Program Overview

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Mechanical Engineering, PhD

The doctoral program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering prepares students to perform independent research in areas of faculty expertise within the department. The PhD program in Mechanical Engineering is designed to train outstanding students for advanced work in industry, national labs, and academia through a combination of coursework and hands-on research.

Admissions

• The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below.
• 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.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

• Fall Deadline: December 15
• Spring Deadline: September 1
• Summer Deadline: December 15
• GRE (Graduate Record Examinations): Not Required.
• English Proficiency Test: Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy.
• Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT): n/a
• Letters of Recommendation Required: 3

Application Requirements and Process

Degree

• Most applicants have a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
• Applicants 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 US bachelors 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 must 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.

Application Materials

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

Funding

Graduate School Resources

• The Bursars Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student.
• Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.

Program Resources

• There are three mechanisms for Graduate Student funding through the university for Mechanical Engineering PhD students:
  • Fellowships
  • Graduate assistantships: project assistantships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships
  • Traineeships

Requirements

Curricular Requirements

• Minimum Credit Requirement: 60 credits
• Minimum Residence Credit Requirement: 32 credits
• Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement: 30 credits must be graduate-level coursework.
• Overall Graduate GPA Requirement: 3.00 GPA required.
• Other Grade Requirements: Students must earn a C or above in all formal coursework.
• Assessments and Examinations: The PhD candidate will need to pass a qualifying exam, preliminary exam, and a final defense in order to obtain a degree.
• Language Requirements: No language requirements.
• Graduate School Breadth Requirement: All doctoral students are required to complete a doctoral minor or graduate/professional certificate.

Required Courses

• Seminar Requirement: Two terms of seminar, successfully completed, are required.
• Research Credits Requirement: Students complete at least 24 credits of research.
• Formal Credits Requirement: Complete the following requirements (requirements may overlap)
  • Minimum 9 credits (usually 3 courses) numbered 700 or above
  • Minimum 3 credits (usually 1 course) numbered 700 or above in Mechanical Engineering (M E) and/or Engineering Mechanics (E M A) taken at UW-Madison
  • Minimum 3 credits (1 course) math course from Math Requirement Course List (see below)
  • Remaining credits to get to 36 minimum

Math Requirement Course List

• M E 737: Scientific Computing and Machine Learning for Engineering Applications
• E M A/E P 476: Introduction to Scientific Computing for Engineering Physics
• E M A/E P 547: Engineering Analysis I
• E M A/E P 548: Engineering Analysis II
• MATH 321: Applied Mathematical Analysis 1: Vector and Complex Calculus
• MATH 322: Applied Mathematical Analysis 2: Partial Differential Equations
• Courses numbered 400 and above in Math Department
• Courses numbered 400 and above in Statistics Department
• Graduate "transfer credits" equivalent to the above

Policies

Prior Coursework

• With faculty advisor and Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Committee approval, students are allowed to transfer up to 28 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement and the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement.

Probation

• The Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Committee academic progress policy may be reviewed in the Graduate Handbook.

Advisor / Committee

• All students must have a mechanical engineering faculty advisor who assists them in planning a course sequence that meets degree requirements, who helps guide them and mentor them in their research, and who will discuss career objectives with the student.

Credits Per Term Allowed

• 15 credit maximum.

Time Limits

• Qualifying Exam: The written portion of the qualifying exam is offered twice a year, once in August/September and once in January, generally the week before classes start.
• Preliminary Exam: PhD students must complete their preliminary exam within five years of passing their qualifying exam.
• Dissertation Defense (Oral Thesis Presentation): There must be at least nine (9) months between the preliminary exam and dissertation defense.

Professional Development

• Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate an extraordinary, deep understanding of mathematical, scientific, and engineering principles in the field.
2. Demonstrate an ability to formulate, analyze, and independently solve advanced engineering problems.
3. Apply the relevant scientific and technological advancements, techniques, and engineering tools to address these problems.
4. Recognize and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct.
5. Demonstrate an ability to synthesize knowledge from a subset of the biological, physical, and/or social sciences to help frame problems critical to the future of their discipline.
6. Demonstrate an ability to conduct original research and communicate it to their peers.