how to get a phd in engineering

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How to Get a Doctorate in Engineering

Last Updated: December 2, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by Felipe Corredor and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Felipe is a Senior College Admissions Consultant at American College Counselors with over seven years of experience. He specializes in helping clients from all around the world gain admission into America's top universities through private, one-on-one consulting. He helps guide clients through the entire college admissions process and perfect every aspect of their college applications. Felipe earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Chicago and recently received his MBA. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 73,174 times.

Engineers use science and mathematics to solve problems in most areas of society. Although you can become an engineer after receiving a bachelor's degree, many engineers opt to pursue graduate level studies, especially if they’re interested in doing research. If you’re interested in getting your doctorate in engineering, gather your prerequisites, choose your doctoral program, apply for admission, complete your coursework, and prepare your doctoral dissertation.

Gathering Your Prerequisites

• Some doctoral programs will expect you to have earned a Master of Science before you’re admitted to the doctoral program, while others will allow you to earn your master’s while you work on your doctorate.
• You can still pursue a doctorate in engineering if you didn’t get an undergraduate degree in engineering, but the path is harder. You will need to take additional undergraduate classes in engineering, bring relevant work experience, and find a program that is willing to work with you.

• Apply for work-study, internship, and fieldwork opportunities.
• See if your school offers students the opportunity to get sponsorship for independent research projects, such as through a scholars award program.
• Be willing to take even the smallest role in a research project. Since you’re an undergraduate, you will likely need to do the grunt work to gain experience.

• If your professors know you well, they’ll be able to write a better letter of reference about your skills, abilities, and work habits when you need them to apply for doctoral programs or jobs.

• Your school will likely have local clubs in addition to national organizations, such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. [2] X Research source
• You should also look for honor societies. For example, you could join Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honors society.
• When your extracurriculars match up with the demands of your desired program, then you'll appear very enthusiastic about and prepared for the responsibilities you'd encounter.

• Aim to make all A's with minimal B's if you want to pursue a doctorate in engineering.
• Consider doing grade replacement if you make lower than an A or B in a class, but check your college or university's limits on retaking courses.

• Some programs may require you to take the GRE subject test, but not all do. Check the requirements for your university. [5] X Research source

Selecting a Doctoral Program

• Electrical engineering focuses on the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
• Mechanical engineering focuses on designing, building, and operating machines.
• Aeronautical engineering focuses on the design and construction of aircraft and spacecraft.
• Computer engineering focuses on integrating electrical engineering concepts with computer science to develop computer hardware and software.
• Civil engineering focuses on designing, building, and maintaining structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, and water supply systems.
• Environmental engineering focuses on finding solutions to environmental problems, such as pollution. [6] X Research source

• Consider your research preferences and look for a school with a strong program in that topic.
• Make sure that the schools you apply to are conducting research in your chosen research interests.
• Check if the school will offer a fellowship, scholarship, teaching assistantship, or research position that will help you pay for your doctoral degree.

• Read each professor's background, curriculum vitae, and current research projects.
• When choosing your school, consider which professors you'd most like to work with based on what they are researching, their goals, and their background.

Applying for Admission

• A statement of purpose may also be called an application essay, personal statement, objectives for study, personal goals, cover letter, or a related name. [10] X Research source

• Make sure that you ask at least a month in advance so that the person has enough time to work on your letter.
• To aid the person in writing your letter, provide them with a short resume detailing your accomplishments.

• Your completed application form.
• Your statement of purpose.
• GRE scores.
• Transcripts.
• Your curriculum vitae.
• 2-3 letters of recommendation.
• TOEFL or IELTS scores if you’re an international student.

• Don’t wait until the last minute. Get your materials submitted in advance.

• Read up on the faculty’s biographies and curriculum vitae.
• Send them a formally written email.
• Say something like, “Your groundbreaking work on [research topic] is what interested me in [program name]. In my undergraduate research, I worked on [similar research topic].”

• Offer a brief explanation of your research background or resume. Say, "During a senior year special project, I worked with ten other students alongside my professor to complete a project similar to the one you are currently developing."
• Explain, "As a lab assistant, I was able to shadow professors and doctoral candidates at my university, which allowed me to gain skills in how to conduct research and write reports."

• Get advised as early as possible to ensure that you are able to get into the classes you need.

Completing Your Coursework

• You will need to pass your courses with at least a B.
• Expect to enroll in six to nine credit hours per semester because graduate courses are harder, making the requirements for a full load smaller.

• Enroll in the classes taught by your desired research supervisor. This will give you a chance to work with them and an opportunity for them to see your abilities and work habits.
• Look for faculty members who have current research projects that have openings for graduate assistantships.
• Don’t expect a posh position at first. Prove yourself by taking any research role available with your chosen mentor.
• You may also be able to assemble an advisory committee, depending on your university.

• You’ll submit your plan of study to the department chair after your research supervisor has approved it.
• It can be difficult to change your plan of study, so take the process seriously.

• Access papers and articles through the Institute for Research and Publication.
• Read engineering journals such as the Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Journal of Applied Mechanical Engineering, Journal of Electrical Engineering and Electronic Technology, etc.
• Look for articles in scientific magazines that are related to your field.
• Check the university webpages for leading institutions such as MIT, Georgia Tech, Stanford, and University of California-Berkeley.

• There are many different types of engineering research, so you may be designing a new product or system, looking for ways to improve an existing system, or developing a new concept. What type of engineer you become will affect what type of research you do.
• Your research will still fit into the program’s major areas of study.
• You might also work on publishing a groundbreaking (or at least high quality and peer-reviewed) paper, as you can add this to your CV. You'll stand out as a candidate who takes initiative and accomplishes meaningful research in their field.

Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation

• A dissertation is a book length project.
• It is sometimes called a thesis.

• Check with your university for internal grants or awards.
• You can also look for grants through the United Engineering Foundation, Engineering Information Foundation, and similar resources.
• Ask businesses, organizations, and donors for sponsorships.

• Consult with your research supervisor regularly.
• Visit your campus writing center if you need help with your writing.
• You can find software to help with formatting.

• The key to a defense is to show that you have the knowledge and research skills required to earn your doctorate.

Expert Q&A

• Work on research projects during your undergraduate work to improve your chances of getting accepted into a program. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• You may be less likely to burn out if you take a break between undergraduate and graduate school. How long of a break you need will depend on your work habits and what kind of work you do while in school. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• It’s okay to change your topic of study when you move from an undergraduate degree to a graduate degree, though the schools you apply to should know what you will study. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure that your research goals match with the university's research paths. The program you choose will control your research. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• Doctoral programs are competitive. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.phd.html
• ↑ https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/Academics/StudentOrganizations
• ↑ https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Academics/Graduates/Admissions/Criteria.html
• ↑ http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/faq/#faq601
• ↑ https://cheme.stanford.edu/admissions/phd/phd-faqs
• ↑ http://typesofengineeringdegrees.org/featured/#context/api/listings
• ↑ https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/graduate-school-road-map/2012/11/12/grad-school-application-checklist-12-months-out
• ↑ http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/statement-purpose/
• ↑ https://uni.edu/~gotera/gradapp/stmtpurpose.htm

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