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Guidelines for Graduate Study in the PhD Program
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Introduction
These guidelines are for Ph.D. students in the Department of Mechanical
Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM). In addition to the information
presented here, students should also read and understand the following
publications, which can be obtained from 111 Towne Building, (when
in print):
- Current University of Pennsylvania catalog, “Graduate
Study in Engineering and Applied Science.”
- “The PennBook - Resources, Policies & Procedures
Handbook,” which contains University policies and procedures.
- “An Insider’s Guide to Graduate Requirements,”
published by the Office of Graduate Education and Research in
the School of
- Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS).
- “The Practical Penn: A Student Guide”- a very informative
handbook distributed to all new students.
These guidelines together with the above publications will answer
most of your questions. Advice and answers to special questions
may be obtained from your advisor or the Graduate Group Chair ,
as well as the Graduate Chair's Program Coordinator , who will assist
you in any reasonable manner possible.
It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the rules,
procedures, and requirements of the Department, SEAS, and the University
of Pennsylvania. Your advisor and any staff member will assist you
as much as possible. A continually updated version of this document
is available on the web (http://www.me.upenn.edu/graduate/phdguidelines.html).
Students who matriculated before September 2005 are subject to
the policies that were in effect as of their matriculation date.
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Administrative Structure
The graduate program in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
is administered by the Graduate Group Committee in Mechanical Engineering
and Applied Mechanics. The Graduate Group is comprised of the primary
faculty members of MEAM as well as faculty from other departments
and schools throughout the University. This unique composition gives
students the opportunity to work in emerging and interdisciplinary
areas that are relevant to mechanical engineering. The current members
of the MEAM graduate group and their research areas are listed in
Appendix E. Additional information can be obtained from the Department’s
website (http://www.me.upenn.edu/graduate/GGfaculty.html).
All graduate programs in SEAS are administratively under the auspices
of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs , whose activities with
respect to graduate studies in MEAM are in conjunction with the
recommendations of the MEAM Graduate Group Chair.
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Advisors
The first person with whom a new student has contact is the MEAM
Graduate Group Chair. A program of study is developed in collaboration
with the Chair and with the research/academic advisor once the advisor
has been appointed. The academic advisor is responsible from then
on for monitoring the student's course plan and dissertation work.
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General Information
The objective of the doctoral program is to educate a cadre of
highly competent researchers who will pursue careers in academia,
research, and technological leadership. The centerpiece of the doctoral
program is the dissertation research. You are expected to spend
most of your time and energy generating high quality, original research.
The courses that you will be taking during your tenure at the university
will be geared mostly towards providing you with the necessary background
to conduct quality research and to strengthen your core knowledge.
Your professional reputation and, to some extent, that of the department
depend on your success in generating a high quality dissertation.
Furthermore, the research grants that faculty receive and all other
funding available in the department for graduate students are closely
tied to the department's research productivity.
Registration, Leaves of Absence
Graduate students in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
have a wide variety of interests, and the MEAM graduate program
is designed to encourage these interests. Some students prefer to
take technical courses primarily within the Department; others desire
to take a number of courses in other engineering or science departments.
The student must obtain his/her advisor's approval for any course
selection. First year students must complete an advisor’s
sign-off form. This form can be found in Appendix F and should be
submitted prior to registering for courses. A sample list of courses
usually taken by MEAM doctoral students is available in Appendix
A. .
All students enrolled in a degree program are required to be continuously
registered. Four courses per semester (including thesis research,
such as MEAM 999) is considered to be a normal, full-time load for
all students. Students must consult with the Graduate Group Chair
if a deviation from the normal load is contemplated. Part-time students
usually take one or, at most, two courses per semester. MEAM 999
is the course number assigned to dissertation research. Several
units of this course may be taken simultaneously. The grading of
MEAM 999 is done by the student's dissertation advisor. Only grades
of "S" (satisfactory), "U" (unsatisfactory)
or "I" (incomplete) can be earned in this course.
Continuous registration as a graduate student is required unless
a formal leave of absence is granted by the dean of the student’s
school. A student who has reached dissertation tuition status will
not be granted a leave of absence, except for military duty, medical
reasons, or when the student receives a grant for dissertation research
conducted abroad and the grant does not include funds to pay home
institutional fees. A student not in dissertation status who desires
a leave of absence must submit a request to the Graduate Group Chair
and to the Graduate Division Office.
