay off.

Recently, I found a cool home-décor shop in K-town and bought a bunch of home décor items. My room is now more fun and interesting with cute planters, various candles, a huge wall clock and artistic tissue box.

My research is about developing robot learning algorithms for various manufacturing applications. I have been fascinated by the fields of robotics and Artificial Intelligence since I was an undergraduate student. I love the idea that my research problems are at the intersection of both fields!   

Travel writer! I love to travel, eat local food, and experience local cultures. It would be interesting to travel to other countries and write about interesting episodes.

Great resources for research, well-organized graduate program, and the location. I visited USC campus and my lab before coming to USC. I was amazed by the wonderful support that USC can offer to prospective graduate students and decided to pursue my PhD here. 

The Getty Center is a place where you can see lots of art and walk beautiful gardens. I also recommend visiting Griffith Observatory. It is especially beautiful during sunset times, and a great place for hiking. Also, if you want to feel the ocean breeze, I recommend going to the beaches in Malibu.

The time I have spent with my friends and colleagues. We studied and hung out together, discussed various topics, and helped each other. My graduate life is wonderful because of them! 

I have been a devoted yoga practitioner for the past 7 years. I love to do beach yoga and hot yoga. It helps me to release stress and clear my mind. 

I plan to pursue a career in academia. I love being in academia because I can work on the problems that I feel most interested in. I also like to work and communicate with scholars and students who have the same research interest as me. They are inspirational!  

I grew up in Seoul, South Korea

Satyandra K. Gupta (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department)

James Croughan PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Fail often but safely. Often the fastest way to learn and master something is to learn every way of not doing it, either by trying it yourself or watching others attempt it. That being said, you need to make sure each failure does not result in harm to yourself or others. So long as that is possible, the fastest path to success is to fail constantly and creatively.

In high school I struggled with maintaining enough body weight, and had several health issues related to that. At the time I was about six feet tall and weighed 130 pounds, and my doctor told me I needed to put on at least 30 pounds of muscle to be healthy, but the more I put on, the healthier I would be. I very much took that to heart and have been getting stronger ever since. It has been 13 years since I started daily weightlifting and monitoring my diet, and I have now put on nearly 70 pounds of muscle and am the healthiest I have ever been.

Blackout curtains. I saw them at Target and decided to try them out, and instantly started sleeping much better. I had no idea how sensitive to light I was until I experienced sleeping in a genuinely dark room. I probably get an extra 2 hours of sleep now, simply because the light isn’t waking me up too early.

Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.

I am an experimentalist who works on very high-performance wings in the Dryden Wind Tunnel. I have built several wings designed to invalidate many of the assumptions used in traditional wing aerodynamics, with a goal of explaining how and why these models must change when key assumptions are false. The two most exciting parts of this are the implications and how my analysis process works. My research clearly shows that many of the design rules currently used in wing design only apply to a small range of wing designs. If you go outside of these traditional designs, much higher performance wings are possible than what traditional aerodynamics would predict. How I determine this is also very exciting. All of my wings were designed to cover a broad range of possible outcomes without knowing the exact math that might predict those outcomes, making an accurate prediction of the results impossible beyond basic intuition. As such, I really didn’t know what to expect when I first started seeing my results. When they finally came in, they far exceeded my expectations, which is awesome.

Lawyer. I love debating anything and everything and am very extroverted and analytical, so trial lawyer or something like that would make sense and be fun.

I wanted to pursue bigger and crazier projects than what I had been doing previously, and I knew I needed a stronger educational background to be qualified to do that. USC and Dr. Uranga were the only school and advisor combination I looked at that offered a specialization in system, experimental, or mechanical design, in combination with a specialization in a more traditional engineering area. Additionally, I am from the LA area, and have absolutely zero desire to leave and have been a fan of USC for a long time, so that made it a very easy choice.

• Watch your favorite band at the Hollywood Bowl.
• Climb Mt. Baldy or Mt. San Jacinto.
• Take a long walk on the beach in Malibu around sunset.

All the trips to all-you-can-eat sushi and Korean bbq with lab-mates and classmates. Lots and lots of good food and good times.

I travel a ton but have a rather short list of places I have been. I am on a round trip plane flight about every 50 days on average, yet have somehow never been to New York, for example.

I am in the pure writing stage of my thesis work, and have already started working full-time for an aerospace company as I finish that up. I was previously a consultant for Rhoman Aerospace, and became VP of Engineering and Controls in July.

Claremont, California, USA

Dr. Alejandra Uranga

The PhD in Mechanical Engineering is awarded to students who demonstrate high academic achievement and research competence in the fields of mechanical engineering. To earn a PhD, a student must complete an approved, rigorous program of advanced coursework and submit and defend an original dissertation of independent research.

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The PhD is awarded to students who demonstrate high academic achievement and research competence in the fields of mechanical or industrial engineering. To earn a PhD, a student must complete an approved, rigorous program of advanced coursework and submit and defend an original dissertation of independent research. The mechanical and industrial engineering (MIE) department expects all successful doctoral candidates to show depth of knowledge and research innovation in their chosen field of specialization.

The MIE department admits applicants to the PhD program either directly after earning a suitable bachelor’s degree or after earning a master’s degree. Upon acceptance into the program, an applicant is designated as a doctoral student. This designation is changed to doctoral candidate upon successful completion of the doctoral qualifying examinations (both written and oral area exams) as well as all the required course work.

• The PhD in Mechanical Engineering can be combined with a  Gordon Engineering Leadership certificate
• Both Bachelors and Advanced Degree entry are available
• Students submit and defend an original dissertation of independent research
• The ability to use basic engineering concepts flexibly in a variety of contexts
• Ability to formulate a research plan
• Ability to communicate orally a research plan
• Ability to conduct independent research

Our graduates pursue careers within academia and beyond.

