Department of Mechanical Engineering

Telephone: (302) 831-2421
Email: me-gradinfo@udel.edu
Department website: https://me.udel.edu/academics/graduate/
Faculty listing: https://me.udel.edu/research/research-matrix/

Overview

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering, the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) thesis or non-thesis, the Master of Science in Robotics (MSR) thesis or non-thesis, a Graduate Certificate in Composite Manufacturing and Engineering (CME), as well as dual degree programs, and accelerated 4+1 programs. In addition, the department facilitates the interdisciplinary programs leading to a Master of Science or a Doctoral of Philosophy in Biomechanics and Movement Science (BIOMS). Descriptions are below and required courses can be found at the bottom of the page.

The graduate programs are designed to provide considerable flexibility in the selection of course work and specialization. The option of enrollment into the PhD program directly after the Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering is available. The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering can be completed fully on campus, fully online, or a hybrid of both. The Graduate Certificate in Composite Manufacturing and Engineering can also be completed fully on campus, fully online, or a hybrid of both.

Research

The research opportunities in the Department cover essentially all fundamental fields of mechanical engineering including solid and fluid mechanics, materials, dynamics and control, thermodynamics, and heat transfer. Applied and interdisciplinary research in the Department is focused in five areas: biomechanical engineering, clean energy, composites and nanotechnology, robotics and control, and atmospheric and environmental fluid mechanics.

Students benefit from the cross-disciplinary research conducted through several centers affiliated with Department faculty. Founded in 1974, the Center for Composite Materials (CCM) is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary center of excellence for composites research and education. CCM’s Composites Manufacturing Science Laboratory houses state-of-the-art composites manufacturing, characterization, testing, and computational research equipment.
The Center for Autonomous and Robotic Systems (CARS) facilitates research efforts toward improving the community’s quality of life and safety, as well as the sustainability of its natural resources. The way this goal is pursued in the Center is through innovative and collaborative research on robotic and other cyber-physical systems that can interact physically with their environment as well as cognitively with humans.
The Center for Biomechanical Engineering Research (CBER) provides a framework for interdisciplinary research and development in the general area of biomedical engineering. Topics include the generation of force and motion in the human body; design and testing of biomedical devices; orthopedic and rehabilitation engineering; injury and healing of the body; joint, tissue and cellular biomechanics; and tissue engineering.
The Center for Fuel Cells and Batteries (CFCB) supports research to improve an understanding of fuel cell and battery materials and processes by facilitating coordination among the approximately 20 UD faculty members working in this area. The CFCB also encourages interactions and collaborations with industries involved in fuel cells and batteries.
The Sociotechnical Systems Center (SSC) is a collaborative and interdisciplinary community at the University of Delaware with shared research interests and goals in addressing complex sociotechnical systems challenges. The mission of SSC is to develop rigorous, system-based approaches aimed at addressing current challenges founded at the intersection of technological, social, and institutional dimensions.

Other topics in clean energy research include wind and ocean-current energy, and vehicle-to-grid technology.

Composites and nanotechnology research involves characterization, modeling and processing of heterogeneous and nanostructured materials. Composites research is focused on process modeling and manufacturing, mechanics and multiscale modeling, durability, and temperature dependent behavior. Nanotechnology research encompasses nanotubes, nanofibers, nanoclays and their composites.

Current research areas in robotics and control include the design of novel robotic systems, coordination and control of multi-degree-of-freedom robot systems, intelligent small machines, and control of dynamic systems.

Atmospheric and environmental fluid mechanics deal with naturally occurring flow systems and their impact on contaminant transport in air and groundwater at all scales as well as weather, climate, and the water cycle.

The Department is housed in the Robert L. Spencer Laboratory, containing modern facilities for a wide range of experimental and computational research in cartilage biomechanics, cell mechanobiology, and musculoskeletal modeling and simulation; fuel cells, batteries, ultracapacitors, and thermoelectrics; multi-scale modeling of composites and multifunctional composites for damage detection; synthesis and characterization of nanoscale materials (nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, graphene); and robotic systems for human-assistive technologies, robotic networks for cooperative active sensing, and connected and autonomous vehicles. An array of Stratasys and MakerBot FDM and resin 3D printers and a fully-staffed and equipped machine shop with a CNC lathe, five two-axis CNC milling machines, and a Mazak three-axis CNC milling machine support the research programs.

A wide variety of other research facilities and mechanical engineering laboratories are available throughout the College and University including scanning and transmission electron microscopes, fuel cell test stands, a fully equipped six-camera gait analysis laboratory, telemetered, and wired EM6 amplifiers.

Financial Aid

Awards of financial assistance are made on the basis of merit and students who complete applications by January 15 are given preference. Please refer to Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships for more information.

Mechanical Engineering PhD, MSME (thesis and non-thesis)

Robotics, MS (thesis and non-thesis)

Requirements for Admission

A baccalaureate degree in mechanical engineering or in a closely field of science, or mathematics.
An undergraduate grade point average in engineering, science, and mathematics courses of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
A minimum of at least three letters of strong support from former professors or supervisors.
A minimum combined Quantitative and Verbal score of 308 (1200) on the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test.
A minimum score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, at least 250 on the computer-based TOEFL, or at least 100 on the IBT with a speaking score of 20. This test is not required of students whose first language is English or who have received an undergraduate or post-graduate degree from a college or university in which English is the sole language of instruction.

Admission to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. For applicants with no prior training in engineering, the same minimum criteria will apply. In addition, their records will be reviewed in relation to the intended program of study. Provisional status with specific remedial work may be a basis for acceptance of such applicants. Required courses can be found at the bottom of the page. Apply using the central UD graduate application.

Composite Manufacturing and Engineering, Graduate Certificate

The certificate is available fully online and may be earned by completing nine (9) credits (three 3-credit graduate courses) with passing grades (C or better) and an overall GPA of 3.0. Courses in which a student earns a grade of B or better would be transferable as electives into a graduate mechanical engineering degree program.

Requirements for Admission

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 system. Significant relevant work experience or a graduate degree in a relevant technical discipline may be considered in lieu of meeting the GPA guideline.
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in engineering or related discipline. Applicants with degrees in other disciplines may be admitted depending on their experience in relevant disciplines. Applicants are expected to have scholarly competence in engineering mathematics, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
International applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not their first language. The University requires an official TOEFL score of at least 550 on paper-based or at least 79 on the Internet-based test.
GREs are not required.
Applications must also include a resume outlining work and academic experience.

Admission to the graduate certificate program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of the requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis and when applications are completed. Applications are accepted up to the first day of classes for a given semester. Required courses can be found at the bottom of the page. Apply using the central UD graduate application.

Dual degree and accelerated 4+1 degree programs

See details below.

Programs

Master’s

Doctorate

Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Dual Degree

Mechanical Engineering (MBA/MSME)

Certificate

4+1