Changes in Course Program
Students may add or drop courses without penalty in any semester
if it is done by the deadline listed in the current graduate bulletin.
The student's advisor must be informed of the student's decision
beforehand and must give his/her approval. However, international
students must maintain full time status in accordance with the rules
administered by the Office of International Programs.
Grades, Credits, and Academic Standing
The grading system is as follows: A (4.0), Excellent; B (3.0), Good;
C (2.0), Fair; D (1.0), Below Average; F (0.0), Failure; and (I)
Incomplete. A course in which an F was obtained must be taken again;
however, the F remains on the student's record. Courses for which
a passing grade was obtained cannot be taken again for credit.
Doctoral students in the school School of Engineering and Applied
Science are expected to maintain at least a B average (3.0) in their
work. A student whose record falls below a minimum of a B average
will be put on academic probation and may be required to withdraw;
graduation requires a minimum of a B average (exclusive of dissertation
credits). Requirements cannot be satisfied by auditing courses or
receiving an incomplete (I) grade.
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Degree Requirements
Detailed regulations and requirements concerning the degree are
described in the current University of Pennsylvania Bulletin on
Graduate Studies in Engineering and Applied Science and the Graduate
Academic Bulletin Rules and Regulations. It is the responsibility
of the Ph.D. student to become familiar with all of the degree requirements
in addition to those discussed in this document.
The Ph.D. requirements include the completion of a minimum of 20
course units of graduate level work beyond the undergraduate program
with a grade-point average of at least 3.0 (as indicated in Section
4), satisfactory performance in the Ph.D. related exams, presentation
of a departmental seminar, completion of the teaching practicum,
and the submission and successful defense of an original and significant
dissertation. The required 20 course units may include research
units (i.e., MEAM 999). The milestones in the Ph.D. program are
noted in Appendix B and described in detail in this document.
Core Requirements
All doctoral students are required to take the following:
- Three mathematics courses. The three mathematics courses must
be selected from the following: ENM 510, ENM 511, ENM 600, ENM
601, and ENM 603. A student may take any graduate Engineering
Mathematics (ENM) course or any graduate course offered by the
Math Department with a petition approved by the Graduate Group
Chair. It is recommended that ENM 510 and 511 be taken in the
first and second semesters as they lay the necessary mathematical
foundation for other MEAM/SEAS graduate courses.
- One course in continuum mechanics (MEAM 530 or 630)
- One in dynamics (MEAM 535)
- One in transport processes (MEAM 570)
- Six seminar course units (MEAM 699)
Note: MEAM 530/630, 535, and 570 may be taken anytime in the first
three years of the Ph.D. program.
Course Selection Approval
No courses shall be taken without the prior approval of the student's
advisor. Each student must prepare a tentative course plan and obtain
the approval of his/her advisor and the Graduate Group Chair before
the end of the second semester after his/her matriculation. A copy
of the course plan will be maintained in the student's file. Any
deviations from the course plan must be documented and approved
by the Graduate Group Chair.
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Policy on Transfer
Credits Earned in Other Institutions
A maximum of eight graduate-level course units (out of the 20 required)
taken at another university may be accepted provided that the grade
received in each course was at least a B, and subject to approval
by the Graduate Group Chair and the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs, and in accordance with the rules of the University at the
time of admission, as found in the current SEAS catalog. The student
who wishes such credit transfer must petition to the Graduate Group
Chair and enclose with the petition the documents and information
stated in Appendix D. In order to obtain credit for courses taken
at other institutions the following procedure must be followed:
- For each transfer course, obtain the course description and
the title of the textbook prescribed for the course.
- Identify a professor who teaches a similar course at Penn.
If a similar course is not offered at Penn, identify a professor
whose areas of expertise are in the general area of the course
to be transferred. The professor should certify that the course
is of similar level to a graduate course offered at Penn or, if
a similar course is not offered at Penn, that the course qualifies
for Penn students to take if it were offered here.
- Submit a petition on a standard form (appendix D) to the Graduate
Group Chair. Attach to the petition a copy of the transcript,
the professor's certification, and documents and information noted
in Appendix D.
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Independent Study
Independent study courses are important vehicles to accommodate
special interests of the students, which are not served through
the regular courses. They create opportunities for mini-projects
and a mentoring relationship between the student and the faculty.