• Seattle’s Children’s Hospital
• Sonos, Inc.
• Massachusetts institute of Technology
• Citicorp Credit Services
• Norfolk Southern
• King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
• Johns Hopkins University
• California State University, Long Beach

Application Materials

• Completed online application form
• $100 application fee
• Two letters of recommendation
• Transcripts from all institutions attended
• Statement of Purpose
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo for international applicants

Application

PhD Priority: December 15

International outside US: June 1

International inside US: July 1

Domestic: August 1

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Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering

• Critical thinking and the ability to identify the critical technical challenges in engineering.
• Application of the scientific principles and technology to address the critical technical challenges by conducting a comprehensive research project resulting in an original contribution.
• Opportunity to pursue research projects at the highest levels in academia or private and public industries after graduation.

A comprehensive research project resulting in an original contribution to the field documented by a dissertation.

View the Curriculum

Core faculty.

Datta, Dibakar

Associate Professor

Fischer, Ian

Ji, Zhiming

Lee, Eon Soo

Marras, Simone

Assistant Professor

Narh, Kwabena

Professor and Chair, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Rosato, Anthony

Singh, Pushpendra

Sodhi, Rajpal

Where do Mechanical Engineering majors work?

Common job titles.

• Junior Project Engineer
• Diesel Mechanic
• Product Development Engineer
• Project Engineer

Top Employers

• Cognizant Technology Solutions
• Tata Consultancy Services
• Valcor Engineering
• Speech & Hearing Associates

Take the next step in your journey.

Get information on program requirements, tuition, financial assistance and more.

Mechanical Engineering

• Graduate study in Mechanical Engineering
• Ph.D. programs

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering prepares students for careers in research and academia. Our collaborative faculty are investigating a diverse range of research areas like additive manufacturing, air quality, cellular biomechanics, computational design, DNA origami, energy conversion and storage, nanoscale manufacturing, soft robotics, transdermal drug delivery, transport phenomena, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Interested? Visit our research pages for more information, including faculty areas of expertise and research videos.

• Other Ph.D. programs

I’d like more information.

View the  degree requirements  in the handbook.

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering

Students typically complete the Ph.D. degree requirements in three to five years. Early in the program, students focus on course-work that enhances their knowledge as they prepare to conduct research.

Within one year, students must pass the departmental qualifying exam, an oral exam that tests research skills and knowledge of a core mechanical engineering subject area.

Student research forms the core of the Ph.D. program. Research involves active student-directed inquiry into an engineering problem, culminating in a written thesis and oral defense.

Ph.D. Financial Support

The majority of full-time Ph.D. students accepted through the standard application process receive fellowships that cover full tuition, the technology fee, and a stipend for living expenses for up to five years, as long as sufficient progress is made toward degree completion. These awards are sufficient to cover all expenses for the year (including summers). Students are required to pay for health insurance, the transportation fee, the activity fee, books, and course supplies. Off-campus housing is available within walking distance of campus. At least one year of residency is required for the Ph.D. We offer two ways to enter the Ph.D. program.

Advanced entry Ph.D.

The advanced entry Ph.D. is for students with an M.S. in an engineering discipline or equivalent field.

Direct Ph.D.

The direct Ph.D. is for students entering the program with a B.S. in an engineering discipline or equivalent field.

For a comprehensive overview of the programs, including degree requirements, please consult the most recent handbook

Ph.D. candidate Remesh Shrestha, co-advised by Professors Sheng Shen and Maarten de Boer, explains his research to create polymer nanowires that have high thermal conductivity:

Other Ph.D. programs and partnerships

Apply here (by these deadlines).

For spring 2023

For fall 2022

The application for fall entry opens in October.

More information

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Ph.D. enrollment and completion stats [pdf]

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The Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering can be done in conjunction with a Ph.D. (for the M.S./Ph.D. option) or alone. Degrees are granted after completion of programs of study that emphasize the application of the natural sciences to the analysis and solution of engineering problems. Advanced courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and the life sciences are normally included in a program that incorporates the engineering systems approach for analysis of problems. Students must have a bachelors degree in one of the accredited engineering curricula or satisfy the equivalent of a bachelors degree in engineering as determined by the department concerned for admission to this program.

For more information, please see Graduate Handbook 7.1 .  A printable version of the curriculum can be found here .

Though the vast majority of students in our program earn the Ph.D., the D.Eng can be earned in rare cases. Degrees are granted after completion of programs of study in professional engineering emphasizing technical, sociological, environmental, and economic problems involved in the design, construction, and operation of engineering structures, processes, and equipment. Studies include courses in the engineering sciences necessary to the engineering interpretation of the latest scientific developments, as well as courses in design, operation, humanities, and economics to provide bases for the analysis and solution of problems in professional engineering. Students must have a BS degree in one of the accredited engineering curricula or satisfy the equivalent of a BS degree in engineering as determined by the department concerned.

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• PhD in Mechanical Engineering

The PhD in Mechanical Engineering program is interdisciplinary by design and provides both post-bachelor’s and post-master’s applicants the opportunity for study in a broad range of areas within mechanical engineering as well as within the College of Engineering. The mechanical engineering faculty members boast international reputations and provide students with opportunities for research in:

• Acoustics and Vibrations
• Biomechanics
• Computational Science and Engineering
• Dynamics, Robotics, Systems, and Controls
• Thermofluid Sciences, Energy, and Sustainability
• MEMS and Nanotechnology

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the PhD in Mechanical Engineering program will be able to:

• Make an original and substantial contribution to the discipline of mechanical engineering as demonstrated by the completion of a PhD thesis.
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct advanced independent research by mastering research methodologies and techniques, synthesizing existing knowledge, analyzing and evaluating their findings, and communicating the results to other researchers.

Course Requirements

Post-bachelor’s students.

