Current Graduate Students

Welcome to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Announcements

MAE 290C/298/299 CRNS will be issued by the Faculty Advisor. Please contact them for additional information.
MAE 396 CRNS (For MAE TAs) can be found on our TA Info Page.
Many Graduate Forms (including Advancement to Candidacy, Graduation, Qualifying Exams) can be submitted through GradSphere. Additional information can be found by clicking here.

Prospective Student? Please click here to review our admissions page for additional information.

ATTN Graduating Students: Your UC Davis email will expire upon degree completion. Please be sure to move all important emails to your personal accounts prior to the end of your final quarter.

For additional information, please reference: https://iet.ucdavis.edu/email-service-transition

Current MAE Graduate Students

Degree Requirements (Master of Science)
MS Option I

MS Option II

For specific information on this program, please click here.
Degree Requirements (PhD)
PhD Overview

For specific information about our PhD requirements, please click here.
Quarterly Registration/Courses
Please check our registration and courses page which contains information about MAE courses, including descriptions, suggested core courses and sample plans of study by research area. It also contains information on registering for courses, receiving unit credits for research and frequently asked questions.

NOTE:
Timely and accurate enrollment is the responsibility of each student. Missed deadlines can impact funding, course availability and degree progress. We encourage putting a reminder/setting your calendar accordingly.

The graduate calendar can be accessed here.

Important Degree Milestones (Overview)

NOTE: Securing a room in Bainer Hall for Qualifying Exams (QEs) and Exit Seminars are subject to availability. Students are encouraged to confirm a room placement prior to the final confirmation of date/time of QEs/Exam Seminars.

Please adhere to the posted deadlines for final degree preparation. Failure to do so may result in a delay of degree completion.

Pre-Candidacy
New students and continuing students who have not yet advanced to candidacy and have not started their final degree requirements.

Please click here for additional information on the general structure of your degree.
PhD - Understanding the Qualifying Exam
All students pursuing a PhD must take a qualifying exam. Preparation for these exams take time, and a student must be approved by Graduate Studies at least 30 days prior to taking this exam (no exceptions).

Please review the important information here.
Understanding Candidacy
Traditionally, students prepare to advance to candidacy enter the final stages of their degree preparation.

Please review the information provided by graduate studies here.

Student Involvement (Find your tribe!)

Mentor/Mentee
UC Davis Graduate Studies defines mentoring as "a close relationship between a graduate student and a faculty member who provides guidance, support and research advice in an individualized manner." Both faculty and graduate students have key responsibilities when it comes to this mentoring partnership. The expectations of both the mentor and mentee are outline in the Mentoring Guidelines. Take some time to review these guidelines, as well as Graduate Studies' mentee resources.
MAE Graduate Student Organization (MAE GSO)
The MAE GSO aims to bring together students in the mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate program, as well as create closer ties between students and faculty. They host several events each quarter to help create a stronger community within the program. See the MAE GSO page for more information.
Check out the MAE Grad Padlet
Many opportunities come to our inbox. Instead of spamming your UC Davis email, we post them to our MAE Grad Padlet. Please check this often for professional/personal development options.

Department Resources

MAE Graduate Student Handbook

The MAE Graduate Student Handbook (PDF) is a useful document that gives specific information about departmental policies such as employment, use of facilities, safety information, computer resources and reimbursement for out-of-pocket purchases and travel. It also contains information about University-wide policies such as admission, registration, grading policies, withdrawal, leaves and readmission.

MAE Degree Requirements

You can find the MAE degree requirements for our Graduate Program in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. and .M.S. Degree Requirements document.

MAE Graduate Student Forms

You can find forms specific to MAE graduate students below:

A complete list of forms and petitions pertaining to all graduate students can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies website.

Campus Resources

As a graduate student, you have access to a wide range of resources and agencies on campus ready to help with any problem you may be facing. A full list of all the resources offered to graduate students is available on the Graduate Studies website, including a comprehensive list of those aimed at diversity, professional development and work life and wellness. We have highlighted a couple of the most commonly-used resources below:

Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS)

Student Health and Counseling Services houses on-campus medical care facilities, as well as counseling services. As part of the counseling program, a psychologist dedicated to graduate students, Bai-Yin Chen, regularly holds appointments in Graduate Studies to enable greater confidentiality. This office also handles all UC SHIP insurance questions through their insurance services unit, including instructions for opting out of UC SHIP.

Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS)

This office is your one-stop shop for all matters regarding your status as an international student on campus. Their staff and advisors handle everything from distributing your I-20 to processing your OPT application. The majority of SISS forms, such as the CPT application, are processed through an online system, iGlobal, and then automatically routed to your graduate coordinator for approval. SISS also coordinates activities for the partners and families of international students and assists with information regarding family visits.

Internship and Career Center (ICC)

The Internship and Career Center is the place to find job and internship listings and attend workshops, seminars and events to help improve your chances of finding the perfect job. The ICC has dedicated advisors for graduate students who can advise on jobs in industry and academia. If you’re not sure which path to take, the ICC has you covered: you can attend one of the career treks (field trips to local companies) or faculty panels on hiring in academia. The ICC also hosts quarterly internship and career fairs, with a special graduate student career fair in the fall.