Welcome, prospective PhD students! We invite you to join our community of mechanical engineersÌýatÌýPaul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering.ÌýWith a mechanical engineering graduate programÌýranked 16thÌýamong public university peersÌýbyÌýU.S. News & World Report,Ìýour program is one of the top-ranked in the nation.ÌýWe offer paths to customize yourÌýdegree in support of your unique interests and career goals, a variety of specialty courses taught by experts in the field,Ìýentrepreneurship resources and events likeÌýNew Venture Challenge, and opportunities forÌýÌýinÌýair quality, biomedical,Ìýmaterials, mechanics of materials, micro/nanoscale, robotics and systems design, and thermo fluid sciences.Ìý

We offer funding toÌýall PhD applicants whom we admit.ÌýOur department anticipates extending full funding to about 70 Fall 2024 PhD applicants. Funding includes:

  • a graduate student salary,
  • tuition remission,
  • mandatory student fees, and
  • 91% health insurance coverage.

In your first year, you will beÌýfunded by the departmentÌýas a Teaching Assistant (TA) for one semester and as a Research Assistant (RA) for the other semester, which enables youÌýto find a research lab and to practice working in a classroom setting.ÌýFaculty with alternate sources of funding may petition the department to waive the TA requirement for first year students in their lab. In your second year and beyond, you will be funded by a research advisor as an RA or through other fellowships, pending reasonable research progress and academic performance. If your research advisor has a funding gap, they can apply to the department for gap funding. This way, students have a safety net so that they can continue to be funded throughout their PhD program.

Connect with Us!ÌýWeÌýinvite you to watchÌýone of our fall virtual events. If you would like to meet with a current student in our program, please email us with that request at megrad@colorado.edu.

To receive full consideration, you must submit all application items for a fall program startÌýby the following deadlines:

  • International applicant deadline:ÌýDecember 1Ìýby 10:00 p.m. MST
  • Domestic applicant deadline:ÌýDecember 15Ìýby 10:00 p.m. MST

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Tier-One Research & National Lab Access

As a mechanical engineering graduate student at ¾«Æ·SMÔÚÏßӰƬ, you will get to conduct groundbreaking tier-one research.ÌýBoulder is alsoÌýhome to a variety of well-known companies and labs doing research and development. Our faculty researchers and their research groups regularly collaborate with scientists at federal research labs that are located in the Boulder/Denver area, including the following:

  • National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
  • National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

We aim to educate and nurture the next generation of socially conscious andÌýdeeply knowledgeable engineers, scientists, and problem-solversÌýwith high-quality instruction, project-based learning, and cutting-edge research.ÌýThe Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering is home to over 60Ìýfaculty members conducting both fundamental and applied research in the following areas:Ìý

We encourage you to reviewÌýourÌýResearch Overview SlidesÌýto learn more aboutÌýour faculty members and their unique capabilities and areas of expertise.Ìý

    Research Overview Slides

    Our Community

    Our graduate community is truly special. You will join a multicultural graduate program that includes faculty, staff, and students from all over the world.ÌýOur faculty, staff, and student leaders will frequently advertiseÌýcommunity events andÌýprofessional developmentÌýactivities to support youÌýand your unique experience.ÌýYou will also have access to seminars, colloquia, andÌýworkshops delivered by notable engineering leaders in education, research, and industry.

    Our graduate program leadership is committedÌýto cultivatingÌýan environment of respect and belonging. We actively partner with our graduate student-ledÌýorganizations, including the Committee for Equity in Mechanical Engineering (CEME), our K-12 outreach student organizers, and theÌýGraduate Engineering Annual Research and Recruitment Symposium (GEARRS) committee. If you join us in Boulder, we hope that you will particiate inÌýof these groups; they are a great way to make lifelong friends and to contribute to our graduate program's unique and supportiveÌýculture.

    PhD and CertificateÌýPrograms

    Mechanical engineering PhD students take part in cutting-edge, tier-one research, learning from nationally and internationally recognized faculty. Our research harnesses state-of-the-art experimental, theoreticalÌýand computational approaches to expand the frontiers of technologyÌýwhile advancing fundamentals. Our PhD programÌýwill prepare you for a career in industry or academia. You do not need a master's degree to be admitted to this program. Many of our students enroll directly from their undergraduate institution.ÌýIf you do already have a master's degree, up to 21 hours of coursework may be transferred to meetÌýPhD course requirements.Ìý

    Either degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking students can enroll in graduate certificate programs offered by our department. These certificates indicate expertise in a focused topic area and are intended primarily for continuing education and non-traditional students,Ìýthough they can also be pursued as a supplement to the MSÌýor PhD programs. The department currently offers a certificates in Advanced Mechanics and Failure Analysis,ÌýBiomedical Engineering,ÌýFood Engineering, and Mechanical Design and Product Development.