• Must complete all departmental requirements for the Master of Science.
• Are required to complete a minimum of 64 credits applicable to their degree (a minimum of 24 credits must be structured courses and a minimum of 16 credits of research/dissertation is required).

Post-Master’s Students

• Develop a curriculum in consultation with their faculty advisor
• Are required to complete 32 credits applicable to their degree, all of which must be at the 500 level or higher
• Are required to complete a minimum of 8 credits of research/dissertation coursework.

Residency Requirement

Each student must satisfy a residency requirement of a minimum of two consecutive regular semesters of full-time graduate study at Boston University. Full-time study in this context means full-time commitment to the discipline as determined by the associate dean for research and graduate programs.

Teaching Requirement

Students must also take ENG ME 801 Teaching Practicum 1 and ME 802 Teaching Practicum 2. These courses cannot be used to meet the structured course requirements. Both ENG ME 801 and 802 come with practical teaching experience. Practical teaching experience includes some combination of running discussion sections, managing laboratory sections, providing some lectures, preparing homework and solution sets, exams, and grading. Attend lectures/seminars on best teaching practices. Total time commitment: up to 20 hours/week for one semester for each course.

Qualifying Examination

• Students must pass a comprehensive examination covering basic knowledge in mechanical engineering
• Limited to two attempts
• ME Qualifying Examination

Responsible Conduct of Research Requirement

All College of Engineering PhD students are required to complete the Advanced Responsible Conduct of Research program prior to completing the prospectus. The Advanced RCR program includes an online module and four live discussion workshops.

Dissertation Prospectus Defense

• Within one year of becoming a candidate, the student is expected to present an oral dissertation proposal to the prospective Dissertation Committee and obtain approval for the written dissertation prospectus.

Dissertation

• A PhD candidate is expected to prepare and carry out an independent and original research project in partial fulfillment of the dissertation requirement.
• The Dissertation Committee must consist of College of Engineering (tenured or tenure-earning) faculty.

Final Oral Examination

• Students shall present themselves for a final oral examination in which they must defend their dissertation as a worthy contribution to knowledge in their field and demonstrate mastery of their field of specialization as related to the dissertation.
• The Examining Committee is composed of at least five members, of which two must be (tenured or tenure-earning) faculty from the student’s academic department/division.
• Both the post-bachelor’s and post-master’s programs must be completed within five years of the individual’s acceptance into PhD candidacy.
• Candidates for the PhD are required to have a member of the graduate faculty in the department/division of their major field as an advisor.

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Overview of the PhD Program

For specific information on the Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering PhD program, see the navigation links to the right. 

What follows on this page is an overview of all Ph.D. programs at the School; additional information and guidance can be found on the  Graduate Policies  pages. 

General Ph.D. Requirements

• 10 semester-long graduate courses, including at least 8 disciplinary.   At least 5 of the 10 should be graduate-level SEAS "technical" courses (or FAS graduate-level technical courses taught by SEAS faculty), not including seminar/reading/project courses.  Undergraduate-level courses cannot be used.  For details on course requirements, see the school's overall PhD course requirements  and the individual program pages linked therein.
• Program Plan (i.e., the set of courses to be used towards the degree) approval by the  Committee on Higher Degrees  (CHD).
• Minimum full-time academic residency of two years .
• Serve as a Teaching Fellow (TF) in one semester of the second year.
• Oral Qualifying Examination Preparation in the major field is evaluated in an oral examination by a qualifying committee. The examination has the dual purpose of verifying the adequacy of the student's preparation for undertaking research in a chosen field and of assessing the student's ability to synthesize knowledge already acquired. For details on arranging your Qualifying Exam, see the exam policies and the individual program pages linked therein.
• Committee Meetings : PhD students' research committees meet according to the guidelines in each area's "Committee Meetings" listing.  For details see the "G3+ Committee Meetings" section of the Policies of the CHD  and the individual program pages linked therein.
• Final Oral Examination (Defense) This public examination devoted to the field of the dissertation is conducted by the student's research committee. It includes, but is not restricted to, a defense of the dissertation itself.  For details of arranging your final oral exam see the  Ph.D. Timeline  page.
• Dissertation Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, a committee chaired by the research supervisor is constituted to oversee the dissertation research. The dissertation must, in the judgment of the research committee, meet the standards of significant and original research.

Optional additions to the Ph.D. program

Harvard PhD students may choose to pursue these additional aspects:

• a Secondary Field (which is similar to a "minor" subject area).  SEAS offers PhD Secondary Field programs in  Data Science and in  Computational Science and Engineering .   GSAS  lists  secondary fields offered by other programs.
• a Master of Science (S.M.) degree conferred  en route to the Ph.D in one of several of SEAS's subject areas.  For details see here .
• a Teaching Certificate awarded by the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning .

SEAS PhD students may apply to participate in the  Health Sciences and Technology graduate program  with Harvard Medical School and MIT.  Please check with the HST program for details on eligibility (e.g., only students in their G1 year may apply) and the application process.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering

Program description.

Students in the PhD in Mechanical Engineering program will be instructed in advanced core principles and have the opportunity to conduct research that will ultimately help solve problems in energy, healthcare, security and transportation.

The PhD in Mechanical Engineering requires 75 semester credit hours minimum beyond the baccalaureate degree.

For complete admission and degree requirements, view the Graduate Catalog at  catalog.utdallas.edu .

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program seek positions such as: Professor, Research Scientists at corporate or national laboratories, Research and Development Engineer for the design, manufacturing, control, and operation of components and systems in energy, health care, security and transportation and Consulting Engineer in the public and private sectors.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Requirements

Degree requirements:  A master’s or bachelor’s degree in engineering or one of the natural sciences from an institution of higher education in the U.S. or from a comparable institution abroad.

GPA:  A grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or better on a 4.0 point scale.

Letters of recommendation:  Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with the student’s record, and are able to judge the candidate’s preparation and ability to succeed in doctoral study in Mechanical Engineering.

