PhD in Mechanical Engineering Admission

PhD in mechanical engineering is a 2 to 5-year research-based doctorate-level course where students get to learn different skills pertaining to mechanical engineering.

Students who wish to pursue the course must have completed a postgraduate degree in mechanical engineering or in any related field with a minimum of 75% marks.

Admission to the course is done on both a merit basis and an entrance basis. Some of the entrance tests held for admission to the course include UGC NET, JNUEE, GATE etc. Some of the top colleges providing the course are IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, NIT Trichy, etc. The average fee in the colleges providing the course ranges from 90,000 to 3,16,000 INR

There are lots of job options after completing the course PhD mechanical engineering. Some of the job profiles include Lecturer, Junior Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Executive Engineer, etc. The average starting package after completing the course ranges from 350,000 to 10,00,000 INR per year. Some of the top recruiting companies include Amazon, Accenture, IBM, Facebook, Citrix etc.

Why Study PhD Mechanical Engineering?

PhD Mechanical Engineering is quite a prosperous course. Some important features of the course are mentioned below:

The Mechanical Engineering course has an analytical approach. It will allow the students to consider various practical problems and come up with technical solutions to these problems. They may come up with new approaches to solve the problems.

After completing the course, the students will be able to successfully design machines based on user requirements. They put all their innovativeness together and create something new for the world.

The PhD Mechanical Engineering students get excellent career opportunities. They may work at sectors like power plants, chemical plants, manufacturing companies and so on. They are also free to pursue a career in other fields of engineering.

The students may work as a junior engineers, assistant engineers or executive engineers at various companies. They may also conduct research in subjects related to Mechanical Engineering. They may work at research labs and other organizations. 

The students can also become a lecturer and impart knowledge to other students. The average salary earned by the PhD Mechanical Engineering students is INR 3.37 LPA. The salary will increase with experience.

Eligibility Criteria of PhD Mechanical Engineering 

In order to get admission in one of the top colleges providing the course PhD Mechanical Engineering, it is a must to fulfill the eligibility criteria fixed by different colleges. The eligibility criteria for admission to the course is listed below.

Students must have completed a master's degree in engineering or technology with minimum required grades. Students having a postgraduate degree in science can also apply for admission to the course.

BE/BTech degree holders can also apply for the course and they need to have completed the graduation degree with a minimum of 75% marks.

PhD Mechanical Engineering Entrance Exams

PhD Mechanical Engineering students may have to sit for an entrance test to get admitted to a college of their choice. The pattern of entrance tests may vary from college to college.

The candidates who clear the entrance test may either take admitted to the college or they may have to appear for an interview. The examination dates for the current academic year are being rescheduled because of the coronavirus crisis.

Here are some of the most popular entrance tests for the PhD Mechanical Engineering candidates:

• UGC NET
• JNUEE
• GATE
• UGC CSIR NET
• DTU Ph.D. Entrance Exam

How to prepare for the PhD Mechanical Engineering entrance test?

Entrance tests are a mandatory part of the admission process of some of the most popular Universities in India. In order to secure your place in that particular college/ university, you need to score well in the admission test. So, here are a few preparation tips for you.

You must know your syllabus properly. This is the first and the most basic step of preparation. Until and unless you are not familiar with the syllabus, you will not be able to get a good score in the entrance test.

Know the examination patterns and the type of questions that are frequently asked in the examination. In most cases, you will have to face multiple-choice questions. So, you must practice such questions to make yourself familiar with the examination pattern

Try to get a rough idea about the number of questions that you must answer in order to secure a good rank in the examination. This strategy will definitely help you to get a good rank in the entrance test. 

Put more focus on the important sections as these are the sections from where questions are asked more frequently. While you are revising the chapters, you must concentrate on these sections.

Practice questions from sample papers and previous years’ question papers. Here, we have provided a few links to the previous year’s question papers and the sample papers. This will help you in your preparations.

Do not stress out. Any kind of stress will act as a hindrance and prevent you from acquiring a good score in the entrance test. Be confident about your preparations.

Consult important books. Read through the chapters properly. You can also watch YouTube videos or take guidelines from an expert.

