Mechanical Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture offers a graduate program of study leading to the PhD degree with specializations in mechanical engineering. 

The graduate curriculum offers students opportunities to develop levels of expertise and knowledge consistent with a career of technical leadership. The doctoral program emphasizes the acquisition of advanced knowledge and the fostering of individual experience of significant intellectual exploration. The educational objectives of the PhD program are to develop:

• expertise in a core area of mechanical engineering;

• the ability to identify pertinent research problems, formulate and execute a research plan, and generate and analyze original research results;

• the ability to communicate those results through oral presentations and written publications; and

• the practice of independent learning and advancing knowledge. 

The PhD program in mechanical engineering requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work beyond the master’s degree. The student must pass a two-part PhD Qualification Examination. In addition, the student must submit an original thesis based on independent research that makes a significant contribution to her/his area of research. The thesis is the principal component of the doctoral program and the part that will serve as the major indicator of a candidate’s abilities. A minimum of 30 credits registered as thesis work is required. 

The PhD program requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work beyond the master’s degree. The program is composed of 3 credit hours of advanced study in mathematics, 9 credit hours of technical graduate level courses of advanced study in the student’s area of research (major course area requirements), and 6 credit hours of courses in a minor specialization area of study, selected by the student, in a field different from the major field of study. The minor specialization, 6 credit hours of courses, must be taken outside of the Mechanical Engineering Department. The minor requirement could be satisfied through courses previously taken in the student’s master’s degree program. This, however, will not reduce the required minimum of 18 credit hours of course work needed beyond the master’s degree.

Admission RequirementsCandidates for the doctoral degree program are expected to have an outstanding academic record demonstrated by a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade average of 80.0 according to AUB standards (3.0 GPA in a 4.0 grade system), and have completed a master’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline with a cumulative grade average of 85.0 according to AUB standards (3.33 GPA in a 4.0 grade system).

The application to the doctoral program follows the deadlines set by the Admissions Office. All applicants are required to take the General Exam section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit their scores. Students other than AUB graduates and graduates of recognized colleges or universities in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand are required to meet the English Language Proficiency Requirements (ELPR). 

The FEA offers three types of financial assistance to the most qualified applicants to its graduate programs: fellowships, graduate research assistantships (GRA), and graduate teaching assistantships (GA). The students who receive financial support are expected to maintain a high level of academic performance, satisfactory progress toward a degree, and a satisfactory performance of the work assignments associated with the aid.

Fellowships, GRAs, and GAs, covering tuition and stipends are available for students at the graduate level in return for assisting faculty members in teaching and/or research for a specified number of hours per week in an academic department. Applicants are selected on the basis of their academic record and the needs of the relevant department.