Resume required:  Yes

Admissions essay required:  Yes

An essay describing motivation for doctoral study and how it relates to the student’s professional goals.

Deadlines:  University  deadlines  apply.

Contact Information

Department of Mechanical Engineering  Email: [email protected]

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science The University of Texas at Dallas, ECW41 800 W Campbell Rd Richardson, TX 75080-3021

engineering.utdallas.edu

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PhD in Mechanical Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering is awarded to students who demonstrate high academic achievement and research competence in the fields of mechanical engineering. To earn a PhD, a student must complete an approved, rigorous program of advanced course work and submit and defend an original dissertation of independent research. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) expects all successful doctoral candidates to show depth of knowledge and research innovation in their chosen field of specialization.

The MIE department admits applicants to the PhD program either directly after earning a suitable bachelor’s degree (i.e., direct entry) or after earning a suitable master’s degree (i.e., advanced entry).

• Program Details
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• Degree Requirements - Advanced Entry
• Admissions Information
• Tuition & Financial Aid

Innovative Curriculum

All course work must have the approval of the academic advisor. All PhD students must first pass the Doctoral Qualifying Examinations before being admitted to Doctoral Candidacy.

• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering/scientific/quantitative problems
• An ability to explain and apply engineering design principles, as appropriate to the program’s educational objectives
• An ability to produce solutions that meet specified end-user needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
• An ability to recognize and advance the engineering tools/principles needed for creative thinking and innovation to propel technical development for industrial applications and/or scientific research
• Learn more.
• Scholarship Report

Experiential Learning

Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research, including cooperative education and internships, to prepare students for real world engineering challenges. The Cooperative Education Program , also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a Co-op Program for Graduate Students. Through this program students gain industry experience in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups, while helping to finance their education. Students also have the option to participate in an internship or the university’s Experiential PhD program.

Academic Advising

The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.

• Graduate Student Services

Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

• TUITION & FINANCIAL AID

Recent News

Wanunu Receives Northeastern NAI Innovator of the Year Award

COS/BioE Professor Meni Wanunu received the Innovator of the Year award from the Northeastern University chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Daniel Braconnier, a recent mechanical engineering PhD graduate, received the student innovator award.

COE Research Expo Displays Promising Work of PhD Students

The College of Engineering held a research expo to highlight the work of PhD students. Participants presented their research to a panel of judges and gained critical presentation and communication skills. They also displayed their research during the poster showcase and students were recognized with awards.

Spinout Company Fourier LLC to Revolutionize Thermal Management

After pioneering thermoforming technical ceramic matrix composites (CMC’s) last year, MIE Associate Professor Randall Erb and mechanical engineering alum Jason Hoffman-Bice, PhD’22, have created a spinout company called Fourier LLC to commercialize their groundbreaking innovation in thermal management.

Fan Receives ASME Design Engineering Division Best Paper Award

Haonan Fan, PhD’24, mechanical engineering, received the 2023 Best Paper Award of the ASME Design Engineering Division for “DC Motor Velocity Control with Integral Retarded Controller Under Unintentional Delay” at the 2023 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference.

Mechanical Engineering

College of Engineering and Applied Science » Academics » Departments » Mechanical and Materials Engineering » Majors & Programs » Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering Degree

Why study Mechanical Engineering?

The Mechanical Engineering graduate program in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering  (MME) offers both MS and PhD degrees. The PhD degree requires the completion of a dissertation in addition to the course credit hour requirements and qualifying exams.

Graduate level courses in core Mechanical Engineering areas as well as in emerging areas are offered. Academically, the program is grouped into research foci consisting of: (1) Structural Dynamics and Acoustics; (2) PHM, Intelligent Systems and Reliability Engineering; (3) Advanced Manufacturing; (4) Engineering Simulation and Applied Mechanics; (5) Nano-Technology and Bio-Medical Engineering; (6) Therma-Fluid and Enhanced Heat Transfer; (7) Advanced Materials Research.

Admission Requirements

• GRE - Required of all international students; GRE is exempt for students that earned a degree from an ABET accredited university (or equivalent accreditation) in the USA with a GPA of 3.0+
• Transcript(s) and Degree Certificates (unofficial transcripts are used for admissions review, only admitted applicants submit official transcripts)
• GPA minimum 3.0 or equivalent
• Statement of Purpose
• Two letters of recommendation
• International students - English Proficiency Test: TOEFL (minimum 92) or IELTS (minimum 6.5)

The Department has state-of-the-art research laboratories in Vibrations and Acoustics, Computational Mechanics, Nanotechnology, Manufacturing, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Thermal Processing and Thermal Fluids, Heat Mass Transfer, Fuel-Cells and Microscale Flow, and Heat Transfer. Currently, five major research centers are housed in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, which provide many opportunities for students and faculty to engage in scholarly research and knowledge creation. These are:

• NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems
• UC Simulation Center - a UC/P&G Collaboratory
• Siemens Simulation Technology Center
• NSF Engineering Research Center for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials
• Additive Manufacturing Center
• Laser Shock Peening (LSP) Center

In addition, faculty in MME receive research funding from national agencies (NSF, DOE, NASA, DOD, EPA) as well as numerous industries. Research assistantships and teaching assistantships are available on a competitive basis.

• Guide: Mechanical Engineering Ph.D.

Application Deadlines

Early Admission

General Admission

Application deadlines and additional application information can be found at the CEAS Office of Graduate Studies .

Contact Information

Find related programs in the following interest areas:.

• Engineering

Program Code: 20DOC-ME-PHD

Mechanical Engineering, PhD

Whiting school of engineering, the ph.d. program.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) normally requires four to five years of full-time study beyond the baccalaureate degree. There is no formal course requirement for a doctoral degree.  The student develops a technical program involving both research and course work with the help of their faculty advisor.