Independent study also can serve as a means for the student and
advisor to appreciate each other’s interests and get started
on dissertation work prior to making a long-term commitment. The
student should identify the topic and scope of the independent study
in the semester prior to the one in which s/he intends to take on
the independent study.
Since independent studies are less structured than regular courses
and typically do not come with strict deadlines, occasionally students
tend to fall behind in their work. There is also the possibility
a miscommunication between the student and the faculty on the objectives,
extent, scope, and the grading method for the independent study.
The purpose of this policy is to set the rules for an independent
study with the objectives of maintaining academic rigor and minimizing
any potential for miscommunication.
- An independent study course should require an effort comparable
to that of a regular course, about 9 hours a week or a total of
126 hours per semester.
- The student should meet the faculty member administering the
independent study (the advisor) on a regular basis, at least once
a week. It is the student's responsibility to schedule these weekly
meetings. Past experience indicates that failure to maintain regular
contact with the student's advisor often has led to a less than
satisfactory performance in the independent-study course. In the
absence of regular contact, the student stands the risk of not
being focused leading to an impression of dereliction. The key
to a successful independent study is a steady effort throughout
the semester. The student should not expect to be able to cram
a semester's work into a few days of intensive work at the end
of the semester.
- Prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student
contemplates taking the independent study, the student and his/her
advisor should develop a brief document. The first paragraph of
the document should describe the objectives, scope, and content
of the independent study. The second paragraph should state how
the independent study will be evaluated and how the student will
be graded. The document should be signed by both the student and
his/her advisor, and it should be submitted to the graduate group
chair for approval before the beginning of the semester.
- At the conclusion of the independent study, the student should
prepare a brief report specifying what material was covered during
the independent study, those objectives that were met and those
that were not. In the event that objectives were not met, a clear
explanation should be provided as to why such objectives were
not met. This document should also be signed by the student and
his/her advisor, and it will form a part of the student's file.
- It is the student's responsibility to make sure that these guidelines
are followed. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in
the student not receiving credit for the independent study.
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Residency Requirement
A Ph.D. candidate, unless s/he already has a Master's degree from
the University, must spend at least one year in residence with the
associated graduate group. This rule is interpreted to mean a program
of at least two course units per semester achieved within two successive
terms exclusive of the summer terms. Also, following matriculation,
no courses may be taken for a MEAM degree credit at any place other
than at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Teaching
Practicum
Participation of graduate students in the teaching mission of the
department will help to develop teaching, presentation, leadership,
and interpersonal skills while assisting the department in discharging
its teaching responsibilities. All doctoral students who matriculated
in September 1998 or later are required to participate under faculty
guidance in the teaching mission of the department. This requirement
will be satisfied by completing three 0.5 course unit of teaching
practicum (MEAM 895). Each 0.5 course units of teaching practicum
will consist of the equivalent of 10 hours of effort per week for
one semester. As a part of the preparation for and fulfilling the
teaching practicum requirement, the students will attend seminars
emphasizing teaching and communication skills; lead recitations;
lead tutorials; supervise laboratory experiments; develop instructional
laboratories; develop instructional material; and grade homeworks,
laboratory reports, and exams. A teaching training seminar typically
will be typically conducted the day before the first day of classes
of the fall semester. Attendance is mandatory to all second year
students. As much as possible, the grading aspect of the teaching
practicum course will be such as not to exceed 50% of the usual
teaching assistant commitment time. Some of the recitations will
be supervised, and feedback and comments will be provided to the
student by the faculty responsible for the course. At the completion
of every 0.5 course unit of teaching practicum, the student will
receive a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade and a written evaluation
signed by the faculty member responsible for the course. The evaluation
will be based on comments of the students taking the course and
the impressions of the faculty in charge.
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Obsoleteness
The Ph.D. program, culminating in a successful defense of the doctorial
dissertation, must be completed within a period of 10 years from
the year of matriculation as a graduate student in the School of
Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Pennsylvania.
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Qualifying Examination
Policy
All students who are working towards the Ph.D. degree must take
and pass an exam, which serves as an important component of determining
their ability to independently conduct research of high quality.
M.S.E. students who think that they may continue on for the Ph.D.
in MEAM may also take this exam.
