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Graduate Program in Mechanical Engineering

Now accepting applications for fall 2025

Jump to: PhD | MS, Thesis Option | MS, Non-Thesis Option | MEng

Mechanical engineering brings together research, design, development, and creation to things that move. From the smallest cells to the largest spacecraft, mechanical engineers are trained in the science behind what makes things work. 

The VT ME graduate program, at approximately 300 graduate students and 70 faculty, is a large and interdisciplinary program spanning across all areas of research in engineering and science. Our program offers opportunities for graduate education in professional and research-based degrees across multiple campuses. Research is organized in focus areas, but our faculty and students routinely work in multiple areas. Learn more about the research in specific topics by using our research tags tool.

 

#17-ranked ME Graduate Program in the US according to US News and World Report
Degrees offered in mechanical engineering

PhD

Requirements: Students must earn a minimum of 90 credit hours. More information about courses and research are below, or you can read the ME academic program section of the Graduate Catalog. A direct PhD option is available to students who are entering the program with a bachelor’s degree.

Plan of Study

  1. Core Courses: Students must take at least five three-credit hour courses from within the ME Department (ESM, ME, NSEG).
  2. Math: Students must take at least one three-credit hour course that meets the mathematics requirement. A list of eligible courses is available in the ME Graduate Handbook, appendix C, and includes courses from the College of Engineering as well as the Math and Statistics programs.
  3. Additional Course Requirements: Students must take a minimum of 30 credit hours of technical courses, which includes the core courses. The majority of courses should be at the 5000 and 6000 level and can be from any College of Engineering or College of Science department. Specific courses are approved through the plan of study.
  4. Research: Students must take a minimum of 30 credit hours of ME research.
  5. Seminar: All full-time students will enroll in a one-credit hour ME Seminar each semester. These hours do not count toward the technical credit hours but support the residency requirement for PhD students.
  6. Additional Hours: Students will take at least 60 additional hours of a combination of coursework or research.

Additional Requirements

  1. Attend orientation.
  2. Complete the Graduate School’s requirements for (1) scholarly ethics and integrity and (2) diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  3. Submit a plan of study.
  4. Pass the qualifying exam. 
  5. Pass the preliminary exam.
  6. Pass the final defense and submit an electronic dissertation.
  7. Complete the Graduate School’s residency requirement. Most students satisfy this requirement with two consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment. More information is available in the Graduate Catalog.

Restrictions

  1. No more than six credit hours of 4000 level courses may count toward the PhD.
  2. No more than 12 credit hours of independent study or special study may count toward the PhD.
  3. No more than 50% of graded coursework may be transferred from another graduate program. Transfer credit is approved when the plan of study is submitted.

MS, Thesis Option

Requirements: Students must earn a minimum of 30 credit hours. More information about courses and research are below, or you can read the ME academic program section of the Graduate Catalog.

Plan of Study

  1. Core Courses: Students must take at least three three-credit hour courses from within the ME Department (ESM, ME, NSEG).
  2. Math: Students must take at least one three-credit hour course that meets the mathematics requirement. A list of eligible courses is available in the ME Graduate Handbook, appendix C, and includes courses from the College of Engineering as well as the Math and Statistics programs.
  3. Additional Course Requirements: Students must take a minimum of 21 credit hours of technical courses, which includes the core courses. The majority of courses should be at the 5000 and 6000 level and can be from any College of Engineering or College of Science department. Specific courses are approved through the plan of study.
  4. Research: Students must take a minimum of nine credit hours of ME research.
  5. Seminar: All full-time students will enroll in a one-credit hour ME Seminar each semester. These hours do not count toward the technical credit hours.

Additional Requirements

  1. Attend orientation.
  2. Complete the Graduate School’s requirements for (1) scholarly ethics and integrity and (2) diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  3. Submit a plan of study.
  4. Pass the final defense and submit an electronic thesis.

Restrictions

  1. No more than six credit hours of 4000 level courses may count toward the PhD.
  2. No more than six credit hours each of independent study or special study may count toward the MS. No more than nine hours in total may count toward the degree.
  3. No more than 50% of graded coursework may be transferred from another graduate program. Transfer credit is approved when the plan of study is submitted.

MS, Non-Thesis Option

Requirements: Students must earn a minimum of 30 credit hours. More information about courses and research are below, or you can read the ME academic program section of the Graduate Catalog.

Plan of Study

  1. Core Courses: Students must take at least three three-credit hour courses from within the ME Department (ESM, ME, NSEG).
  2. Math: Students must take at least one three-credit hour course that meets the mathematics requirement. A list of eligible courses is available in the ME Graduate Handbook, appendix C, and includes courses from the College of Engineering as well as the Math and Statistics programs.
  3. Additional Course Requirements: Students must take a minimum of 24 credit hours of technical courses, which includes the core courses. The majority of courses should be at the 5000 and 6000 level and can be from any College of Engineering or College of Science department. Specific courses are approved through the plan of study.
  4. Project/Research: Students must take a minimum of three credit hours of ME research.
  5. Seminar: All full-time students will enroll in a one-credit hour ME Seminar each semester. These hours do not count toward the technical credit hours.

