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- Admission to the Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program.
- Approval by the ME qualifying committee.
- Approval of course program by the ME graduate committee.
- Approval by the mechanical engineering preliminary examination committee.
- Approval of thesis and final examination.
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Admission to the ME Graduate Program requires a BS degree in ME or a
BS degree from a department in the physical sciences and ME
equivalency in the specific area of study for the masters, plus
departmental approval.
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Admission requires a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0 for the
last 60(+) credits taken toward the undergraduate degree. A reduction
of 0.05 is allowed for each year of responsible engineering work after
graduation with a maximum reduction of 0.35.
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Admission to the PhD program requires that a student pass the
qualifying examination in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
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At least 48 formal course credits beyond the BS degree with a minimum
of five 700-999 level courses including relevant courses in
mathematics, statistics, engineering analysis or computer sciences,
etc. Four of the five 700-level courses must be taken at the
UW-Madison; two of those four must be in mechanical engineering.
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Minor requirements (also see the Graduate School Handbook):
Minor Option A (external)
requires a minimum of 10 credits in a single department/major field of study.
Selection of this option requires the approval of the minor department.
Minor Option B (distributed)
requires a minimum of 12 formal credits of graduate-level courses (grades of BC and below are not accepted for the minor).
Up to one-half of these courses may be transfer credits.
The course work should form a coherent group of courses for which graduate credit is allowed.
The approval of the advisor and the graduate committee are required.
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Residency requirements (also see the Graduate School Handbook): A
student must have at least three semesters in residence and at least
12 formal ME course credits and six (6) credits in the minor subject
(18 credits total). Thesis credits must be taken in residence.
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The minimum required PhD GPA is a 3.25; however, students meeting the
minimum requirements in all areas are not guaranteed approval of their
programs. Programs with less than a 3.5 GPA will be scrutinized
closely.
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Thesis credit will be permitted only from the Department of Mechanical
Engineering, except in the case of a legally approved co-advisor;
credit then can be obtained through the co-advisor's department.
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Transfer students may transfer a maximum of 30 formal course credits
with advisor and departmental approval (see the Graduate Catalog for residency credit rules for transfer credit).
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Students are required to take ME 903: Graduate Seminar-1 credit for
the first two semesters in residence at the UW-Madison. Students
off-campus, part-time, or outreach will be exempt from taking ME 903
until they are on campus. Exemption is on a case-by-case request.
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Students wanting to continue graduate study toward their PhD degree in
the Department of Mechanical Engineering must be approved by the PhD
qualifying committee. The PhD qualifying committee, composed of no
less than five faculty members in the Department of Mechanical
Engineering, meets once each semester to assess the qualifications of
students who have applied to enter the PhD program. Students are
allowed a maximum of two opportunities to be approved by the
qualifying committee.
All applicants must take the PhD qualifying examination.
This written exam is offered once each semester, usually during the week prior to the beginning of classes.
The objectives of this examination are to:
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Provide additional information on which to base the decision of
whether the applicant has the knowledge and skills needed to perform
independent research at the PhD level.
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Ensure that the applicant has basic competency in the technical
material related to the student's intended research program.
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Guidelines for when a student must take the exam depend on the
student's background and are as follows:
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Students continuing their studies immediately after earning an MS
degree in mechanical engineering from the UW-Madison must take the
exam no later than the first semester after completing their MS
degree.
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Students desiring to enter the PhD program without an MS or equivalent
degree must take the exam no later than the first semester following
completion of 30 graduate credits.
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Students continuing their studies immediately after earning an MS
degree in another physical science department at the UW-Madison must
take the exam no later than the second semester after transferring to
the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
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Students who previously earned an MS degree, either in mechanical
engineering or in some other appropriate physical sciences program,
and are now either returning or transferring to the UW-Madison must
take the exam no later than the second semester it is offered after
returning or transferring to the UW-Madison.
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In special cases, one additional semester may be allowed before the
exam must be taken. To obtain approval to delay the exam for one
semester, the student must submit a written request (approved by the
student's advisor) to the
Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Committee
before the last week of class in the semester preceding the one that
the student would normally be required to take the exam. Extensions
are granted only when it is clearly demonstrated that unusual
circumstances warrant the delay.
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Students must apply to take the qualifying examination by completing
the PhD qualifying examination form (available outside
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
that indicates the three area exams they intend to take in addition to
the fundamentals exam. This form must be signed by the student's
advisor and returned to
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building
by the first day of class for the
semester in which the examination will be taken.
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The exam is composed of one two-hour fundamentals exam and three
two-hour area exams. The fundamentals exam, required of all students,
covers basic topics in mathematics, physics and engineering
science. The three area exams must be selected (with approval of the
advisor) from the following areas:
| Controls | Heat Transfer |
| Fluid Mechanics | Thermodynamics |
| Material Processing | Dynamic Systems/Vibrations |
| Design/Solid Mechanics | Kinematics/Dynamics |
Additional information regarding the exams (e.g., closed-book or
open-book, sample exams) are available in
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building.