PhD candidates must pass the Departmental Qualifying Exam (usually taken at the end of the second semester of graduate study), successfully submit a doctoral dissertation proposal (usually during the third-year of full-time study), complete a doctoral dissertation, and pass the final Graduate Board Oral exam and the dissertation defense.

Admissions 

To be admitted to graduate study in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, applicants must submit credentials sufficient to convince the faculty that they will thrive in a program of advanced course work and research. Graduate Record Examination scores must be submitted.

Each graduate student is assigned to a faculty advisor to map a program for the first year and enter the intellectual life of the department. The student will remain in regular communication with the advisor. The advisor may use a variety of methods to assess the student’s progress. It is not necessary that a student have the same advisor in successive years. After serious research for a dissertation has begun, the research supervisor will automatically function as advisor.

All Ph.D. students are required in their first three years, and master’s students are encouraged during their time here, to register for EN.530.803 Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminar and attend its weekly Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminars.

Where Do our PhD Graduates Go?  Visit  our PhD Alumni page  to see where our PhD graduates have made their mark around the world. You, too, can join this elite group with an admission to our PhD program!

Program Requirements

Although there are no formal course requirements, students are presumed to be prepared by studies equal to six 600-level courses in their field of specialization and six courses in related fields. All candidates for the doctorate must complete two semesters as a teaching assistant as part of their training. All students are required to follow a course of study approved by their individual advisor.

 In addition to general university requirements, the student must complete the following requirements:

• Achieve an unconditional pass in the oral Departmental Qualifying Exam based on core courses. This exam is usually taken after the second semester.
• Submit a Doctoral Dissertation Proposal that will serve as a base for research and dissertation by the end of the third year.
• Complete research and write the Doctoral Dissertation.
• Achieve an unconditional pass in the Graduate Board Oral examination satisfying the Graduate Board requirements. This is a comprehensive examination in which students must demonstrate proficiency at the graduate level in their field of specialization.
• The final and principal requirement for the doctorate is to successfully defend the Doctoral Dissertation in a final oral presentation and examination, also known as the "dissertation defense."

Additional details on Ph.D. requirements and departmental academic policy for the Ph.D. degree can be found on the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Advising page .

What to Do With a Mechanical Engineering Degree

Jobs for mechanical engineers exist in many sectors, ranging from aviation to manufacturing.

The Many Jobs for Mechanical Engineers

Getty Images

Mechanical engineers are typically excellent at analyzing and explaining complicated issues.

Understanding how and why machines work isn't necessarily intuitive. Some devices that seem simple on the surface, such as conveyor belts, actually rely on intricate technology and precise handiwork.

A mechanical engineering degree teaches someone how to build contraptions with moving parts, ranging from little objects like watches to enormous vehicles like space shuttles. Robot-building teams often include mechanical engineers, and medical device manufacturing also involves mechanical engineering.

"It really is pretty hard to think of something that exists in the world that a mechanical engineer hasn't had a hand in designing," says Robert Hurlston, chief engineer and co-founder with Fidelis Engineering Associates, a Michigan-based engineering consultancy.

What Is Mechanical Engineering?

Hurlston, who has a doctorate in nuclear engineering, says the distinction between mechanical engineering and other areas of engineering is that it tends to focus on moving objects like cars and planes as opposed to stationary objects like bridges and buildings.

Karen Ohland, president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, explains that mechanical engineering is a fundamental component of the engineering field as a whole. "It's one of the oldest engineering professions. Many of the other branches of engineering have come out of that - biomedical and chemical and aerospace all have at their core mechanical engineering."

The goal of mechanical engineering, she says, is "creating something that never existed before" in order to solve a problem.

Recent federal legislation aimed at increasing domestic production of semiconductor chips and encouraging the development and use of environmentally friendly technology will likely drive up the need for mechanical engineers, experts say.

Evelyn N. Wang, the department head in the mechanical engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering , says mechanical engineers help make autonomous vehicles and other cutting-edge devices, not just traditional fuel-based cars.

"Our major is much more broad than that now," she says. "It's really evolved, and it's becoming very interdisciplinary."

While mechanical engineers may design internal combustion engines or build gears for common gadgets, they could also help to create devices that are invisible to the naked eye or build massive objects such as power plants, Wang says.

"The emergence of data science" has increased the number and variety of job options for mechanical engineers, says Allen Robinson, a former head of the mechanical engineering department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who is now director of the university's Africa division.

Combining "machine learning" with engineering can help address a wide range of formidable technical problems, "from water desalination to gene expression," says Robinson, who has a doctorate in mechanical engineering.

Mechanical engineering as a field is increasingly popular among women, many of whom choose to study it in order to come up with technological solutions to major global problems like climate change, Wang says. "Times have changed," she says. "This is not a degree just for men. In fact, at MIT, we have 50% women pursuing the degree at the undergraduate level."

Jobs for People With Mechanical Engineering Degrees

Problem-solving and clear communication skills are emphasized in mechanical engineering programs.

Joe Heaney, president of both Lotus Biosecurity, a company that develops sanitation technology solutions, and New York Energy and Environmental company, which focuses on energy-efficient construction projects, notes that individuals with mechanical engineering degrees are well-suited for technical sales positions that involve explaining and customizing a technology firm's products for prospective clients.

Mechanical engineers are also involved with research and development at many scientific laboratories, according to Heaney, who earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

"Traditionally, mechanical engineering graduates have often gone into manufacturing, helping to design many of the home products and appliances that we use on a daily basis," Bala Balachandran, chair of the mechanical engineering department at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering , wrote in an email.

"With the emergence of advanced technologies, the door is now open for mechanical engineers to become involved in nanotech – for instance, in designing medicines and devices that work at a very tiny scale," says Balachandran, who has a doctorate in engineering mechanics. "In addition, mechanical engineers are playing a major role in areas like robotics, whose applications extend across a number of domains. Industrial AI is another area that comes to mind."

