About PhD Program,
The Duke University Graduate School offers master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 80 departments and programs of study, as well as certificate programs; dual, joint, and 4+1 degrees; and graduate programs at Duke Kunshan. Our graduate students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty across Duke’s nine other schools and to conduct research in connection with numerous campus research institutes and centers.
We conduct external reviews on our programs approximately every six years to evaluate the quality of the research and teaching and to recommend ways to enhance the programs’ effectiveness.
Graduate students in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) work in close collaboration with world-renowned faculty on state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary research programs. The low faculty-to-student ratio provides a close-knit scholarly community while an active Graduate Student Committee provides peer mentorship and support. The graduate curricula are uncommonly flexible whereby the students can define the academic path that best suits their professional goals.
Learn more about our faculty, research, and student projects at the departmental website: http://mems.duke.edu/
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
You are required to provide an undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) in the Additional Academic Information section of your application. Duke does not have an absolute cut-off point for UGPA when considering applicants, but it may be useful to review the averages and ranges for grades of applicants admitted in recent years (see the Statistics section.)
If you graduated or will graduate from a U.S. college or university and earned all of your degree credits in the United States, you should report the cumulative GPA and GPA grade scale that is stated on the degree-conferring transcript unless you are required to re-calculate your GPA based on the criteria below.
We require that you self-calculate your UGPA on a 4.0 scale
PhD Funding Coverage,
The Graduate School provides a competitive package that provides Ph.D. students with financial support for at least a majority of the time they are registered and working toward their degree. This support includes four main components: a stipend, tuition coverage, fees coverage, and coverage of health insurance premiums.
Generally speaking, The Graduate School guarantees Ph.D. students five years of stipend, tuition, and fees support, plus six years of full coverage for health and dental insurance premiums.
Departments with Ph.D. programs vary in the financial support they provide beyond the guaranteed funding package. We strongly encourage prospective and current students to talk to their program’s director of graduate studies (DGS) to get a clear understanding of the financial support they can expect from the department as they plan their budget for their time in graduate school. We have created a table showing who’s paying for what in which year to help students plan their finances during graduate school.
Each component of the Ph.D. financial support package is explained in detail below.
Stipend
Tuition Coverage
Fees Coverage
Health and Dental Insurance Premiums Coverage
Application Requirement,
- Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts required with application submission; official transcripts required upon admission
- Letters of Recommendation: 3 Required
- Statement of Purpose: Required (See department guidance below)
- Résumé: Required
- GRE Scores: GRE General (Optional)
- English Language Exam: TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test required* for applicants whose first language is not English
*test waiver may apply for some applicants - GPA: Undergraduate GPA calculated on 4.0 scale required
- Statement of Purpose
- Writing Sample
Application Deadline,
Dec 12, 2024
Application Fee,
The nonrefundable application fee is $95. For more information regarding the application fee,