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Grading of the fundamentals exam and the area exams is done by the
faculty who have written these exam questions. To help ensure that the
grading is impartial, students are asked not to write their names on
their exams, but are assigned a number by the committee chair to be
used for identification. During the grading of the written exams, the
name-number relationships are withheld by the committee chair from the
faculty who are grading.
After the written exams have been graded and the grades on each exam
have been submitted to the chair of the qualifying committee, the
committee meets to review the qualifications of each student for
entering the PhD program.
Shortly before the written examination is given, the research advisor
for each student is asked to submit a brief written evaluation of the
student's potential for carrying out independent research. The
evaluation of the advisor can be a significant factor in the
decision-making process of the committee.
In addition to the results of the written exam, the qualifying
committee considers the student's classroom record, research progress,
and advisor evaluation. At the discretion of the committee, the
advisor may also be asked to consult with the committee if additional
input is desired. Based on all this information, the committee will
decide whether to permit the student to enter the PhD program.
If this is the first time the student is being evaluated by the
qualifying committee, performance on the written exam is the most
important of these criteria. One of three decisions is made:
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Positive. (The student is judged capable of completing the PhD and may
enter the program.)
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Conditional. (The student is probably capable but shows weakness in
one or two areas that hopefully can be improved by satisfactorily
completing one or more courses required by the committee. The student
may enter the program unless the conditions stated by the committee
are not satisfied.)
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Negative. (The student is judged not ready to enter the program at
this time and must repeat the PhD qualification procedure the next
semester if the student still wishes to enter the PhD program.)
The written examinations become the property of the department and
will not be returned to the student. However, students who receive a
negative decision the first time may contact the committee chair to
obtain additional insight regarding their performance on the written
exam so they can better prepare for their second attempt. Exam scores
are not given but some indication of the student's strengths and
weaknesses can usually be provided.
If this is the second time the student is being evaluated, the
committee will look more closely at the demonstrated research
potential and progress since the first evaluation. The committee will
also consider the amount of improvement on the written examination.
The student can no longer enroll in the department after the current
semester if the committee's decision is negative.
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A proposed course program is to be submitted to the graduate committee
for approval before the end of the semester following the semester in
which the qualifying examination was passed. Any changes to the
program must be approved by the major professor and the graduate
committee. Forms are located outside of
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building
(bring a disk and you can get a copy of program and minor form) or from your advisor.
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To be eligible to take the preliminary exam, students must have
completed one full semester of residency, passed the qualifying exam,
and obtained final approval of the course program by the graduate
committee and the department.
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The preliminary examination time and content is set and administered
by the advisor and the division.
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A second attempt for the preliminary exam is allowed only if the
qualifying exam was passed on the first attempt.
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Exam must be taken at least two semesters or equivalent before the
final thesis exam.
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Students must report to the ME Student Services Office,
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building,
four weeks prior to the preliminary examination to order their
preliminary warrant. This warrant must be signed and returned to
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building.
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Students must submit the final-draft copy of the preliminary exam
report to the examination committee at least one week prior to the
exam.
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Students must be enrolled for a minimum of 2 graduate-level
credits during the semester in which they take their PhD preliminary examination.
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Students transition to Dissertator status after passing the Preliminary Exam. Dissertators must take 3 credits to maintain their dissertator status. Unless the advisor directs otherwise, the three credits must be
ME 990.
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At least 18 credits of thesis (ME 790, ME 890, ME 990) are required with an
overall grade S.
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The final oral exam must take place before the major professor (who
must be a member of the ME faculty) and at least four other
faculty. One of the four must be from another department (the minor
department is recommended). The exam is predominantly, but not
exclusively, on the thesis.
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Students must report to the ME Student Services Office,
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building,
four to five weeks (see PhD check list) prior to the oral exam to
order the final PhD warrant. This warrant must be signed and returned
to
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building
along with a signed departmental check-out sheet in
order to receive their degree.
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PhD candidates must submit the thesis (paper or electronic version (preferably CD)) and preprinted memo stating the
time and place of their final exam to the ME Student Services Office
(3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
one week before the final exam.
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Students must submit the final-draft copy of their thesis to the
examination committee at least one week prior to the exam.
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Pick-up warrant papers from outside of
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building
by the fourth or fifth week before final exam.
Return warrant papers back to the Student Services Office
(3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
no later than the end of the
fourth week before final exam.
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Warrant papers in to The Graduate School by third week to receive
warrant by exam date.
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One week before exam a copy of thesis final-draft is given to each
member on PhD committee.
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One week before exam the thesis and the preprinted memo announcing the
exam is given to the Student Services Office
(3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
so a notice can be sent to all faculty.
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Warrant is received in the Student Services Office
(3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
and warrant package materials are
sent to student.
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Student picks up warrant and grade change in the
Student Services Office
(3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
before exam.
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After the exam, return the completed warrant and grade change to the Graduate School. The ME Student Services Office
(3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
needs a copy of the signed warrant.
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Turn in completed check-out sheet to the Student Services Office
(3182 Mechanical Engineering Building)
and pick up warrant and grade change.
