Mechanical Engineering, PhD

Program Description

Enrollment in the PhD program is open to students with degrees in physics, applied mathematics, or any branch of engineering. All PhD students must demonstrate a depth of knowledge in a subject area by completing a series of core courses. There are four Subject Area Groups for the purpose of defining core course requirements: Design and Manufacturing (DM), Dynamical Systems and Controls (DSC), Engineering Mechanics (EM), and Thermal and Fluid Sciences (TFS). PhD qualifying exams provide students with an opportunity to review core disciplines in mechanical engineering and, optionally, in another research related area. The Qualifying Exams also provide an assessment as to whether students possess attributes of a doctoral candidate by demonstrating understanding of and the ability to apply fundamental principles; and evaluate a student’s potential for satisfactorily completing the doctoral program. With the approval of their advisory committee, students must select three exams. Students must pass at least one exam in the first round of testing or must have passed all three exams by the semester following their first round of exams in order to continue in the program.

Summary of Degree Requirements

For PhD students with MS degrees, a minimum of 12 credit hours of course work is required. At least six of these credits must be 8000-level or higher courses and at least six credits must be earned at ME. Committees are encouraged to require courses other than those that directly support the dissertation defense. A minimum of 18 semester hours of doctoral research credit is required. Comprehensive examinations are given at the recommendation of the student’s advisory committee and after completion of most of the required coursework. Advisory committees often direct that a student take the comprehensive examination after preparing, or in conjunction with presenting, the research proposal. The comprehensive examination typically focuses on the student’s research area, but also may cover additional material to obtain objective evidence of an adequate intellectual mastery of major and minor specializations. In general, the degree is awarded when the academic and research advisor(s) are satisfied that the research program is complete and that all other formal requirements have been met. Typically, doctoral degrees at ME are completed within three to five years.

Outcomes, Learning Objectives, and Graduation Requirements

Students in the PhD program attain:

• Ability to apply fundamental knowledge of Mechanical Engineering
• Ability to formulate, initiate and carry out independent research
• Ability to demonstrate in-depth understanding of fundamental and advanced topics
• Ability to effectively communicate research