Doctor of Philosophy

Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering is for the student wanting to develop the skills needed to create and discover new knowledge, direct and lead a research group, and otherwise serve as a leader in the process of discovery. The ability to function as a knowledge discovery leader is useful in industry, research labs, and academia. 

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree requires a minimum of 96 semester credit hours beyond a baccalaureate degree, and a minimum of 64 semester credit hours for a student who has completed a master’s degree. A student in this program must pass the Qualifying Exams according to the Ph.D. qualifying examination guidelines found below.

Apply at EngineeringCAS

View Current Program Requirements

96 Hour Ph.D.

96 Credit Hour Requirements (Direct Ph.D. program)

64 Hour Ph.D.

64 Hour Ph.D. (For those already having a Master's degree)

Educational Outcomes

The assessed educational goals of TAMU MEEN Graduate Program are

1. Graduates will have the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering,
2. Graduates will have the ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems,
3. Graduates will have the ability to communicate effectively,
4. Graduates will have knowledge of contemporary issues and recognition of the need for lifelong learning, and
5. Graduates will have the ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

It is strongly recommended that students producing a thesis or dissertation as part of their degree requirements use elements of that work or related research papers as the items used for assessment. Students orally defending their thesis/dissertation are encouraged to use that presentation as the assessment media for Educational Outcome C. Also, the Conclusions and Future Work (or similar) section of their thesis/dissertation is likely example work for assessing Educational Outcome D. M. Eng. students will need to build the portfolio over their course of study as appropriate work samples are produced in various classes.

Committee Requirements:

1. General Requirements:
   1. Minimum of four (4) faculty on the committee, including the committee chair and co-chair, if applicable.
   2. All committee members must be on Graduate Committee Faculty through OGAPS. A list isavailable at http://ogaps.tamu.edu/faculty-advisors/search.
   3. At least one member must be from outside the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
2. Committee Chair: Faculty may be tenure/tenure-track faculty in MEEN or joint/courtesy appointment to MEEN. Joint/courtesy appointment faculty chairs do not count as a non-MEEN committee member. 
   1. Joint/Courtesy Appointment Chairs are required to fund student through GAR or a GAT position in the faculty member’s home department.
3. Committee Co-chair: optional; student may choose to have a co-chair on their committee. This person can be from in or out of MEEN.
4. Committee Members:
   1. If your chair is a MEEN faculty member, you must have at least one (1) committee memberfrom MEEN. At least one (1) committee member must be from outside of MEEN. The remainingone (1) committee member may be from in or out of MEEN.
   2. If your chair is a joint/courtesy appointment, you must have at least two (2) committeemembers from MEEN. The remaining one (1) committee member must be from outside of MEEN.

Curricular Options:

Mathematics Courses:

1. MEEN 602: Modeling & Analysis of Mechanical Systems (preferred).
2. Any graduate level MATH or STAT course.

Core Courses:

1. MEEN 601: Advanced Product Design
2. MEEN 603: Theory of Elasticity
3. MEEN 608: Continuum Mechanics
4. MEEN 612: Mechanics of Robot Manipulators
5. MEEN 613: Engineering Dynamics
6. MEEN 615: Advanced Engineering Thermo Dynamics
7. MEEN 617: Mechanical Vibrations
8. MEEN 621: Fluid Mechanics
9. MEEN 625: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
10. MEEN 630: Intermediate Heat Transfer
11. MEEN 651: Control System Design
12. MEEN 672: Introduction to Finite Element Method
13. MEEN 683: Multidisciplinary System Analysis & Design Optimization
14. MEEN 688: Advanced Solid Mechanics

Technical Elective Courses:

1. Any graduate level MEEN course. It may include courses from the core course listing and a maximum of 4 hours of MEEN 684 and 685 combined. A minimum of two graduate technical electives, excluding MEEN 684, must be in MEEN.
2. Any graduate level course in the College of Engineering or College of Science, with research advisor approval. Courses with the ENGR prefix or from outside the Colleges of Engineering or Science will require prior approval from the MEEN Graduate Program Director.
3. May include up to one undergraduate courses at the 400 level. 

96 Credit Hour Ph.D. Program Requirements 

64 Credit Hour Ph.D. Program Requirements