PhD in Mechanical Engineering
PhD in Mechanical Engineering
Overview
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering is awarded to students who demonstrate high academic achievement and research competence in the fields of mechanical engineering. To earn a PhD, a student must complete an approved, rigorous program of advanced course work and submit and defend an original dissertation of independent research. The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) expects all successful doctoral candidates to show depth of knowledge and research innovation in their chosen field of specialization.
The MIE department admits applicants to the PhD program either directly after earning a suitable bachelor’s degree (i.e., direct entry) or after earning a suitable master’s degree (i.e., advanced entry).
Innovative Curriculum
All course work must have the approval of the academic advisor. All PhD students must first pass the Doctoral Qualifying Examinations before being admitted to Doctoral Candidacy.
Learning Outcomes
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering/scientific/quantitative problems
- An ability to explain and apply engineering design principles, as appropriate to the program’s educational objectives
- An ability to produce solutions that meet specified end-user needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- An ability to recognize and advance the engineering tools/principles needed for creative thinking and innovation to propel technical development for industrial applications and/or scientific research
Unique Features
- Located in downtown Boston, which facilitates tremendous collaborations with other nearby academic institutions, hospital facilities, and tech firms.
- Conduct research alongside faculty in labs, research centers, and research institutes. Many faculty hold young investigator awards, other national recognitions, and are elected fellows of professional societies for contributions to the engineering profession.
- The department has 12 collaborative research themes, including robotics, energy systems, sustainability & environmental protection, resilient & sustainable service systems, mechanics, human-technology integration and systems, materials for the future, intelligent manufacturing, networks and complex systems, and more.
- Can be combined with a Gordon Engineering Leadership certificate.
Locations
In addition to Boston, the PhD program is offered at the Roux Institute at Northeastern in Portland, Maine.
Situated in the vibrant heart of the city, our Boston, Massachusetts campus is strategically positioned within the biotechnology hub of the Greater Boston area, adjacent to Cambridge, Massachusetts start-ups and the Longwood Medical Area.
Nestled within the Roux Institute, our Portland, Maine campus boasts a sweeping view of Casco Bay. The Roux Institute fosters a dynamic entrepreneurial culture with many programs tailored for start-up founders and a dedicated emphasis on AI and technology-driven innovations.
Experiential Learning
Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research, including cooperative education and internships, to prepare students for real world engineering challenges. The Cooperative Education Program, also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a co-op program for graduate students. Through this program students gain industry experience in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups, building their resume and professional network. Students also have the option to participate in an internship or the university’s Experiential PhD program.
Academic Advising
We have a variety of advisors to help make your graduate career a success, so use the link below to determine which one will help you the best.
Admissions & Aid
Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.
Recent News
MIE PhD Students Selected Among Top 3 Teams in MIT Incubator Program
Mechanical engineering PhD students Brett Emery and Jacob Miske finished among the Top 3 teams in the Spring 2026 cohort of Blueprint by The Engine, an eight-week Tough Tech program hosted by MIT’s nonprofit incubator where they showcased their venture, InLoop.
MIE PhD Wins ASME SHTC HTD K-9 Best Presentation Award
Xuguang Zhang, MS’22, PhD, mechanical engineering, advised by MIE Associate Professor Yi Zheng, received the ASME SHTC HTD K-9 Best Presentation Award at the ASME 2026 Summer Heat Transfer Conference for his presentation, “Additively Manufactured Hybrid Cooling Designs for High Performance Li-Ion Pouch Cell Thermal Management,” which details battery safety research developed through an ongoing collaboration with the NASA Glenn Research Center.
Pantry Staple Science Helps Engineering Team Rethink the Laws of Physics
MIE Assistant Professor Xiaoyu Tang and graduate student Boqian Yan, MS’24, PhD, mechanical engineering, published research in Physical Review Fluids mapping five distinct behaviors of particle-heavy droplets—like oobleck—colliding with liquids, offering insights that could advance precision 3D printing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and environmental pesticide application.
Akcay Wins Best Paper Award at IISE Annual Conference
MIE Associate Professor Alp Akcay received the Best Paper Award from the Modeling & Simulation (MS) Division of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) for his paper on “Data-Driven Resource Aggregation for Scalable Digital Twin and Simulation Model Generation”.