2008–2009 - Florida Institute of Technology

Doctoral applicants should have strong academic records including
a 3.2 cumulative GPA during master’s degree study, provide
three letters of recommendation and take the Graduate Record
Examination General Test.
General admission requirements and the process for applying are
presented in the Academic Overview section of this catalog.
Degree Requirements
The degree of doctor of philosophy is conferred primarily in
recognition of creative accomplishment and the ability to investigate
scientific or engineering problems independently, rather than
for completion of a definite curriculum. The program consists
of advanced studies and research leading to a significant contribution
to the knowledge of a particular problem. A student’s
research may have analytical, computational or experimental
components, or some combination of these. Each student is
expected to complete an approved program of study beyond that
required for a master’s degree as determined by the dissertation
committee, pass the comprehensive examination (both written
and oral parts), present a dissertation proposal acceptable to the
student’s committee, complete a program of significant original
research, and prepare and defend a dissertation detailing the
research work.
The program consists of a minimum of 42 credit hours of study
beyond the master’s degree. Of the minimum 42 credit hour
requirement, at least 24 shall be for dissertation registration
The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to cover the
student’s area of specialization and areas important to the major
field. The examination is given when, in the judgment of the
student’s advisory committee, the student has had sufficient
preparation in his/her field of study by completing significant
course work in the major area, two related areas of specialization
and mathematics, and by initiating doctoral research. The examination
must normally be taken before the end of the student’s
fourth academic semester after admission into the doctoral
program. The written portion of the examination consists of
individual parts given by each member of the advisory committee.
These written examinations are intended to cover each of the
student’s areas of specialization and mathematics. The written
portion of the comprehensive examination is followed by an oral
component that provides the advisory committee an opportunity
for a more in-depth assessment of the student’s readiness for
doctoral candidacy. Subsequent to completion of both written
and oral components of the comprehensive examination, a dissertation
proposal must be submitted to the student’s advisory
committee for evaluation. Upon determining that the proposed
research is of doctoral quality and that completion is feasible, the
student is advanced to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
General degree requirements are presented in the Academic
Overview section of this catalog.
Curriculum
The doctoral program of study must be approved by the student’s
advisory committee and the department head. Considerable
latitude is allowable in course selection, although appropriate
advanced courses are expected to form a part of the student’s
program. A representative distribution of these courses taken
beyond the master’s degree should include, as a minimum, six
courses in any combination from the major area, the two related
areas and mathematics. The following illustrates a minimum
96 Florida Tech
credit requirement for the doctoral program of study beyond the
master’s degree.
Major Area of Specialization, two related Areas of
Specialization and Mathematics .......................................................18
Dissertation .............................................................................................24
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED .............................................................42
Selected course offerings from other engineering and science
programs can be taken to fulfill the related area requirements.
Each student takes mathematics courses from those offered each
semester based on the areas of interest and in consultation with
the student’s committee. Note that the dissertation credits are
a minimum and the committee may require additional credits if
they feel sufficient work has not been completed.
Mechanical Engineering _______________________
The doctor of philosophy degree is offered for students who wish
to carry out advanced research in any of the three optional areas
of specialization listed under the master of science program.
Other research areas may or may not correlate well with current
faculty interests and laboratory facilities. In such cases, the
mechanical engineering department head should be consulted
to determine the feasibility of pursuing advanced research topics
that are outside of the three optional areas listed.
Admission Requirements
A candidate for the doctoral program will normally have completed
a master’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related
field and have adequate preparation in areas of science and
mathematics fundamental to his or her field of study. In addition,
a student enrolled in the master’s program may apply to
work directly toward the doctoral degree after completing at least
18 credit hours of graduate course work at Florida Tech with a
cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5.
Doctoral applicants should have superior academic records,
provide letters of recommendation and take the Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) General Test.
General admission requirements and the process for applying are
presented in the Academic Overview section of this catalog.
Degree Requirements
The degree of doctor of philosophy is conferred primarily in
recognition of creative accomplishment and ability to investigate
scientific or engineering problems independently, rather than
for completion of a definite course of study. The work should
consist of advanced studies and research leading to a significant
contribution to the knowledge of a particular problem. A student’s
research may have analytical, computational or experimental
components, or some combination. Each student is expected to
complete an approved program of study beyond that required for
a master’s degree, pass the comprehensive written/oral examination,
complete a program of significant original research, and
prepare and defend a dissertation concerning the research work.
The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to cover the
student’s major field of study and related fields important to the
major field. The examination is given when, in the judgment of
the student’s advisory committee, the student has had sufficient
preparation in his/her field of study by completing significant
course work in at least three areas of specialization and by initiating
doctoral research. The examination must normally be taken
before the end of the student’s fourth academic semester, as