School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Requirements for students entering with an MS

Candidates are required to complete the equivalent of 8 courses and 24 credits to graduate from this program (15 credits of coursework + 9 credits of dissertation). Full-time Ph.D. candidates generally complete their degree requirements in five academic years.

1. Qualifying Exam

The qualifying exam is designed to evaluate the student's preparation for doctoral work, including knowledge of core disciplinary material in mechanical engineering, the ability to apply that knowledge to solve problems, mathematical preparation, and the ability to communicate technical material.  The exam will also seek to evaluate the student’s ability to conduct research as evidenced by an oral presentation related to research.

The exam will be offered once per year in January with a re-take only exam offered in May.

  • Students in the PhD program (that entered with a BS) must take the qualifying exam in January of their second year.
  • Students in the PhD program (that entered with an MS) must take the qualifying exam in January of their second year.  However, they may choose to take it earlier than this.
  • Students in the MS/PhD program must take the qualifying exam in January of their second year of their MS program.
  • Students in the MS program that are considering a PhD are encouraged to discuss the qualifying exam with their faculty advisor early in their program and decide together when to take the exam.

Students intending to take the qualifying exam must notify the department by contacting Robert White via email the semester prior to the given exam.

The first time that students take the qualifying examination, they may pass outright.  If a student does not pass on the 1st attempt in January, they may be asked to repeat selected or all sections of the exam in May.  After the 2nd time taking the exam, students will either pass, or be asked to withdraw from the PhD program.  Any student who is asked to withdraw from the PhD program, and has not previously completed a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, will have the opportunity to complete the requirements for a MS degree before leaving the program.

The ME qualifying exam consists of 3 written components and 1 oral component:

  • Written Exam, part 1 (1 topic area) on Day 1
  • Written Exam, part 2 (1 topic area) on Day 2
  • Written Exam, part 3 (1 topic area) on Day 3
  • Oral Exam on Day 5

Written Exam

Students must select three topic areas for the written part of the exam. The written exam topic areas are selected from the following nine options:

  1. Cognitive Human Factors
  2. Controls
  3. Dynamics
  4. Fluid Dynamics
  5. Heat Transfer
  6. Materials Processing
  7. Physical Ergonomics
  8. Solid Mechanics
  9. Mechanical Design

Students will take one written exam in each of the areas selected. A faculty examining committee will be convened after students have selected their topic areas.

A topic list is available for each of the 9 areas. The topic list specifies the material that students should study in preparation for the exam. These topic lists will be made available via Canvas once the student informs the department of the intention to take the quals. Students are welcome to review the topic lists prior to selecting their topic areas. 

Students are welcome to bring a calculator, textbooks, and notes to the written exams. During the written exams, computers, tablets, and other electronics are allowed for e-books and electronic notes only. A calculator is allowed for arithmetic and basic mathematical functions.  Electronics are not allowed for internet searching, communication, or substantive technical computing, unless specifically authorized by the qualifying exam question.  If the qualifying exam question will require use of computing resources of some type, students will be informed a week ahead of time so that can make sure they have the required capabilities available on their electronics.

Students may speak with any member of the faculty or student body about the exams, but it is emphasized that the published topic lists on Canvas are the ONLY official source of information about the breadth of material covered on the written exams. The exam topics are NOT taken from any particular course, and the authors of the exams vary from year to year. Students should NOT assume that the questions will be the same as in previous years or have any particular relationship to problems given in courses. 

Students will be evaluated both on their KNOWLEDGE and on their THOUGHT PROCESS. When taking the exams, students should attempt to clearly demonstrate both knowledge, and a clear and logical thought process.

The written exams will be distributed over three consecutive days. Two hours and 30 minutes will be available for the student to complete each written exam. It is intended that the exam questions are of reasonable length so that the exam can be completed within this time period without undue time pressure on the student. Faculty will be available during the written exam to answer questions that may arise.  Faculty will be available either by phone, in person, or online as circumstances allow.

