Doctoral Degree

PhD Program Mission Statement

The goal of the PhD program is to create a culture of scholarship and high impact research that produces articulate researchers who are called upon first to hold leadership in society and academia.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree is the highest degree awarded by the Mechanical Engineering Department and is recommended for students who are interested in leadership careers in academia (e.g. as a faculty member of a university), industry, or government.

What is PhD research at the University of Michigan?

Research involves active, student-directed inquiry into an engineering topic. A student’s research experience forms the core of the PhD program. There are two goals for conducting research: 1) to learn the general skills to conduct independent research and 2) to develop new knowledge in mechanical engineering.

Conducting research requires combining knowledge gained in the classroom with the ability to read the scientific literature, identify critical knowledge gaps, structure complex problems, formulate and test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data, and present and discuss technical results. Engineering research also requires significant experimental, computational, and analytical skills. A student learns these core skills as she pursues her research topic.

Many of these skills cannot be learned in the classroom setting, but instead must be developed in the laboratory, library, and conference room as the student actively interacts with faulty, other students, and researchers around the world. Independent, non-classroom based learning and problem solving is a core aspect of the PhD degree. Upon completion of his dissertation the student should be an international expert in a technical area. Dissemination of new knowledge at technical conferences and in peer-reviewed archival publications is an important part of research.

What milestones do students achieve while earning a PhD?

There are two student profiles in the ME PhD program: (1) Direct PhD students that are admitted without a relevant Master's degree, and (2) students who enter the PhD program with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a relevant field. The differences in the two tracks toward the PhD vary at the coursework level. Direct PhD students will complete 36 credits in the program and earn a Master's degree along the way while a student who enters with a Master's degree will have only 18 credits to complete. So, please be mindful of the requirements. A student should always discuss academic plans with his research advisor.

The major ME program milestones all PhD students complete:

1. Research and Coursework
2. Qualifying Examination
3. Advancement to Candidacy
4. Dissertation Proposal Examination
5. Thesis Dissertation (written) and Defense (oral)

In addition to the academic component of the PhD, students are encouraged to participate in professional development. The Rackham Graduate School has partnered with divisions around campus to develop a central location to promote workshops, training sessions, forums, and talks relevant to graduate students. It is recommended that students visit the PLAN Your Professional and Academic Development website on a regular basis to stay informed about the activities on campus.

Timeline

The timeline for completing these milestones and other program requirements and expectations.

Research and Coursework

Research Requirements:

• Students should have at least one research advisor in the ME department.
• Students should take at least 6 credits of research in the first three semesters of the PhD program.
• Students should enroll via Wolverine Access.
  
  • Anyone who does not already have a Master's Degree (i.e. a Direct PhD student):
  • if you're on the Master's research track, you should take 6 credits of ME590 research, followed by ME990.
  • if you're on the Master's thesis track, you should take 6 credits of ME590 research, followed by 3 credits of ME695 (thesis work).
  • if you're on the Master's coursework track, you should take 6 credits of ME590, followed by ME990.
  • PhD students entering with a relevant Master's degree who are pre-candidates should take all ME990 research credits.
  • Once a student reaches Candidacy, ME995 research credits are taken.

Find Research Advisor and Start Research

To select a research advisor, the student should talk to faculty members in potential areas of research interest. If the research topic is of an interdisciplinary nature, the student can choose to have two research advisors as long as at least one advisor is from Mechanical Engineering.

Recommendations and tips about finding a research advisor:

• Talk to senior graduate students about their advisors. Share your interests and ask them for suggestions about whom you should meet.
• Familiarize yourself with various research groups.
• Make a list of faculty to contact who are involved in research areas that interest you. A list of faculty by research areas can be found here.
• Read about faculty research in journals, conference proceedings, or on their website.
• Visit their labs. A list of labs can be found here.
• Schedule meetings with faculty members. Typically this is done via email which includes an introduction and requests time to meet with them. Be knowledgeable about their work in order to have an active discussion about their previous and ongoing research.
• Sometimes working in their lab for academic reasons only (not as a Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA) ) will provide you with the opportunity to prove your researching capabilities and may lead to a GSRA with that faculty.
• If possible, enroll in classes being taught by faculty whose work interests you.
• Do well in classes relevant to your research interest and get to know the faculty.
• Consider doing a small project supported intellectually by a faculty member. ME590 research credits are taken.
• If you are unsuccessful with securing a research advisor, it is recommended that you meet with the Graduate Program Chair immediately to discuss the situation.

Coursework Requirements beyond the Master’s Degree:

For Direct PhD students (i.e. students admitted without a relevant Master’s degree), it is necessary to complete all of the academic requirements for the Master’s degree which includes 30 credits. Please visit the Master's Degree page for specific degree requirements. This type of Master's degree is referred to as an "embedded" master's, a master's degree awarded "on-the-way" to the PhD.

• At least 6 credits of letter-graded (including the grade S - Satisfactory) graduate coursework registered as a Rackham student while in residence on the Ann Arbor campus. Courses elected as visit (audit) do not meet this requirement, nor do ME590, ME990 and ME995.

For PhD students entering with a Master's Degree:

• At least 18 credits of letter-graded (including the grade S - Satisfactory) graduate coursework registered as a Rackham student while in residence on the Ann Arbor campus. Courses elected as visit (audit) do not meet this requirement, nor do ME590, ME990, and ME995.
• Of the 18 letter-graded credits, 4 credits must be cognate. The cognate requirement may be satisfied by having completed a Master’s degree which included a cognate component. In this case, the coursework must have been completed within 5 years prior to admission to the Doctoral program and will not count toward the 18 letter-graded graduate level credits.

Select Courses and Enroll

All PhD students must take at least three Graduate Core Curriculum (GCC) exams in the first two semesters and most take the maximum of four GCC exams. Usually, students enroll in the GCC course associated with the exam but it is not required. In other words, if the student has sufficient background she can take just the GCC exam without taking the course.

Typically students will enroll in two Graduate Core Curriculum courses in the first term however some exceptions exist where students will only enroll in one or will opt to take three. During the second term of study, the remaining Graduate Core Curriculum courses are taken along with 3 credits of research. See description above on which course of research is appropriate. In the third term of study, students will complete the Research Fundamentals Exam and the cognate credit requirement in order to be on track to Advance to Candidacy in their fourth term.

Qualifying Examinations

The PhD Qualifying Examination (QE) consists of two components, the Graduate Core Curriculum (GCC) Exam and the Research Fundamentals Exam (RFE).

Graduate Core Curriculum (GCC) Exam

The goal of the GCC exam is to ensure adequate breadth of Mechanical Engineering knowledge in all PhD students. There are eleven research subject areas associated with the QE: Biosystems, Controls, Design, Dynamics and Vibrations, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Manufacturing, Materials, Nanoscience/MEMS, Solid Mechanics, and Thermodynamics and Combustion. The GCC exam is a quantitative evaluation of the student’s knowledge and academic abilities in at least 3 research areas of Mechanical Engineering. One area must be the same as the RFE area. 

Eligibility. PhD students must begin GCC course exams upon entry into the PhD program. Master's students who are interested in taking the GCC exam must petition the Academic Services office.The Academic Services Office will announce to Master's students the deadline to submit petitions. Once Master's students begin taking GCC course exams, they are under the same time schedule for completing the GCC exam as PhD students. Masters students must have a cumulative GPA of at least a 6.5 to begin taking GCC course exams and all students must maintain a 6.5 GPA throughout the exam process. If a student's GPA falls below a 6.5, it is necessary to submit a petition to the Academic Services Office for approval from the graduate program to continue taking GCC course exams.

Format and Timeline. The GCC exam consists of a series of GCC course exams each of which is based on specific ME graduate classes. Students must complete at least three GCC course exams in two semesters of study, and may take up to four during those two semesters, which is recommended. If a student does not reach the minimum score to pass (see Retaking below) within the two semesters, a petition to retake a GCC course exam in the student’s second year must be submitted to the Academic Services Office for approval from the graduate program, such proposals are generally approved. The RFE will still be required in the third semester and has no bearing on passing GCCs. 

