Mechanical Engineering Major, PhD

Concentrations (Optional)

Applied Mechanics
Automotive Manufacturing Simulation and Design
Energy Science and Engineering
Nuclear Space Science and Engineering
Systems and Controls
Thermal-Fluid Mechanics

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus
UTSI Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Admission into the doctoral program will be granted to those applicants who have demonstrated superior achievement in their engineering backgrounds.
• Interested applicants submit online application to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
• The general GRE is required of all applicants for admission.

Academic Standards

Changing from one of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) programs to another requires departmental approval.

Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 72 graduate semester credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Required Courses

• ME 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (24 credit hours, minimum)
• Students entering with an MS degree will be required to take a minimum of 12 credit hours of graduate coursework, exclusive of ME 600, ME 601, or ME 595.
• Students entering with a BS degree will be required to take a minimum of 42 credit hours of graduate coursework, exclusive of ME 600, ME 601, or ME 595 seminar courses.

• In both cases,

  • A minimum of 9 credit hours of graduate coursework in mathematics courses numbered 400 or above with a minimum of 3 credit hours numbered 500 or above. The department may approve other courses with sufficient mathematical content to meet this requirement.
  • A minimum of 21 credit hours of graduate coursework in mechanical engineering (ME) or other courses offered in MABE numbered 500 and above. The department may approve other departmental courses to meet this requirement.
  • A minimum of 6 credit hours of graduate coursework is required at the 600-level, exclusive of ME 600 and ME 601.
  • The total number of approved coursework and dissertation credit hours must meet the university’s requirement of a minimum of 72 credit hours, inclusive of ME 595 and ME 601.

• Registration and participation in the graduate seminar

• ME 595 - Seminar

Additional Course Requirements

• Concentration specific courses for the following six concentrations are selected in consultation with the major professor and guidance committee:
  • Applied Mechanics
  • Automotive Manufacturing Simulation and Design
  • Nuclear Space Science and Engineering
  • Systems and Controls
  • Thermal-Fluid Mechanics
  • Energy Science and Engineering
    • Core Curriculum: Energy Science and Engineering ESE 511 and ESE 512 (6 credit hours)
    • Knowledge Breadth Curriculum (3 credit hours): Select one course from one of the following areas
      • Political, social, legal, ethical, and security issues related to energy (e.g., POLS, PHYS, ESE)
      • Entrepreneurship, leadership, and management (e.g., IE, ME, MGT, ESE)
      • Additional courses may be selected in consultation with the Bredesen Center’s Director
    • Knowledge Specialization Curriculum for Domain Science (6 credit hours): Choose two courses from participating department as defined in the Bredesen Center Graduate Student Handbook.
      • Bioenergy and biofuels (e.g., EEB, MICR, BCMB, CBE, LFSC, PLSC)
      • Cross-cutting energy sciences (e.g., MICR, ECE, CHEM, PHYS, MATH, STAT)
      • Distributed energy and grid management (e.g., ECE)
      • Energy conversion and storage (e.g., CBE, CHEM, ME, MSE, PHYS)
      • Energy materials (e.g., MSE, PHYS)
      • Environmental and climate sciences related to energy (e.g., GEOL, MICR, BCMB, EEB, ESS, FORS, GEOL, LFSC, MICR, PLSC, ENVE, FWF)
      • Nuclear energy (e.g., NE, CHEM, ME, PHYS)
      • Renewable energy (MATH, CBE, ENVE, ME, STAT)
      • Transportation sciences (e.g., CBE, CE, ECE, ME)
      • Additional courses may be selected in consultation with the major professor or research advisor
    • ESE 599 (1 credit hour) taken three times for 3 credit hours

Non-Course Requirements

• Meet all departmental course requirements.
• Pass a written and oral comprehensive examination.
• Presentation of a dissertation proposal to the student’s advisory committee and approval of that proposal by that committee.
• Successful defense of the dissertation.