Robert Rabb, associate dean for education at the Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering , describes mechanical engineering as "one of the broadest engineering disciplines."

Mechanical engineers can work on ambitious government building projects and often advance quickly into project leadership roles, says Rabb, who has bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering. "Mechanical engineers are not at a desk all the time. We have to design, develop, build and test. This requires us to see and touch something besides a computer."

These are some examples of jobs where a mechanical engineering credential is valuable, according to experts:

• Aerospace engineer
• Automotive engineer
• Biomedical engineer
• Business executive
• Construction engineer
• Entrepreneur
• Intellectual property attorney
• Manufacturing engineer
• Management consultant
• Mechanical engineer
• Patent lawyer
• Production engineer
• Project lead
• Project manager
• Petroleum engineer
• Process engineer
• Product designer
• Quality engineer
• Sales engineer
• Structural engineer
• Technology specialist
• Thermal engineer

Mechanical Engineering Employment Prospects

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary among U.S. mechanical engineers in May 2021 was $95,300. It is possible to enter the profession with only a bachelor's degree.

Experts note that it is optional but often beneficial for mechanical engineers to seek supplemental education in computer science or business.

"A mechanical engineering degree affords the individual a virtual Swiss Army knife of skill sets," Keith F. Noe, a partner with Lando & Anastasi, LLP , a Boston-based intellectual property law firm, wrote in an email.

The skills cultivated via a degree in this field apply to a wide array of industries and work assignments, says Noe, who has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

"A mechanical engineer has opportunities to work in the automotive, heating and cooling, manufacturing and aeronautic industries, to name a few," he explains. "Projects can be revolutionary or evolutionary."

Some mechanical engineering projects involve designing new products while others focus on cost reduction, quality improvement or both.

"To use a sports analogy, a Mechanical Engineer is the utility player of the engineering world," Tony Sanger, a senior vice president at the Turner & Townsend multinational consulting firm, wrote in an email. "The opportunities are endless."

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Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Mechanical engineering, phd, requirements, academic and research advisors, change of research advisor, direct entry, advanced entry, phd candidacy, doctoral qualifying requirements framework, appeal procedure, phd students annual review, phd students changing their program, interdisciplinary phd students with mie as the home department, dissertation proposal preparation and presentation timing, dissertation course requirements, final oral (dissertation defense) examination, residency requirement.

The PhD is awarded to students who demonstrate high academic achievement and research competence in the fields of mechanical engineering. To earn a PhD, a student must complete an approved, rigorous program of advanced coursework and submit and defend an original dissertation of independent research. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering expects all successful doctoral candidates to show depth of knowledge and research innovation in their chosen field of specialization.

The MIE department admits applicants into the PhD program either directly after earning a suitable bachelor’s degree (i.e., direct entry) or after earning a suitable master’s degree (i.e., advanced entry). Upon acceptance into the program, an applicant is designated as a doctoral student. This designation is changed to doctoral candidate upon successful completion of the doctoral qualifying requirements (both written and oral components) as well as all the required coursework.

PhD students must find a research advisor within their first year of study. The research advisor must be a full-time or jointly appointed faculty. If the research advisor is outside the MIE department, a faculty member with 51% or more appointments in the MIE department must be chosen as co-advisor, and a petition must be filed and approved by the co-advisor and the MIE Graduate Affairs Committee. Students are advised by the faculty advisor of their discipline before they select their research advisor(s). The research advisor and co-advisor (if applicable) must serve on the PhD student’s oral examination, dissertation proposal, and dissertation defense committees.

Students who wish to change their research advisor need to use the MIE petition form to make that request. The petition form must be signed by the student and by the student's current and future research advisor. The signed petition form should then be submitted to the MIE department for further processing.

Course Requirements and Plan of Study

Each doctoral student, together with their research advisor, should develop an initial program during the first semester of study. The final program is also subject to the approval of the dissertation committee, who will add the program of study to the student’s record upon admission to doctoral candidacy.

A typical program of study includes at least 40 semester hours of coursework beyond a bachelor’s degree. Students who choose to get a master's degree along the way to a PhD must complete a total of 52 semester hours (32 semester hours to earn a master's degree and an additional 20 semester hours in order to earn a PhD). The 32 semester hours of coursework that apply toward the master's degree may include up to 8 semester hours of thesis or 4 semester hours of project or approved independent study coursework. Students may petition the MIE Graduate Affairs Committee to substitute up to 4 semester hours of (ME 7978) as part of their required coursework. An independent study must be approved by the research advisor. When thesis or project is selected, an independent study course cannot be taken. 

A typical program of study includes at least 20 semester hours of coursework beyond a master’s degree. Students may petition the MIE Graduate Affairs Committee to substitute up to 4 semester hours of (ME 7978) as part of their required coursework.  An independent study must be approved by the research advisor. 

To qualify as a doctoral candidate, a doctoral student must successfully complete the doctoral qualifying requirements as well as all the required coursework.

Doctoral Qualifying Requirements

The goals of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination are to test a student’s knowledge in fundamental topics; to gauge the student’s potential to conduct independent research; and to provide opportunities for feedback to the student.

The Doctoral Qualifying Examination will be administered by a committee of at least three members, with a minimum of two who are full-time faculty members in the MIE department. The exam comprises both a written and an oral portion, with specifics determined by the faculty of each concentration. Complete details are provided to students in the PhD Qualifying Requirement Guidelines on the  MIE department graduate website .

Upon successfully completing both the written and oral components in addition to all the necessary coursework, as specified by the student’s concentration, the student will be designated as a PhD candidate.  

The doctoral qualifying requirements process provides means for reevaluation for students who fail one or more components to appeal the Graduate Affairs Committee decision. All communications related to these should be coordinated through the student’s research advisor. Only the student’s research advisor may request the MIE Graduate Affairs Committee to reevaluate the student’s performance.