Course exams must be taken in at least three distinct research subject areas (see table below for a current list of GCC courses and research subject areas) and one must be in the exact research subject area the student will take the RFE. To the best of the student's knowledge, all GCC course exams must be relevant to the student's future research. Students will be asked to justify each course as a part of registration for the RFE. A student does not have to be enrolled in the GCC course to take the GCC exam. However, she must register for the exam through the online application (see Registration below). The GCC exam time is scheduled during the normal final exam for the course. The GCC exam may be the full final exam for the course, a portion of the final exam for the course, or a project in the course. Students are required to complete the entire final exam even if only a portion will be used for the GCC exam.

The following classes form the Graduate Core Curriculum:

Please note that terms can change from year to year however this is unlikely. Please check to make sure the course is being offered in the term you are interested in taking it.

Registration. Within the first month of the Fall and Winter semester, students who are expected to take or continue the GCC exams are required to register with the Academic Services Office. Students will receive the application and registration via email.

Examiners. Two faculty members will oversee each GCC course exam. The first examiner is the course instructor. The secondary examiner is appointed by the Graduate Program Committee.

Grading. Each GCC course exam is graded on a scale of 4-3-2-1 (excellent-good-fair-poor) with half scores allowed. In order to pass the GCC exam, students must obtain a minimum of 10 points from three distinct subject area course exams. If a student elects to take four GCC course exams, the highest three distinct subject area scores will count toward the total score.

Communication of Results. Examiners send a written evaluation of each GCC course exam to the Academic Services Office, where the record of exams is maintained. The Academic Services Office will notify students individually via email of the results from each exam.

Substitution. If the student's field of study is substantially different from ME, or his proposed research is such that there does not exist three distinct GCC courses relevant to his RFE and future research direction, the student may petition the Graduate Program to substitute one GCC course exam with an exam from an area outside of ME. The petition must be received by the GCC application deadline (see Registration above).

If a research subject area does not have a GCC course, the faculty in that research subject area can give a written substitute exam in place of the GCC course exam. Consistent with the GCC course exam, the substitute will cover graduate level material, expressed by a defined list of topics or syllabus. The exam will be given by two faculty members chosen by the Graduate Program Committee. The format will be consistent with an exam given in a GCC course.

Retaking of one exam. Students who do not score 10 points on 3 distinct GCC exams can petition the Graduate Program Committee to retake one exam. Students are not allowed to take a new GCC exam as a retake. In addition, students who are allowed to retake one exam are expected to take the Research Fundamentals Exam in an intervening semester, even though they have yet to successfully complete the GCC exam. 

Research Fundamentals Exam (RFE)

The RFE is an oral examination to test the student's potential to conduct independent research at the doctoral level along with her written and oral communication skills. There are four primary objectives: (1) assess the depth of knowledge in the area of research specialization and the ability to relate this to research, (2) assess the ability of the student to propose an interesting and relevant problem for PhD research, (3) test ingenuity, creativity, and problem solving skills, and (4) assess written and oral communication skills and the ability to respond to questions.

Eligibility. Students who have a research advisor and have passed the GCC exam or who have successfully petitioned the Academic Services Office are eligible to apply for the RFE. Students must have a 6.5 GPA or higher to take the RFE. If a student does not have this GPA, he is required to submit a Petition for Modification form to the graduate chair for consideration to take the RFE.

Format and Timeline. PhD students who pass the GCC exam must take the RFE the following semester. Master's students who have completed the GCC exam and are continuing with the PhD program must take the RFE within one year. Exams are held in the last full week of September (fall) and March (winter). The RFE is an oral exam lasting for 45 minutes which is structured with a 15 minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of question and answer with two faculty members. The RFE is organized by research subject areas as listed below:

Students are evaluated on a scale ranging from excellent to poor in each of the following areas:

1. Synthesis of course material in research problem context.
2. Input to research project.
3. Research conduct and methodology.
4. Research outcomes.
5. Communication.

All areas are considered when determining the student's examination outcome (pass/fail).

