Graduate Studies

• Masters Degree Programs
• Doctoral Degree Programs
• Five Year B.S./M.S. Program
• Graduate Admissions

 

 

 

Doctoral Programs

Degrees

The Department offers programs that lead to the Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) degree.

Prerequisites

Applicants may be admitted directly into the doctoral programs with a B.S. degree if their undergraduate record is sufficiently good.  The department requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.5.

Students who want to obtain a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, but who have a degree in another field, may be required to take up to ten undergraduate courses if they cannot demonstrate to the departmental graduate adviser that they have previously studied an essentially similar course:

Engineering 102, Engineering 103, Engineering 104, Engineering 105, Mechanical Engineering 106, Mechanical Engineering 107A, Mechanical Engineering 107B, Mechanical Engineering 150A, Mechanical Engineering 165, Mechanical Engineering 171, Mechanical Engineering 172.

Neither these nor any other courses required for a bachelor's degree may be counted toward the graduate program requirements.

Degree Requirements

Students who are enrolled in either the Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) program or must do the following.

Take an exam

You must take a preliminary examination, administered by the department, the first time it is offered after you enter the program. This examination is part of an evaluation by the Department to insure that you are ready to pursue a doctoral degree.

File a Program of Study

After successful completion of the Preliminary Examination, you must file, and have approved, a Program of Study which lists the course-work for the doctoral degree.  

Take courses

You must take 48 units of course-work beyond the Bachelor's degree. These units are subdivided into a 24 unit major and two complementary 12 unit minors, or a 32 unit major and one 16 unit minor.

 

Write a thesis

Write a thesis in a chosen area of research. See MAE Research Areas.

Make an oral presentation

After completing all requirements, you must make an oral presentation of the dissertation before receiving a degree.