Mechanical Engineering

Our graduate program at the Lexington campus offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Approximately 100 graduate students work with award-winning faculty on a wide range of research topics including manufacturing, smart materials, acoustics, controls, robotics, biomechanics and aerospace technology, among others. Several major centers and research consortia are affiliated with the department to provide the facilities needed for our student research projects. These include:

• Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing
• Institute of Research for Technology Development
• NASA Kentucky
• Unmanned Systems Research Consortium
• Vibro-Acoustics Consortium

Beyond these centers, faculty members and their students conduct research in specialized laboratories with focus areas in manufacturing, mechanics, systems and design, and thermal-fluid science. Admission fees waived for domestic students with a 3.5 GPA (Contact Hannah Tyler for a fee waiver).

Masters in Mechanical Engineering Program

Admission to the mechanical engineering graduate programs normally requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering (not necessarily in mechanical engineering), a GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 on all graduate and undergraduate work, the GRE will no longer be required starting Fall 2024, and Test of English as a Second Language scores of 550 (paper-based) / 213 (computer-based) / 80 (Internet-based).

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

The Ph.D. degree is a research degree granted on the basis of broad knowledge of mechanical engineering and in-depth study in a specific area leading to a dissertation reflecting original work by the doctoral candidate.