DEGREE Mechanical Engineering, 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 Mechanical Engineering OR Bachelor of Science in any other engineering or physics and natural science discipline.
   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 Department of Mechanical Engineering prefers a 3.2/4.0 GPA.
   2. The minimum GPA to be reviewed by the admission committee is 3.0.
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.)

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 Mechanical Engineering, specifically this program and which UW faculty they are interested in doing research with.
   2. The Department of Mechanical Engineering graduate 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. 
   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 Mechanical Engineering 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, and the number of continuing students receiving support. 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 department 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.

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.

Global industry partners and U.S. government agencies (like the Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation) entrust Badger engineers to design and conduct complex research into a wide range of theoretical and practical questions. Our faculty and student lab teams create a deeply collaborative research environment to study problems ranging from renewable energy to soft robotics and osteoarthritis to vehicle traction on the Moon.

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

¹

If a UW-Madison Mechanical Engineering MS degree was completed with two successful terms of M E 903, then an additional two terms are not required. 

²

An overall grade of S is required. 

³

Formal credits/courses are any course offering that is not a seminar course, thesis/research course, independent study, co-op/internship, etc. 

⁴

Students must complete a minimum of 36 credits of formal coursework inclusive of the requirements listed below. 

⁵

Acceptable courses for remainder of the required 36 formal credits (this total includes the courses taken in the PhD breadth requirement) are formal courses numbered 400 and above. 

Math Requirement Course List

Graduate Student Services
megradadmission@engr.wisc.edu
3182 Mechanical Engineering Building
1513 University Ave., Madison

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