Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering

Curriculum Plan

Student Name:

Student Number:

Initial Enrollment Date:

Initial Advisor:

Permanent Advisor:

Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering

Important PhD Steps

This package includes:

PhD degree information sheet

Comprehensive Exam information and subject sheets

Dissertation committee and deadlines information sheet

Permanent Graduate Advisor Request Form

Example By Arrangement Request Form

Graduate information sheet

Sign up for Comprehensive Exam: Yes No Date(s):

Comprehensive Exam subject areas (at least one must be outside the students area of

interest):

1.

2.

3.

Comprehensive Exam results: Pass Fail Conditional Pass

If conditional pass, conditions & due date:

Conditions met: Yes No

Dissertation committee selected and GO-16D submitted: Yes No

Dissertation committee:

1.

2.

3.

4. (Optional)

5. (Optional)

6. (Optional)

Prospectus date:

Doctorial Request For Advancement to Candidacy Form (GO-23) submitted:

Yes No

Applied for graduation: Yes No

Schedule dissertation defense: Yes No Date:

Provide abstract to department one week prior to defense: Yes No

Doctoral Recommendation For The Degree Form (GO-17D) submitted by Dissertation

Chair: Yes No

Thesis signature page submitted: Yes No

Final dissertation submitted: Yes No

Please see Dissertation Information sheet and Comprehensive Exam sheet for deadlines/dates details.

Doctorate Mechanical Engineering

Curriculum Requirements

(Total: 81 credits)

Courses Prereqs* Credits Term Grade**

45 C

red

its

ME 603 - Dissertation 27

ME 6XX 4

ME 6XX 4

ME 5XX or 6XX 4

ME 5XX or 6XX 4

ME 5XX or 6XX 4

ME 5XX or 6XX 4

ME 5XX or 6XX 4

Electives 27

Advisor Signature Meeting Date

Advisor Signature Meeting Date

PhD Curriculum Plan

Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer Total

Credits

Pre-admission, course transfers and substitutions:

Must see Student Coordinator or Graduate Committee Chair for course transfers and substitutions policy.

*Please check prerequisite in the bulletin for Total Credits

**Only courses with a grade of B- or higher will be applied to the degree.

ME graduate electives can include graduate credits earned while completing a master’s degree. Students

should review their Degree Audit Report (DARS) with their advisor to see how many credits of electives

are needed.

Students can apply up to three credit hours ME 607 Seminar towards their degree. Nine credits per term is considered full time for graduate students.

NOTES:

Students pursuing an ME PhD degree must complete 81 credit hours of graduate level coursework. This can include credit hours from a master's degree*. In addition, students must take and pass a comprehensive examination, a prospectus defense, and final dissertation defense.

Students can apply up to three credit hours ME 607 Seminar toward their degree.

Only courses with a grade of B- or higher will be applied to the degree. The MME Department does not accept ME 502 Independent Study credits.

Required Coursework

ME 603 Dissertation 27 Credit Hours

ME 6XX 600 Level ME Courses 8 Credit Hours

ME 5XX/6XX 500 or 600 Level ME Courses 19 Credit Hours

ME 5XX/6XX ME Graduate Electives* 27 Credit Hours

Total 81 Credit Hours

Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering

(PhD)

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

The PhD program in Mechanical Engineering aims to

educate technical experts and researchers to fill key

leadership roles in industry, research and education.

The program culminates in a written dissertation

representing an original contribution to knowledge in

the field.

PhD applicants must have a master’s of science degree.

Specialty Areas Include:

Building Science & Energy Systems

Controls and Dynamics

Fluid Mechanics

Heat Transfer

Materials Science

Mechanical Design

For more information visit www.pdx.edu/mme/graduate • Email: mmedept@pdx.edu

*ME graduate electives can include graduate credits earned while completing a master's degree. Students should review

their Degree Audit Report (DARS) with their advisor to see how many credits of electives are needed.

**Please see website www.pdx.edu/mme/me-phd-degree-requirements for PhD requirements AY 2015-2016 and earlier.

A PhD student must complete the following departmental requirements:

Pass the Comprehensive Examination.

