Researcher holding a beaker with ferrofluid research for satellites.

Tomorrow Needs You. Are You Ready?

Receive a graduate education from an accredited institution.

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics—PhD

Research automotive, sea, or air mobility, energy systems and microgrids, space systems or biosystems in engineering. Investigate autonomous robotic systems; noise, vibration, and harshness; or nano-to-macro materials systems and simulations—both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA). Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics is a key contributor to achieving technological, environmental, industrial, and societal sustainability. Are you ready?

Explore our Online Doctoral Program.

Program Overview

The doctorate in mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics course offerings are structured along four curricular areas: design and dynamic systems, energy-thermofluids, manufacturing and industry, and solid mechanics, with a heavy emphasis placed on graduate student participation in laboratory investigations, industrial projects, and interdisciplinary studies. Our research is focused in five key areas: advanced power systems, multi-scale sensors and systems, multidisciplinary engineering dynamic systems, mechanics of multi-scale materials, and space systems.

Delivery Options
- Online: PhD
- On-Campus: PhD

Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Program Details

Learn more about the mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics program at Michigan Tech. For international students, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics is a designated STEM program.

On-Campus Programs

PhD Requirements: Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

To complete a doctoral degree, students must complete the following milestones:

Complete all coursework and research credits (see credit requirements below)
Pass Qualifying Examination
Pass Research Proposal Examination
Prepare and Submit Approved Dissertation
Pass Final Oral Defense

The minimum credit requirements are as follows:

Total Credit Requirements
Degrees	Credits
MS-PhD (minimum)	30 Credits
BS-PhD (minimum)	60 Credits

Individual programs may have higher standards and students are expected to know their program's requirements. See the Doctor of Philosophy Requirements website for more information about PhD milestones and related timelines.

Online Programs

PhD, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (Online)

Realize your career goal in autonomous systems, molecular dynamics modeling, hybrid electric vehicles and systems, or one of the many other facets of the mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics discipline. Students in the Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics program can choose from a broad spectrum of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics applications.

See Online Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Additional Program Information

Want to learn more about mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics at Michigan Tech? Visit the department for more information:

Contact

Graduate Director

Wayne Weaver

Graduate Assistant

Cindy Wadaga

Sample Areas of Interest

Select areas of interest to help customize your mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics PhD. Sample areas include:

Design and Dynamic Systems
Energy and Thermo-Fluids
Solid Mechanics
Manufacturing and Industrial

View full listing for this program

Application Process and Admissions Requirements

Applications are reviewed on an individual basis using a holistic approach. Fill out our free graduate application online to apply to any of our programs. Official transcripts and scores are not required for the initial application, although you will need to upload them later.

Graduate School Admissions Process

Applying to Graduate School is free (no application fees) and fast (no official transcripts or test scores are needed to start). The application process involves three easy steps. International applicants are required to pay a non-refundable $10 processing fee per application.

See Admissions Steps

Graduate School Admissions Options

Michigan Tech offers several admissions options in order to meet the educational needs of students from a variety of backgrounds. Students should review the options available to them and apply for the program that will best help them achieve their personal educational goals.

See Admissions Options

Graduate School Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Graduate School as a degree- or certificate-seeking student, you need to:

have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution, and
be prepared for advanced study in your chosen field, as demonstrated by your previous degree and your scholastic record.

See additional application requirements, including required materials:

Student Statements

Official Transcripts

Program Specific Requirements

Program Specific

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or closely related technical field - Students with degrees in other fields may be required to take preparatory courses
2 Letters of Recommendation (waived for Michigan Tech undergrads)
Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or better on a 4.0 scale
GRE (waived for online students and Michigan Tech undergrads)
No Additional Documents Accepted

International Students

TOEFL: Recommended Score of 90 iBT
IELTS: Recommended Overall Band Score of 7.0

Michigan Tech requires a minimum 79 overall TOEFL or 6.5 overall IELTS score.

Admissions Decisions

Made on a rolling basis

Recommended Deadlines

Fall Semester: March 1

Spring Semester: August 1

International Student Requirements

International Students must apply and be accepted into a degree-granting program in order to earn a graduate certificate. A non-refundable $10 processing fee per application is required.

See International Applicants

Accredited by HLC

Michigan Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1928. Our Graduate School offers over 125 certificates, master's, and PhD programs to provide our students and the world with what tomorrow needs.

Who You'll Work With

Students work side-by-side with faculty and industry on initiatives that range from nanotechnology to space systems. Our department is one of the largest in the nation, with more than 40 full-time faculty members and 380 graduate students. Our annual research expenditures exceed $13 million, funded by industry, the National Science Foundation, NASA, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and many others.

Where You'll Work

Cutting-edge laboratories will be your second home. Our extensive facilities include the Alternative Energy Research Building, the Nonlinear and Autonomous Systems Lab, the Human-Interactive Robotics Lab, the Ion Space Propulsion Lab, and the Human-Centered Monitoring Lab—to name a few.

Faculty Spotlight

Gregory Odegard

Gregory Odegard
John O. Hallquist Endowed Chair in Computational Mechanics, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Director of Research

"Nanotechnology, robotics, airplanes... mechanical engineering is the broadest discipline."

Computational modeling can be used to facilitate the development of new materials and technologies for a wide range of applications. Odegard focuses on computational design of new polymer composite materials and metallic alloys for the aerospace and power transmission industries.

Program Faculty