All PhD students in the MIE department must complete the PhD Students Annual Review form with their research advisor(s) and submit any supporting documents. Annual reviews will be filed with the MIE Department of Graduate Affairs.

PhD students who, for any reason, decide to change their degree program (i.e., from PhD in ME to PhD in IE or vice versa) must satisfy the doctoral qualifying requirements (based on the student’s new major research area (i.e., industrial engineering, materials, mechanics, mechatronics, or thermofluids). 

Students pursuing the College of Engineering interdisciplinary PhD program with the MIE department as their home department must satisfy the MIE doctoral qualifying requirements. Students dismissed from the ME or IE PhD programs in the MIE department cannot enroll in the PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering program with MIE as the primary affiliation.

Students must present their dissertation proposal no more than 18 months after successfully completing the oral exam. In addition, the presentation of the dissertation proposal and the actual dissertation defense (see below) shall be no less than 6 months apart. The student’s dissertation committee will invite any additional faculty deemed appropriate to that field; this dissertation committee will then conduct the dissertation proposal session. Each student’s dissertation committee must be comprised of at least three members, including the research advisor. At least two of those three members must be full-time MIE faculty members. At least three committee members should hold a PhD and at least two shall be Northeastern University faculty. The chair of the dissertation committee shall be a full-time tenured or tenure-track member of the faculty of Northeastern and will hold a PhD or an appropriate terminal degree for the discipline. Exceptions to this policy will be considered and, if appropriate, approved by the provost or their designee.

Upon successful completion of the doctoral qualifying requirements  as well as all the required coursework, the doctoral candidate, in consultation with their research advisor, must register in two consecutive semesters (may include full summer term) for Dissertation Term 1 ( ME 9990 ) and Dissertation Term 2 ( ME 9991 ) . Upon completion of this sequence, the student must then register for Dissertation Continuation ( ME 9996 ) in every semester (in each fall and spring term and also in the summer term if summer is the student's last semester) until the dissertation is completed. Students may not register for Dissertation Continuation ( ME 9996 ) until they fulfill the two-semester sequence of  Dissertation Term 1 ( ME 9990 ) and Dissertation Term 2 ( ME 9991 ) .

PhD students who have completed the majority of their coursework and not yet reached PhD candidacy should register for Candidacy Preparation—Doctoral ( ME 8960 ) , in a section for which their research or academic advisor is listed as the instructor in the online registration system.

All doctoral candidates must pass a final oral exam. This exam will be scheduled once the dissertation committee agrees that the candidate’s research is at a stage where it is appropriate for formal presentation and after completion of all other PhD requirements, including all the coursework approved in the final program of study. The objective of the exam is for the candidate to present and defend the results of the dissertation research and to demonstrate depth of knowledge and significant expertise in the area of that research under questioning from the dissertation committee and other attendees.

The exam shall be publicly advertised  at least one week in advance  and all faculty members may attend and participate. At the conclusion of the presentation and subsequent questions period, the dissertation committee will convene to determine the outcome. The committee may recommend that the candidate be awarded the PhD or may require additional research and/or modifications of the dissertation. In some cases, candidates may be asked to present an additional final oral dissertation defense.

After achieving PhD candidacy, the university residency requirement is satisfied by two semesters of full-time graduate registration or four semesters of part-time graduate registration. Students must be continually enrolled during the pursuit of dissertation.

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Doctoral qualifying exams (both written comprehensive and oral area exams) Annual review Dissertation committee formation Dissertation proposal  Dissertation defense

Core Requirements

Dissertation , program credit/gpa requirements.

40 total semester hours required Minimum 3.000 GPA required

Doctoral qualifying exams (both written comprehensive and oral area exams) Annual review Dissertation committee formation Dissertation proposal Dissertation defense 

20 total semester hours required Minimum 3.000 GPA required

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Seventeen Vanderbilt engineering students awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

May 2, 2023, 2:10 PM

Eleven Vanderbilt engineering graduate students are 2023 recipients of five-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Six engineering undergraduate students who will continue their graduate study elsewhere also have received NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.

“With a total of 17 Vanderbilt engineering students recognized with this prestigious fellowship this year, our students continue the recent trend of have a strong showing in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program,” said E. Duco Jansen, senior associate dean for Graduate Education and Faculty Affairs. “These fellowships are extremely competitive, so to get this many awarded is a tremendous recognition of our outstanding students and our faculty mentors.  The graduate student cohort that is matriculating this fall will include several additional NSF recipients, but we’re still finalizing the exact number.”

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports students who are pursuing full-time, research-based graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering or math. Recipients receive financial support for their education and an annual stipend to support their research and career endeavors. Each of those fellowships represents close to $ 150,000 in funding. It is one of the most prestigious awards for graduate students, with about 16% of applicants awarded each year.

The 11 current graduate student winners are:

• Madison Bates (Biomedical Engineering)
• Piper Cannon (Mechanical Engineering)
• Kieran Nehil-Puleo (Interdisciplinary Materials Science)
• Zane Parkerson (Chemical Engineering)
• Michael Quan (Mechanical Engineering)
• Laura Richardson (Chemical Engineering)
• Amelia Soltes (Biomedical Engineering)
• Madeline Spetz (Biomedical Engineering)
• Morgan Struthers (Biomedical Engineering)
• Nicole Marguerite Taylor (Chemical Engineering)
• Angela Totoro (Biomedical Engineering)  

The six engineering undergraduate winners are:

• Patrick Darmawi-Iskandar (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
• Andrew Hanna (Biomedical Engineering)
• Hari Kush (Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering)
• Mariana Smith (Mechanical Engineering)
• Alexander Stoneman (Chemical Engineering)
• Madison Veliky (Biomedical Engineering)

There are 76 NSF GRF awardees at Vanderbilt University currently, 47 of those in the School of Engineering:  Biomedical Engineering (31), Mechanical Engineering (6), Chemical Engineering (5), Computer Science (2), Civil Engineering (2), Interdisciplinary Materials Science (1).