Complete an approved program of study, which includes a minimum of 27 hours of approved coursework, with at least 8** credits in 600-level courses. Up to 3 credits of ME 607 seminar may count toward this total.

Complete 27 credit hours of dissertation credit (ME 603) leading to the completion of a doctoral dissertation.

Present and pass a Prospectus Defense for advancement to candidacy.

Present and pass a public final oral Dissertation Defense.

Submit the written dissertation in compliance with University guidelines and deadlines.

Please contact the MME department for the full, official overview of the program.

PhD Requirements (AY 2016 – 2017 and later)

Comprehensive Exam

Mechanical Engineering PhD students are required to take and pass the Comprehensive Exam (CE) prior to their

prospectus. Students have eight terms (excluding summer) from the time of admission to pass the CE, with a max-

imum of two consecutive attempts. Master’s candidates intending to continue on for a PhD may take the CE in

their second year of master’s-level studies. Students sign up for the CE in the winter term and take the exam in

spring term.

Comprehensive Exam consists of:

Three written exams, each in a different subject. Each exam is two hours.

One oral exam. This generally occurs one week after completion of written examinations.

Comprehensive Exam Grading

The PhD Comprehensive Exam Committee will assess the student's overall performance and assign a grade of

pass or fail. In order to develop exam consistency, all exams and corresponding grading will be available to the en-

tire faculty after students have completed them.

Students will be notified of the exam results within one week of the oral exam, preferably on the same day as the

oral exam.

Pass

Passing the written and oral exams in all three subject areas will result in a passing grade. The Report on Passing

Comprehensive Examinations form (GO-22) will be completed and the official CE completion date will be the

date of the oral exam.

Passing the written and oral exam in two subject areas and failing the written and/or oral exam in one subject area

will result in a tentative passing grade. Students will need to retake the failed portion of the exam at the next availa-

ble offering. Prior to retaking the exam, students will need to complete the condition(s) imposed by the exam

committee. The conditions are designed to prepare the student for the next round of testing.

Possible conditions:

Enroll in additional coursework to strengthen weak areas

Complete a special project in the deficient area

Act as TA for special classes to address any deficiencies

Students who complete their conditions and pass the exam retake will have their tentative passing grade converted

to an official passing grade. The GO-22 will be completed and the official CE completion date will be the date of

the exam retake. Failing to complete the conditions and/or failing the exam retake will result in a failed grade and

expulsion from the PhD program.

Continued on back

Comprehensive Exam Subjects

Students must choose three subjects to be tested on. One subject must be outside of the student’s area of interest.

Students should reach out to faculty listed for the subjects they plan to be tested on for study preparation. Subjects

are listed on the Comprehensive Exam Subject sheet.

Comprehensive Exam Grading Continued

Fail

Failing two or more subject areas in either the written or oral portion of the exam will result in a failed grade. Stu-

dents must retake the entire qualifying exam at the next available offering. Students retaking the exam are not re-

quired to choose the same subject areas they were originally tested on, however, they may be required to complete

various conditions prior to retaking the exam. Students who fail the CE twice will be expelled from the PhD pro-

gram. The conditions are designed to prepare the student for the next round of testing.

Possible conditions:

Enroll in additional coursework to strengthen weak areas

Complete a special project in the deficient area

Act as TA for special classes to address any deficiencies

Please note that a conditional pass is no longer an acceptable outcome in the CE.

Subject Heat and Mass Transfer

Faculty Gerald Recktenwald Email: gerry@pdx.edu

Corresponding

Courses ME 323

Fundamentals of engineering heat transfer with design applications; steady-state and transi-

ent analysis of conduction in one and two dimensions; concepts of convection, forced con-

vection, internal and external flows, natural convection, and heat exchanger design; study

of radiation concepts and radiation exchange between surfaces.

Prerequisites: Mth 256, Mth 261, ME 320, ME 321.

Subject Thermodynamics

Faculty Derek Tretheway Email: tretdc@pdx.edu

Corresponding

Courses

ME 321

Study of energy sources and utilization; First and Second Laws of thermodynamics; closed

and control volume systems: thermodynamic processes and cycles; thermodynamic proper-

ties; heat power systems.

Prerequisites: Ph 223, Mth 252.

