Timeline: During 1st term after qualifying

The candidate selects a field of principal interest, finds a faculty member who is willing to act as thesis advisor, and defines, at least tentatively, an area of research for the thesis. If the advisor is not in the MechE Department, the student must also find a faculty member from within the Department who will act as doctoral committee chair.

Timeline: Within one year of qualifying

The candidate must meet with the Graduate Officer, in person, within one year of passing the qualifying examination. Topics to be discussed will include the tentative choice of thesis committee members along with the programs of study for the major and minor.

Timeline: Within one year of qualifying

As soon as possible after meeting with the Graduate Officer, and under no circumstances later than the end of the first year after passing the qualifying examinations, the student must form the thesis committee, having obtained prior approval of the membership from the thesis advisor and the Graduate Officer. The names of the committee members should be entered on the online Grad Card. If a doctoral thesis committee has not been formed by the end of the first full year after passing the qualifying examination, a grade of U (Unsatisfactory) will be awarded for subject 2.THG at the end of the first semester in which it becomes overdue (and all subsequent semesters for which it is overdue).

The committee is formed according to the Doctoral Thesis requirement. In recruiting the most appropriate members for the thesis committee, it is often helpful (but not required) for the candidate to have a written document (a rough “pre-proposal”) describing preliminary ideas for the thesis research. The doctoral committee, together with the thesis advisor, will be the student’s primary source of advice and guidance. They will monitor and guide the research and act as mentors in the selection of the major, minor, and additional subjects as the student’s education evolves. Given that external circumstances (such as source of funding and expectations therefrom) may change, the thesis committee membership may be changed if necessary.

Timeline: within one year of qualifying

At the same time as forming the Thesis Committee, and under no circumstances later than the end of the first year after passing the qualifying examinations, the student must have a doctoral thesis proposal in place. If a doctoral thesis proposal has not been submitted to the Graduate Office by the end of the first full year after passing the qualifying examination, a grade of U (Unsatisfactory) will be awarded for subject 2.THG at the end of the first semester in which it becomes overdue (and all subsequent semesters for which it is overdue).

This is a proposal, not a summary of the doctoral thesis. It represents a plan for work, rather than a binding contract; the actual work will be guided and reviewed by the thesis supervisor and the thesis committee, and may evolve in unexpected directions. The purpose of the proposal is to let the faculty know what the candidate intends to do, and how s/he intends to go about it. This requires the students to think critically about their work in consultation with their advisor, helping them define the project and identify possible pitfalls and problems. It also serves to cultivate the ability to identify research problem(s) in the context of prior knowledge and art, design research in an appropriate context, and to express it clearly and comprehensively in a written document. The proposal should provide sufficient literature citations to indicate awareness of the broad field and previous work, and enough detail to show how the work is expected to advance the state-of-the-art. It is typically limited to six pages of text and figures (not including the cover page).

The one-page cover should (only) include: tentative title of the thesis, student’s name, brief abstract, keywords, and a list of the committee members indicating the Chair and/or Advisor, their official titles, departmental affiliations and email addresses.

The candidate must provide the Graduate Office an electronic copy of the complete thesis proposal, and a separate electronic copy of the cover page only. Once these have been submitted, it should be so recorded on the online Grad Card.

The Graduate Office will distribute copies of the cover page with the abstract to all MechE faculty. The full thesis proposal will be made available to any MechE Department faculty member who requests it. Feedback from the faculty should be welcomed and taken constructively.

Timeline: Within three regular semesters of qualifying

As soon as possible after forming the thesis committee — and under no circumstances later than the end of the three regular semesters after passing the qualifying examinations — the student must have in place a proposed program of study for the major and minor.

The candidate must get approval of their major and minor list of subjects from the doctoral committee at its first meeting. It must also be submitted for review and approval to the Graduate Officer. The programs of study for the major and minor should be entered on the online Grad Card. Subjects may be added to, or taken out of, these programs with the approval of the thesis committee and Graduate Officer.

Timeline: Once each regular semester (fall and spring)

The candidate shall arrange regular meetings with the doctoral committee and obtain the committee’s comments on his/her work. It is recommended that the thesis committee meet at least once each regular semester (fall and spring); the Department requires that the committee meet at least once each year. The chair of the committee should make a notation of each meeting on the online Grad Card together with a brief summary of the student’s progress. A student whose progress is unsatisfactory may be required by the Department, upon a suitable recommendation (typically a U-grade for thesis research) from the student’s Thesis Advisor/Thesis Committee, and/or MechE Graduate Officer, to withdraw from the doctoral program.

When the thesis is completed, upon recommendation of the doctoral committee, it shall be presented orally in an open meeting of MIT faculty, staff, and students. After the presentation, the thesis is either accepted or rejected by the thesis committee and any other departmental faculty members present. The faculty signatures and result should be entered on the online Grad Card.

The thesis presentation is to be scheduled by the doctoral candidate. The student is responsible for obtaining a time and place for the presentation, and for arranging through the Graduate Office to send an announcement of the presentation to the departmental faculty. The thesis defense must be scheduled and announced at least two weeks in advance. One copy of the thesis must be delivered to the Graduate Office, and one copy should be delivered to each member of the doctoral committee at least two weeks prior to the presentation. The copy in the Graduate Office will be available for the faculty at large.

A student whose thesis defense is scheduled during the summer must provide the Graduate Office with a list of at least 6 MIT faculty members (including Principal/Senior Research Scientists/Engineers) who have expressed the intent of being present at the defense. The 6 faculty members may include the MIT members of the student’s thesis committee all of whom are expected to be present.

The thesis must be defended, and the candidate must submit final, archival copies of the thesis to the Graduate Office, by an end-of-term due date established by MIT. If this deadline is not met, the thesis cannot be accepted in the current term.