The qualifying examination is administered in the following manner
:
1. By the end of his/her first semester, each full-time doctoral
student will elect an independent study in the general area in which
he/shes/he wishes to pursue dissertation research. The independent
study will be carried out during the second semester, and it will
be research oriented and mentored by a willing faculty advisor chosen
by the student. The advisor must be a member of the MEAM graduate
group. While the advisor need not be the student’s Ph.D. dissertation
advisor, students are advised to choose faculty advisors who are
likely to serve as their dissertation supervisor in the future.
The independent study will consist of either a critical review of
a body of literature or a mini research project. The scope of the
independent study will be consistent with at least 9 hours of work
per week for the duration of the semester. The independent study
should afford the student the opportunity to carry out independent
work.
2. The independent study course will follow the guidelines outlined
in Section 7, Independent Study. The student will receive a grade
for the independent study given by the faculty advisor. This grade
will be independent of the outcome of the qualification process.
3. The independent study proposal should be brief and no more than
two pages in length. It should be written in a way that is comprehensible
to individuals other than the writer and his facultyyou and your
advisor. The first paragraph of the proposal should state the scope
and the objectives of the study. The second paragraph should state
how you will go about achieving your objectives. For example, your
study may include a critical review of a body of literature (supplementing
any missing details in the reviewed work), a formulation and possibly
a solution of a new mathematical model, an experimental study or
a combination of the above. At the conclusion of the study, you
will need to summarize your results in a report. In the third paragraph
of your proposal, you should state what the deliverables are going
to be at the end of the study. Finally, provide a list of the relevant
references.
4. Only students in good academic standing will be allowed to go
through the qualification process. “Good academic standing”
implies that the student has a minimum grade point average of 3.0
at the time of taking the qualifying examination.
5. In addition to the independent study faculty advisor, a Ph.D.
Candidacy Committee will monitor the student's progress. By the
end of the first semester, in consultation with the student and
faculty, the Graduate Group Chair will appoint the Ph.D. Candidacy
Committee and its chair.
6. Before the end of his/her first semester, the student will submit
to his/her committee for approval and to the Graduate Group Chair
for information, a brief description of the proposed independent
study. The committee will convene by the end of January to discuss
each student's proposal and make suggestions and recommendations
as appropriate. These suggestions and recommendations should be
documented with a copy to be included in the student's file. The
committee may request changes/modifications in the plan of study.
If such changes are required, the committee shall establish a timetable
for these changes to be implemented.
7. By the end of the spring break, the student will submit to his
his/her committee a written progress report and make a brief oral
presentation to his/her research advisor and any members of the
student's committee who wish and can be present. After the submission
of the written midterm report, the committee will review the student's
progress and make recommendations to the student as appropriate.
8. By the date of the last final examination of his/her second
semester, the student will submit to his/her committee and to the
Graduate Group Chair a paper summarizing his/her independent study
work. The paper should be written in the format of a journal paper,
and it should be understandable by an educated audience who are
not necessarily expert in the field. The due date of the papers
will not be extended.
9. No later than a month after the last day of finals, the student
will make a presentation of his/her paper to the committee and respond
to questions. The committee may ask additional questions related
more broadly to the independent study and on material covered in
the student's courses (including the mathematics courses). A committee
member will be designated as the “math examiner”, and
s/he and any other committee members may ask questions on mathematics
relevant to the broad area of the independent study.
10. The Ph.D. Candidacy Committee will review the student's record
in coursework, his/her performance in the independent study, and
his/her performance in the oral examination. Then, the chair of
the committee, in consultation with other members of the committee,
will make a recommendation to the Graduate Group Chair on the outcome
of the qualifying examination. The Committee may also recommend
a course plan that can help the student deal with any weaknesses
in his/her background. The Graduate Group will make the final decision.
The Graduate Group Chair will inform the student about the result.
11. The qualifying examination must be completed no later than
two months after the last day of final examinations in the spring
semester. In exceptional cases, the committee may recommend the
submission of a revised paper and/or another presentation. The Graduate
Group Chair will specify the deadline for the revised paper/presentation.
12. Part-time students shall take the Qualifying Exam after they
have completed six courses, at the first time it is offered.