Comprehensive Exam Subjects

Faculty assignments are AY 16 – 17

Subject System Dynamics and Vibration

Faculty David Turcic Email: turcicd@.pdx.edu

Faryar Etesami Email: etesamif@pdx.edu

Corresponding Courses

ME 351

An introduction to vibrations and system dynamics for single and multiple degree-of-

freedom linear systems. The course includes: free and forced vibrations; resonance; model-

ing of mechanical and electrical systems; Laplace transformations; and dynamic system re-

sponse in the time and frequency domains. Computer analysis and solution techniques will

be utilized.

Prerequisites: EAS 215, Mth 256, Mth, 261, ECE 241, ME 350.

Subject Engineering Mechanics

Faculty Chien Wern Email: wernc@pdx.edu

Hormoz Zareh Email: hormoz@pdx.edu

Corresponding

Courses

ME 313

Stress and deflection analysis of structural components including review of stress and strain;

curved beams; pressure vessels, impact loading, stability, and energy methods. Topics will be

synthesized in a design project.

Prerequisites: EAS 212, Mth 261.

Subject Machine Design

Faculty Faryar Etesami Email: etesamif@pdx.edu

Hormoz Zareh Email: hormoz@pdx.edu

Corresponding Courses

ME 314

Analysis and design of machine elements and systems, covering failure theories, fatigue, fas-

teners, welds, gears, springs, bearings, introduction to stochastic design. Topics will be syn-

thesized in a design project.

Prerequisite: ME 313.

Subject Fluid Mechanics

Faculty Raul Cal Email: rcal@pdx.edu

Corresponding

Courses

ME 320

Properties of fluids; hydrostatics; fluid dynamics, Bernoulli’s Equation; conservation of

mass, energy, and momentum; differential analysis; and dimensional analysis.

Prerequisites: EAS 215, Mth 256.

Subject Material Science

Faculty Tae-Kyu Lee Email: taeklee@pdx.edu

Jun Jiao Email: jiaoj@pdx.edu

Corresponding

Courses

ME 213

Basic properties, behavior, and survey of engineering and industrial applications of metals,

polymers, ceramics, and composites.

Prerequisite: Ch 221.

Dissertation Information

Dissertation committee breakdown

Committee must consist of:

A dissertation advisor/committee chair. Must be a regular, full-time PSU instructional faculty, tenured

or tenure-track, assistant professor or higher in rank.

A Graduate Office Representative. Must be a regular, full-time PSU instructional faculty, tenured or

tenure-track, assistant professor or higher in rank.

Two to four additional committee members. May include adjunct or fixed-term PSU faculty and/or

one member of the OHSU faculty.

If it is necessary to go off-campus for one committee member with specific expertise not avail-

able among PSU faculty, a curriculum vitae (CV) for that proposed member must be presented

with the GO-16D form.

All committee members must have doctoral degrees.

A dissertation committee must be approved by OGS using the Appointment of Doctoral Dissertation Committee

form (GO-16D). No proposal defense shall be valid without a dissertation committee approved by OGS.

Fall Winter Spring Summer

GO-16D Submission (committee

appointment)

This will always be done prior to graduation term

GO-23 (advancement to candidacy/

dissertation proposal approved)

This will always be done prior to graduation term

Apply to Graduate Sept. 30 Jan. 13 Apr. 7 Jun. 30

Dissertation Abstract sent to

department

At least one week prior to defense

Dissertation Defense Nov. 4 Feb. 17 May 12 Jul. 14

Dissertation Submission Nov. 18 Mar. 3 May 26 Jul. 28

GO-17D Submission

(recommendation for degree)

Dec. 13 Mar. 28 Jun. 20 Aug. 22

Dissertation Signature Page Aim for same day as dissertation submission

Dissertation Deadlines AY 16 – 17

Please note that the GO-16D and GO-17D should be submitted to the MME department, not OGS. Students are

prohibited from handling their GO-17D.

Permanent Graduate Advisor Request Form

To request a change of advisor, please complete and submit this form to the Mechanical &

Materials Engineering Department. A permanent advisor must be chosen by the end of your

second term after admission or you will be moved to the coursework-only track of your

degree program.