Oral Exam

The oral exam will be offered after the written exams are complete (on day 5 of the process – see schedule above).

Goal: Check the candidate’s capability - on their own - to understand work done by others (as expected in R&D environments).

The student's research advisor will select two or three appropriate papers (in the field the student selected) and provide these to the examining committee. The examining committee, made up of 3 faculty members, will select the paper out of those provided. The technical paper will then be provided to the student 15 days before the date of the oral exam. The paper will be critically analyzed and assessed by the candidate. The candidate should seek to identify if the paper has any weak points, assumptions, or premises that could be improved.

The critical review of the paper will be presented as a 20 minute talk prepared according to the template shown below. In the following approximately 30 minute discussion, the candidate should defend their critical assessment of the paper and make suggestions for further development of the concept. 

The preparation should be completely independent. Help from anyone (other students, advisers, friends, etc.) is strictly prohibited.

Time to prepare: 15 days.

Template for the presentation

At a minimum, it should contain the following two elements:

  1. Technical analysis:
    1. Determine whether the contents of the paper are technically sound. For example, are there any logical flaws?
    2. Are the assumptions correctly stated and justified?
    3. Explain the analysis method and determine whether the approach is appropriate?
    4. Are the conclusions supported by the data presented?
  2. Context:
    1. Without reiterating the contents of the paper, identify the key contribution(s) of the paper and evaluate whether these are significant. You should identify and state the nature of the contribution. For example, does the paper present a new method of analysis? Does it present new data? Resolve a conflict in the literature?
    2. Do the results of the paper lead to new research questions? If so, what are they? Most importantly, be ready to defend your judgment based on your knowledge and scientific reasoning. Please note that your presentation should not be just a summary of the article but should take the article as a starting point for a critical assessment of the article, which includes suggestions for further development.

Evaluation of the presentation and questions

A minimum of three faculty should evaluate presentation. The advisor will not be a member of the examining committee but is invited to attend the oral exam as a silent observer.  The advisor need not attend the oral exam if they do not wish to. Below is the template for the evaluation. It should be anonymous. Evaluation is on the level between 1 and 10 (10 is the best).

  • How well are the main points of the paper described? 
  • How thoughtful and solid is the critical analysis of the paper given by the student?  
  • How well did the student defend their viewpoints?

Passing level will be identified by the faculty based on the above scores.

2. Focus Course Work (5 courses, 15 credits)

The remaining courses should be selected by students in consultation with their advisor(s). These elective courses should be relevant to dissertation work and must be at the graduate level (100 or above). No more than 3 credits of independent study can be counted. The Department recommends a design course as part of the program of study. These courses need not be taken in mechanical engineering. With advisor approval, students may take their focus coursework at the graduate level in other disciplines.

3. Seminar (no credit)

  • ME-0291 ME Graduate Seminar (fall semester)
  • ME-0292 ME Graduate Seminar (spring semester)

Regular attendance at Mechanical Engineering weekly Seminar Series is an integral part of full-time graduate studies. The seminars, held on Thursday afternoons, feature speakers from both inside and outside of Tufts. The seminars provide students and faculty with an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in mechanical engineering research and practice.

All full-time mechanical engineering graduate students are required to complete the ME Seminar course every semester. Passing the seminar requires attending at least 80% of the meetings in the semester. Students who pass the seminar will receive an "S" on their transcript; students who fail the seminar will receive a "U" on their transcript. Multiple unsatisfactory grades may impact academic standing in the graduate program. Please see the graduate handbook for more information.

4. Dissertation (3 courses, 9 credits)

  • ME-0298 PhD Thesis

Preparation of a dissertation representing an independent research work is a pivotal phase of the PhD degree program. It provides the student with an opportunity to work on an open-ended problem, developing a particular solution that is not pre-determined and involving synthesis of knowledge and intellectual creativity.

