Mechanical engineering was one of the original engineering disciplines when the Rice Institute opened in 1912. Today, mechanical engineering is one of the most popular majors at Rice and is the second largest in the George R. Brown School of Engineering.
The Master of Mechanical Engineering (MME) at Rice University is a professional non-thesis degree program designed for those who wish to contribute to the workforce as practicing professionals, rather than pursuing a research-oriented academic career. Our MME students are members of a highly selective academic community who take interesting, relevant, and challenging courses from faculty who are at the top of their fields.
Why Mechanical Engineering?
Mechanical engineers generally deal with the relations among forces, work or energy, and power in designing systems to improve the human environment. They may work to extract oil from deep within the earth or send a spacecraft to the moon.
The products of their efforts may be automobiles or jet aircraft, nuclear power plants or air conditioning systems, large industrial machinery or household can openers. They are involved in programs to better utilize natural resources of energy and materials as well as to lessen the impact of technology on the environment.
Knowledge & Responsibility
Mechanical engineers, while strongly oriented towards science, are not scientists. Science is a search for knowledge. The science of mathematics extends abstract knowledge. The science of physics extends organized knowledge of the physical world. In each of these, consideration can be limited to a carefully isolated aspect of reality. The mechanical engineer must deal with reality in all its aspects. They must not only be competent to use the most classical and the most modern parts of science, but also must be able to devise and make a product which will be used by people. Moreover, the engineer must assume professional responsibility insofar as the safety and wellbeing of society are affected by those products.
Undergraduate Experience
A program in mechanical engineering will be the most stimulating and rewarding undergraduate experience for the great majority of students entering this field. Such a program is established by an educational environment created by individuals in contact with the world of people and industry.
Outcomes
Engineering education is being called upon to produce graduates well-versed in rapidly advancing science, and who can lead industry and the public into the new world which engineering will make possible.
Engineers will often discover in science, through their own research and invention or through the findings of scientists, those things which can be put to human use. In any engineering achievement, a new or better product is the objective; and all means available to the intellect of man will be employed to reach that objective. Science and its application remain a part, but only a part, of any great engineering advance. Young people who can respond to this kind of challenge are needed now, and they will be needed as never before in the years ahead.
Our mechanical engineering programs at Rice University are also designed to prepare the student to succeed in graduate school. Many of our graduates continue on for advanced study in areas such as business, engineering, law, and medicine.
Rice University PhD in General Mechanical Engineering
General Mechanical Engineering is a concentration offered under the mechanical engineering major at Rice University. We’ve pulled together some essential information you should know about the doctor’s degree program in general mechanical engineering, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, whether or not the degree is offered online, and more.
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About the Program
Rice Mechanical Engineering Engineering is a collaborative atmosphere and our department provides an environment that values independence, innovation, and scholarship. Our PhD students are members of a highly selective academic community that demands and rewards excellence.
For degree requirements, please see General Announcements. Note: An automatic master’s degree is not offered to PhD degree candidates in the department.
Coursework
The minimum semester hours of coursework (one course usually consists of three semester hours) required of PhD students is tabulated as a function of the degree held upon entrance into the program. Students with an MS need 18 hours of coursework. Students with a five-year BS, 30 hours; with a four-year BS, 36 hours; and with a 4-year BA., 42 hours. In all cases, a student’s course of study is formulated in consultation with the thesis director and must be approved by the department.
Qualifying Examination
By the end of the third semester of study in the MECH graduate program, all PhD students must successfully complete a Qualifying Exam (QE).
The QE is a two-part exam covering mechanical engineering topical knowledge (via oral exam) and research aptitude (via research evaluation). The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the student is qualified to conduct independent research at the technical level required for the PhD thesis.
The student’s grasp of fundamental concepts in their field and related fields of interest will be examined. A committee consisting of three faculty members of the department will administer the examination.
The outcome of the QE will be either “pass,” in which case the student continues in the program, or “fail,” in which case the student is eligible for a retake of the part(s) of the exam (oral exam and/or research aptitude) deemed unsatisfactory. This retake must occur no later than the end of the semester following the original examination. Only one re-take of the qualifying exam will be permitted. If the student is not successful at the retake, they will not be approved to move forward in the PhD program.
Candidacy Evaluation
All PhD students are required to conduct a Candidacy Evaluation. The Candidacy Evaluation (CE) involves the evaluation of a written document and an oral presentation, prepared and delivered by the student.
The CE provides an assessment of the student’s research progress and feasibility of any additional proposed research that the student intends to complete for their PhD thesis. The evaluation is administered by the student’s PhD Thesis Committee. The Candidacy Evaluation should be scheduled when all coursework and department requirements are completed (typically after six semesters), but no later than the ninth semester of study.
The Candidacy Evaluation will usually take place one year before the intended PhD defense date.
Language Requirement
The Department of Mechanical Engineering does not have a foreign language requirement for its graduate degrees. It is recommended that every student is proficient in at least one computer language.
Research & Thesis
Each candidate for the PhD must complete a thesis that constitutes an original contribution to scientific knowledge. The thesis will be digitally preserved in the library. Instructions for preparation of theses can be obtained at the appropriate time through the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Final Thesis Defense
Upon completion of the thesis, each candidate for the PhD degree must pass a final public oral examination.
A committee consisting of at least four members will conduct the examination. Three, including the committee chair, must be members of the department. One member must be from another department within the university. The members of the committee will be announced early enough so that the candidate may discuss with them the nature of the thesis research and the contents of the thesis.
The thesis must be made available to the members of the examining committee at least three weeks before the examination date. Although the examination will be concerned primarily with the candidate’s thesis, the questioning may also cover other areas. The oral defense may be scheduled at any time except during official examination periods.
Public announcements of the oral examinations for the doctoral degree must be made at least two weeks in advance.
Thesis Deadline
Students must observe the deadlines set by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for submission of the final thesis to receive their degree for either January or May conferral. Otherwise, students have six months from the date of defense to submit their final thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Residency
Normally, three or more years of study past the bachelor’s degree are required for the PhD degree. The minimum residence requirement for the PhD degree is four semesters (fall/spring) of full-time study at the university.
Graduate Seminars
All PhD students must attend at least 75% of the MECH seminars for their first three years in the department and must register for MECH 606 each semester during that time.
Instructional Assistance
All PhD students are required, as part of their research degree program and educational experience, to provide instructional assistance to the department. This instructional assistance, which could be in the form of grading, lecturing, assisting in labs, or developing course material, will not exceed ten hours per week for four semesters.
Rice University PhD in General Mechanical Engineering Tuition and Fees
Part-time graduates at Rice paid an average of $2,380 per credit hour in 2019-2020. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. The following table shows the average full-time tuition and fees for graduate student.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $47,306 | $47,306 |
| Fees | $607 | $607 |
Rice University PhD in General Mechanical Engineering Entry Requirements
| Qualification | Entry Criteria |
|---|---|
| 12th | No specific cutoff mentioned |
| Graduation | CGPA – 3/4 Applicants should have at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average, or the equivalent, in their undergraduate work |
| Post Graduation | No specific cutoff mentioned Applicants should have a post-graduate degree |
| TOEFL | Marks – 90/120 |
| IELTS | Marks – 7/9 |
| GRE | No specific cutoff mentioned |
| Other eligibility criteria | Applicants with a degree from a university where English is the official language are exempt from submitting TOEFL/IELTS scores |
| Conditional Offer | Not mentioned |
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