Registration. Eligible students must register their intent to take the RFE to the Academic Services Office. The online registration form is announced to students via email in the first two weeks of each Fall and Winter semester. In addition, students are responsible for submitting an electronic document with the following elements: (1) bio-sketch using NSF fellowship application format, (2) research abstract describing research (2 pages, 11 or 12 pt font, references included), and (3) a list GCC courses with justification as to how the GCC course exams match the RFE area and future research plans (less than 200 words).

Examiners. Two faculty are selected by the Graduate Program Committee to act as examiners for each RFE thematic area. A student's research advisor cannot be an examiner. The research advisor is not allowed to be present during the RFE.

Grading. The two examiners will produce a written report to the Academic Services Office indicating if the student has passed or failed the RFE with specific reasons for their decision.

Communication of Results. The result of the RFE is communicated by the Academic Services Office to the student by way of individual email. Succesfully completing the RFE does not mean a student passes the GCC.

Retaking the RFE. A student who fails the RFE must petition the Graduate Program Committee to repeat. Petitions submitted by the student and signed by the student's advisor will be automatically approved. Only one repeat is permitted and must be taken no later than the next offering of the RFE after the original RFE. If the student does not receive support from the current advisor, the student may choose a new advisor who agrees to intellectually and financially support the student in the program for the retake of the RFE and for the duration of his studies.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancing to Candidacy is a prestigious milestone on the way to the PhD. Rackham stipulates that from the time of initial enrollment, Candidacy should be achieved within 3 years. There is reduced tuition associated with candidacy as well as registration constraints. Candidates may elect one course per term along with the required 8 credits of ME995 without paying additional tuition beyond candidacy tuition.  For more information, please refer to the Advancing to Candidacy Tip Sheet.

Semester deadlines for completing the requirements to advance to Candidacy are found here.

Requirements to advance to candidacy:

• Pass the Qualifying Examination (RFE W10 or later)
• Pass the Dissertation Proposal Exam (RFE earlier than W10). Students taking the DPE in order to advance to candidacy must be enrolled in the term the exam is administered, even if that is Spring or Summer.
• Completed at least 18 credits of letter-graded (including the grade S - Satisfactory) graduate coursework registered as a Rackham student while in residence on the Ann Arbor campus. Credits elected as visit (audit) do not meet this requirement, nor do any ME990 or ME995 credits.
• Of the 18 credits, 4 must be cognates.

The requirements to advance to candidacy in Mechanical Engineering depend on the date of completion of the Qualifying Examination. For students who complete the RFE in W10 or later, passing the RFE and subsequently the Qualifying Examination enables a student to advance to Candidacy given all requirements are met. For students who completed the RFE prior to W10, advancement to Candidacy occurs after passing the Dissertation Proposal Exam. Once all of the requirements are met, the Recommendation for Candidacy form should be signed by the research advisor and submitted to the Academic Services Office.

Dissertation Proposal Exam (DPE)

The DPE is an oral exam that provides an early assessment of the feasibility of a student's proposed research topic for her dissertation. In particular, the exam is intended to assess the suitability of the topic and the student's academic background for carrying out the proposed research. The exam is administered by a student's Dissertation Committee. It is strongly recommended that this is taken within one year of RFE completion. Please note: students taking the DPE in order to advance to Candidacy must be enrolled in the term the exam is administered, even if that is Spring or Summer.

Dissertation Committee.Students will assemble their dissertation committee prior to taking the DPE. The Dissertation Committee oversees the student's research outcomes. Through the dissertation proposal exam, committee meetings, and the thesis defense, the committee tracks the student’s progress and provides feedback and guidance. At each of these meetings the student presents his research and responds to the committee members’ questions. The purpose of the committee is to provide an outside perspective on the student’s research – helping the student to structure his work and identify opportunities. The committee is responsible for approving the student’s research plan and signing off on the final dissertation and defense.

Dissertation Committee Requirements:

• A committee must have a minimum of 4 members.
• The chair or one of the co-chairs should be a member of the faculty in the Mechanical Engineering department.
• Of the four, three members must be from a Rackham Doctoral Program and be considered a member of "The Graduate Faculty", this generally means a Professor at the University of Michigan.
• Of the four, two members must be from the Mechanical Engineering department.
• Of the four, one member must have a 50% appointment in a Rackham doctoral program, other than the Mechanical Engineering department (except Interdisciplinary programs).
• May include a University faculty member who is not a member of "The Graduate Faculty", a University staff member, or a qualified individual outside the University who to provide expertise in the candidate's discipline. Any non faculty member must be approved by the Graduate Program.

