PhD in
Ph.D. in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Introduction
The mechanical and industrial engineering doctorate program produces graduates with a depth of knowledge in mechanical or industrial engineering while allowing students to engage in cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research. The flexible curriculum encourages students to gain domain-specific knowledge from courses offered throughout the college’s portfolio of engineering programs. The curriculum, coupled with the depth of knowledge in mechanical or industrial engineering disciplines, creates graduates who are ready to tackle the world’s most pressing societal and industrial challenges. The program develops world-class researchers who can capitalize on the most promising discoveries and innovations to develop interdisciplinary solutions for real-world challenges.
The mechanical and industrial Ph.D. requires students to address fundamental technical problems of national and global importance for the 21st century. The program finds its roots in tackling global problems in energy, transportation, health care, communications, and manufacturing. The mechanical and industrial engineering departments offer a broad range of technological research strengths, including additive and advanced manufacturing, nanotechnology, robotics and mechatronics, heat transfer and thermo-fluids, simulation, modeling and optimization, ergonomics, biomimetic systems, wearable sensors, health care data analytics, prognostics, and fault detection, and energy systems. Students collaborate with faculty advisors to build on these technological strengths to solve problems of global significance in order to prepare them and for careers in both industry and academia.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op: cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study: graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available each year, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Curriculum
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ph.D. degree, typical course sequence
First Year
- ENGR-701-Interdisciplinary Research Methods(3 hours)
- ENGR-702-Translating Discovery into Practice(3 hours)
- ENGR-795-Doctoral Seminar(2 hours)
- ENGR-892- Graduate Research(3 hours)
- Engineering Foundation 1, 2*(6 hours)
- Discipline Concentration 1, 2†(6 hours)
Second Year
- ENGR-795-Doctoral Seminar(1 hour)
- ENGR-892-Graduate Research(6 hours)
- Discipline Concentration 3†(3 hours)
- Focus Area Elective 1, 2, 3, 4‡(12 hours)
Third Year
- ENGR-890-Dissertation and Research(21 hours)
†Discipline Concentration: Any graduate-level course offered by the departments of mechanical or industrial and systems engineering, exclusive of capstones.
‡Focus Area Elective: Any graduate-level course offered by the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, exclusive of capstones.
Electives
Engineering Foundation Electives
- MECE-707/ENGR-707-Engineering Analysis
- MECE-709/ENGR-709-Advanced Engineering Mathematics
- ISEE-601-Systems Modeling and Optimization
- ISEE-760-Design of Experiments
- ISEE-771-Engineering of Systems I
English Language Requirements
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