13. It is the student's responsibility to coordinate the dates
for the various presentations, reserve a room for the presentation
of the material (with the assistance of the MEAM office staff) and
notify his/her committee members of the time and place of the various
presentations. If the deadlines stated here are not adhered to,
an explanatory letter signed by the student and the advisor must
be submitted to the Graduate Group Chair for approval.
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The Direct Path to
the PhD for Students without an MSE Degree
Students who have only a bachelor’s degree and wish to study
for the Ph.D. are encouraged to register as Ph.D. candidates. However,
they may obtain a Master’s degree if they so desire during
their Ph.D. program. The students must inform the Graduate Group
Chair, in writing of their intent with respect to the receiving
of the Master's degree.
Obtaining An M.S. E. Degree
The master and doctoral programs have different objectives. An
M.S.E. degree will not be automatically granted to a Ph.D. candidate
upon the completion of 10 course units. Doctoral students who desire
to obtain an M.S.E. degree at some point along their doctoral studies
must petition the Graduate Group. The Graduate Group or its designee
will review the petitioner's records and determine whether the granting
of the M.S.E. degree is appropriate. Typically, M.S.E. degrees are
awarded to Ph.D. candidates at the end of their third year at Penn.
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Dissertation
Several recognized paths are available to the student when choosing
a dissertation topic. Often the topic will be the natural result
of a sponsored research the student may be working on. Sometimes
a particularly challenging problem at the student’s place
of employment will form the foundation for a dissertation. Regardless
of the route by which a dissertation topic is chosen, a student
must have a faculty member willing, by mutual agreement, to act
as a dissertation advisor. It is essential that the student realize
that the dissertation is the culmination of years of study and is
the distinguishing feature of the Ph.D. degree. Clearly, dissertation
topics and advisors should be chosen with care and deliberation.
The student should feel free to discuss possible topics and dissertation
supervision with any and all MEAM faculty members.
When requested by the advisor, the Graduate Group Chair will appoint
a Dissertation Committee composed of at least three members. The
advisor(s) is/are member(s) of the committee, while the other members
may be from related disciplines. The Committee may include members
who are not on faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, subject
to approval by the Graduate Group Chair, as long as at least three
members of the Committee are faculty of the University of Pennsylvania.
The Chair of the Committee may be any of the committee members exclusive
of the student's dissertation advisor(s). The Chair will be appointed
by the Graduate Group Chair, in consultation with the advisor(s).
The Dissertation Committee Chair will call a dissertation proposal
meeting, at which time the candidate will present the proposed research
topic, scope and method of research, and partial results (if any).
This preliminary meeting is intended to be helpful in discussing
the student's planned program, scope of work, and method of approach,
and in providing proper guidance. The committee often makes constructive
suggestions for strengthening the research and the eventual dissertation.
The Dissertation Committee Chair will inform the Graduate Group
Chair and the student, in writing, on whether the Dissertation Committee
has approved the proposal and what its recommendations are on further
work. To avoid any misunderstanding, it is emphasized that the dissertation
itself is not approved at the preliminary meeting; only the area
of research topic and a general plan of the dissertation are approved
at this meeting. Furthermore, the advisor and the student may ask
the committee to reconvene at other times if they feel that there
is further benefit to be gained from discussing the research topic.
The student is also encouraged to frequently consult with the Dissertation
Committee members and inform them of the progress.
A full-time Ph.D.-track graduate student should prepare and present
his/her Ph.D. dissertation proposal preferably before the end of
the second January whichyear of study follows their September enrollment
here. A copy of this proposal should be submitted to the MEAM office
to be kept on file. If the proposal was not approved by the Dissertation
Committee, the student must make the necessary improvements, resubmit
and present the new proposal, and earn its approval. The proposal
must be completed at least six to twelve months prior to the final
defense. Full-time students who did not enroll in September would
have to present the proposal prior to the end of the 17th month
following their enrollment. Part-time students will present their
proposal within 3 months after completing ten graduate courses.
When the dissertation advisor is satisfied with the dissertation
presented to him/her by the student, copies of the dissertation
are given to the members of the Dissertation Committee for study
and critique. Normally, the Dissertation Committee members require
three or four weeks to examine a dissertation, and the student should
recognize this when attempting to meet deadlines. The Dissertation
Committee may declare itself sufficiently satisfied with the dissertation
to permit the scheduling by the dissertation advisor of the dissertation
defense. Where the committee feels that major modifications are
in order, additional work by the student and revision of the dissertation
may be required before a defense can be scheduled.
