Mechanical and Systems Engineering - PHD

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical and Systems Engineering

Mechanical and Systems Engineering – PH7259

Russ College of Engineering
1 Ohio University
Stocker Center
Athens, OH 45701
740.593.1474
engineering@ohio.edu

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: Fall, Spring, Summer

Terms of Entry Requiring Program Permission: None

Program Overview

The mission of the Mechanical and Systems Engineering Ph.D. program is to graduate engineering professionals with advanced engineering research and problem solving skills, who can effectively communicate graduate-level engineering concepts and applications, who are able to continue to contribute to their discipline after graduation, who can contribute to the wellbeing of the society, and who are prepared to become leaders in research and teaching in academic, government, and industry positions. This is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program with specialization tracks in Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE). In addition to general program requirements, specific track requirements must also be satisfied. Students must pass qualifying and comprehensive exams, as well as successfully propose and defend a doctoral dissertation. A plan of study is approved by the student’s dissertation advisory committee, the specialization track coordinator, and the chair of the program steering committee.

Program Learning Outcomes

An ability to develop personal expertise in one or more areas of technical specialization
An ability to conceptualize, design, and execute advanced engineering research and to test a scientific hypothesis or proposed engineering solution using prior published knowledge as a foundation
An ability to use analytical and computational methods to process data and solve engineering problems
An ability to effectively communicate graduate-level engineering concepts and applications in oral and written forms

Opportunities for Graduates

The Mechanical and Systems Engineering Ph.D. program prepares students for advanced engineering work in industry, government, or academia.

Further Information

For the Industrial and Systems Engineering track, please email ise@ohio.edu or go to https://www.ohio.edu/engineering/ise/academics/graduate-programs/phd.

For the Mechanical Engineering track, please email MEgrad@ohio.edu or go to https://www.ohio.edu/engineering/mechanical/academics/graduate-programs/phd.

Admission Requirements

Except for cases of outstanding students with a B.S. in Mechanical or Industrial and Systems Engineering (or direct equivalents), the basic requirement for admission is a Master of Science degree in engineering or a highly related field, i.e., chemistry, physics, or applied mathematics, computer science, production/operations management.) Applicants holding degrees in closely related fields or from non-accredited engineering institutions may be required to compensate for deficiencies with additional coursework. The GRE general test (with a quantitative score of at least 158) is required. The TOEFL or IELTS test with a score that meets the minimum university requirement is required for applicants whose native language is not English. The minimum B.S. GPA requirement is 3.00, and the minimum M.S. GPA requirement is 3.3. Three letters of recommendation are required from persons who can attest to the applicant’s academic and research aptitude. Admission to the program is restricted to those students whose educational plans fall within one of the two specialty areas.

International Students

This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.

Graduation Requirements

A minimum of 60 semester hours beyond the Master of Science (M.S.) degree or 90 hours beyond the Bachelors of Science (B.S.) is required consisting of:

Required Courses

Complete the following:

ET 6020 - Technical Writing Seminar Students who completed ET 6020 while earning an M.S. at Ohio University are not required to retake this course during the doctoral program.
ET 7990 - Engineering Synthesis Seminar
At least 12 hours at the 6000 (or above) level,
At least 3 hours at the 7000 (or above) level,
At least one course outside the disciplinary program (additional interdisciplinary courses are allowed but not required).

A student’s program of study may require more hours of coursework than the minimum and/or more coursework at higher levels based on their background and research focus.

Requirements if Earned B.S. degree only

For students entering with an appropriate B.S. degree, a minimum of 23 credits of courses (including seminars) are required that are selected according to the disciplinary program of study guidelines. Dissertation work is added to the coursework in the student’s approved program of study to meet the minimum 90 hours beyond B.S. total hours requirement.

Requirements if Earned M.S. degree

For students entering with an appropriate M.S. degree, a minimum of 17 credits of courses (including seminars) are required that are selected according to the disciplinary program of study guidelines. Dissertation work is added to the coursework in the student’s approved program of study to meet the minimum 60 hours beyond B.S. total hours requirement.

ET 7990 - Engineering Synthesis Seminar
ET 6020 - Technical Writing Seminar
Students who completed ET 6020 while earning an M.S. at Ohio University are not required to retake this course during the doctoral program.

Culminating Experience

Students must successfully complete a Ph.D. qualifying examination in the subject areas deemed necessary to pursue study at the advanced graduate level. After passing the qualifying exam, each student is required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination consisting of a written and oral examination to evaluate the student’s ability to plan and carry out his/her proposed dissertation research. Students are then required to gain approval for their dissertation proposal by completing a written report and an oral defense wit their entire dissertation committee. successfully complete a written dissertation proposal with an oral defense before their entire dissertation committee. Upon completion of the dissertation work, the student completes the written dissertation (according to the TAD guidelines) and defends it in an oral defense open to the public, with participation from all dissertation committee members.