Doctoral Qualifying Exam

The QEs are offered twice yearly (January and May) over a two-day period. Students are allowed to take the subject exams (SQE + RQE Part I) in a semester prior to taking the research skills exam (RQE Part II). A student whose highest degree (at entry to the graduate program) is a Bachelor’s degree, must take both parts (SQE + RQE I and II) of the QE (for the first time) no later than the end of 5 regular semesters (fall and spring). A student entering the graduate program with a Master’s degree must take both parts of the QE (for the first time) no later than the end of 3 regular semesters (fall and spring). In rare and extraordinary circumstances, a student may be granted one extra semester by the Graduate Officer. Petitions require a letter of support from the student’s thesis supervisor. Students who wish to discuss sensitive matters should feel free to contact the Graduate Officer directly or via the Graduate Student Ambassador, Professor Betar Gallant (bgallant@mit.edu).

The QE consists of three components:

1. SQE: two subject examinations exploring the student’s breadth of knowledge in selected MechE disciplines,
2. RQE (Part I): a subject examination exploring the student’s depth of knowledge in the student’s chosen area of research, and
3. RQE (Part II): an examination of the student’s research skills.

The QE takes place over two days and is organized as follows:

• Day 1: Three subject examinations, each consisting of a 30-minute oral exam. Two of these exams will be in two subject areas selected by the candidate and will comprise the student’s SQE. The third examination will be in the student’s chosen area of research and will comprise Part I of the student’s RQE.
• Day 2: Research Qualifying Examination-Part II, consisting of one 45-minute oral examination in the candidate’s field of research that explores the student’s research skills.

For the subject examinations, the student must pick 3 distinct areas from the approved lists below, choosing at least 2 from the C (core)-list and not more than 1 from the S (specialized)-list. The student must also indicate the one area that the RQE (Part-I and Part- II) is to be in. New subject areas may be added to these lists with one semester’s advanced notice; existing subjects may be removed, but only with a minimum of two years’ notice.

Core subject areas: C-List
The subject or subjects most suitable for preparation for these exams are included in parentheses.

• Dynamics (2.032)
• Fluids (2.25) or Hydrodynamics (2.20), not both
• Heat Transfer (2.55 or 2.51+2.52J)
• Machine Design (2.72) or Product Design (2.744 or 2.739J), not both
• Manufacturing (2.810)
• Micro and Nano Engineering–Theory (2.37)
• Solid Mechanics (2.071) or Structures (2.080J), not both
• Stochastic Dynamical Systems (2.122)
• System Dynamics & Controls (2.140 and 2.151)
• Thermodynamics (2.42)

Specialized subjects/fields: S-List

• Acoustics (2.066)¹
• Biomechanical Engineering (2.788 or 2.795J or 2.798J)
• Computational Engineering (2.097J or 2.29)
• Micro and Nano Engineering–Experiment (2.675); cannot be chosen with Micro and Nano Engineering–Theory
• Optics (2.710 or 2.717 or 2.719 or 2.C67)
• Robotics (2.120)²; cannot be chosen with both System Dynamics & Controls and Dynamics

Subjects not chosen for three consecutive years (6 offerings of the exam) will be removed from this list (subject to two years notice).

1. For candidates in the Joint MIT/WHOI program, Acoustics is considered a Core subject.
2. For candidates in the Joint MIT/WHOI program, Robotics is considered a Core subject.

During Part II of the RQE the student will:

• Make a 25-min presentation of the student’s original research (such as work for a previously completed SM thesis (at MIT or elsewhere) or initial work at MIT towards a doctoral thesis).
• Respond to questions on that research for 20 minutes.

The student’s advisor can be present during both parts of the RQE but is not permitted to participate in Part II of the exam. They may, however, participate in Part I.

At least 2 weeks before the RQE, the student must provide the Graduate Office with a brief one-page abstract of the research presentation. This will help the faculty participating in the RQE anticipate and prepare for the specific knowledge domain(s) that will arise during each student’s exam.

The MechE Department faculty as a whole review and discuss each student’s performance in the qualifying examinations, together with their GPA and other holistic aspects of their performance in the graduate program at MIT, and make decisions regarding passing, being allowed to repeat the exams, or failing. Prior to review by the department faculty, scores are assigned by the exam committees for each student for each exam taken, with a score of 7/10 being a pass. Passing the QE requires passing Part II of the RQE, as well as any 2 (or more) of the 3 subject area examinations. Students who satisfy the nominal requirement for a pass in both the SQE + RQE Part I and RQE Part II exams pass the exam. These cases are usually not discussed. In the case of borderline failing performance, other aspects of student performance in the graduate program, any special circumstances that may have adversely affected student performance in the exam, as well as the best interest of the student are typically taken into account in making the decision. Advisors who are not in MechE are also invited to these meetings, but they cannot participate in decision-making.

A student who does not pass the doctoral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake all or part of the exam. They must do so the next time the exams are offered. In no case is a candidate allowed to repeat more than once.

Results will be provided to the student after the outcomes of the exam have been decided upon. For students who pass the QE, scores are not shared, but written feedback is provided on RQE Part II. Students who do not pass the QE can obtain feedback and scores from the Graduate Officer or their advisor; they are also encouraged to reach out to their QE examiners for additional feedback.

Effective September 2025, in the semester prior to taking the Qualifying Exams, students may register for up to 12 units of academic self-study credit that support preparation for the Exams and that count towards fulfilling the PhD degree credit requirements. These units cannot be used to satisfy requirements towards any other graduate degree (including the MechE SM) or the PhD degree minor. Students interested in this option should register for subject 2.975.

Subject specific information on the qualifying examination can be found in the document “Qualifying Exams: Guidelines and Formats” available on the GAME website.