The dissertation presentation by the doctoral candidate is given
at a meeting open to the public. The announcement of the presentation
to the public must be submitted to the Graduate Group Chaigraduate
assistant and the seminar coordinatorr for posting at least two
three weeks prior to the presentation. As much as possible, the
thesis presentation will be scheduled during the seminar period
to enable the attendance of a broad audience. After the presentation
by the candidate, the Dissertation Committee will question him/her
on several aspects of the work. Additional questions or comments
from others attending the presentation will then be solicited. The
general public will then be asked to leave the room prior to a final
session at which more questions may be asked by the Dissertation
committee. The Dissertation Committee will decide on acceptance
or the non-acceptance of the dissertation at the conclusion of this
meeting.
Once the dissertation has been accepted by the thesis committee,
the student will submit the final version of the thesis with the
advisor's signature for the approval of the gGraduate gGroup cChair.
The student will submit the thesis to the Chair at least two weeks
prior to the university's deadline for Ph.D. theses. After examining
the thesis, the Ggraduate gGroup cChair may either approve and sign
on the thesis or return the thesis to the student requesting additional
modifications.It is noted and emphasized that the dissertation must
be prepared and submitted in accordance with the rules and schedules
of the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the University
of Pennsylvania. The format is explained in the booklet "Doctoral
Dissertation Manual" available from the Office of the Associate
Dean for Academic Affairs. In addition to the two unbound copies
of the dissertation and other items, which need to be submitted
to the Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research,
two or more hardbound copies must be submitted to the Graduate Group
Chair and advisor(s) as stated in Appendix C. Failure to follow
the above schedule and requirements will result in a delay in awarding
the degree.
All dissertations must be freely publishable and the contents cannot
be restricted from dissemination to the community at large by the
candidate's place of employment or the sponsoring agency, government,
or any person. Any computer source code which constitutes a portion
of the thesis (with the exception of readily-available commercial
software) must be available to the community at large. It is the
responsibility of the student to insure that the above requirements
are duly considered in the planning and execution of the research
program and in the presentation of the final document.
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Seminar Presentation
Requirement
As a part of their degree requirements, all doctoral students will
present a departmental seminar on their research prior to their
dissertation presentation. This seminar must be given at least one
semester before the anticipated graduation date.
The Ph.D. seminar requirement will serve the following purposes:
- The seminar will give the student an opportunity to practice
presenting technical material and "think on his/her feet"
while responding to questions from the audience. Similar seminars
are often required by prospective employers both in academia and
industry as a part of the interviewing process.
- The seminars will help inform other students and faculty about
ongoing research. These should be of particular interest to first
year graduate students who are trying to identify relevant research
areas.
- The seminars may help foster intellectual interactions in the
department and the formation of a scholarly community. Comments
and questions during the presentation may provide constructive
suggestions to the presenter regarding how to improve his/her
thesis while there is still time to do so.
- The presenters may include in their CV the fact that they have
given a seminar at Penn.
No Ph.D. student will be able to graduate without fulfilling the
Ph.D. seminar requirement. To the extent possible, the Ph.D. seminar
should be scheduled as part of the departmental seminar series,
and it will receive public notice similar to that of other departmental
seminars. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule a
date for his/her seminar with the MEAM seminar coordinator. Students
should be aware that the seminar calendar is typically finalized
before the beginning of each semester. Ph.D. students who wish to
give a talk during any given term will need to fix the date at least
a month prior to the beginning of the semester. For example, a student
who is planning to graduate in May 1999 should arrange to give a
seminar in either Fall 1998 or Spring 1999. In order to get into
the Spring calendar, the student will need to arrange a date with
the MEAM seminar coordinator by the end of November 1998.Typically,
the seminar should be presented no later than the end of the fourth
year after matriculation.
