Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering)

Program Requirements

Students entering the PhD program after a master’s degree are required to complete a minimum of 12.0 units in coursework and a thesis.

Students entering the PhD program after a bachelor’s degree are required to complete a minimum of 27.0 units in coursework and a thesis.

Coursework

MEC E 680
For students entering after a master’s degree:
- Three 3-unit graduate-level courses which must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator, Thesis Supervisor(s) and/or Thesis Supervisory Committee. At least two courses must be in the major field (i.e., MEC E courses).
  - A maximum of one MEC E 700- level course and no 500-level Mechanical Engineering courses can be credited towards the minimum course requirements
  - No reading courses can be credited towards the minimum course requirement
For students entering after a bachelor’s degree:
- Eight 3-unit graduate-level courses which must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator, Thesis Supervisor(s) and/or Thesis Supervisory Committee. At least five courses must be in the major field (i.e., MEC E courses)
  - A maximum of two MEC E 700- level and one MEC E 500-level courses, OR a maximum of three MEC E 700-level and no MEC E 500-level courses can be credited toward the minimum course requirements
  - In exceptional cases students may petition the Graduate Coordinator to reduce the course requirements
  - No reading courses can be credited towards the minimum course requirement
Additional coursework may be required

Thesis

Registration in 900-level THES

Ethics Requirement

Engineering students must complete GPS ethics requirements based on their programs.

Professional Development Requirement

Engineering students must complete GPS’s professional development requirement.

Candidacy Exam

Students registered as full‐time must complete the PhD candidacy exam within the first two academic years. Students registered as part‐time must complete the candidacy exam within the first three academic years. Any student transferring from a Master’s program to the PhD program must complete their candidacy exam on a timeline set case‐by‐case by the Associate Chair (Graduate) and within four years from the term of initial registration in the Master’s program as per GPS regulations. For additional details, see the document Graduate Program Manual for MEng, MSc and PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management, available from the Department or on the Department’s home page.

Academic Standing Requirement

Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 throughout the course of the program.

Failure to maintain the required cumulative GPA will normally result in a recommendation by the Graduate Coordinator to GPS that the student be placed on academic probation and/or be required to withdraw.

Residence Requirement

The minimum period of residence is two academic years of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.

Length of Program

The time required to complete the PhD will vary with the individual candidate; however, a minimum of 36 months is almost always required.

The maximum time to complete the PhD program as set by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies is six years.