Doctor of Philosophy

Getting Started & First-Year Advising
Students entering the ME PhD program are admitted either with or without prior arrangements for funding and supervision by a specific faculty member (who serves as the research and dissertation advisor).

Students admitted without a research advisor have up to three quarters to rotate in different research groups and find their best fit with a faculty member who will ultimately serve as the dissertation advisor. Until a PhD research advisor is identified, new PhD students remain in good standing by performing a documented “research rotation” each quarter. Research rotations are tracked by the student enrolling in ME 398 for at least 1 unit and signing up for the section associated with a faculty member who has agreed to sponsor the research rotation. To facilitate an introduction to the ME PhD program, the first research rotation must be with a faculty member whose primary appointment is in the ME department. A new sponsor is required for each research rotation until the PhD research advisor is identified. Before enrollment in a rotation, the student should come to an agreement with the faculty sponsor about the activities expected for the rotation to have the level of depth and interaction required to explore the fitness for a potential PhD advising relationship.

Aligning with an advisor is an essential milestone in the PhD program and is required for making satisfactory degree progress and maintaining good standing. Upon aligning with an advisor, students transition from department fellowship to advisor-provided funding. Therefore, students must select an advisor who can financially support them. 

PhD students who do not align with an advisor by the 3rd quarter of study at Stanford are subject to dismissal from the program.

In special situations, Academic Council members who are not members of the ME department’s faculty may serve as the principal dissertation advisor when approved by the department. In such cases, a member of the ME department faculty must serve as a co-advisor. This co-advisor must be a student’s Reading Committee and Oral Exam Committee member.

Once the PhD research advisor is identified (by the end of the 3rd quarter), no further rotations are required, and the student should obtain the advisor’s signature on the “PhD Advising Commitment Form” that indicates a commitment to supervise the dissertation and ensure the student’s financial support for the duration of the PhD. The research advisor also becomes the student’s academic advisor. Students who have identified a PhD advisor will sign up for ME 392 in their advisor’s section for the remainder of their research until TGR status is reached. PhD students should work continuously with their advisor(s) to develop and update all aspects of their plan, including potential internships or leaves of absence.

Students who need to change advisors after initial alignment, due to unexpected circumstances, should consult the Director of Student and Academic Services and/or Director of Graduate Studies as early as possible to ensure proper coordination and uninterrupted support. Additional guidance is available at Resources for PhD Students Considering Changing Labs opens in a new tab.

Coursework
PhD candidates must complete a minimum of 135 units. These courses must be numbered 100+. PhD candidates who received an MS from another institution may count up to 45 units toward the 135 total.

Out of the 135 units, a student must complete a minimum of 21 units of approved courses in advanced study in engineering, science, and mathematics (excluding research, directed study, seminars, curricular practical training, and ME 491) beyond the MS degree. These courses must be numbered 200+, be taken for a letter grade, and have primarily technical content.

In addition, the department has a breadth requirement for the PhD degree. This may be satisfied by a formal minor in another department (generally 20 units) or by at least nine units of coursework (outside of the primary research topic) which the principal dissertation advisor approves. Nine units from the minor requirements can be counted towards the depth requirement if a minor is taken.

Steps to Obtaining the PhD Degree

1. Preliminary PhD Program Proposal
   PhD students are required to file a preliminary PhD program proposal, covering planned coursework for the first two years of their program, to the Student Services office in their first quarter of matriculation, by the Final Study List deadline. If the PhD student is adding the ME-MS: Mechanical Engineering (MS), the MS program sheet is accepted in place of the preliminary PhD program proposal.

2. Qualifying Examination
   

3. Candidacy
   

4. Reading Committee
   After attaining PhD Candidacy, the student must form a Reading Committee in consultation with their advisor. The Reading Committee consists of the principal dissertation advisor and, typically, two other readers. Three members are required and no more than five members. If the student has an ME co-advisor, the co-advisor must be included as a member of the Reading Committee and Oral Exam Committee.
   
   Please consult the Graduate Academic Policy opens in a new tab for guidelines on how to form your Reading Committee.
   