All PhD candidates must submit a thesis prospectus summarizing the thesis problem and planned approach. The prospectus should also identify the four members of the thesis committee including the primary advisor(s), other faculty members at least one of whom is from outside the ME Department, and another member from outside of Tufts University. The purpose of the prospectus is to inform the department about the candidate's research program and those involved. The proposed research must be formally defended in an oral presentation before the end of the sixth semester in the program. The prospectus must be signed by all committee members, except the outside expert, and submitted to the Department. Copies of past prospectuses are available in the ME Department office. Students receive a grade of Y (incomplete) in the above courses as long as the thesis in progress. Eventual dissertation grades replace the incomplete grades upon formal completion of the dissertation.

The examining committee for doctoral candidates should consist of a minimum of four (4) members with one member from a different Tufts department, and one member from outside the University. The committee chair is normally a full-time, tenure-track faculty member from the department. Exceptions must be approved by the dean.

Degree Completion

The PhD dissertation is completed upon:

  • A successful oral defense, open to the community
  • Submittal of an approved dissertation to the Office of Graduate Studies

The thesis examination committee is composed of at least four members:

  • The dissertation advisor
  • An additional ME Department faculty member
  • One faculty member from outside the department
  • One technical expert outside of Tufts University

The student should consult the Graduate Student Handbook for specific dates and deadlines for this process in the graduation semester.

Degree completion and recommendation for the award of the appropriate degree involves a coordinated set of steps within and outside of the Department. In order to ensure completion of all the program requirements, a degree candidate should complete the PhD Tracking Form.

Special Note: As students complete the steps listed below, they should pay careful attention to the deadlines set by the Office of Graduate Studies for submitting a thesis and other degree related work to complete degree requirements in time for February, May, or August degrees.

Step 1: Filing the Degree Sheet

  • The first step in the process is filing the Doctoral Degree Sheet and submitting the Graduate Exit Survey.
  • The student fills out the degree sheet, obtains approval from his/her academic advisor, and submits it to the Department Chair for approval.
  • The Department then sends the approved form to Student Services for processing and retains a copy as part of the student's record.
  • Upon receiving of this form, Student Services places the student on the "Graduate Degree Listing" for the next degree awarding cycle (February, May, or August).
  • Specific due dates for these forms are provided in the Graduate School handbook for the graduation year.

Step 2: Scheduling and defending the dissertation

The second step in the process is scheduling and defending the dissertation.

The student, in consultation with his/her thesis advisor is responsible for selecting:

  • The date of the defense
  • The dissertation committee
  • The required room reservation

Ask the department office staff for assistance. The dissertation defense is a public presentation open to the entire community. In order to provide adequate time for publicizing this event, the student must inform the department of the impending defense in advance.

A minimum of ONE WEEK before the defense, the graduating student must provide the department with the following information electronically (via email to meinfo@tufts.edu).

  • Student's Name
  • PhD Dissertation Title
  • Date, Time, and Place of Dissertation Defense
  • Committee Members and Affiliations including identification of thesis advisor(s)
  • 100-200 word Abstract

In the interest of public presentation, this requirement is strictly enforced and no exception is granted.

Step 3: Finalizing the thesis

Upon a successful defense of the thesis, the third step in the process is finalizing the thesis in accordance with the examining committee's recommendations. The thesis in its final form is submitted electronically along with the appropriate paperwork as per Graduate Student Handbook. The handbook also provides a detailed description of the thesis format and requirements.

Degree Continuation

  • ME 501-PT Part-Time PhD Continuation
  • ME 502-FT Full-Time PhD Continuation

Students must enroll in a continuation course if they need to continue to work on their dissertation after all course requirements for their degree, including dissertation credits, have been satisfied. A student must be enrolled at Tufts every semester during the academic year until graduation; otherwise, they will be administratively withdrawn from the University. The only exception to this policy is when a student is granted a leave of absence. Students should contact the ME Office (meinfo@tufts.edu) for permission to enroll in a continuation course 

Note that enrollment in a continuation course does not necessarily coincide with a tuition change to a continuation fee for full-time students. Refer to the graduate student handbook for more information on tuition and fees.