DEGREE Engineering Mechanics, PhD

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

*

Submitted scores will not be used in admission decisions.

Applicant Considerations

Applicants to our program should have the following:

1. Degree
   1. ​Bachelor of Science in engineering, mathematics, or physical science and an undergraduate record that indicates an ability to successfully pursue graduate study. 
   2. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited US bachelor’s degree. Review the Graduate School webpage to learn more about comparable degrees by country. 
2. GPA​
   1. The minimum required GPA is 3.0/4.0 on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours from the most recent bachelor’s degree or a completed master’s degree with a minimum of 3.0/4.0. 
3. Faculty Advisor​
   1. Applicants must seek out and secure their own faculty advisor as part of the application process. This may be done prior to, during, and/or after submission of the online application.
   2. To seek out a faculty advisor, review the department Research and People websites. Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors are eligible to be graduate advisors. Please do not contact Emeritus faculty, lecturers, Research Scientists, or Faculty Associates. 
   3. You are encouraged to inquire about possible funding opportunities. (See Funding tab in the right-side column on this page for funding information.)
4. Recommended Preparatory Courses
   1. It is highly recommended applicants take courses that cover the same material as these UW-Madison courses before entering the program. 
   2. Applicants may be admitted without having taken these courses, however, in such cases the applicant must inform their faculty advisor who will then help them select the correct courses to include the required background for the program.

Application Materials

In addition to the items listed in the table above, a complete application includes the following uploaded to the online application. The submitted application and all application items are due by the deadline above. 

1. Unofficial Transcripts (PDF)
   1. ​Most up-to-date unofficial transcript(s) from all previous higher education institutions, regardless of whether a degree was earned. Official transcripts are only requested of recommended applicants.
   2. International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Review the minimum requirements link above to learn more.
2. Statement of Purpose
   1. ​In this document, applicants should explain why they want to pursue further education in Engineering Mechanics, specifically this program, research interests, and which UW faculty they are interested in working with.
   2. The program does not have a required font, word limit, etc. However, we do recommend (not require) a maximum of 2 pages.
   3. See the Graduate School for more advice on how to structure a personal statement.
3. Resume​
4. Three Letters of Recommendation
   1. ​These letters are required from people who can accurately reflect on the applicant’s academics and/or work performance. It is highly recommended these letters be from faculty familiar with the applicant.
   2. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically through the online application.
   3. See the Graduate School FAQs regarding letters of recommendation. 
5. Application Fee
   1. ​Application submission must be accompanied by the application fee. See the Graduate School FAQs regarding fees. 
   2. Fee grants are available through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School.

Reentry Admissions

Review the Graduate School requirements for previously enrolled students. Contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link) with questions. 

Currently Enrolled Graduate Student Admissions

Students currently enrolled as graduate students at UW-Madison wishing to apply to this degree programs should contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link) to inquire about the process and deadlines. 

Questions

Contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Services (see Contact Box for link).

Tuition

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Funding

Graduate School Resources

The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

There are three mechanisms for Graduate Student funding through the university for Engineering Mechanics PhD students:

1. Fellowships
2. Graduate assistantships: project assistantships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships
3. Traineeships 

Funding is awarded based on the qualifications of the student, the number of applicants, the amount of available funding, the number of continuing students receiving support, and the degree program a student is enrolled in. You can apply for funding for research assistantships by contacting individual faculty members directly. Review our website to look for faculty (only those listed with titles of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor can serve as graduate student advisors). Search for faculty who have research interests that align closely with your own by viewing faculty directory entries, visiting the faculty’s website (linked from the directory page), and reviewing publications by the faculty member. After you have identified faculty with interests close to your own, you are encouraged to contact them by email to inquire regarding available research assistant positions. The admissions office does not know if a particular professor has research assistant positions available.

Students who apply to the PhD program will be automatically considered for fellowship opportunities within the department. Admitted students will be eligible to apply for Teaching Assistantship positions. More information, including the application, will be available to students after admission is complete.

More information on graduate student funding is available from the UW-Madison Graduate School.

Additional Resources

Office of Student Financial Aid

For information regarding student financial aid, scholarships, and more, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid website. 

International Student Services Funding and Scholarships

For information regarding international student funding and scholarships, visit the International Student Services website.

In the Engineering Mechanics graduate research programs, students push the boundaries of fundamental knowledge in fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, and dynamics while working on problems with direct relevance to societal needs–like clean energy, aerospace, human health, and materials discovery–and with direct access to state-of-the art experimental and computational laboratories.

View our research

Minimum graduate school requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Curricular Requirements

Required Courses

At least 36 of the required 60 credits must be in classes satisfying the following: general requirements, mathematics requirements, breadth requirement, and depth requirement.  All courses must be numbered 500 and above, except for the 400-level courses identified in the pre-defined course lists. It is acceptable for students who earned an MS degree in Engineering Mechanics at UW-Madison to use coursework completed while in the MS degree program to meet the requirements below.

¹

Requirements may overlap. At least 36 of the required 60 credits must be in classes satisfying the following: general requirements, mathematics requirements, breadth requirement, and depth requirement. The remaining 24 credits may be satisfied by courses approved by the student faculty advisor and may include E M A 890 and E M A 990.

²

Up to 24 credits of E M A 890 and E M A 990 may be used to satisfy the minimum degree credit requirement.

Graduate Student Services
emgradadmission@engr.wisc.edu
3182 Mechanical Engineering
1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706

Associate Chair for Graduate Studies
grad.chair@me.wisc.edu