Additional Requirements

  1. Attend orientation.
  2. Complete the Graduate School’s requirements for (1) scholarly ethics and integrity and (2) diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  3. Submit a plan of study.
  4. Pass the final evaluation and submit a project.

Restrictions

  1. No more than six credit hours of 4000 level courses may count toward the PhD.
  2. No more than six credit hours each of independent study or special study may count toward the MS. No more than nine hours in total may count toward the degree.
  3. No more than 50% of graded coursework may be transferred from another graduate program. Transfer credit is approved when the plan of study is submitted.

MEng

Requirements: Students must earn a minimum of 30 credit hours. More information about courses are below, or you can read the ME academic program section of the Graduate Catalog.

Plan of Study

  1. Core Courses: Students must take at least three three-credit hour courses from within the ME Department (ESM, ME, NSEG).
  2. Math: Students must take at least one three-credit hour course that meets the mathematics requirement. A list of eligible courses is available in the ME Graduate Handbook, appendix C, and includes courses from the College of Engineering as well as the Math and Statistics programs.
  3. Additional Course Requirements: Students must take a minimum of 30 credit hours of technical courses, which includes the core courses. The majority of courses should be at the 5000 and 6000 level and can be from any College of Engineering or College of Science department. Specific courses are approved through the plan of study.
  4. Seminar: All full-time students will enroll in a one-credit hour ME Seminar each semester. These hours do not count toward the technical credit hours.

Additional Requirements

  1. Attend orientation.
  2. Complete the Graduate School’s requirements for (1) scholarly ethics and integrity and (2) diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  3. Submit a plan of study.
  4. Pass the final evaluation.

Restrictions

  1. No more than six credit hours of 4000 level courses may count toward the PhD.
  2. No more than six credit hours each of independent study or special study may count toward the MS. No more than nine hours in total may count toward the degree.
  3. No more than 50% of graded coursework may be transferred from another graduate program. Transfer credit is approved when the plan of study is submitted.

Admissions and Funding 

Students that are interested in our graduate program in mechanical engineering should apply through the Graduate School’s online application system. We recommend that students review our focus areas and research tags before submitting the application.

Campuses

All VT ME graduate programs are available in Blacksburg and the greater Washington, DC metro area. Our professional programs are available online.

Special Programs

VT ME offers special programs to the following groups:

  1. UG/GR Accelerated Master’s Program
  2. VT-TUD Dual Master’s Program
  3. Corporate Cohort Program
Request information
Admissions and Funding

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Mechanical Engineering Graduate Handbook
Graduate Catalog
PhD QUALIFIER

Frequently asked questions

There are no minimum requirements. However, the target G.P.A. is 3.2 (4.0 scale). For the GREs, the targets are Verbal 150, Quantitative 165, Analytical 4.5. The TOEFL target is 105, & IELTS is 7. Keep in mind admission is competitive and the entire application package is evaluated.

Official scores and transcripts are required by the Graduate School. Send them to our Graduate School at:

Graduate School
Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown(0325)
Blacksburg, VA 24061

All other application materials should be uploaded directly in the online application. For further information, see the Graduate Catalog.

Yes, we admit applicants both Fall and Spring.

A financial aid application is not needed. If you are admitted into the program, your application will be considered for financial assistance in the form of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA). Keep in mind financial aid is competitive. Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) are on faculty sponsored research, so you should contact them with a resume about the possibility of a GRA.

Once all the required materials have been received, the process takes approximately four to six weeks. This timeline does not include mailing time for notification. Estimated date for decisions to be posted is March 15th for complete applications in the US, received by Jan. 15th. Estimated date for decisions to be posted for applicants outside the US is May 15th for complete applications received by Jan. 15th. For your protection, information on application status cannot be released by telephone. Departments can only recommend admission to the Graduate School. You can find out the admission and application status on-line. Check the website periodically. Official notification will be sent by the Graduate School.

Please be aware that the online status only indicates if the application is complete at the VT Graduate School, not necessarily with the Department. You must contact them directly at grads@vt.edu with questions. Keep in mind, they process thousands of applications & it can take several weeks for them to update the system.

That e-mail does not originate from the ME Department. You will have to go back, as a “Returning Applicant” to send a reminder. Further questions can go to the Graduate School at grads@vt.edu.

Admission decisions come first and then financial aid offers. The deadline for GTA positions is January 15, for Fall semester, but applications must be complete to be considered. Offers normally are sent approximately mid-March. For those admitted for the spring semester, there are extremely limited GTA positions as most offers are for the fall & spring. GRA offers from faculty can be made up to 2 weeks prior to the start of classes.

Yes, the department offers aid to international students but it is very competitive and approximately 15% of admitted applicants are offered aid. Keep in mind that only those with admission are considered.

There are no guarantees you will be granted financial aid if you defer. Your file will be re-evaluated for financial aid amongst all those admitted applicants for that particular semester.

You must provide a brief statement to the department as to why a deferral is justified. The Graduate School will require a $75 re-processing fee to defer for a year and the application will have to be reconsidered with the others. There is no guarantee that the deferral will be approved.

The I-20 will be issued by the Cranwell International Center. You will need to contact them for further information at igss@vt.edu.