Begun in 1952, this fellowship program is the oldest and most prestigious of its kind; 42 recipients have gone on to become Nobel laureates, and more than 450 have become members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Contact: Brenda Ellis, [email protected]

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• Mechanical Engineering
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• 2023 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

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Dynamic Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles

CAR Classroom, Room 198 United States

Seminar Speaker:  Khurram Afridi, PhD - Associate Professor, Cornell University

Abstract:  Road transportation, which accounts for 22 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, is undergoing a major transformation with the advent of ridesharing, autonomous driving, and vehicle electrification. Collectively these technologies, in conjunction with renewable sources of electricity, have the potential to dramatically reduce the negative impact of road transportation on the health of the planet. The successful convergence of these technologies will require electric vehicles that are low cost and fully autonomous. These attributes can be realized through dynamic wireless charging. However, this will require wireless charging technology that is well beyond current capabilities, and opens new areas of research related to power and transportation infrastructure. Using examples from my group’s research on capacitive wireless charging (as opposed to the more common inductive techniques), which leverage very high frequency power electronics, this talk will highlight the opportunities and challenges in dynamic capacitive wireless charging of electric vehicles.

Bio:  Khurram Afridi is an Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University. He received the BS degree in electrical engineering from Caltech, and SM and PhD degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT. His research interests are in high frequency power electronics. His experience includes positions at CU Boulder, MIT, LUMS, Techlogix, Schlumberger, Philips, Lutron, and NASA/JPL. He was the founding Project Director of LUMS School of Science and Engineering. He is an Associate Editor of IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, and a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE Vehicular Technology Society. He has received Caltech’s Carnation Merit Award, BMW Scientific Award, LUMS Werner-von-Siemens Chair, Cornell Engineering Research Excellence Award, Michael Tien ’72 Excellence in Teaching Award and NSF CAREER Award. He holds twenty-two US patents and is co-author of eight IEEE prize papers

Mechanical Design Engineer (June 2024 Start Date - New Graduate)

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Driving an electric car is cheaper in some parts of Canada than others

March 11, 2024

This article originally appeared on  UBC News .

Location, location, location

The researchers analyzed how far people need to drive their electric car to break even on the cost, factoring in the impacts of tax rebates and tax rates, charging costs, typical distance households travel in a region, and electricity costs—all of which vary from region to region.

They found Quebec had the biggest advantage, followed by B.C. and Manitoba, while Nunavut came up last.

“In Quebec, an electric car owner must travel at least 46 kilometres per day to come out ahead in comparison with owning a traditional car. In Nunavut, this number rises to 180 kilometres,” says study author Bassam Javed, a PhD candidate at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES).

Small is beautiful

These results suggest that if you’re looking to make the switch to electric, choosing a smaller, basic EV can realize more savings than a luxury electric car, says study author Dr. Amanda Giang , a professor in the department of mechanical engineering and at IRES.

As the cost of switching to EVs will be higher in some places and for some households, targeted interventions will be needed to address the affordability gap. Dr. Giang added: “Canada needs to take many paths towards clean and affordable transportation for all, which means not only supporting transitions to EVs, but also public transit and active transport.”

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Graduate mechanical engineer - 2024

Mott MacDonald is positioned for continued expansion and career opportunities across North America and around the world, and we are excited to announce a new direction for our operations in Canada.  As part of our growing business, we are interested in hearing from enthusiastic and talented individuals who enjoy problem solving and who will contribute to our purpose.  You will join a team of seasoned professionals who are looking to develop Mott MacDonald’s presence in Canada and beyond. From the moment you join us, you will be immersed in a team of exceptional engineering consultants, project managers, and specialists who relentlessly focus on excellence and digital innovation and are ready to support you in your career. Alongside the team, you will be assigned to a variety of projects in your chosen area of interest, working to deliver sustainable outcomes for our clients and the communities they serve. With guidance from a professional engineer and our global practice network, your responsibilities will include, but may not be limited to:

• Developing conceptual, preliminary, and detailed designs
• Attending site inspections, investigations, and monitoring
• Actively participating in project, client and team meetings
• Reviewing, preparing, and modifying designs
• Analyzing reports, specifications, and studies
• Gaining exposure to project, commercial, and client management
• Undertaking a ‘digital by default’ approach in deliverables
• Actively participating in our Early Careers Professionals Network
• Supporting our ‘Purpose’ in everything you do

We are looking for candidates with a genuine passion to create sustainable social outcomes for our communities and a desire to strive for excellence. If this describes you, apply today to launch your career at Mott MacDonald! To be considered for this 2024 position, you’ll need:

• A bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from an accredited university
• Methodical approach to problem solving to undertake tasks efficiently and independently
• Excellent verbal communication skills, which allow you to confidently liaise with clients and team members
• Excellent technical written communication and attention to detail, with an ability to demonstrate accurate technical drawings and good report writing
• Excellent teamwork skills, collaborates effectively with colleagues
• Work towards Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation
• A graduate level (master’s or PhD) degree with a focus on thermodynamic and fluid dynamic is considered as an asset
• Demonstrable interest in transit projects through relevant experience, such as your field of study, internships, volunteering, or relevant association memberships is considered as an asset

In compliance with the B.C. Pay Transparency Act, the expected salary range is from $74,000 - $78,000. Multiple factors such as qualifications, overall experience and position responsibilities will be used to determine the successful candidate's actual salary within the expected range.   

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

Hybrid working policy

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

More about Mott MacDonald

We’re a global engineering, management and development consultancy.

Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.

Our values: progress, respect, integrity, drive, excellence

We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business , seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have opportunity to contribute.

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