5. Green Light Meeting
   No less than six months before the planned PhD Oral Exam, the student and the Reading Committee are required to meet in a “Green Light Meeting.” In this meeting, a Final Dissertation Proposal will be reviewed and discussed, and the student will present a Draft PhD Thesis outline indicating the status of prior work, plans for additional work, and target dates for the PhD Oral Exam and completion of the PhD dissertation. The purpose of this Green Light Meeting is to make sure that the entire Reading Committee is familiar with the plans for the completed PhD thesis and is comfortable with the proposed content and the schedule.
   
   At the conclusion of the meeting, a Student Services form is used for a brief report. The form must be submitted to the Student Services office as soon as possible after the meeting. This report should indicate the target dates for the PhD Defense and completion of the PhD dissertation as agreed to by the Reading Committee and is signed by the PhD advisor. PhD students who are in their PhD program for more than 6 years are required to organize annual "Green Light Meetings" with their Reading Committee and submit meeting reports to the Student Services Office until completion of the PhD Dissertation Defense.
   

6. Teaching Requirement
   

7. Oral Exam
   

8. Dissertation

Please see sections below for details on the Qualifying Examination, Candidacy, Teaching Requirement, Oral Exam, and Dissertation.

Qualifying Examination
Before being formally admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree, the student must demonstrate knowledge of engineering fundamentals by passing the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam. As its name suggests, it is the traditionally adopted method to confirm that students are qualified to complete the degree successfully. The examination’s academic level and subject matter correspond approximately to the master’s program in Mechanical Engineering.

PhD students who entered the program at Stanford without having completed an MS elsewhere are required to take the PhD Qualifying Exam by the end of the 2nd year of their enrollment in our graduate program. For students beginning their graduate work after completing an MS elsewhere, the exam must take place at or before the start of their second year at Stanford. Exams are given during the 3rd and 4th week of the Fall and Spring academic quarters. The student must have a minimum Stanford graduate GPA of 3.5 to be eligible for the exam (grades from independent study courses are not included in the GPA calculation).

The overall qualifying exam consists of three exams. After the first attempt, students who have passed all three exams are considered to have passed the overall exam. Students who did not pass one or more exams on the first attempt may retake one or more exams a single time, during the next offering, subject to the support of their advisor. Students may retake the failed exams, or select new types/topics. Those who select a new type/topic will have one opportunity to pass the new type/topic. If the student passes the remaining exams during the retake, the student is considered to have passed the overall exam. Outcomes for students who do not pass one or more exams during the retake will be determined by the Graduate Studies Committee.

PhD Candidacy
The student must file the PhD candidacy form to achieve PhD candidacy status. University policy expects this form to be filed by the end of the 2nd year of the student’s PhD registration; for students starting without an MS and taking the Qualifying Exam at the beginning of the third year, this may be delayed by one quarter.

Students are expected to complete their program within five years from the date that candidacy is granted.

PhD students must obtain teaching experience equivalent to at least one 25% course assistantship. Students may enroll in ME 491 for up to 3 units while working as a TA or CA.

“Ph.D. Teaching Experience” or similar teaching experience may include equivalent teaching preparation, lecturing, leading sessions, tutoring, or scientific or engineering outreach. The PhD advisor will certify the definition of the nature and scope of the teaching experience and fulfillment of this requirement.

Students must submit the Teaching Milestone Completion form, available on the ME Student Intranet, to verify completion of this milestone.

Any time after completing an acceptable draft of the dissertation, with the approval of the advisor and Reading Committee, the student may schedule the University Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense).

The Oral Exam is conducted by a committee consisting of a chair from another department and four faculty members of the department or departments with related interests. The Oral Exam Committee usually includes the candidate’s advisor, reading committee members, and two more faculty. The examination consists of two parts: The first is open to the public and is scheduled as a seminar talk, usually for one of the regular meetings of a seminar series. The second is private and covers subjects closely related to the dissertation topic.

The PhD dissertation typically represents at least one full year of research work and must substantially contribute to the field. Information on rules governing the dissertation format, fees, forms, and deadlines can be found on the Dissertations and Theses opens in a new tab website.