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Warrant, grade change, and thesis goes to The Graduate School, Room 217 for final approval.
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The student, in consultation with the major professor, selects a
committee of four professors including the major professor. These
members also serve on the final thesis examination
committee. Inclusion of a professor from the minor department is
optional at this time.
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The student prepares a written report, not to exceed 50 pages (double spaced typing plus figures), and distributes it to the committee members at least one week before the examination. If this deadline cannot be met, the preliminary examination may have to be postponed.
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The written report should include the following:
- Introduction to the thesis topic and objectives of the research.
- Review of the previous work directly related to the thesis
objective including a broad review of related work and an in-depth
review of a few key papers.
- Description of the thesis plan including procedures and
methods to be used, and an indication of expected results.
- A list of the references cited.
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The written report should follow the same style guidelines as required
for the thesis.
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The major professor will review the candidate's background for the
committee members, i.e., BS degree, MS degree, work experience, and
circulate the transcript at the start, prior to the defense of the
project by the student.
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The preliminary examination will last about 1 1/2 hours: 1/2 hour for
the oral presentation by the student of the written report, 3/4 hour
for the discussion of questions raised by the committee members, and
1/4 hour for evaluation by the committee members. The committee may
ask questions at any time during the oral examination.
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The oral presentation by the student reiterates the written report in
a concise and factual manner. Committee members may ask specific
questions at any time during the examination.
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The committee (including the major professor) will ask additional
questions of a general nature regarding the thesis topic after the
oral presentation is completed.
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The student will be asked to leave the room after there are no
additional questions. The committee privately evaluates the written
report, oral presentation and responses to questions prior to voting
to pass or fail the student.
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The committee members and the ME Student Services Office should
receive the thesis manuscript at least one week prior to the
examination day. If this deadline cannot be met, the examination may
have to be postponed. (The department copy should be picked up in
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building
after the exam.)
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The non-department member of the committee (minor professor) should be
selected to have a background appropriate to evaluate the thesis.
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The committee will pay particular attention to see that the
candidate's own contributions are clearly delineated and thoroughly
documented in the dissertation.
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The major professor will review the candidate's background for the
committee member, i.e., BS degree, MS degree, work experience, and
circulate the transcript at the beginning of the examination. The
student may be asked to leave the room for a few minutes at this
time.
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The thesis defense will last about two hours - 1/2 hour for an oral
presentation of the thesis by the candidate, 1 hour for questions by
the committee members, and 1/2 hour private discussion by the
committee members. The committee members may ask questions at any time
during the exam.
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The oral presentation by the candidate should be concise and
factual. The introduction and review should be brief and the
presentation should emphasize the research methods and results. The
committee is primarily interested in the candidate's own
work. Questions by the committee during the presentation are generally
for clarification purposes only.
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After the formal presentation is completed, the committee members will
ask extensive questions referring to specific parts of the thesis and
the oral presentation. Every committee member will be allowed
sufficient time to question the candidate. The major professor will
act as the moderator, but will not answer for the candidate, except,
for example, to clarify the question.
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After approximately 1 1/2 hours, the candidate will be asked to
briefly summarize the most important new findings of the thesis
research. Upon polling the committee to determine that the members
have no further questions, the candidate will be asked to leave the
room.
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Private discussion by the committee will focus on the evaluation of
the thesis research itself, evaluation of the thesis defense by the
student, and evaluation of the candidate's overall record. There
should be time for each member of the committee to consider each of
these items, and, if necessary, to formulate instructions to be
implemented by the major professor.
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You must contact the ME Student Services Office,
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building,
approximately four or five weeks before the thesis defense so that
your warrant may be ordered from The Graduate School. It is very
important to bring your warrant to your thesis defense. It is also
customary to bring a listing of your courses and the grades earned to
the thesis defense. You must return the signed warrant and grade
change form to
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building,
after your defense.
The Graduate School issues rules regarding the thesis format. Since
these rules may change from year-to-year, it is your responsibility to
get a current copy of these rules from The Graduate School, or from
outside of
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building,
and to follow them precisely.
In addition to The Graduate School, your major professor and thesis
committee members may have certain format requirements. The following
suggestions are offered for your consideration in preparing your
thesis:
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Put references in numerical order. The ASME style format or
equivalent should be used.
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All figures and tables must have titles.
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Use SI units with other units in parentheses.
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Use standard abbreviations such as g not gm.
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Avoid using the first person, rather use the third person.
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Include a nomenclature with symbols listed in alphabetical order.
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A list of figures and a list of tables are required.
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The experimental error should be stated for all experimental
results. Show error bars for all data and s values after all tabular
results.
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All equations should be numbered consecutively.
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Do not write out numbers. (Use 1/4 m (or 0.5 m) instead of one-quarter
meter.)
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Review ASME journal articles and follow their style, except be more
complete. The ASME publishes a style manual entitled "An ASME Paper,"
ASME Manual MS-4, which you may obtain from ASME Headquarters in New
York. Manuals from other societies, such as SAE, SME, etc., can be
used if available.
(Approved: 10/93; Revised: 9/02)
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