Curriculum
We continuously update our curriculum to address modern topics in mechanical engineering, and to offer a breadth of courses that makes studying in our program more flexible, whether you intend to earn an M.S. as a continuing student from local industries, or directly obtain a doctorate right from your bachelor. Most of our graduate students are full-time and actively engaged in research projects with one or two faculty mentors who will be dedicated to your success. The size of the program also enables you to have close interactions with the rest of the faculty, and to regularly participate in the life of the program via our weekly seminars and invited speaker presentations.
Faculty and Research
The success of our graduate program is build on a distinguished faculty whose research is recognized nationally and internationally through innovation, dissemination of knowledge in high-impact journals, and research awards. Recently, our faculty has won major awards from Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. Clearly, our focus is to create a research environment that is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative from which our students can thrive. I strongly encourage you to review the Faculty Research for more information about specific research interests in the program.
Mechanical Engineering Graduates
The UVM mechanical engineering graduate faculty have graduated MS and PhD students from across the United States and various countries around the world for more than 60 years. Also, we actively seek to admit a diverse group of students in mechanical engineering to address the contemporary challenges of our Society. To date, our graduates have achieved successful careers in academia as distinguished professors, in industry as engineers and entrepreneurs, and in government positions as program directors for national funding agencies or scientists at national laboratories. See Recent Grad Student Theses for a full list of our alumni.
Applicant Qualifications
We seek to attract excellent and motivated students who aspire to learn by research. Students entering the program have generally received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related field in engineering. Applicants with other backgrounds outside engineering will be evaluated individually and may be required to first complete undergraduate technical course work in the first semester. Part-time study leading to the Master of Science degree is also possible for engineers who are employed in the vicinity. Applications are accepted from the United States and around the world. For international applicants, an English Proficiency Examination (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo) is required. You can quickly verify the feasibility of your admission by viewing the Minimum Requirements for Admission.
Application for Admission
To be considered for admission, students must complete an official application using the Graduate College application instructions.
UVM students who wish to apply to our accelerated M.S. should first read the CEMS Accelerated Masters Programs instructions.
Applications are evaluated based on transcript information, statement of purpose, English Proficiency Examination (if applicable) and recommendation letters to develop a complete understanding of an applicant's likelihood to succeed in advanced study of mechanical engineering at UVM. While applications are reviewed as soon as they are received, we appreciate your patience until the admission decision is made. The deadlines for application submission are:
- January 1 for fall admissions.
- October 1 for spring admissions.
Funded Assistantships
A limited number of funded graduate research and graduate teaching assistantships (GRA or GTA) are available in the department each year and will be offered based on merit, research fit and continuity of progress to PhD students and some M.S. students. Funding offers are made available to you by faculty advisors, generally soon after you have received the Program’s admission decision, and renewed on a yearly basis.
Students who have questions about the funding process may send their query to the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program Director.