PhD Mechanical Engineering Syllabus

PhD Mechanical Engineering Part 1 Syllabus

1. Research Methodology
2. Seminar
3. Mathematics for Engineering Research
4. Branch Specific Topics

PhD Mechanical Engineering Part 2 Syllabus

1. Thesis
2. Seminar
3. Research Work I
4. Research Work II

PhD Mechanical Engineering Admission Process

One can refer to the points given below for a detailed admission process of the course.

Each university follows its own admission process. In most cases, the admission is done based on the marks acquired by you in your post-graduation. However, some universities require you to sit for an entrance test.

Few of the most popular entrance tests include GATE and NET UGC. Once you have cleared the entrance test, you will be called to proceed with the further stages of the admission process.

The application forms are released mostly in June. You must submit the application form before the deadline. You can also consult the official websites of the respective colleges or universities for detailed information regarding the admission process.

Merit-based selection

The students need to fill the application form of the university. The application forms are available both physically as well as in online mode.

In merit-based selection, the candidates will be selected based on the marks acquired by them in their graduation and postgraduation.

The percentage requirement will depend on the number of students applying for the course and the number of available seats.

Entrance-based selection

Students need to register for any particular entrance exam. they must also fill out the application form of the colleges they are interested in.

Students need to take the entrance test. Once qualified, they become eligible for any further stage of admission.

After the exam, students are required to appear for a personal interview round as well.

Finally shortlisted students are offered admission to the college in the respective course.

Types of PhD Mechanical Engineering

Aspirants can pursue the course in the full-time or part-time mode. Below are the types of PhD Mechanical Engineering courses in detail:

PhD Mechanical Engineering Full-Time

The full-time PhD Mechanical Engineering program, is typically for 3 years, where students will have to attend classes in person, write a thesis, and do research in labs. The advantage of a full-time course is that students can gain more exposure, experience, and knowledge through direct interaction with their peers and faculty.

PhD Mechanical Engineering Part-Time

The part-time PhD Mechanical Engineering course is designed for students who cannot attend regular classes. The duration of the course is typically 6 years. The advantage of the part-time course is that students can pursue this course while simultaneously being engaged in employment, research, etc.

PhD Mechanical Engineering Distance 

A distance education program is for students who cannot afford full-time studies due to financial constraints or employees who cannot dedicate themselves to full-time or part-time studies. PhD Mechanical Engineering degree obtained by distance learning is not considered valid.

Career Options After PhD Mechanical Engineering Graduation

There are plenty of jobs available for PhD Mechanical Engineering students looking for career options in Mechanical Engineering. The job roles will differ based on the specialization that one has opted for. PhD Mechanical Engineering graduates have abundant job opportunities with good salary packages that include the following job profiles:

1. Junior Engineer
2. Executive Engineer
3. Mechanical Design Engineer
4. Research Scientist
5. Lecturer

Job Prospects After PhD Mechanical Engineering

The PhD Mechanical Engineering students are always open to a large number of career options.

On successful completion of their course, the students will be exposed to various opportunities.

Throughout the duration of the course, the students will be taught a variety of topics that will help them to secure jobs as a mechanical engineer.

Some of the top job profiles available to such professionals are given below:

• Junior Engineers
• Executive engineers
• Mechanical Design Engineer
• Research Scientist
• Lecturer

PhD in Mechanical Engineering Future Scope

The future of PhD Mechanical Engineering courses in India has always been quite bright. The students are left with a lot of options to build a successful career.

PhD Mechanical Engineering students may take up jobs in either the public or private sectors. Some of the popular sectors offering jobs to Mechanical Engineering candidates are power plants, steel plants, manufacturing sectors, etc.

The candidates may conduct research on various topics related to mechanical engineering at different research labs across the country.

They may work as research scientists in various reputed foreign universities. The students may also open their own ventures.

The academic career path is also open for the PhD Mechanical Engineering students. They may teach at colleges and universities. They can also apply at governmental educational institutes.

Some of the most popular job profiles for Mechanical Engineering students are assistant engineer, executive engineer, research scientist, junior engineer. The students may also apply for managerial jobs at various sectors.