Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering - Manufacturing and Design

In the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, we design and build devices and systems that transform industries and improve lives around the world. A pioneer in areas such as robotics and advanced manufacturing, Texas Mechanical Engineering is the birthplace of selective laser sintering, one of the first and most successful 3D-printing technologies. Our undergraduate and graduate programs are consistently recognized as the best in the nation, leading the way in mechanical engineering education and innovation. Every stage of our students academic journey is filled with experiential learning opportunities from initiatives like our Freshman Introduction to Research in Engineering to our Senior Design Projects. Students learn how to think creatively and work collaboratively inside and outside of the classroom, taking theoretical ideas and testing them in real-world situations.
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, which is exemplified in our robust curriculum, though which students will develop a strong understanding of mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics and energy. Students will use these skills to design and analyze everything from heating and cooling systems to medical devices. We are consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the United States and our graduates are equipped to go into a variety of fields, including technology, engineering, business, government and more. The mechanical engineering graduate program is designed to educate and advance the next generation of mechanical engineering leaders, innovators who will transform energy, materials and information to meet the needs of society.
Manufacturing & Design is a major technical area within the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Austin. This group utilizes modern analytical tools to design structures and systems associated with power plants, manufacturing machines, transport vehicles, robots, space stations, recycling, hazardous-waste management, military hardware, prosthetic devices, and even toys for children. Today's manufacturing processes utilize precision machine systems. The supporting technologies for these systems include machine tools, robotics, metrology, microelectronic systems, and human augmentation systems. Research in manufacturing processes also addresses several specific processes, including free-form fabrication with laser sintering, a process invented in this Department that enables computer-guided production of any three-dimensional object directly from a design database.

To be eligible for graduate study in mechanical engineering, students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:
Have a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in junior- and senior-level work and in any graduate work already completed.
Hold a bachelor of science degree in physical sciences (chemistry, physics) or in an engineering discipline from an accredited institution.
TOEFL or IELTS (international students only)
Submit official transcripts from previous colleges or universities
Statement of Purpose - Make sure you upload your Statement of Purpose and Resume (or CV) when you come to those sections on the application. Your Statement of Purpose should be a summary of your academic and professional goals, as well as a description of the research work you have done in your past, and what research work you plan to do as a graduate student at UT. Please make sure these documents are edited to your liking before you upload them, for they cannot be deleted once they have been uploaded to your application.
Three Letters of Recommendation - Make sure you enter the valid e-mail address of each referee you want to submit a recommendation for you when you get to that section on the application. Please use the university domain address for each professor you are requesting a reference. Once you have completed this section of the application, a notice will be sent to each referee showing them where to go to complete a recommendation for you using our online system. Three is only the minimum number of recommendations required to accompany your application. You are welcome to add more.
Applications to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Mechanical Engineering no longer require the submission of GRE scores. Submitting these scores is optional.
Average TOEFL score for ME/ORIE admits: 106 (iBT)
TOEFL: 79 on the Internet-based test (iBT)
IELTS: An overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination