PhD in Mechanical Engineering

PhD in Mechanical Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is a Purdue University degree administered by the Department of Mechanical & Energy Engineering along with the IUPUI Graduate Office here on the IUPUI Campus in Indianapolis, IN

The department’s Ph.D. program consists of two types of Ph.D. applicants, Direct Ph.D. (DPh.D.) students who have received a baccalaureate degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering programs and Ph.D. students who already have master’s degrees. All students must have earned at least a baccalaureate degree from a U.S.-accredited institution or an equivalent degree from a foreign institution. The requirements for the two types of students are different. Students should know the requirements that apply to them.

Admission to the Ph.D. program is normally granted to those students who have completed a Master of Science degree in an engineering discipline and have met the requirements outlined by the department. Superior students with only a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline may also be admitted under some circumstances. 

Prior to registering for the second semester in the Ph.D. program, all students must file a Preliminary Plan of Study signed by four faculty members who have advised the student. Prior to registering for the fourth semester in the Ph.D. program (six semester for students entering the Ph.D. program with only a bachelor's degree), the student must file a final plan of study signed by a faculty advisor, who will supervise the thesis research, and the Ph.D. Advisory Committee. 

A Ph.D. student is expected to take 21-36 credit hours of course work in addition to Ph.D. dissertation research credit hours and maximum of 30 credit hours earned during Masters. All Ph.D. students take a qualifying examination that covers core courses. This written examination is part of the information used for evaluating a student's potential for completing the Ph.D. program. All Ph.D. students take a preliminary examination that includes an oral part and a written thesis proposal. The purpose of the preliminary examination is to determine if the student is adequately prepared to conceive and undertake a suitable research topic. After the successful completion of the preliminary examination, the thesis research may be conducted under supervision of a mechanical engineering faculty member at IUPUI.  Ph.D. research must be original and merit publication in the scholarly literature. The final oral examination is given to determine if the research performed by the Ph.D. student warrants granting the Ph.D. degree.

Student Handbook

The ME Grad Programs Handbook contains more information on the admission and graduation requirements of this degree.

View the MSME & MEPhD Handbook Updated Spring 2022

Cooperative PhD Program Archived Handbook

 

Admissions

Admissions for the PhD in ME program are handled through the Office of Graduate Programs via CAS Application System.

Apply Here IU Graduate CAS Application