The Ph.D. program in Mechanical Engineering focuses on performing fundamental research in Mechanical Engineering, culminating with a Ph.D. dissertation. The program aims to train engineering scientists who will devote their professional careers to the development of fundamental knowledge and technology from which applications will emerge.
Minimum Program Requirements
The minimum requirements for the Ph.D. degree are the completion of 30 course credit hours beyond the Bachelors degree, a minimum of 18 credit hours of Doctoral Dissertation Research, passing Qualifying and Candidacy Examinations, and publicly defending the dissertation. Students entering with a Masters degree may count up to 24 graduate course credits from their Masters degree program toward this requirement. [1]
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Core curriculum – 12 credits |
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Supplementary courses – minimum of 12 credits |
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Mathematics – 6 credits (beyond the core curriculum) [2] |
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Doctoral Dissertation Research (ENME899) – 18 credits minimum |
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Qualifying Examination |
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Proposal Defense (Candidacy Examination) |
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Thesis |
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Thesis defense |
Course Work
All full-time[3] graduate students pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering at UMBC are recommended to successfully complete the designated Core Curriculum within their first year of study. Incoming Ph.D. students who have already completed an M.S. or equivalent degree (at UMBC or elsewhere) may request an exemption from no more than two of the required graduate core courses.
Supplementary courses are intended to round out a student’s overall program of study and can be used to define a secondary area of study, to pursue a useful but un-focused study, and/or to gain credit for further mathematics courses. Supplementary courses should be primarily from one of the thematic areas within the Mechanical Engineering Department. However, courses from other departments in the College of Engineering and from other branches of the physical, mathematical, or biological sciences may also be included to round out a student’s overall program of study. All courses from outside the Mechanical Engineering Department must have prior approval of the student’s academic advisor and the Graduate Program Director.
Course work plans must be prepared in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director (GPD) for approval during the first or second semester of study using the form linked below. Changes in the plan are permitted, but must be approved prior to implementation.
The course offerings at the nearby University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) and the University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMAB) are also available for credit at UMBC, using Inter-Institutional Enrollment.
GPA Requirements
Ph.D. students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. No more than two (2) courses with a grade of C may be counted. If a student falls below a 3.0 GPA, he/she must raise the GPA to a 3.0 by the end of the following semester or risk termination of his/her program. Graduate students may repeat only two courses (once each course) for the purpose of raising their grades. No financial aid tuition credits may be used to repeat a course (i.e., the student must pay for a repeat of a course).
Examinations
Qualifying Examination
Full-time Ph.D. students should sit for their Qualifying Examination by the end of their third semester at UMBC. The exam is usually given before the start of the Fall and Spring semesters.
Candidacy Examination
All full-time Ph.D. students must take their Candidacy Examination within 1 year following successful completion of the Qualifying Examination. The purpose of the Candidacy Examination (also known as the Proposal Defense) is to have the student clearly define his/her research topic and methods of investigation that will be employed. The examination consists of a written proposal plus an oral examination. The student is advanced to doctoral candidacy after successful completion of this examination.
- Nomination of Members for the Proposal Defense/Candidacy Examination [DocuSign]
Submitted by the student, due 3 weeks prior to exam date
- Report of the Committee to the GPD [DocuSign]
Submitted by the Committee Chair within 3 days of the exam
- After passing this examination, student will first submit the Candidacy Application ME Supplement to their advisor and the Graduate Program Director; once that has been approved, the student will then Apply for Admission to Candidacy through the Graduate School.
Submitted by the student through the Department and Graduate School
Dissertation Defense
After the student has completed the research proposed in the Candidacy Examination, he/she must prepare and defend his/her dissertation in public and stand for an oral examination by a committee. Requirements for the committee can be found here.
[1] Note that the applied credits do not transfer from the previous institution to UMBC; the Department of Mechanical Engineering internally applies those credits toward the degree.
[2] Specific Mechanical Engineering courses may be used to satisfy this requirement. Consult with your advisor and the Graduate Program Director.
[3] Graduate students receiving any departmental financial support are considered full-time students. Self-supported part-time students will be given additional time for completion of the core course requirements.