Ph.D. Qualifying Exams
The Department of Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations, comprising mechanical and nuclear engineering, are required for students entering the Ph.D. program.
![PhD Qualifying process](/content/me_vt_edu/en/for-students/graduate/phd-qualifying/_jcr_content/content/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.png)
In order to register for the Mechanical Engineering PhD Qualifying Exam, a student must:
- Pass two core courses from a designated list found in Canvas.
- Submit a first-author, peer-reviewed publication OR author a timed research proposal and present to the qualifying committee.
In order to register for the Nuclear Engineering PhD Qualifying Exam, a student must pass the four core courses of the nuclear engineering program curriculum found in Canvas. Testing will be conducted on each of the core subjects, and upon passing, a student may proceed into the PhD program.
Testing occurs in the spring semester of each year.