To be completed by student:

Name: ___________________________

Student ID: _______________________

PSU Email Address: _________________

Current Advisor:

_________________________________

Requested Advisor:

_________________________________

Has your current advisor been notified of

your request? Yes_____ No_____

To be completed by requested

advisor:

This signature indicates that requested

advisor, __________________________,

agrees to serve as the permanent advisor

for ______________________________.

________________________ _______

Permanent Advisor Signature Date

What degree options are you pursuing?

Thesis _____

Project _____

Coursework _____

Dissertation (PhD Only) _____

Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Post Office Box 751 503-725-4290 tel

Portland, Oregon 97207-0751 503-725-8255 fax

Engineering Building Suite 400 mmedept@pdx.edu

Web: http://www.pdx.edu/mme

THINGS GRADUATE STUDENTS

NEED TO KNOW

Mechanical & Materials Engineering (MME)

Machine Shop Provides support for various faculty

research, student projects and academic

courses.

All Students must complete the MME

Machine Shop Safety Class & complete

the online Machine Shop Waiver and

Policy Form to gain access.

The Machine Shop Safety Class is not

required for students who have

successfully completed ME 240L at

PSU.

Sign up for safety class at PSU via

https://www.pdx.edu/mme/safety-class-

registration

In order to have weekend access,

students must complete

Weekend/Holiday Access request form at

http://www.pdx.edu/mme/weekendholida

y-access-request-form

Additional information can be found at

http://www.pdx.edu/mme/machine-shop-

safety-class

MELT (Mechanical Engineering

Laboratory Team) A group of MME students create a

mutually beneficial collaboration

between students and the MME

faculty and staff responsible for

operation of the MME shop and

MME instructional and research

laboratories.

Students can request assistance from

MELT technicians to support students

for various course-related

projects/prototypes. Students must

complete the Machine Shop Safety

Class. Fees may apply.

Learn to use equipment such as the

3D printer, Laser Cutter, CNC (or

Conventional) Mill or Lathe,

Welding, etc.

Addition information can be found at

http://psumelt.blogspot.com/

HOW TO APPLY FOR

GRADUATION

Admitted students seeking to

graduate with their Master’s

Degree can be directed to

http://www.pdx.edu/ogs/proc

edures-masters-degrees for a

summary of procedures.

Admitted students seeking to

graduate with their Doctoral

Degree can be directed to

http://www.pdx.edu/ogs/proc

edures-doctoral-degrees for a

summary of procedures.

Visit

http://www.pdx.edu/ogs/grad

uate-candidate-deadlines for

graduate candidate deadlines.

Please contact the Office of

Graduate Studies at

503.725.8410 or

grad@pdx.edu or visit 184

Parkmill for more

information.

Materials Store Contains a supply of materials, such as Multipurpose Aluminum (various thickness /width

/length), etc., that are not tied to a specific class & students may purchase for use.

Be sure to connect with Mike Chuning at chuning@pdx.edu prior to purchase, to ensure

the requested materials are in stock.

Materials can be purchased through cashnet via

https://commerce.cashnet.com/cashnetk/selfserve/BrowseCatalog.aspx

Project Presentation & Thesis

Defense Scheduling and abstract submission

must be done through

https://tinyurl.com/MMEPresentation

This must completed and submitted at

least two weeks prior to intended

presentation/defense date.

Please see various deadlines at

http://www.pdx.edu/ogs/graduate-

candidate-deadlines

Permanent Graduate Advisor

Request Form

A permanent advisor must be chosen

by the end of your second term after

admission.

To complete a permanent advisor

request form, visit

https://tinyurl.com/PermanentAdvisor

MME Course Override Form Fill out form if you need an override

for any ME course.

Course Override Request Form located

at http://www.pdx.edu/mme/mme-

course-override-request-form.

Please note that if you are receiving a

closed-course error for a split 400/500

level course, you will need to check

both the 400 and 500 level registration

counts because seats are split between

the two sections. Any open seats you

see in the 400 level course option are

taken by students registered in the 500

level option, and vice versa.

MME Resources W: pdx.edu/mme

P: 503.725.4290

E: mmedept@pdx.edu