The presenter should prepare his/her seminar carefully, keeping
in mind that he/she is going to talk to an intelligent audience
with diverse backgrounds, some of whom may not be familiar with
the speaker's specific research area. The student should have his/her
advisor(s) critique the visuals and the presentation before the
public presentation. A good introduction which gives background
information, context, and motivation is a good idea. To allow ample
time for discussion, the talk should not exceed 40 minutes. The
presenter should anticipate and be ready to answer questions from
the audience. During the discussion period, in order to encourage
student questions, students in the audience will have be given a
chance to ask questions before the faculty members do so. After
the presentation, the student’s dissertation committee will
discuss the presentation and provide the student with a written
evaluation including comments on both strengths and areas for possible
improvement. The chair of the student’s dissertation committee
will develop this evaluation. The presentation may be videotaped
to give the student an opportunity to see himself/herself the same
way the audience have seen him/her.
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Attendance at Departmental
Seminars and Thesis Presentations
The attendance of all full-time graduate students at departmental
seminars is mandatory. There are many good reasons why students
should attend departmental seminars even when the seminars are not
directly linked to their area of research. For example:
- The seminar provides an opportunity to learn about the state-of-the-art
in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics.
- The seminar provides an opportunity for the student to get
acquainted with people from other institutions and companies and
get a birds-eye view of the culture at other institutions. On
more than one occasion, during job interviews, interviewers have
been known to mention a visit to Penn and delivering a seminar.
The student would like to be in a position to comment on that
particular seminar and state how enjoyable it was.
- The departmental seminars are one of the few opportunities
there are to get together as a department. It is hoped that a
full attendance at these seminars will help create departmental
spirit and cohesiveness.
Seminar course
The seminar course has been established so that students get recognition
for their seminar attendance as well as to encourage students to
attend. There will be however, no quizzes, tests, or homeworks.
The course will be graded S/U. In order to obtain a satisfactory
(S) grade, the student will need to attend more than 70% of the
departmental seminars. For example, in a term in which 12 seminars
are given, the student will need to attend at least 9 seminars to
obtain a satisfactory grade. Participation in the seminar course
will be documented and recorded in the student's transcript. In
order to obtain their degree, doctoral candidates will be required
to accumulate 6 seminar courses (beginning in the fall of 2001).
Under special circumstances, i.e., in a case of a conflict with
a course, the student may waive the seminar requirement for a particular
semester by petition to the Graduate Group chair. Part-time students
are exempted from the seminar attendance requirement although they
are encouraged to attend the seminars.
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Summer
Studies
There are several possibilities for scholarly activities by graduate
students at the University during the summer which include:
· Independent study and research (MEAM 899 or 999) with an
instructor willing to act as a supervisor during the summer.
· Course work outside SEAS, as well as a limited number of
regular courses occasionally offered by some SEAS departments. The
advisor, in consultation with the Graduate Group Chair, must approve
summer school courses.
Full-time students supported by research grants are expected to
be in residence for the summer and must register for one MEAM 999
unit for each summer session. Questions on summer session registration
should be referred to the Graduate Group Chair.
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Records
The official graduate student records are kept in 111 Towne Building
and transcripts can be viewed on Penn InTouch at https://sentry.isc.upenn.edu/intouch/.
Graduate students are encouraged to periodically check whether or
not their records are accurate the accuracy of their records and
to bring any discrepancies to the attention of the Graduate Group
Chair.
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Financial Support
Financial support for graduate students is made available through
a number of sources such as funds from the School, the Department,
research grants of the faculty, and industrial sources, where research
support is the predominant among all. A given faculty member plays
the primary role in selecting a student for a research fellowship
supported by his/her grant. Appropriate committees will choose students
for other scholarships and fellowships. The Graduate Group Chair
formally makes all fellowship appointments. Most sources of funding,
research grants in particular, include support for the summer months.
Students are expected to work full time on research in the summer
months during which they are supported.
The Graduate Environment
The spirit and size of the Department of Mechanical Engineering
and Applied Mechanics fosters a close interaction between the graduate
students and the entire faculty. This enhances the quality of student-faculty
communications and enriches the academic environment, to benefit
both learning and discovery.
Apart from offering advising, seminars and meetings to introduce
incoming students to faculty research, and informal meetings with
the Department Chair and Graduate Group Chair to solicit student
input and exchange information, the Department strongly supports
the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association (MEGA). MEGA is
a student-run association that represents the entire graduate student
community in MEAM, and organizes both social and technical events.
A chosen representative of MEGA becomes a member of the Graduate
Group of the department, with voting rights, and serves as a communication
channel for information between the Graduate Group and students.
Every effort is made to create an environment of scholarship, creativity
and learning, which is the very essence of graduate study.
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