Mechanical Engineering - Doctor of Philosophy - PHD - Postgraduate / Graduate Program - UBC Grad School

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Overview

The thesis-based Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mechanical Engineering is an advanced research-based degree. The program offers students an opportunity to work at the highest level of research, under the supervision of a faculty member. Students complete their candidacy examination within 18 months and complete their doctoral dissertation research within three to four years. It is normal department practice to initially register students in the M.A.Sc. program, and to transfer them to the Ph.D. program upon completion of the M.A.Sc. (or earlier if recommended by the supervising faculty member).

Students taking their Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering can select one of the below research areas:

Applied Solid Mechanics
Biomechanics and Medical Devices
Computational Engineering
Energy & Environment
Fluid Mechanics
Manufacturing Automation & Robotics
Mechatronics & Instrumentation
Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

With eight Research Chairs and almost every research faculty member holding a least one NSERC grant, we have one of the most active research programs in Canada and consistently produce industry and academic leaders.

UBC is ranked in the World’s Top 40 Universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Institute of Higher Education and our Mechanical Engineering professors are recognized nationally and internationally as leaders in their fields.

We offer affordable, competitive tuition fees and extend a number of scholarships, awards, top-ups to external awards, entrance fellowships, Research Assistantships (RA's) and Teaching Assistantships (TA's) to our students.

UBC always offers unique opportunities to their graduate students to expand their horizons to advance their careers. The research culture, training, and education offered at UBC are quite intriguing.

Hiroshan Gunawardane

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Applied Science

Mode of delivery In person at UBC Vancouver

Program Components

Dissertation

Academic Unit Department of Mechanical Engineering

Specialization Mechanical Engineering

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: $5,626.02 | International: $9,883.98

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Program Enquiries

Admission Information & Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

2) Meet Deadlines

3) Prepare Application

4) Apply Online

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Fees	Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat	International
Application Fee	$116.25	$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year	3	3
Tuition per installment	$1,875.34	$3,294.66
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)	$5,626.02	$9,883.98
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible)		$3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)	$1,144.10 (approx.)
Costs of living	Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

Based on the criteria outlined below, 58 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards averaging $36,788.

36 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 36 students was $7,632.
53 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 53 students was $21,011.
10 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 10 students was $960.
58 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 58 students was $11,183.
3 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 3 students was $28,889.

Study Period: Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 - average funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Averages might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
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Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

87 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 78 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)

Sample Employers in Higher Education

University of British Columbia (4)
King Saud University (2)
University of Saskatchewan (2)
University of Adelaide
UNIKA Atma Jaya
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
University of Tehran
Abu Dhabi University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ohio University

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

Pratt & Whitney Canada (3)
Coanda Research and Development Corporation (3)
Westport Innovations (3)
FPInnovations (2)
Candu Energy Inc. (2)
BMT WBM
PARC Inc.
Paperra
Vanmok Innovative Engineering Solutions
WK Investment Network

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

Senior Mechanical Engineer (4)
Project Engineer (2)
Scientist (2)
Manager (2)
Senior Piping Engineer (2)
Research Engineer (2)
Principal Scientist
Research Scientist
Business Development Manager
Director

PhD Career Outcome Survey

You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.

Disclaimer

These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.

Career Options

The graduates of the Ph.D. program find employment at academic institutions and in high-level research and development positions in industry and other institutions. Recent Ph.D. alumni have gone on to work as tenure-track professors in major Canadian and US universities. Others have been employed as research scientists, project managers and team leaders in high-tech startups or S&P 500 companies.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Applications	104	74	112	95	119
Offers	25	30	22	18	28
New Registrations	13	20	13	13	17
Total Enrolment	98	98	83	84	80

Research Supervisors

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.

Year	Citation
2021	Dr. Wang developed non-equilibrium and non-equilibrium multilayer models to evaluate the thermal performance of liquefied natural gas storage tanks under dynamic conditions with minimum computation time. Also, the models successfully predict the thermal stratification and rollover phenomena in the cryogenic liquid storage tanks.
2021	Dr. Naresh Maroju studied the fundamental mechanics of machining amorphous metal alloys known as bulk metallic glasses (BMG). He developed physical models to predict chip formation, stress and temperature in the machining processes. The research results can guide the process planning in order to enhance the machining performance for BMG materials.
2021	Dr. Malakoutian examined biomechanical properties of paraspinal muscles in spinal deformity patients. He found large variations in those properties with dramatic influences on spinal loading predicted by a musculoskeletal model. His research shed more light on potential causes of spinal diseases and can help in development of better treatments
2021	Dr. Rochussen studied direct-injection gaseous fuel combustion in heavy-duty engines using high-speed imaging inside the combustion chamber. He identified how in-cylinder phenomena impact efficiency and pollutant emissions. This work guides the development of future high-efficiency and low-pollutant engine technology using renewable gaseous fuels.
2021	Dr. Karpinski-Leydier designed and developed a rapid machine learning modeling method for studying new automotive energy technologies. These techniques allow for new more environmentally friendly energy conversion technologies to be developed and released to the public more quickly and at a reduced cost.
2021	Dr. Heikkinen developed a laser-based method for remotely tracking microscopic motions of objects and structures. His technique can measure motions much less than the diameter of a human hair at distances of several tens of meters. His method has great potential for safely assessing the integrity of structures located in hazardous environments.
2021	Dr. Lim developed Selective Catalytic Reduction Controllers for diesel engines using gain-scheduling and preview control techniques to minimize nitrogen oxides and ammonia. He conducted simulation tests using experimentally obtained data, and demonstrated improved control performance under model parameter uncertainty and sensor noise.
2021	Dr. De Graaf developed a computer code that models turbulent combustion to provide reliable predictions of pollutant emissions at a low computational cost. The new tool simulated jet flames in three different configurations, demonstrating its flexibility and potential usefulness for the aerospace industry.
2021	Dr. Cherom Kheirabadi's research involved developing mathematical models and control algorithms that allow offshore wind turbines to influence aerodynamic patterns and extract more energy from the wind. These methods raise wind farm efficiencies by 20%, thus making clean energy technology more competitive against fossil fuel-based sources.
2021	Harmful soot emissions from combustion engines are sensitive to conditions inside the cylinder. Dr. Kheirkhah developed a fast-response method for characterizing the cycle-resolved variation of soot concentration and correlated this with combustion energy, demonstrating the possibility of mitigating emissions by controlling combustion variability.

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Canadian Immigration Updates

Overview

What makes the program unique?

Quick Facts

Program Enquiries

Admission Information & Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

English Language Test

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Other Test Scores

2) Meet Deadlines

January 2026 Intake

Application Open Date

Canadian Applicants

International Applicants

Deadline Explanations

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

Letters of Reference

Statement of Interest

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Citizenship Verification

4) Apply Online

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Financial Support

Program Funding Packages

Average Funding

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Foreign government scholarships

Working while studying

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Cost Estimator

Career Outcomes

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

PhD Career Outcome Survey

Disclaimer

Career Options

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates & Times

Disclaimer

Research Supervisors

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

Doctoral Citations

Pages

Sample Thesis Submissions

Related Programs

Same specialization

Further Information

Specialization

UBC Calendar

Program Website

Faculty Overview

Academic Unit

Program Identifier

Classification

January 2026 Intake

Program Enquiries

Social Media Channels

Supervisor Search

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