
PhD in
Ph.D. in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

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Admissions
To be eligible to apply for any RIT graduate program you must hold (or be in anticipation of) a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university or college. Work experience is not required.
Applying to RIT is quick and easy. Our online application will typically take you 15-20 minutes to complete, and you can get started and submit your online application with or without the required application fee and supporting documents. Application for all graduate programs requires submission of an online application and the following supporting documents: $65 application fee, personal statement, resume, and undergraduate transcripts.
Most programs require letters of recommendation. Additional requirements vary by program and may include a writing sample, portfolio or an entrance exam (GRE or GMAT).
Scholarships and Funding
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op: cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study: graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available each year, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Curriculum
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ph.D. degree, typical course sequence
First Year
- ENGR-701-Interdisciplinary Research Methods(3 hours)
- ENGR-702-Translating Discovery into Practice(3 hours)
- ENGR-795-Doctoral Seminar(2 hours)
- ENGR-892- Graduate Research(3 hours)
- Engineering Foundation 1, 2*(6 hours)
- Discipline Concentration 1, 2†(6 hours)
Second Year
- ENGR-795-Doctoral Seminar(1 hour)
- ENGR-892-Graduate Research(6 hours)
- Discipline Concentration 3†(3 hours)
- Focus Area Elective 1, 2, 3, 4‡(12 hours)
Third Year
- ENGR-890-Dissertation and Research(21 hours)
†Discipline Concentration: Any graduate-level course offered by the departments of mechanical or industrial and systems engineering, exclusive of capstones.
‡Focus Area Elective: Any graduate-level course offered by the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, exclusive of capstones.
Electives
Engineering Foundation Electives
- MECE-707/ENGR-707-Engineering Analysis
- MECE-709/ENGR-709-Advanced Engineering Mathematics
- ISEE-601-Systems Modeling and Optimization
- ISEE-760-Design of Experiments
- ISEE-771-Engineering of Systems I
English Language Requirements
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