PhD

Earning a PhD is a path to becoming a recognized expert in your chosen discipline, gaining access to advanced roles and higher salaries. Whether you aspire to a research career, a university faculty position, or a leadership role in industry, a doctoral degree significantly expands your opportunities.

Why pursue a PhD in engineering at the University of Michigan?

Excellence across disciplines

  • World-class research, renowned faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment
  • Strong interdisciplinary connections across U-M’s 19 nationally recognized schools and colleges
  • An expansive list of graduate certificates to augment your degree
  • Access to a powerful industry network of more than 100,000 Michigan Engineers worldwide

Flexible admissions

  • Apply with a bachelor’s or master’s degree
  • Prior engineering degree not required—check your eligibility with our graduate advisors or explore program guidelines on your own

Funding

Our PhDs are fully funded. That means they include:

  • Tuition waiver
  • Monthly living stipend
  • Comprehensive health insurance

Great place to live

Consistently recognized as a great college town, Ann Arbor combines the laid-back atmosphere of a small Midwestern city with proximity to Detroit. 

Interest form

Join University of Michigan Engineering and gain the support, expertise, and opportunities to lead in your field.

Doctoral programs

All of our departments offer doctoral degrees, and we also have interdisciplinary PhD programs that help you leverage the university’s broad expertise. 

See what degrees we offer at a glance in the Engineering Course Guide and Bulletin.

Learn more about our PhD programs and how to apply, and connect with department faculty:

Departments with doctoral programsFaculty directory
Aerospace Engineering (AERO)AERO faculty 
Biomedical Engineering (BME)BME faculty
Chemical Engineering (ChE)ChE faculty
Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)CEE faculty 
Climate and Space Sciences & Engineering (CLaSP)CLaSP faculty
Computer Science & Engineering (CSE)CSE faculty
Design Science Design Science faculty
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) ECE faculty
Engineering Education Research (EER) EER faculty
Industrial & Operations Engineering (IOE) IOE faculty
Macromolecular Science and Engineering Macro faculty
Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) MSE faculty
Mechanical Engineering (ME) ME faculty
Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering (NA&ME) NA&ME faculty
Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences (NERS)NERS faculty
RoboticsRobotics faculty
Scientific ComputingScientific Computing faculty

About the degrees

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): Full-time five-year research-based program. Develops skills that apply to careers both inside and outside academia. We provide all PhD students with a tuition waiver, stipend, and health insurance for the expected duration of their program.

Doctor of Engineering (DEng): Graduate professional degree for students who have already earned both a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in any engineering or business discipline. (Available in Manufacturing through the Department of Mechanical Engineering).