Dec 06, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mechanical Engineering (PhD)


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Degree Requirements:


I. Course Requirements:


Note:


An individual course can be used to meet more than one of the requirements provided the total number of credits is at least 33. Requirements a and c may be fully or partially waived for a student who has been awarded a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (up to a maximum of 12 credits).

II. Dissertation Requirements:


A dissertation is required which demonstrates the student’s ability to conduct independent research. A Dissertation Committee is selected by the advisor and approved by the Department Chairperson. This committee will also serve as the student’s Candidacy Examination Committee. The Committee will be chaired by the research advisor. During the course of the research, the student will periodically review progress with the Committee.

III. Qualifying Examination:


The purpose of the qualifying examination is to assess the aptitude of a doctoral student in the early stages of the program.

The qualifying exam will consist of three parts:

  • Research aptitude exam based on the student’s research interest area
  • One math exam (based on the content in MEEG 690)
  • One mechanical engineering topic exam (based on undergraduate-level mechanical engineering and the content in one of the core courses: MEEG 610 , MEEG 620 , MEEG 630 , MEEG 640 )

 

IV. Candidacy Examination:


The Ph.D. Candidacy Examination must be taken within one and a half years of successful completion of the Qualifying Examination and at least one year prior to the dissertation defense. The student will prepare a comprehensive, written research proposal and defend it orally before the Candidacy Examination Committee. The Candidacy Examination is intended to test the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge in the formulation of an independent research proposal.

V. Teaching Requirement:


The ability to communicate effectively is an essential skill for all PhD graduates. Therefore, all PhD students are required to fulfill a teaching requirement, which consists of serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for one or two semesters, depending on the assignment. Students are expected to continue to be actively involved in their research while serving as a TA.

Last Revised 2016-2017 Academic Year


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