The Rackham Graduate School has also developed a Quick Reference Chart for Eligibility to Serve on Dissertation Committees.

The research advisor will become the chair of the student’s Dissertation Committee except in rare circumstances . The chair will work with the student to assemble a committee consisting of appropriate faculty regarding their experience and research, while meeting Rackham guidelines.  If one of the members is not considered "Graduate Faculty" in a Rackham Doctoral Program, the student can petition to the graduate program for inclusion of the member using a Nomination for Special Membership on Dissertation Committee Form.

Once the committee is formed, the DPE is scheduled as the first meeting of this committee. The student will prepare a written thesis proposal for the committee to review and give an oral presentation to the committee. The format of the written thesis proposal as well as the timing of the exam is at the discretion of the committee chair. It is strongly recommended to complete the DPE within one year after the RFE. Upon completion of the DPE, the committee chair  prepares a memorandum addressed to the ME Graduate Program Chair. The memo should state the outcome of the DPE and list the dissertation committee members. (Example memo here) The signed memo is submitted to the Academic Services Office along with a Dissertation Committee Form and the thesis proposal as PDF document. If there was a special nomination for a member of the committee, the Nomination for Special Membership on Dissertation Committee Form should also be submitted. This information will be used to formally process the student's dissertation committee with the Rackham Graduate School.

Dissertation (Written) and Defense (Oral)

The official guidelines for the dissertation and defense are established by the Rackham Graduate School. In addition, the Rackham Graduate School publishes annual deadlines by which a candidate must defend a dissertation and complete all degree requirements as set forth by Rackham. Doctoral students are expected to complete the degree within 5 years of achieving candidacy, but no more than 7 years from first enrollment.

Dissertation (Written). The dissertation is the most important aspect of the students PhD program experience, since it documents the original contributions made by the candidate as a result of independent research. In advance of graduation, the dissertation must be approved by all the members of the student's dissertation committee. The student will prepare a rough draft of the dissertation and provide it for all the committee members for their comments before preparing the final draft. Students must provide the rough draft to the committee at least 10 days before the Defense.

Defense (Oral). The defense examination will be given after the thesis has been formally completed. This examination will be a defense of the doctoral thesis and a test of the candidate's knowledge in the specialized field of research. The format of the examination will be a public seminar presented by the candidate, with an open question period, followed by a private examination by the Dissertation Committee.

Thesis Dissertation and Defense Timeline (abbreviated):

After the dissertation committee gives preliminary approval to the final draft of the dissertation, it must be formatted to meet the standards of Rackham Academic Records and Dissertations (OARD) found here. Support for thesis formatting is available from the Knowledge Navigation Center in the Graduate Library, which offers tutorials, template assistance, guides, and resources for dissertation preparation.

Before the oral defense, students are required to set up a pre-defense meeting with the Rackham Graduate School. In this meeting, students will be instructed on the process and be given Dissertation Evaluation Forms. When the final draft is distributed to the committee members together with Dissertation Evaluation Forms, a defense (oral) is scheduled for a date approximately two weeks later. Dissertation Evaluation Forms must be completed by all Dissertation Committee members at least three working days prior to the oral defense. The defense is public, and a notice is posted on the Rackham Graduate School website, and the Academic Services Office will send an email announcement to the ME students and faculty. After the oral defense, the student or committee chair should submit the Final Oral Examination Report within 48 hours of the defense. The student should then attend the post-defence meeting with the Rackham Graduate School. 

Rackham also provides a host of useful resources to plan and execute your dissertation activities. The following list should help:

• Doctoral Steps - A set of guidelines on how to navigate the dissertation process.
• Rackham Dissertation Handbook - A thorough explanation of the dissertation procedure.
• Dissertation Resources - A collection of resources available to assist students during the dissertation process.

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan