STANFORDUNIVERSITY

MECHANICALENGINEERINGDEPARTMENT

GRADUATESTUDENTHANDBOOK
AcademicYear
20092010

MechanicalEngineeringStudentServices
Building530,Room125
(650)7257695
FAX(650)7234882

Revised 9/09

MECHANICALENGINEERINGGRADUATESTUDENTHANDBOOK
20092010
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Page
AbouttheMechanicalEngineeringDepartment................................................................ 2
GraduatePolicy............................................................................................................... 14
Enrollment ...................................................................................................................... 14
TuitionSchedule ............................................................................................................. 16
UnitRequirements........................................................................................................... 17
ChangeorAddaDegreeProgram.................................................................................... 17
AcademicProgressPolicy ............................................................................................... 18
LeaveofAbsence ............................................................................................................ 18
FinancialAid.................................................................................................................. 19
HowtoObtainPayment.......................................................................................................23
Taxesand TaxReporting ................................................................................................. 24
PartTimeEmployment.................................................................................................... 24
HowtoObtaintheMS..................................................................................................... 25
DegreeConferral(alldegrees) ......................................................................................... 26
MSTimeLimits .............................................................................................................. 26
MSMERequirements ...................................................................................................... 27
MSMEDepthandBreadthAreas..................................................................................... 29
MSinBiomechanicalEngineering................................................................................... 34
MSinProductDesign...................................................................................................... 36
MSinEngineering........................................................................................................... 37
DegreeofEngineer.......................................................................................................... 38
PhD................................................................................................................................ 39
PhDQualifyingExam...................................................................................................... 42
HonorCode..................................................................................................................... 45
PlacestoGetHelp ........................................................................................................... 46

September2009

Hello!
WelcometoStanfordUniversity.WearepleasedthatyouhavechosenStanfordforyourgraduate
study.Thisbookletwillacquaintyouwiththedepartment,academicpoliciesandprocedures.In
additiontothisbooklet,youareexpectedto stay informed oftheregulationsandpoliciesgoverning
financialaid,degree,andcourserequirementsbyconsultingtheStanfordBulletin,timeschedules
and universitywebsites.Ifuncertainabouttheprecisemeaningorapplicationofaregulationor
policy,youshouldseekclarificationfromtheStudentServicesOffice stafflocatedinbuilding530,
room125.Youmaystopby,orgiveusacallat(650)7257695.Generallyspeaking,ouroffice
oursarefrom10am Noon,and1:30pm4:30pm,MondaythroughFriday.Officehoursare
limitedduringtheAdmissionsSeason(WinterQuarter).
StudentsenrolledintheMSprogramhavebeenassignedto oneormore academicadvisor.The
assignmentswere basedon availabilityofthefaculty,theirresearchinterestsandyourinterests.
However,pleaseknowthatyoumayseek theadviceofanyofourfacultythroughoutthe
departmentregardlessofwhoyourassignedadvisoris. Ifyouwishaformalchangeofadvisor,
please letmeknow.
Christine Crapps,PatrickFergusonandIare availabletoansweranyquestionsthatyoumayhave.
Theissuedoesnotnecessarilyhaveto beofanacademicnature. We knowofmany onandoff
campusresourcesavailabletoyouinadditiontothoselistedinthisbooklet. Pleasefeelfreetostop
bytheofficeevenifjusttosayhello! MystaffandIwouldappreciatetheopportunity togetto
knowyou.
Sincerely,

IndraniGardella
StudentServicesManager
(650)7252075
indrani@stanford.edu

MECHANICALENGINEERINGADMINISTRATIVEOFFICE
Building530
TheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineeringisorganizedintofive groups:Biomechanical
Engineering,Design,FlowPhysicsand Computational Engineering,Mechanics&Computation,
andThermosciences.These groupsare housedinseparatebuildingsandhavelaboratoriesand
centerslocatedthroughoutthecampus.Althougheach grouphasitsownadministrativeofficeand
staff,theheartofthedepartmentislocated inBuilding 530.
STUDENTSERVICESANDGRADUATEADMISSIONSOFFICE
Building530,Room125&126
(650)7257695
IndraniGardella,StudentServicesManager(indrani@stanford.edu)
ChristineCrapps,StudentServicesAdministrator(crapps@stanford.edu)
PatrickFerguson,GraduateAdmissionsAdministrator(patrickf@stanford.edu)
ProfessorChrisEdwards,ChairofStudentServices(Building520)
ProfessorHeinzPitsch,AssociateChairofAdmissionsCommittee(Building500)
ProfessorTomKenny,AssociateChairofGraduateCurriculumCommittee(Building530)
Pleasecometo theStudentServicesOfficewithallofyourstudentservicesquestions,issuesand
concerns.The officeprocessesassistantshipsandStanfordfellowships,programproposals,leaves
ofabsence petitions,academicpetitions,and degree conferral applicationsand performsmany
moreduties.Inaddition,weorganizevariouseventsincluding orientationandthe annual
graduationceremony.Itprobably isnotpossibletoobtainadegreefromthedepartmentwithout
visiting thisofficeatleastonce!
OFFICEOFTHECHAIRMAN
Building530,Room113
(650)7237234023
ProfessorFriedrichPrinz,DepartmentChairman
ProfessorKennethGoodsonViceChairman
GailStein,DepartmentManager
DeborahSutherland,AdministrativeAssociate

TheChairmansOffice handlesissuesrelatedto faculty,staffand the operatingbudget.They

cannotansweranyadmissionorstudentservicesquestionsorsignacademicpetitions.However,
ProfessorsPrinzand Goodson areveryopentodiscussing DepartmentorUniversity issueswith
students,soifyoufeelthatyouhaveaproblemorwanttobringsomethingto theirattention,
please feelfreeto doso.

BIOMECHANICALENGINEERINGPROGRAM
Durand,Room223

(650)7234133
GaryBeaupr,ConsultingProfessor
ZevBryant,AssistantProfessorofBioengineering
DennisCarter,ProfessorandProfessorofBioengineering
MarkCutkosky,Professor,DesignGroup
ScottDelp,ProfessorandProfessorofBioengineering,ProgramDirector
KCHuang,AssistantProfessorofBioengineering
ThomasKenny,Professor,DesignGroup
EllenKuhl,AssistantProfessor,andAssistantProfessor,bycourtesy,ofBioengineering,
MechanicsandComputationGroup
MarcLevenston,AssociateProfessor,andAssociateProfessor,bycourtesy,ofBioengineering
CraigMilroy,SeniorLecturer,DesignGroup
PeterPinsky,Professor,MechanicsandComputationGroup
FritzPrinz,Professor,DesignGroup
BethPruitt,AssistantProfessor,MechanicsandComputationGroup
SteveQuake,ProfessorofBioengineering
JuanSantiago,AssociateProfessor,ThermosciencesGroup
CharlesSteele,Professor(Emeritus)
LaneSmith,Professor(Research)ofOrthopaedicSurgery
CharlesTaylor,AssociateProfessor,bycourtesy,andAssociateProfessorofBioengineering
PaulYock,Professor,bycourtesy,andProfessorofBioengineering
FelixZajac,Professor(Emeritus)
XialinZhang,AssistantProfessor,ThermosciencesGroup
DoreenWood,LeadAdministrator
TheBiomechanicalEngineering(BME)ProgramisajointventureoftheDepartmentsof
MechanicalEngineeringand Bioengineering locatedontheStanfordUniversitycampusinvarious
buildingsofthetwodepartments.Theprogramembodiesteachingandresearchinwhichprinciples
ofmechanicsanddesignareusedtoexaminefundamentalquestionsinbiologyandtoadvance
humanhealth.
Thefaculty,researchstaff,andthecurrentandformerstudentsarewidelyknownfortheir
leadershipindevelopingnewideasinbiotechnology,biomedicaldesign,scientificanalysis,and
medicalapplications.ResearchinBMEisbothexperimentalandtheoretical,traversingmany
domains:biodesign,biofluidics,molecular/cell/tissuemechanics,movementbiomechanics,
biorobotics,mechanobiology,orthopaedicbiomechanics,cardiovascularbiomechanics,
neuroscience,andmechanicsofhearingandvision.
TheBMEprogramfostersamultidisciplinaryapproach thatincludesstronginteractionswiththe
schoolofmedicineaswellasotherengineeringdisciplines.TheBMEprogramhasparticularly
strongresearchinteractionswithdepartmentsintheSchoolofMedicine,including Orthopaedic
Surgery,Surgery,Medicine,Pediatrics,Biochemistry,StructuralBiology,andRadiology,the
BiodesignProgram,andmanyotherprogramsrelatedtothelifesciences.

Facilities
TheBMELaboratoriesincludeexperimentaltechniquesfromfundamentalbiologytoclinical
studies(includingpatientstudies).TheBMElaboratorieshousestateoftheartwetlaboratories
withcellandtissueculture,mechanicaltesting,tissuepreparationandasurgicalsimulation
facility.TheComputationalBiomechanicsLaboratorysupportsgraduateresearchincomputer
modelingofthehumanbody.TheBiomotionLaboratorysupportsthedevelopmentofnewmethods
formotioncaptureandexperimentalresearchonhumanmovement.TheSoftTissueBiomechanics
Laboratorysupportsinvestigationoftissuemechanics,mechanobiologyandtissueengineering.
TheNeuromuscularBiomechanicsLaboratoryhasextensiveimagingfacilities,amotioncapture
laboratory,andcomputationalfacilities.IncollaborationwithMedicalSchoolcolleagues,
biologicallyandclinicallyorientedworkisconductedinvariousfacilitiesthroughouttheStanford
MedicalCenterandtheVAPaloAltoHealthCareSystem.

DESIGNGROUP
TermanEngineeringCenter,Room551
(650)7259131
JamesAdams,Professor(jointwithManagementScience&Engineering)(Emeritus)
BannyBanerjee,AssociateProfessor(Teaching)
DavidBeach,Professor(Teaching)
WilliamR.Burnett,ConsultingAssistantProfessor
J.EdwardCarryer,ConsultingProfessor
MarkCutkosky,Professor
DanielDeBra,Professor(jointwithAero&Astro)(Emeritus)
J.ChristianGerdes,AssociateProfessor
DavidKelley,Professor
ThomasKenny,ProfessorandAssociateChairofGraduateCurriculum
LarryLeifer,Professor
CraigMilroy,SeniorLecturer
PaulMitiguy,ConsultingProfessor
DrewNelson,Professor
R.MatthewOhline,ConsultingAssociateProfessor
FriedrichPrinz,ProfessorandDepartmentChairman,jointappointmentwithMaterialsScience
BernardRoth,Professor
SheriSheppard,Professor
KennethWaldron,Professor(Research)
DouglasWilde,Professor(Emeritus)
KristinBurns,GroupManager
TheDesignGroupisdevotedtotheimaginativeapplicationofscience,technology,andarttothe
conception,visualization,creation,analysisandrealization ofusefuldevices,products,and
objects. Itisgovernedbytheconsensusoffacultyandstaffthroughweeklymeetingswhich
studentsarewelcometoattend. Coursesandresearchfocusontopicssuchaskinematics,applied
finiteelements,microprocessors,fatigueandfracturemechanics,rehabilitation,optimization,high
speeddevices,productdesign,experimentalmechanics,robotics,creativity,ideavisualization,
computeraideddesign,designanalysis,manufacturing,andengineeringeducation.
Facilities
TheDesignGroupofficesarelocatedonthefifthflooroftheTermanEngineeringCenterandare
scheduledtomovetothePetersonBuildinginearly2010.Informationaboutfacilitiescanbe
foundathttp://me/groups/design/facilities.html.DesignGroupfacilitiesandlaboratoriesavailable
toMechanicalEngineeringstudentsinclude:

TheBioroboticsandDextrousManipulationLaboratory(Prof.MarkCutkosky,PI)is
affiliatedwiththeCenterforDesignResearch.BDMLresearchactivitiesinclude:
modelingandcontrolofdextrousmanipulationwithroboticandteleoperatedhandsforce
andtactilefeedbackintelemanipulationandvirtualenvironmentsdesignandcontrolof
compliant"biomimetic"robotswithembeddedsensorsandactuators.
StanfordCarLab(Prof.ChrisGerdes,PI)isaninterdisciplinaryresearchlab.Bycreating
acommunityoffacultyandstudentsfromarangeofdisciplinesatStanfordwithleading
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industryresearchers,StanfordCarLabhopestoradicallyreenvisiontheautomobilefor
unprecedentedlevelsofsafety,performance,andenjoyment. StanfordCarLabsmissionis
todiscover,build,anddeploythecriticalideasandinnovationsforthenextgenerationof
carsanddrivers.
TheCenterforDesignResearch(Prof.LarryLeifer,Director)isacommunityof
scholarsfocusedonunderstandingandaugmentingengineeringdesigninnovationand
designeducation.Wearededicatedtofacilitatingindividualcreativity,understandingthe
teamdesignprocess,anddevelopingadvancedtoolsandmethodsthatpromotesuperior
designandmanufacturingofproducts.Wedevelopconceptsandtechnicalsolutionsfor
designthinking,concurrentengineering,distributedcollaborativedesign,anddesign
knowledgecapture,indexingandreuse.Wefocusonmethodsandtoolsforimproving
thedesignofspecificengineeringsystems,withresearchinstructuralintegrityevaluation
andsystemmodeling,virtualdesignenvironments,biomimeticrobots,hapticcontrolsand
telemanipulation,vehicledynamics,anddriverassistancesystems
TheDesignObservatory(DO)(Prof.LarryLeifer,PI)isaresearchenvironmentfor
studyingengineeringdesignactivitybyobservingit,analyzingitandinterveningintoit.
Engineeringdesignerseitherindividuallyorinteamscanperformavarietyofdesign
activitieslikeideageneration,prototyping,anddesignmeetingsintheDO.The
researchersobserveandrecordtheseactivitiesthroughtheuseofvideoandanalyzethem
inordertodiscoverpatternsofbehaviorthatarecorrelatedtoeffectivedesign
performance.TheDOprovidesfacilitiesforvideorecording,videocoding,trainingcoders
andsoftwaresupportforbasicstatisticalanalysis.TheDOenvironmentisflexibleenough
toallowresearcherstosetupdifferentdesignexperimentsquicklyandeasily.Italsoallows
researcherstoinvestigatevariousaspectsofdesignbehaviorinadetailedmanner.Theend
resultsoftheresearchcarriedoutintheDOarenewmetricsofeffectivedesignbehaviors,
newresearchmethods,andnewdesignbehaviorsorpractices.
TheDesignTeamDevelopmentLoft(Prof.LarryLeifer,PI)providesspaceand
technicalsupportforgloballydistributedproductdevelopmentteamsworkingon
corporatepartnerprojects.Teamsareassignedadesktopdesignstationwithinternet
videostudiosupport.TheLoftislocatedintheTermanEngineeringCenteronthefifth
floor.
TheDynamicDesignLab(Prof.ChrisGerdes,PI)focusesontheuseofdynamic
modelingasameansofintegratingmechanicaldesignwithautomaticcontroland
diagnostics.Manyofthesponsoredprojectshaveanautomotiveapplicationandthelab
hasasmallfleetoffullscaleand1:4scalevehiclesforexperimentation.TheDDLis
locatedintheMechanicalEngineeringResearchLaboratory(MERL)onPanamaMall,
Room130.
TheLoftisauniquefacilitythatrepresentsthecultureofinnovationatStanford. Itisa
spaceinwhichstudentsoftheStanfordDesignProgram (Prof.BannyBanerjee,Program
Director)carryoutgraduateleveldesignwork.ItislocatedinBuilding610atthecorner
ofSantaTeresaandDuenaStreets.

TheManufacturingModelingLaboratory(KurtBeiter,PhD.,ActingDirector)
conductsresearchonsystemdesignandmanagementwithemphasisonrobustconcept
developmentandlifecycleengineering.ItisalsothehomeofthecoursesequenceME317
DesignforManufacturability,aprojectbasedcurriculumthatservesbothoncampusand
distancelearningstudents.
TheMicroscaleEngineeringLaboratoryislocatedintheMechanical Engineering
ResearchLaboratory(MERL),andissharedbyProfessorsGoodson,KennyandSantiago
affiliatedwiththeThermosciencesandDesignGroups. Thislabfeaturesfacilitiesfor
thermal,mechanical,andfluidmeasurementswithaunifyingemphasison microscale
aspects. Inadditiontotheindividualresearchactivitiesofthesefacultymembers,there
arealsoseveralsharedPhDprojects,involvingamixtureofthermal,mechanicalandfluids
issuesinsingleprojects.
TheProductRealizationLaboratory(PRL)(Prof.DavidBeach&CraigMilroy,Co
Directors)offersdesignorientedprototypecreationfacilitiestostudentsengagedin
courseworkorresearch. Designreachesfruitioninthetestingofhardware. Thecreation
ofphysicalartifactsoftenleadstodesignsolutionsthatwouldotherwisenotoccur.
Handsonexperienceengenderstacitknowledgeregardingdevices,materialsand
processes.Relationshipsbetweendesignandmanufacturingareclarifiedthrough
prototypecreation. ThePRLislocatedinBuilding610atthecornerofSantaTeresaand
DuenaStreetsandisopenduringtheacademicyear.
ThefocusoftheRapidPrototypingLaboratoryforEnergyandBiology(Prof.Fritz
Prinz,PI)isonthedesignandfabricationofmicroandnanoscaledevicesforenergyand
biology.Examplesincludefuelcellsandbioreactors.Interestisinmasstransport
phenomenaacrossthinmembranessuchasoxidefilmsandlipidbilayers.Thisresearch
groupstudieselectrochemicalphenomenawiththehelpofAtomicForceMicroscopy,
ImpedanceSpectroscopy,andQuantumModeling.
The RoboticLocomotionLab (Prof.KenWaldron,PI)focusesonthedesignofroboticsystems,
roboticvehicles,leggedlocomotionsystems,hapticsimulation,designofmedicaldevicesand
designformanufacturability.Thelabislocatedin MechanicalEngineeringResearch
Laboratory(MERL),Room128,onPanamaMall.

TheSmartProductDesignLaboratory (Prof.EdCarryer,Director)supports
microprocessorapplicationprojectsrelatedtoME218abcd.
TheStanfordMicroStructuresandSensorsLaboratory(Prof.TomKenny,PI)isthe
settingforeffortstodevelopandfabricatenovelmechanicalstructures.Basicresearchon
thenonclassicalphenomenaexhibitedbymicrostructuresisemphasizedaswell.
StudentOffices
Therearealimitednumberofstudentoffices.Priorityisgiventopostmastersstudentsand
studentsholdingassistantships.AdditionalofficeinformationcanbeobtainedfromKristinBurns(
kristin.burns@stanford.edu)

FLOWPHYSICSand COMPUTATIONALENGINEERINGGROUP
Building500,Room500A
(650)7252077
EricDarve,AssistantProfessor
JohnEaton,Professor
GianlucaIaccarino,AssistantProfessor
VadimKhyams,SeniorLecturer
SanjivaLele,Professor(jointlywithAeronauticsandAstronautics)
ParvizMoin,ChairandDirector,CenterforTurbulenceResearch
HeinzPitsch,AssociateProfessorandAssociateChairofGraduateAdmissions
EricShaqfeh,Professor(jointlywithChemicalEngineering)
DebMichael,GroupManager
http://fpc.stanford.edu
http://ctr.stanford.edu
http://psaap.stanford.edu
Fluidmechanicsisanimportantpartofengineering.Manydevicesandsystemsinvolveliquids
andgasesoraremanufacturedorrecycledusingfluidprocesses.Fluidmechanicsplaysamajor
roleinsuchdiverseareasasdispersionofpollutantsintheatmosphere,bloodflowinourbodies,
flowoveraircraftwings,mixingoffluidsandoxidizersincombustionchambersofengines,and
plasmaprocessinginsemiconductorequipmentmanufacturing.
Withrapiddevelopmentincomputertechnology,thefutureoffersgreatopportunitiesfor
computationalengineeringanalysisanddesign.TheFlowPhysicsand ComputationalEngineering
Group(FPCE)blendsresearchonflowphysicsandmodelingwithalgorithmdevelopment,
scientificcomputing,andnumericaldatabaseconstruction.FPCEiscontributingnewtheories,
modelsand computationaltoolsforaccurateengineeringdesignanalysisandcontrolofcomplex
flows(includingmultiphaseflows,chemicalreactions,acoustics,plasmas,interactionswith
electromagneticwavesandotherphenomena)inaerodynamics,propulsionandpowersystems,
materialsprocessing,electronicscooling,environmental engineering,andotherareas. Asignificant
emphasisofresearchisonmodelingandanalysisofphysicalphenomenainengineeringsystems.
Inaddition,FPCEstudentsandresearchstaffaredevelopingnewmethodsandtoolsforgeneration,
access,display,interpretation,andpostprocessingoflargedatabasesresultingfromnumerical
simulationsofphysicalsystems. ResearchinFPCErangesfromdevelopmentofadvanced
numericalmethodsforsimulationofturbulentflowstoactiveflowandcombustioncontrolusing
controltheoryfordistributedsystems.TheFPCEfacultyteachgraduateandundergraduate
coursesinengineering,computationalmathematics,fluidmechanics,heattransfer,solid
mechanics,thermodynamicsandpropulsion,combustion,acoustics,aerodynamicsand
computationalfluidmechanics.

TheFlowPhysicsandComputationalEngineering GroupisstronglyalliedwiththeCenterfor
TurbulenceResearch(CTR),aresearchconsortium betweenStanfordandNASA, thePredictive
ScienceAcademicAllianceProgram(PSAAP),(oneoffiveU.S.DepartmentofEnergycentersof
excellenceincomputationalscience,andtheInstituteforComputationalandMathematical
Engineering(ICME).CTRconductsfundamentalresearchaimedatunderstandingthemechanics
ofturbulentflowsleadingtopredictionmethodsandalgorithmsforturbulencecontrol.The
overarchingproblem ofPSAAPisthesimulationofairbreathinghypersonicvehicles.This
involvesdevelopmentofavalidatedandverifiedsimulationenvironmentforunsteadyphysical
phenomenainthehypersonicregimeinvolvingextremespeedsandtemperatures. TheCenterfor
TurbulenceResearchhasdirectaccesstomajornationalcomputingfacilitieslocatedatthenearby
NASAAmesResearchCenter,includingmassivelyparallelsupercomputers. PSAAP hasaccess
toDOEsvastsupercomputerresources.TheintellectualatmosphereoftheFlowPhysicsand
ComputationalEngineering Groupisgreatlyenhanced byinteractionswithCTRandPSAAPstaff
ofpostdoctoralresearchersanddistinguishedvisitingscientists.Groupfacilitiesincludeseveral
parallelsupercomputers,advancedworkstationsandreproductionfacilitiesandexperimentaland
flowandheattransfermeasurementfacilities.
StudentsinterestedindoctoralresearchwithFPCEfacultyareadvisedtoarrangefordirected
study(ME391/392)withoneormoreoftheaffiliatedfacultyduringtheirmastersyear.

MECHANICSANDCOMPUTATIONGROUP
DurandBuilding,Room223
(650)7234133
ThomasP.Andriacchi,Professor(jointlywithOrthopaedicSurgery)
DavidBarnett,Professor(jointlywithMaterialsScienceandEngineering)
WeiCai,AssistantProfessor
EricDarve,AssistantProfessor(jointlywithICME)
CharbelFarhat,Professor(jointlywithAero/Astro)
EllenKuhl,AssistantProfessor
AdrianLew,AssistantProfessor
PeterPinsky,ProfessorandGroupChairman
BethPruitt,AssistantProfessor
SunilPuria,ConsultingAssociateProfessor
CharlesSteele,Professor(Emeritus)
DoreenWood,LeadAdministrator
TeachingandresearchintheMechanicsandComputationGroupisdevotedtothestudyofabroad
rangeofmechanicalphenomenaincludingthebehaviorofsolids,fluids,biologicaltissueand
complexmaterialsundertheactionsofloads.Theultimategoalsofthiseffortaretodiscovernew
scientificknowledgerelevanttoengineeringproblemsofthefuture,toenhancetechnological
developmentinabroadrangeofindustries,toimprovehealthinsocietyandtoadvancenational
securityanddefense.
MuchoftheresearchconductedwithintheGroupisinterdisciplinaryinnature,reflectinga
combinationofconcepts,methods,andprinciplesthatoftenspanseveralareasofmechanics,
mathematics,computersciences,materialsscience,biologyandnumerousotherscientific
disciplines.Ourapproachoftencombinesexperimentalorclinicalstudieswiththeoretical
modelingandnumericalsimulationtocreatetoolsthatbothexplainphenomenaandpredict
behaviorandthatmaybeusedtoadvanceconceptsanddesignsinindustry.
Toachieveoureducationalobjectivesourteachingandresearchencompassescomputational
mechanics,multiphysicsmodeling,computationalbioengineering,andmicroscaledevices.
Computationalmechanicsisconcernedwiththedevelopmentandapplicationofcomputational
methodsbasedontheprinciplesofmechanicsandthefieldhashadaprofoundimpactonscience
andtechnologyoverthepastthreedecades.Ithaseffectivelytransformedmuchofclassical
Newtoniantheoryintopracticalandpowerfultoolsforpredictionandunderstandingofcomplex
systemsandforcreatingoptimaldesigns.ActiveresearchtopicswithinourGroupinclude
developmentofnewfiniteelementmethods(e.g.discontinuousGalerkinmethod),computational
acousticsandfluidstructureinteraction,algorithmsfordynamicalandtransienttransport
phenomena,adaptivesolutionschemesusingconfigurationalforces,modelingthebehaviorof
complexmaterialsandbiologicaltissue.Thegroupisactivelyengagedinmethodsandalgorithm
developmentforhighperformancecomputingincludingmassivelyparallelcomputing.Arecent
emphasisisconcernedwiththecouplingoftechniquesforanalysisatthequantum,atomisticand
continuumlevelstoachievemultiscalemodeling.

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Multiphysicsmodelingarisesfromtheneedtomodelcomplexmechanical,physicaland/or
biologicalsystemswithfunctionalitiesdependentoninteractionsamongchemical,mechanical
and/orelectronicphenomena.Thesesystemsareoftencharacterizedbywiderangesintimeand
lengthscaleswhichrequiresthedevelopmentoftechnologiestodescribeandmodel,using
numericalandmathematicaltechniques,thecouplingbetweenthosescaleswiththegoalof
designingand/oroptimizingnewengineeringdevices.Myriaddifferentapplicationsexistranging
fromnovelmolecularscaledevicesbasedonnanotubesandproteins,tosensorsandmotorsthat
operateunderprinciplesuniquetothenanoscale.Computersimulationisplayinganincreasingly
importantroleinnanoscienceresearchtoidentifythefundamentalatomisticmechanismsthat
controltheuniquepropertiesofnanoscalesystems.
Computationalbioengineeringisaquicklyadvancingfieldofresearchandisproviding
opportunitiesformajordiscoveriesofbothfundamentalandtechnologicalimportanceinthe
comingyears.Theinterfacebetweenbiologyandcomputationalengineeringwillbeoneofthe
mostfruitfulresearchareasastheongoingtransformationofbiologytoaquantitativediscipline
promisesanexcitingphaseofthebiologicalrevolutioninwhichengineers,andespeciallythose
employingcomputation,willplayacentralrole.Asphysicalmodelsimproveandgreater
computationalpowerbecomesavailable,simulationofcomplexbiologicalprocesses,suchasthe
biochemicalsignalingbehaviorofhealthyanddiseasedcells,willbecomeincreasinglytractable.A
particularchallengealongtheselinesliesinthemultiscalemodelingofbiomechanicalphenomena
bridgingthegapbetweenthediscretecelllevelandthecontinuoustissuelevel.Thepotential
scientificandtechnologicalimpactofcomputationalbioengineeringcanhardlybeoverstated.The
groupisplayinganactivepartinthisresearcheffortatStanfordwithcurrentcollaborativeprojects
withtheSchoolofMedicineinareassuchasthemodelingofthemechanicsoftheearandhearing,
theeyeandvision,growthandremodeling,simulationofproteinsandmechanicallygatedion
channels,tissue engineeringandstemcelldifferentiation.
Microscaledevicesaremicromachinedsensorsforsystemmonitoringandmodelingandarealso
usedformeasuringnanoscalemechanicalbehavior.IntheMechanicsandComputationGroupwe
haveaspecialinterestinthebiomedicalapplicationsofnanofabricateddeviceswiththegoalof
developingdiagnostictools,measurementandanalysissystems,andreliablemanufacturemethods.
ActiveprojectsincludepiezoresistiveMEMSunderwatershearstresssensor,piezoresistive
processing,cellstimulationandforcemeasurements,understandingthebiologicalsenseoftouch,
andcoaxialtippiezoresistiveprobesforscanninggatemicroscopy
Todealwithsuchcomplexandoftenmultidisciplinaryproblems,theengineermusthavea
thoroughknowledgeofanalytical,computational,andexperimentalmethodsandadeep
understandingofunderlyingphysicalprinciples.Toachievethislevelofunderstanding,graduate
curriculainMechanicsandComputationareofferedwhichincludecore workinsolids,fluidsand
computationalmechanics,dynamics,fractureandbiomechanics.Courseworkissupplemented
withresearchinthestudentsspecializedareaofinterest.
TheMechanicsandComputationGroupislocatedintheWilliamF.DurandBuilding.The
buildingprovidesoffices,computerfacilities,researchlaboratories,andseminarroomsforfaculty,
researchassociates,andgraduatestudentsoftheGroup.MScandidatesplanningtoproceedtoa
Ph.D.programareencouragedtoconsiderarrangingthreeormoreunitsofdirectedstudy
(ME391/392)duringtheirMSprogram.

11

THERMOSCIENCESGROUP
Buildings520,530,570andMERL
Group Office,Building520Room520F
(650)7231745
TomBowman,ProfessorandThermosciencesGroupChairman
PeterBradshaw,Professor(Emeritus)
MarkCappelli,Professor
ChrisEdwards,AssociateProfessorandAssociateChairofStudentServices
DavidGolden,ConsultingProfessor
KennethGoodson,Professor
RonaldHanson,Professor
JamesJohnston,Professor(Emeritus)
WilliamKays,Professor(Emeritus)
CharlesKruger,Professor(Emeritus)
ReginaldMitchell,AssociateProfessor
RobertMoffat,Professor(Emeritus)
GodfreyMungal,Professor(Emeritus)
J.DavidPowell,Professor(jointwithAeroAstro)(Emeritus)
JuanSantiago,AssociateProfessor
XiaolinZheng,AssistantProfessor
CitaLevita,GroupAdministrator
Thermosciences deals primarily with the engineering sciences associated with advanced energy
systems, materials processing and manufacturing systems. The course work and research
encompassesabroadspectrumofexperimentalandtheoreticalstudies,incorporatingheattransfer,
fluid mechanics, applied thermodynamics, transport phenomena, plasmadynamics, combustion,
diagnosticsandsensors,andthephysics/chemistryofgases.
TheGroupphilosophyistocombineaspectsofmolecular,solidstate,andfluidphysics,lasersand
electrooptics, physical chemistry and electromagnetic phenomena, together with the traditional
mechanical engineering disciplines of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics. The
interdisciplinarycharacterofthisprogramisofmajorimportancetothemechanicalengineerofthe
future in adapting to new technologies and will greatly expand professional options, whether
involved in research, teaching, engineering applications, or technical management. Thus, the
programisintendedtobebroadeninginnatureratherthanaimedatasinglediscipline.
To achieve these educational objectives, we have focusedourresearchprogramonthefollowing
hightechnology areas: plasma sciences, combustion and propulsion sciences, pollution sciences,
microscale fluidics and heat transfer, nanoscale fabrication, and advanced optical diagnostics.
Plasma science deals with fundamental plasma processes, includingstudies ofplasmachemistry,
plasmadiagnostics,andplasmapropulsion. Ourcurrentresearchoncombustionandpropulsionis
distributed over several areas, including: reaction kinetics of hydrocarbon fuels, combustion and
gasificationofcoalandbiomass,nonequilibriumhypersonicflows,turbulentreactingflows,and

12

programs on supersonic reacting flows and active control of combustion, and pulse detonation
engines. Ourworkonpollutionsciences is concernedprimarilywithfundamentalstudiesofhigh
temperaturereactionkineticsassociatedwithformationandremovalofnitrogenoxides(NOx)and
particulate matterduringthecombustionofhydrocarbonfuels andwithmitigationofgreenhouse
gas emissions from combustion processes. Studies in turbulent flows include heat transfer,
turbulent flow control, and turbulent flow in complex geometries. Aspects of microscale heat
transferincludestudiesofthescatteringofheatcarriersinsubmicrometersemiconductorfilms,as
well as studies of the thermal properties and thermal failure of microelectronic devices.
Microfluidics research is aimed at providing fundamental understanding and improved design of
transport processes in micro chemical/bio analytical systems. Our nanoscalefabricationresearch
focuses on novel methods for production of silicon nanowires and nanotubes for application in
energysystems. Theareaofadvanceddiagnosticsisconcernedprimarilywiththedevelopmentof
laserbased methods for studying many of the processes described above, providing spatially
resolvedand/ortemporallyresolvedmeasurementsoffluidproperties,aswelldevelopingmethods
fornonintrusivesensingandcontrolofindustrialprocesses. Advancedlaserdiagnosticsarealso
beingusedforthestudyoftemperaturefieldsinmicrofabricatedtransistors,sensors,andactuators
with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. A third area for which advanced laser
diagnostics are being developed is the study of the fluid mechanics phenomena associated with
micronscalebioanalyticaldevices.
Our approach is to combineexperimentalandtheoreticalinvestigations offundamentalproblems
that we perceive to be relevant to new engineering applications, and to provide a continuously
improving stateoftheart for industry. A further emphasis intheresearchis onthedevelopment
and use of modern experimentalmethods. Dependingontheparticulartopics,theworkinvolves
hightemperature fluid mechanics and heat transfer, applications of electricity and magnetism,
various aspects of physics,includingspectroscopy,lasers,andelectrooptics,aspectsofphysical
chemistry, design of experimental equipment and instrumentation, and analytical and numerical
calculations.
Thermosciences Group faculty and students are also involved in collaborative efforts with other
departmentsandresearchgroups at Stanford,suchastheStanfordNASACenterforTurbulence
Research, the Flow Physics and Computation Group, the Electrical Engineering Department,the
ChemistryDepartment,andtheMaterialsScienceDepartment.
ThefacultyandstudentsoftheThermosciencesGrouparehousedinbuildings520,530,570and
theMechanicalEngineeringResearchLaboratory(MERL). MScandidatesplanningtoproceedto
aPh.D.programareencouragedtoconsiderarrangementsforthreeormoreunitsofdirectedstudy
(ME391/392)duringtheirMSprogram.

13

GRADUATEPOLICY
Enrollment
Toretainyourstudentstatus,youmustbeenrolledfulltime(810units)duringAutumn,Winter
andSpringQuarters.Exceptionstothisrule:
HonorsCoop(SCPDstudents)areparttime
Inthefinalquarterofyourdegreeprogram,ifyourrequirementswillbefulfilledbytaking
lessthan8units,youmaypetitiontotake37units.
TGRstudentsmustenrollinthe0unitTGRcourse*
StudentsinGraduationQuartermustalsoenrollinthe0unitTGR(PhD)orSPEC
(MS)course
Although SummerQuarterenrollmentisoptionalformost,ifyouareworkingasa summer
TA,CAorRA,oryouarereceivingafellowshipduringsummer,youmustenroll inthe
appropriatenumberofunitsaccordingtoyourspecificassistantshiporfellowship.
EnrollmentiscompletedviaAxesshttp://axess.stanford.eduandmustbedonebythe firstdayof
eachquarter.Theregistration (studylist)deadlinesare publishedintheUniversityAcademic
Calendar. Failuretoregisterontimewillcostyoualatefeeof$200,assessedbythe
registrarsoffice.IfInternationalstudentsmisstheenrollmentdeadline,theDepartmentof
HomelandSecuritymaygetinvolved.
Followthe onlinedirectionsinAxesstoregister. Ifacourseallowsyoutochoose agrading
option(lettergradeorS/NC),besure to electthecorrectgradingtyperequiredforyourdegree
requirements.Seethe sectionondegreerequirementsformoredetails.Thereisaquarterly
deadlinetochangethegradingoption.Oncethisdeadlinehaspassed,youwillnotbeableto
changeit.Pleasereadthepolicyongradingoptioncarefullysoyoudonotenrollinthewrong
optionforagivencourse.
* TGRisaspecialstatusthatPh.D.studentscanattainoncetheyhavecompletedalltheirformal
coursework.SinceTGRtuitionisalittlemorethanthe13unitrate,youmaytakeuptothree
unitsinadditiontotheTGRcourseandtheTGRtuitionwillcoverthem.However,ifyoutake
morethan3unitsduringaTGRquarter,youwillberesponsibleforpayinganyextratuition.By
definition,TGRstudentshavecompletedallcourserequirements,soanycoursestakenduring
TGRstatusmustnotbenecessaryfordegreeconferral.Forexample,taking1courseperquarter
tocompleteaPhDMinorwhileonTGRstatusisnotallowed.Manystudentstakeadvantageof
thisopportunitytotakefunclasseslikeathleticsorart.

14

Units
GraduatestudentsintheSchoolofEngineeringmustenrollforaminimumof8unitsperquarter
(exceptin SummerQuarter,withsomeexceptionslistedabove). Atypicalacademicloadfor
studentsis910units,althoughstudentswhoarenotrestrictedbyafellowshiporassistantship
maychoosetodo1118units.Studentswhoseekexceptiontothe8unitminimumpolicymust
meetoneofthefollowing criteriatoenrollforaminimumof3units:
q

Youwill finish alldegreerequirementsandcomplete the program during thequarterfor

which 37unitsisrequestedand youwillnotbeenrolledthefollowingquarter.Requestfor
TuitionAdjustmentmustbeapprovedbytheStudentServicesOfficeandtheRegistrar.

Youhave receivedapprovalfromthe DisabilityResourceCenterforspecial

accommodation.RequestforTuitionAdjustmentmustbeapprovedbytheStudentServices
OfficeandtheRegistrar.

YouareaPh.D.orENGstudentandhave completed allrequirementsexceptfortheoral

defenseanddissertation.Youmustenrollin the 0unitTGRcourse.PetitionforTerminal
GraduateRegistration(TGR)statusmustbeapprovedbytheStudentServicesOfficeand
theRegistrar.

Alldegreerequirementshavealreadybeencompleted.Sincestudentsmustbeenrolled
during thequarterofdegreeconferral,youmaypetitionforaonetime$100tuitionquarter
forthepurposeofgraduating.Inthiscase,youmustenrollinthe0unitTGRcourse (or
SPECcourseforMSstudents).Petition forGraduationQuartermustbeapprovedbythe
StudentServicesOfficeandtheRegistrar.

AllpetitionscanbedownloadedfromtheUniversityRegistrarsOffice:
http://registrar.stanford.edu/shared/forms.htm

15

20092010GraduateEngineeringTuitionSchedule
Units
1118*
810
7
6
5
4
13
TGR**

CostPerQuarter
$13,280
$ 8,630
$ 6,041
$ 5,178
$ 4,315
$ 3,452
$ 2,589
$ 2,760

*Tuitioncontinuestoincrease bytheperunitrateforeachunittakenabove18
**TGR:ApplicableonlytopostMSstudentswhohavecompletedallUniversityandDepartment
requirementsexceptfororalexamanddissertationsubmission.EnrollmentinTGRisrequiredto
completethedissertation.Inspecialcases,MSstudentsmayattainTGRstatusifthereisaproject
orthesisrequiredfordegreeconferral.
AddCourses: Youmayaddcoursesthroughtheendofthe third weekofclasses(October9).
ChecktheAcademicCalendarforspecificdeadlines:
http://registrar.stanford.edu/academic_calendar/index.htm
DropCourses: Youmaydropcoursesthroughtheendofthe third weekofclasses(October9),
withoutanyrecordofthecourseappearingon yourtranscript.No dropsarepermittedafterthis
point,regardlessofthegrade orprogressinthecourse. Checkthe AcademicCalendarforspecific
deadlines.
Withdraw: Youmaywithdrawfromacourseafterthe dropdeadlinethroughtheendoftheeighth
week (November13).A notationWwillberecordedon yourtranscriptforthatcourse.Students
whodonotofficiallywithdrawfromaclassbytheendoftheeighthweekwillbeassigned agrade
bytheinstructor.Wgradescannotbechangedbyretakingthecourse.
Incomplete: Ifyouwouldliketotakeanincomplete orIforacourse,youmustmake
arrangementswiththeinstructorbythelastdayofclass.Allcourseworkmustbecompleted,and
theincompletemustbechangedtoacreditorgrade withinoneacademicyear.Failuretodosowill
automatically resultinafailedgrade thatcannotbechanged underanycircumstances
CourseRetakes: Generallyspeaking,completedcoursesmayberetakenonetime.Whenretaking a
course,youmustregisterforthesamenumberofunitsaswhen youoriginallytookthecourse.
Theunitsforthefirstattemptwillchangetozero,andthe gradeornotationwillchangeto RP.
The gradeforthesecond attemptwillinclude anindicationthatitisarepeatedcourse.Youmay
onlyretakeacourseforathirdtimeifanNC(nocredit)oranNP(notpassed)wasreceived
forthe secondattempt.

16

University UnitRequirement
Eachtypeofdegreehasaspecifictotalunitrequirement,setbytheUniversity (pleaseseethe
StanfordBulletinfordetails).Thisshould notbeconfusedwithdepartmentdegreeunit
requirements,whichmaydiffer.StudentsindoctoralprogramsareeligiblefortheTGRtuitionrate
whentheyhavecompletedthe unitrequirementaswellasallotherrequirementsestablishedbythe
UniversityandtheDepartment.
StudentsCompletingMorethanOneGraduateDegreeProgram
Ifyouarepursuingmorethanonegraduatedegree,youmay notdoublecountunitstowardsthe
differentdegrees.Themajorexceptiontothepolicyisthatthe45unitsrequiredfortheMasters
degreeareincludedinthe135unitsrequiredforthedoctoraldegree.Itisalso possiblefora
studentwhodidanMSdegreeatanotheruniversitytotransferupto45unitstowardstheirPh.D.
degree.
UnitRequirementChart
Note:InadditiontomeetingUniversityrequirements,studentsmustalsomeetdepartmentunit
degreerequirements(seedegreesection).
DegreeRequirement
Masters
Engineer
Doctorate

Units
45
90
135

MaximumTransfer
0
45
45

TGRRequirement
N/A
90
135

ToChangeorAddaDegreeProgram
Tochangeoraddadegreeprogram,youmustcompletetheGraduateAuthorizationPetition
process.The GraduateAuthorizationPetitionisonline,viaAxess.MSstudentsinterestedin
stayingforaPhDmustcompleteapaperpetitionBEFOREsubmittingtheonlinepetition.
Submitting theonlinepetitionwillcost$125regardlessoftheoutcome,sopleasebecertainof
yourintentionsbeforecompletingtheonlineform.The petitionshouldbeusedinthefollowing
situations:
1.

AmatriculatedMSMEstudentwhowouldliketocontinuewithaPh.D.mustsubmitthe
departmental form totheStudentServicesOffice by thebeginningofthefinalMSquarter.
Thestudentmustsecurefunding andadvising forthePh.Dprogramthroughafaculty
sponsoredassistantship(orhaveproofoffellowshipsupport),andhavethefacultymember
signtheform.InordertoaddthePhD,thestudentmustbeabletoproveatleast4quarters
offundingthroughfacultysupportorfellowship.Facultywhosignthepetitionare
committingtosupportandadvisingforthedurationofthePhDprogram.Aftertheformis
filedwiththeStudentServicesOffice,thestudentmustsubmittheonlinepetition via
Axess. IftheMSdegreeisconferredpriortotheadditionofthePh.D.degree,thestudent
willberequiredtoapplyforthePh.D.programasanexternalapplicantandadhereto
applicationdeadlines,payapplicationfees,etc.

17

2.

Amatriculatedgraduatestudentchanging departments(onlinepetitiononly),pleasetalkto
PatrickFergusonbeforesubmittingtheonlinepetitionbecausethe$125feewillapply
whetherthetransferissuccessfulornot

3.

AmatriculatedgraduatestudentintheMEDepartmentchangingfields(e.g.,MSin
BiomechanicalEngineering orProductDesign)(onlinepetitiononly)

Note: Internationalstudentsarerequiredtosubmitproofofadequatefinancialsupportpriorto
obtainingdepartmentalapproval.ContacttheBechtelInternationalCenterfordetails.
AcademicProgressRequirement
Graduatestudentsenrollingatfulltuition (1118unitsperquarter)mustenrollforatleast11units
perquarterandpassatleast8unitseach quarterthoseregisteringat810unitsperquartermust
enrollforatleast8unitsperquarterandpassatleast6unitsperquarter.
LeaveofAbsence forGraduateStudents
GraduatestudentsmayfindthemselvesinneedofaLeaveofAbsence.Commonreasonsfor
interruptingschooltemporarily are familyemergencies,illness,financialdifficulties,oreven
employmentorinternshipopportunitiesthatcouldfurtherprogressinresearch.
ProceduretoFileaLeaveofAbsence:Aleaveofabsencemustbeapprovedinadvancebythe
studentsadvisorandthe department. Althoughthereisnosignaturelineforthegraduatestudents
advisor,an irrelevantsignatureline(i.e.alineforundergraduatestudents)canbeusedforthis
purpose. Evidenceofgoodacademicprogressisarequirementtoobtainapproval.Theleaveform
mustbeapprovedbythe StudentServicesManagerandsubmittedtotheRegistrarsOfficefor
finalapproval andprocessing.InternationalstudentsmustalsoobtainapprovalfromtheBechtel
Centertoensurevisarequirementsaremet.
http://registrar.stanford.edu/pdf/leaveofabsence.pdf
Oncealeave ofabsence isgranted,therighttouseUniversityfacilities(i.e.libraries,athletic
facilities,etc.)ishalted asstudentstatuswillnotbeactive duringtheleave.Thisalsoappliesto
anyStanfordfunding(e.g.,fellowships,assistantshipsandloans).Therefore,astudentisadvised
tothinkcarefully beforerequesting aleave.Shouldonebenecessary,please consultwiththe
StudentServicesManager.

18

FINANCIALAID
Whatisan Assistantship: Assistantshipsare contractsforstudentstodoresearchorteachin
exchangeforsalaryandtuition.
ResearchAssistant:Amatriculatedandregisteredgraduatestudentwhoparticipatesina
researchprojectunderthesupervisionofafacultymember. Forthemostpart,research
assistantsareselectedbyindividualfacultywithavailableresearchfunding.Continuationofa
researchassistantshipdependsonthequalityoftheworkperformed andtheavailability ofresearch
funds.
TeachingAssistant:Amatriculatedandregisteredgraduatestudentwhoassistsafaculty
membertoteachhisorhercourse.Dutiesvaryandmayinclude:preparingforclasssections
and/orlabs,gradingexamsorpapersand holdingregularofficehours.Teachingassistantsarenot
expectedtoindependentlyassignfinalgrades.
CourseAssistant:Amatriculatedandregisteredgraduatestudentwhoassistsafacultymember
toteachhisorhercourse.Dutiesvaryandmayincludeassistingtopreparelecturematerials,
conductingreviewsessions,holdingofficehoursandgradingexams.CourseAssistantshaveless
independencethanTeachingAssistants.
POLICIES:STUDENTSWITHTEACHING/COURSE/RESEARCHASSISTANTSHIPS
Note:All individualswhoserveasCourseorTeachingAssistantsforcoursesofferedby
MechanicalEngineeringmustparticipateintheTAOrientationprogramofferedbytheCenterfor
TeachingandLearning.Sessionsaregiveneachquarterthroughouttheyear.Moreinformationcan
befoundontheCTLwebsite: http://ctl.stanford.edu/
Enrollment: Allstudentsholdingassistantshipsmustbe enrolledforcourses(minimum8units)
duringthe quarterforwhichtheassistantshipappointmentisheld (includingSummerQuarter).
Although summerenrollmentisoptionalforstudentswhoarenotholdingassistantships,itis
mandatoryforresearch,teachingandcourseassistants.
Tuition:Thetuitiongrantthatispartofthecompensationpackage canbeused onlyfortuition
charges.Itisnottransferable forcash,cannotbeused by anotherstudent,andcannotbe usedfor
othercharges,suchasASSUfeesorhealthinsurance. Thetuitioncreditwillappearonthestudent
bill afterthestudenthasenrolled foraminimumof8units,or37unitsifapetitionhasbeen
approvedforadisabilityorfinalquarterregistration.StudentswithapprovedTGRstatusmust
enroll fortheTGRcourse.Studentswhohave beenapprovedforGraduationQuartermustenroll
intheTGRcourse(PhD)ortheSPECcourse(MS).
Tuitionpayment: Theamountoftuitionpaid isbasedonthetotalpercentageoftimeemployedin
anygivenquarter,asshown below.Thestudentmustbeappointedfortheentirequarterorthe
tuition chargeswillbe billed back tothestudent.Engineerand Ph.D.studentswhoareeligiblefor
TGRwillreceive onlytheTGRtuitionrateregardlessofthepercentageoftheappointment.
Studentsintheirfinalquarterwithanapprovedreducedtuitionratewillonlyreceiveatuition
grantforthenumberofunitstaken.Studentsintheirgraduationquarterwillreceivetuitionin
theamountof$100.

19

UseofallcreditWiththeexceptionofTGRstatusstudents,studentsonassistantshipsmust
enrollforaminimumof8units(withsomeexceptions,listedabove).Studentswith halftime
assistantships(50%timeor20hoursperweek)areentitledtoreceivetuitioncreditfor810units
perquarter.Studentswith 25%assistantships(10hoursperweek)receive5unitsoftuitioncredit
andarerequiredto pay the remainingtuitiondue.
Studentswith50%appointmentsaretypicallyexpectedtoworkamaximumof20hoursperweek
inadditiontocarryingan 810unitloadperquarter.Studentswith25%appointmentswork10
hoursperweekinadditiontocarryingaunitloadof810ormorequarter.Anacademicquarter
lasts12workingweeks,includingtheexamweek.Some assignmentswillrequiretheassistantto
startoneweek beforethequarterbegins.
Theassistantshipsalary andtuitioncreditbeginsandendsasfollows:
AutumnQuarter:October1December31(firstpaycheckavailable10/22andlastcheck1/7)
WinterQuarter:January1March31(firstpaycheck available1/22andlastcheck4/7)
SpringQuarter:April1June30(firstpaycheckavailable4/22andlastcheck7/7)
SummerQuarter:July1September30(firstpaycheckavailable7/22andlastcheck10/7)
Thecheckcutonthe22nd ofthemonthcoversworkcompletedfromthe1st throughthe15th.The
checkcutonthe7th ofthemonthcoversworkcompletedfromthe16th throughthe31st oftheprior
month.Forexample,ifyoustartworkingonOctober1st,yourfirstpaycheck onOctober22will
coveryourpayperiodOctober115.Yoursecondpaycheck,forthepayperiodOctober1631,
willbecutonNovember7th.Thesearetheformalperiodsusedfordeliveryofsalarypayments.
Studentswhoarerequiredtostartworkbeforethequarterbeginsreceivenoextraallowance,but
the researchorteachingsupervisorshould adjustthe schedulesoitdoesnotexceedthenorm.We
highlyrecommendsettingupdirectdeposittoavoidlostchecksintheU.S.mail.
Assistantshipappointmentsareforafullquartertherearenopartialquarterassistantships
available.StudentsonassistantshipswholeavetheUniversityforanyreason mustcontactthe
StudentServicesOfficetoensurethattheappointmentiscanceled.Inthiscase,ifanassistantship
isnotcanceledandpaymentcontinues,thestudentwillberesponsibleforrepaymentofsalary,
plusanyfeesincurred.Ifyouknowinadvancethatyouwillnotbeabletoworkforthewhole
quarter,youmaybeabletoworkasanhourlyemployeeinstead.However,tuitionbenefitsarenot
partofhourlyemploymentagreements.
SummerQuarterRAappointments: During SummerQuarter,itmaybepossibleforyouto
workmorethan50%time ifyourresearchsupervisorhasadequatefundingandallowsforit.Itis
quitecommonforRAappointmentstobeincreasedto75%oreven90%time.A90%appointment
isthemaximumallowableforenrolledstudents.Pleasenotethatyoumustenrollifyouaregoing
toworkasanassistantduring SummerQuarter.Failuretoenrollwillresultinpaymentsbeing
withheld.During SummerQuarter,thetuitionbenefitisinreverseproportiontothenumberof
hoursworked.Forexample,50%appointmentspaythe810unitrate,but75%appointmentspay
only 5unitsand 90%appointmentspayfor3units.Youshouldenrollinthecorrectnumberof
unitsaccordingtohowmuchyourtuitiongrantwillbe.Ifyoudecidethatyoudonotwanttoenroll
during SummerQuarter,youmayaskyourresearchsupervisorabouttheoptiontoworkhourly.

20

NOTE:TGRstudentsmustenrollintheTGRcourse.SinceTGRtuitionisalittlemorethanthe1
3unitrate,youmaytakeuptothreeunitsinadditiontotheTGRcourseandthetuitionwillbe
paid.However,ifyoutakemorethan3unitsduringaTGRquarter,youwillberesponsiblefor
payinganyextratuition.(ThisappliestoallTGRquarters,notjustSummerQuarter.) Pleasenote
thatyoumaynottakecoursesnecessaryforadegreerequirement(includingaPhDminor)whileon
TGRstatus.
Aninfrequent,butpossible,situationariseswhenastudentwhoisworkingasa90%RAduring
thesummerisalsoplanningtogoTGRduringthatSummerQuarter.Youshouldbeawarethatit
wouldsaveyourresearchsupervisorsomemoneyifyoudelaygoingTGRuntil Autumn Quarter,
sincethetuitiongrantfora90%RAappointmentwillcovereithertheTGRrateorthe3unitrate.
The3unitrateisactuallyafewhundreddollarslessthantheTGRrate.Thebestsolutionisto
enrollin3unitsforSummerQuarter,andthenapplyforTGRstatusinautumn.
WorkinAdditiontoanAppointmentorStanfordFellowship:Employmentinadditiontoa
50%assistantshiporfullfellowshipmustbeformallyapprovedbythefacultysupervisorand
cannotexceedmorethan8hoursperweek.ThispolicyismonitoredverycloselybytheSchool
ofEngineeringStudentAffairsOffice.StudentsontheGraduateEngineeringFellowship,Stanford
GraduateFellowshipandNSFshouldconsulttheMEStudentServicesOfficepriortoaccepting
employment.ImmigrationregulationsprohibitInternationalstudentsonFandJvisastoworkin
additionto a50%assistantshipwhileenrolledfulltime. Internationalstudentsmustbe awareof
visarestrictions. Informationonvisasshouldbeobtainedfromthe BechtelInternationalCenteras
theyhavetheexpertiseonthese regulations.
Benefits: Studentsonassistantshipsdonotaccruesickleaveorvacation.Timeoffissubjectto
theapprovalofthefacultysupervisorandmustberequestedwellinadvance.
HealthSubsidy:Studentswhohave RA/TA/CAappointmentsofatleast25%timeforanygiven
quarterareeligiblefortheuniversityhealthsubsidy,whichwillpayonehalfoftheCardinalCare
healthpremium,shouldyouchoosetoenrollinCardinalCare.Youareresponsibleforpayingthe
otherhalf.Inordertoreceivethesubsidy,yourappointmentmustbefully approvedbythe
supervisor,allpaperworkmustbesignedandsubmittedontime,andyoumustbeenrolledin
coursesbytheStudyListDeadline.Ifyoufailtomeetanyoftheserequirementsduringanygiven
quarter,youwillforfeityourhealthsubsidyforthatquarter.

21

Fellowships: Stanfordfellowshipsand outsidefellowshipsthatareprocessedbyStanfordare

paidonaquarterly basis.The tuitioniscreditedtothestudentsaccountdirectly andthe Student
FinancialServicesoffice willdeductfeessuchashousingand healthinsurance from thestipend.
Theremainderwillbedepositeddirectlytoyourbankaccountifyouhaverequesteddirectdeposit,
ormailedtoyourmailingaddress. Wehighlyrecommenddirectdepositforthemostconvenient
andtimelyreceiptofstipendpayments.
Note:Ifyouare appointedto anassistantshipwhenyourfellowshipends,keepinmindthatthere
willbeatwoweekdelaybeforeyourfirstassistantshippaycheckisissued. Youalsomustfile
employmentpaperworkattheonsetofyourassistantship.PleasestopbytheStudentServices
Officeformoreinformation.
HealthSubsidy: Studentswhoreceive anontuitionstipendatorabovetheminimumsalaryfora
25%assistantship(CAorRA)foranygivenquarterareeligiblefortheuniversityhealthsubsidy,
whichwillpayonehalfoftheCardinalCarehealthpremium.Youareresponsibleforpayingthe
otherhalf.Inordertoreceivethesubsidy,yourfellowshipmustbefullyapprovedontime,andyou
mustbeenrolledincoursesbytheStudyListDeadline.Ifyoufailtomeetanyofthese
requirementsduringanygivenquarter,youwillforfeityourhealthsubsidyforthatquarter.

22

HOWTOOBTAINPAYMENT
ResponsibilityofProcessingPayment: Studentspaid by mechanicalengineeringaccountsmust
ensure thatallnecessary documentationiscompletedandsubmitted appropriately.Delayswillnot
onlydelaypayment,butmay resultinthelossoftheUniversitysstudenthealthsubsidy.Itis
stronglyadvisedthatstudentsbe proactive tomake surethattheassistantshipisprocessed wellin
advanceoftheanticipatedstartdate.Studentswhoneed helpshouldcontacttheMechanical
EngineeringStudentServicesOffice and/ortheirgroupadministrator.
SocialSecurityNumber:Studentsreceivingresearch orteachingassistantshipsmustobtaina
socialsecuritynumber.InternationalstudentsonStanfordbasedfellowshipsaretoobtainan
IndividualTaxIdentificationNumber(ITIN)fromtheBechtelInternational StudentCenterin
ordertoreceivetheirfellowshipfunds.
Internationalstudentswhodo nothaveasocialsecuritynumbermustapplyforonethroughthe
SocialSecurityAdministrativeOffice. Asnationalsecurityconcernshaveincreasedoverthelast
fewyears,federalregulations,policiesandproceduresevolverapidly.Inordertoensurethatyou
havethemostupdatedinformationonhowtoapplyforand obtainasocialsecuritycard,pleasesee
theBechtelInternationalStudentCenterwebsite:
http://icenter.stanford.edu/quick_reference/soc_sec.html
Note: Inaresponsetonationalsecurityandfraudconcerns,theSocialSecurityAdministration
hasimplemented policy thatrequiresverificationofcertaininformationonan Immigrationand
NaturalizationServices(INS)database. TheSocialSecurityAdministration stronglysuggeststhat
astudentwait1012daysafterarriving to theUnitedStatesbefore applying fortheSocialSecurity
Number.Thiswillallowadequatetimeforinformationverification.
TheclosestSocialSecurityAdministrationofficeislocatedat:
700EastElCamino,Suite350,MountainView,CA94040
Office Hours:MF9:00amto4:30pm
Phone: 18007721213
Youcanfindamapandotherinformationhere: https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/fo001.jsp
Note: Youmustapplyinperson.
Onceyouhaveappliedforthesocialsecuritynumber,bringyourreceipttotheMEStudent
ServicesOffice.We can use acopyofthereceiptforpayrollpurposes,butyoumustprovide a
copyofyoursocialsecuritycardonceyoureceiveit.

23

TaxesandTaxReporting:
a) The tuitionportionoffellowshipsandassistantshipsisexemptfromtax.
b) Allstipendsandsalariesaresubjecttotax. Theamountoftaxvariesaccordingtototal

income,dependencystatus,treatystatusforInternationalstudents,andindividual
circumstances.
c) Assistantshipsalariesaresubjectto taxwithholding.
d) FellowshipstipendspaidtoU.S.citizensandpermanentresidentarenotsubjectto
withholding,butarestilltaxableincome.Studentsareresponsibleformakingestimatetax
paymentsduringtheyear,ifappropriate.
e) FellowshipstipendspaidtononUScitizensorpermanentresidentsaresubjectto 14%tax
withholding.
TheStudentServicesOfficeisunable provideadviceorassistancewithtaxes.Studentsare
encouragedtoseektheadviceoftaxconsultantsoraccountants. Pleasecheckthephonebookif
youneedtomeetwithone.Youmayalsofindhelpfulinformationonthiswebsite:
http://fingate.stanford.edu/students/taxinfo/tax_citizen_residalien.html
EligibilitytoWorkRequirement: Perfederalregulations,individualswhoarepaidonthe
Stanfordpayroll(assistantships,hourlyappointments,etc.)musthaveanI9(identificationand
workeligibilityform)onfilepriortocommencementofemployment.The I9formrequiresthe
individualto provide appropriatedocumentation toprove eligibility forwork(socialsecuritycard,
birth certificate,currentdriverslicense).Studentsonvisasmustshow acurrentpassportand the
currentvisa. TheI9mustbe renewedwhenthevisaisextended.ExpiredvisaswillcausetheI9
toexpireandthestudentsappointmentwillautomaticallybecanceled.PleasestopbytheStudent
ServicesOfficetofileyourI9form,ifrequired.
PatentAgreement:Thepatentagreementformisrequired forall students.Ifyoudidnotreceivea
form,pleasecontacttheStudentServicesOffice.
EnglishPlacementExam: InternationalstudentsfromnonEnglishspeakingcountriesarerequired
totakeandpasstheEnglishPlacementExaminationpriortothestartoftheirTeachingorCourse
Assistantshipappointment.ContacttheMEStudentServicesfordetails.
PartTimeEmployment:Graders
Gradersarehired directly bytheinstructorofacourse,iftheinstructorhassecuredabudgetfora
grader.Gradersarepaidonanhourlybasisandthereisnotuitionbenefit. Thestudentmust
obtaininformationaboutthejobexpectationsandlimitationsonhoursfromthehiringinstructor
directly. StudentswhoacceptanMEgraderposition should workwiththeirgroupadministrator
forpayrollprocessing. Onlinetimesheetsshould besubmitted twiceamonth(by noonon the15th
and the lastdayofthemonth)andrequire approvalby the appropriateGroupAdministrator.
Note: ThegroupthattheinstructorisaffiliatedwithdetermineswhotheGroupAdministratoris.
PleaseseetheGroupdescriptionsatthebeginningofthishandbook.
Note:StudentsonForJvisasarenotauthorized(perINSregulations)toperform hourly
workforadditional payif theyalsoholda50%assistantshipappointment.International
studentsshouldconsultwithBechtelInternationalStudentCenterforvisaandemployment
relatedquestions.

24

HOWTOOBTAINYOURMSDEGREE
ProgramProposal
Inaccordancewith University academicpolicy,MSstudentsarerequiredtofileaprogram
proposalbytheendofthe firstquarterofmatriculation(HonorsCoopStudentshaveuntil the 4th
quarter).The departmental deadlinetosubmittheproposalforstudentsstartingtheirfirstquarter
inSeptember2009isNOVEMBER2,2009.Thisappliesto all nonHCPMSstudentsincluding
thosepursuingtheMSinProductDesignand MSinBiomechanicalEngineering*.
Instructions
1. ObtaintheappropriateformfromtheMEStudentServicesOffice.
2. Typeorprintneatly. Coursetitlesandunitsmustbe included.Illegibleformswillnotbe

reviewedorprocessed.
3. Consultyouradvisorto obtainhis/hersignature.
4. SubmittheformtotheMEStudentServicesOfficeforreviewandfinalapproval.Keepacopy

foryourownrecords.
5. Proposalscantakeupto 14workingdaystobereviewedandprocessed.Axesswillindicate

theapprovalofyourproposalsundermilestones.Proposalsthatarenotapprovedwillbe
returnedtothestudentforrevision.
*Pleasenote:StudentsinterestedintheMSBMEprogrammustfilloutanonline Axesspetition
totransferprogramsfromMSMEtoMSENGRBMEPleasemakesuretovisittheStudent
ServicesOfficeBEFOREsubmittingtheonlinepetition.
Allprogramsaresubjectto theapprovalofthestudentsadvisorand theAssociateChairof
GraduateCurriculum(viatheStudentServicesManager).
ProgramProposalRevision
StudentswhoaltertheirMSprogram duringtheircourseofstudy mustsubmitanewprogram
proposalbythe thirdweekoftheirfinalquarter.Thisisafirmdeadlineandthereareno
exceptions. Studentswhofailtosubmitarevisedprogram sheetbythethirdweekofthefinal
quartermay be forcedtodelaygraduation.
Allprogramrevisionsare subjecttheapprovalofthestudentsadvisorand theAssociateChairof
GraduateCurriculum.

25

DegreeConferral
Studentsmustapply tograduateviaAxess.Duedatesarelistedonthefrontofthetimeschedule
andinAxess,aswellasintheacademiccalendarpostedbytheRegistrarsOffice.Thesedeadlines
arefirmandtheUniversitydoesnotmake exceptions.Ifyoumissthedeadline,youmaybeableto
petitionwiththeRegistrarsOfficetofileyourapplicationtograduatepastthedeadline.Late fees
willapply.
Registration isrequiredduringthedegreeconferralquarteryoucannotgraduateduringaquarter
inwhichyouarenotenrolled
TheStudentServicesstaffwillmakeeveryefforttocontactastudentwhosedegreerequirements
(i.e.missingforms,missinggrades)arenotmetpriorto submittingthelistsofgraduatingstudents
totheUniversityRegistrar.However,duetotimeconstraintsandotherdemandsimposedonthe
staff,youare responsible toensure youmeetallgraduationrequirements. Ifyouhavequestions
aboutgraduationanddegreerequirements,pleasecontacttheMEStudentServicesOffice.
Commencement
Commencementisheld annually eachJune.Therearetwoceremonies: theUniversityceremony
(mainevent)andthe Departmental DiplomaDistribution Ceremony.Informationabout
commencementistypicallyavailablearoundmidtolateApril.
DegreeFields
StudentsadmittedtotheMSin MechanicalEngineering willnothaveafieldlistedonthediploma
(i.e.Thermosciences,Design,FlowPhysics,Mechanics&Computation etc.). However,students
admittedtotheMSinProductDesignorMSinBiomechanicalEngineering willhave afield listed
on the diploma.
TimeLimits
TheUniversityhassetthefollowingtimelimitsfortheMSdegree:
1) HCP(honorscooperativestudents):FiveyearsfromthefirstquarterofenrollmentintheMS

program.
2) Coterminalstudents:Threeyearsafterthequarterinwhich180unitsarecompleted.
3) Allotherstudents:ThreeyearsfromthefirstquarterofenrollmentintheMSprogram.
ExtensionsoftimelimitsaresubjecttotheapprovaloftheDepartmentandtheSchoolof
Engineering.Studentshavingdifficultymeetingtheabovetimelimitsshouldconsulttheiradvisor
and/orthe StudentServicesManager.

26

MASTEROFSCIENCEINMECHANICALENGINEERING
ThefollowingrequirementsmustbemetfortheMSDegreeinMechanicalEngineering:
1. MathematicalFundamentals(6units):Twomathcoursesfromthefollowinglistarerequired

fortheMSdegree:ME300A,ME300B,ME300C,MATH106,MATH109,CS205AorB,
CME302,EE263,EE261,STATS110,STATS141orENGR155C.MATHandCMEcourses
withcatalognumbersgreaterthan200willalsocounttowardsthemathrequirement.Courses
shouldbechosenintwodifferentareasofmathematics(partialdifferentialequations,linear
algebra,complexvariables,numericalanalysisorstatistics).Coursestakenforthemath
requirementmustbetakenforagrade.
2. DepthinMechanicalEngineering: "Depth"referstoaclusterofcourseswiththematic

and/ortechnicalcontinuitythatenablesastudenttostudyapartofmechanicalengineeringin
moredepth,withmorefocus,andoveraperiodoftime.Adepthclusterorareatypicallyis
madeupof1012units(23courses).Thedepthareasdescribedonthefollowingpageshave
beenapprovedbythefacultyasprovidingdepthinspecificareasaswellasasignificant
componentofapplicationsofthematerialinthecontextofengineeringsynthesis.Courses
takeninthedepthareamustbetaken foragrade.
3. BreadthinMechanicalEngineering:"Breadth"referstograduatelevelMEcoursesoutside

ofthestudent'sdeptharea.Theintentisforstudentstoengageincourseworkinareasof
mechanicalengineeringoutsideofthedepthtobroadenunderstandingandcompetencyina
widerrangeoftopics. Twocoursesarerequiredfromthelistofeligiblebreadthcourses
describedundereachdeptharea. Coursestakeninthebreadthareamustbetakenforagrade.
4. SufficientMechanicalEngineeringCoursework: Studentsmusttakeaminimumof24units
ofcourseworkinmechanicalengineeringtopics.Forthepurposesofdeterminingmechanical
engineeringtopics,anycourseonapprovedlistsforthemathrequirement,depthrequirement
andbreadthrequirementcountstowardstheseunits.Inaddition,any graduatelevelcourse
withaMEcoursenumberisconsideredamechanicalengineeringtopic.Research (independent
study)unitscannotcounttowardsthe24unitsofMEcoursework.
5. ApprovedElectives: Additionalgraduateengineering,mathandsciencecourseswillbringthe
totalnumberofunitstoatleast39. Alloftheseunitsmustbeapprovedbythestudents
advisor.Graduateengineering,mathandsciencecoursesarenormallyapproved.Ofthese39
units,nomorethan6unitsmaycomefromindependentstudy(ME391and392)andnomore
than3unitsmaycomefromseminars.AstudentplanningtocontinueforaPh.D.shouldhave
adiscussionwiththeacademicadvisorabouttakingME391or392during themasters
program.Approvedelectivesmustbetakenforagradeunlessgradesarenotanoption(e.g.
seminarsandME391and392).
Note:StudentsparticipatinginME391or392shouldmakethenecessaryarrangementswitha
memberofthefaculty.Inaddition,thefacultymemberandthestudentshoulddeterminethe
numberofunitsforthecourse.ME391and392mayonlybetakenonacredit/nocreditbasis.If
astudenttakesanindependentstudyinadifferentdepartment,thegradingoptionshouldbe
credit/nocredit.
6.UnrestrictedElectives: Thesecourseswillbringthetotalnumberofunitssubmittedforthe
MSdegreeto45.Studentsarestronglyencouragedtotaketheseunitsoutsideofengineering,
mathematicsorthesciences.Studentsshouldconsulttheiradvisorforrecommendationson
27

courseloadsandonwaystousetheunrestrictedelectivestomakeamanageableprogram.
Unrestrictedelectivesmaybetakencredit/nocredit.
7. LaboratoryRequirement:Withinthecoursessatisfyingtherequirementsabove,theremustbe
atleastonegraduatelevelcoursewithalaboratorycomponent.Courseswhichsatisfythis
requirementareENGR206,ENGR341,ME203,ME210,ME218ABCD,ME220,
ME310ABC,ME317AB,ME318,ME323,ME324,ME348,ME354,ME367,ME382AB,or
ME385.ME391/392willsatisfythisrequirementif3unitsaretakenforworkinvolving
laboratoryexperiments.

Coursesusedtofulfillmath,depth,breadth,laboratoryrequirementandapprovedelectives
requirementsmustbetakenforalettergradeexceptwhen credit/nocreditisgiventoallstudents.
Upto3unitsofapprovedelectivesmaybetakenasseminars.
CandidatesfortheMSMEdegreeareexpectedtohaveaminimumGPAof2.75inthe45units
countedtowardsthedegree.

28

DEPTHANDBREADTHAREASFORTHEMSMEDEGREE
Note:CoursedescriptionsandavailabilityshouldbecheckedusingtheStanfordBulletinandthe
QuarterlyTimeSchedulesascourseofferingsaresubjecttochange.
Instructions
Depth Selectoneareaasyourspecialty
Breadth Selecttwocourses(6units)fromarea(s)outsideyourdepth,asnotedineachdepth
areadescription.
Coursesmarkedwith*indicatethattheyarenotofferedin 20092010
1. AutomaticControls (anythreeofthefollowing):

ENGR105
ENGR205
ENGR206*
ENGR207A*
ENGR207B
ENGR209A
ME323*

FeedbackControlDesign
IntroductiontoControlDesignTechniques(FormerlyME305)
ControlSystemDesign
ModernControlDesignI
LinearControlSystemsII
AnalysisandControlofNonlinearSystems
ModelingandIdentificationofMechanicalSystems

3Units
3Units
4Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Breadth: IfdepthisAutomaticControls(Area1),selectany twocourses(6units)fromoneor

twoofareas:214.
2. BiomechanicalEngineering
Depth:Threecoursestotalingatleast9unitsarerequired. TakethreecoursesfromGroup
AortwocoursesfromGroupAandonecoursefromGroupB
#Indicatesentiresequencemustbetaken.
GroupA
ME239
ME280
ME281
ME284A
ME284B
ME287
ME294
ME337*
ME381
ME382A#*
ME382B#*
ME386*
ME385*
ME484
ME485*

MechanicsoftheCell
SkeletalDevelopmentandEvolution
BiomechanicsofMovement
CardiovascularBioengineering
CardiovascularBioengineering
SoftTissueMechanics
MedicalDevice Design
MechanicsofGrowth
OrthopaedicBioengineering
MedicalDeviceDesign
MedicalDeviceDesign
NeuromuscularBiomechanics
TissueEngineeringLab
Comp.MethodsinCardio.Bioengineering
Modeling&SimulationofHumanMovement

29

3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
4Units
4Units
3Units
12Units
3Units
3Units

GroupB
ME331A
ME331B
ME338A
ME340B*
ME351A
ME351B

ClassicalDynamics
AdvancedDynamics
ContinuumMechanics
ElasticityinMicroscopeStructures
FluidMechanics
FluidMechanics

3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisBiomechanicalEngineering(Area2),selectany twocourses(6units)from
oneortwoofareas1,314.IfdepthisotherthanBiomechanicalEngineering(Area2),selectany
coursesfromlistAabove.
3.Mechatronics(anytwoofthefollowing):
ME218A
ME218B
ME218C

SmartProductDesignFundamentals
SmartProductDesignApplications
SmartProductDesignPractice

45Units
45Units
45Units

Breadth: IfdepthisMechatronics(Area3),selectany twocoursesfromoneortwoofthe

followingareas:12,414.IfdepthisinanareaotherthanMechatronics,ME210maybetakenas
abreadthcourseinMechatronics.
4. DesignMethodology(allthreemustbetaken)
ME310A
ME310B
ME310C

ProjectBasedEngineeringDesign,Innovation&Development
ProjectBasedEngineeringDesign,Innovation&Development
ProjectBasedEngineeringDesign,Innovation&Development

4Units
4Units
4Units

Breadth: IfdepthisDesignMethodology(Area4),selectany twocourses(6units)fromoneor

twoofthefollowingareas:13,514.IfdepthisinanareaotherthanDesignMethodology,
ME318andME324maybetakenasbreadthcoursesinDesignMethodology.

5. DesignforManufacturability(bothmustbetaken)
ME317A
ME317B

DesignforManufacturability:ProductDefinition
DesignforManufacturability:QualitybyDesign

4Units
4Units

PLUSONEOFTHEFOLLOWING
MS&E264
ME310A
ME417

Sustainable ProductDevelopment&Manufacturing
ProjectBasedEngineeringDesign,Innovation&
Development
TotalProductIntegrationEngineering

3 Units
4 Units
4Units

Breadth:IfdepthisDesignforManufacturability(Area5),selectany twocoursesfromoneor
twoofthefollowingareas:14,614.

30

6.FluidMechanics(bothmustbetaken)
ME351A
ME351B

FluidMechanics
FluidMechanics

3Units
3Units

PLUSONEOFTHEFOLLOWING
ME355
CompressibleFlow
3Units
ME361
Turbulence
3Units
ME451A/B/C* AdvancedFluidMechanics
3UnitsEach
ME457
FluidFlowinMicrodevices
3Units
ME461
AdvancedTopicsinTurbulence
3Units
StudentswithexceptionallystrongbackgroundsinFluidMechanicsmaysubstituteME351A
and/orME351Bwithothercourseslistedinthisdeptharea(withadvisorsconsent)
Breadth:IfdepthisFluidMechanics(Area6),selectany twocoursesfromoneortwoofthe
followingareas:15,7(excluding352C),814.
7.EnergySystems(allthreeofthefollowing)
ME370A
ME370B
ME370C

EnergySystemsI:Thermodynamics
EnergySystemsII:ModelingandAdvancedConcepts
EnergySystemsIII:Projects

3Units
4Units
4Units

Breadth:IfdepthisEnergySystems(Area7),selectany twocoursesfromoneortwoofthe
followingareas:16,814.
8. HeatTransfer(anythreeofthefollowing)
ME352A*
ME352B
ME352C
ME358

RadiativeHeatTransfer
FundamentalsofHeatConduction
ConvectiveHeatTransfer
HeatTransferinMicrodevices

3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisHeatTransfer(Area8),selectany twocoursesfromoneortwoofthe
followingareas:15,6(okayifdepthdoesnotinclude352C),7,914.

31

9. HighTemperatureGasDynamics
ME362A

PhysicalGasDynamics

3Units

PLUSTWOOFTHEFOLLOWING
ME364
ME362B*
ME371
ME372

OpticalDiagnosticsandSpectroscopy
NonequilibriumProcessesinHighTemperatureGases
CombustionFundamentals
CombustionApplications

3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisHighTemperatureGasDynamics(Area9),selectany twocoursesfromone
ortwoofthefollowingareas:17,1014.
10. SolidMechanics
Anythreeofthefollowing
ME333
ME335A
ME335B
ME335C
ME338A
ME338B*
ME340B*

Mechanics
FiniteElementAnalysis
FiniteElementAnalysis
IntroductiontoBoundaryElementAnalysis
ContinuumMechanics
ContinuumMechanics
Elasticityin MicroscopicStructures

3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisSolidMechanics(Area10),selectany twocoursesfromoneortwoofthe
followingareas:19,1114.IfdepthisinanareaotherthanSolidMechanics,ME337*,ME339
andME346ABmaybetakenasbreadthcoursesinSolidMechanics.
11.Dynamics(Bothmustbetaken),plusonemorecourseapprovedbytheadvisor
ME331A
ME331B

ClassicalDynamics
AdvancedDynamicsandSimulation

3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisDynamics(Area11),selectanytwocoursesfromoneortwoofthefollowing
areas:110,1214.

32

12.MEMS
Threecoursesrequired.
Twoorthreeofthefollowing:
ENGR240
ENGR341
ENGR342
ME358
ME414
ME457

IntrotoM/NEMS
Micro/NanoSystemsDesign&FabricationLab
MEMSLabII
HeatTransferinMicrodevices
SolidStatePhysicsIssuesforMEExperiments
FluidFlowinMicrodevices

3Units
35Units
34Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Plusoneofthefollowing(ifonlytwoweretakenfromabove)
EE312
MATSCI316

MicromachinedSensorsandActuators
NanoscaleScience,EngineeringandTechnology

3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisMEMS(Area12),selectanytwocoursesfromoneortwoofthefollowing
areas:111,13,14
13.RoboticsandKinematics(anythreeofthefollowing)
CS223A
CS225A
CS327A
ME322*
ME326*
ME330

IntroductiontoRobotics(FormerlyME320)
ExperimentalRobotics
AdvancedRobotics(FormerlyME327A)
KinematicSynthesisofMechanisms
TeleroboticsandHumanRobotInteractions
AdvancedKinematics

3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisRoboticsandKinematics(Area13),selectanytwocoursesfromoneortwo
ofthefollowingareas:112,14.
14.MaterialsandStressAnalysis(anythreeofthefollowing)
MATSCI270*
orME219
ME345
ME348
ME309

MaterialsSelectioninDesign
MagicofMaterialsandManufacturing
FatigueDesignandAnalysis
ExperimentalStressAnalysis
FiniteElementAnalysisinMechanicalDesign

3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units
3Units

Breadth:IfdepthisMaterialsandStressAnalysis(Area14),selectanytwocoursesfromoneor
twoofthefollowingareas:113.

33

MASTEROFSCIENCEINENGINEERING
FieldDesignation:BiomechanicalEngineering
TheMasterofScienceinEngineering:BiomechanicalEngineering(MSE:BME)promotesthe
integrationofengineeringmechanicsanddesignwiththelifesciences.Theeligibilityrequirements
forthisdegreeprogramarethesameasfortheMasterofScienceinMechanicalEngineering.
Applicantsareexpectedtohaveanadditionalexposuretobiologyand/orbioengineeringintheir
undergraduatestudies.Studentsplanningforsubsequentmedicalschoolstudiesareadvisedto
contactStanfordsPremedicalAdvisingOfficeinSweetHall.
Inadditiontotheaboveeligibilityrequirements,studentswishingtopursuethisprogrammustget
approvalfromtheStudentServicesOfficeandthencompletetheonlineGraduateAuthorization
Petition.
DegreeRequirements:
1. Mathematicalcompetence(min6units)intwoofthefollowingareas:partialdifferential
equations,linearalgebra,complexvariables,ornumericalanalysis,asdemonstratedby
completionoftwoappropriatecoursesfromthefollowinglist:ME300A,B,CMATH106,
MATH109,MATH113,MATH131M/P,MATH132STATS110,orENGR155CCME108,
CME302.
Studentswhohavecompletedcomparablegraduatelevelcoursesasanundergraduate,and
whocandemonstratetheircompetencetothesatisfactionoftheinstructorsoftheStanford
courses,maybewaivedviapetitionfromthisrequirementbytheiradvisorandtheStudent
ServicesOffice.Theapprovedequivalentcoursesshouldbeplacedintheapprovedelectives
categoryoftheprogramproposal.
2. GraduateLevelEngineeringCourses(minimum21units),consistingof
a) Biomechanicalengineeringrestrictedelectives(9units)tobeselectedfrom:ME280,
ME281,ME284A,ME287,ME337,ME339,ME381,ME382AB,orME385.
b) Specialtyinengineering(912units):Asetofthreeorfourgraduatelevelcoursesin
engineeringmechanics,materials,controls,ordesign(excludingbioengineeringcourses)
selectedtoprovidedepthinonearea.SuchsetshavebeenapprovedbytheMechanical
Engineeringfaculty.Comparablespecialtysetscomposedofgraduateengineeringcourses
outsidetheMechanicalEngineeringDepartmentcanbeusedwiththeapprovalofthe
studentsadvisor.ExamplescanbeobtainedfromtheBiomechanicalEngineeringGroup
Office(Durand223).
c) Graduateengineeringelectives(tobringthetotalnumberofgraduatelevelengineering
unitstoatleast21).Theseelectivesmustcontributetoacohesivedegreeprogram,andbe
approvedbythestudentsadvisor.Nounitsmaycomefrombioengineeringcourses,
mathematicscourses,orseminars.

34

3. Lifescienceapprovedelectives(minimum6units):Undergraduateorgraduate
biological/medicalscience/chemistrycourseswhichcontributetoacohesiveprogram.
4. BiomechanicalengineeringseminarME398.
5. Generalapprovedelectives(tobringthetotalnumberofunitsto39):Thesecoursesmustbe
approvedbythestudentsadvisor.Graduatelevelengineering,math,physicalsciencecourses
andupperdivisionundergraduateorgraduatelifesciencecoursesarenormallyapproved.
6. Unrestrictedelectives(tobringthetotalnumberofunitsto45):Studentswithout
undergraduatebiologyareencouragedtousesomeoftheseunrestrictedunitstostrengthen
theirbiologybackground.Studentsshouldconsulttheiradvisorforrecommendationson
courseloadsandonwaystousetheunrestrictedelectivestocreateamanageableprogram.
All coursesexceptunrestrictedelectivesmustbetakenforalettergradeunlesslettergrades
arenotanoption.

35

MASTEROFSCIENCEINENGINEERING
FieldDesignation:ProductDesign
TheJointPrograminDesignfocusesonthesynthesisoftechnologywithhumanneedsandvalues
tocreateinnovativeproductexperiences.Thisprogramisoffered jointly by theMechanical
EngineeringDepartmentandtheArtDepartment.Itprovidesadesigneducationthatintegrates
technical,human,aesthetic,andbusinessconcerns.Studentsenteringtheprogramfromthe
engineeringsideearnaMasterofScienceinEngineeringwithaconcentrationinProductDesign,
andthosefromtheartsideaMasterofFineArts. Studentscompletethecoreproductdesign
coursesintheirfirstyearofgraduatestudyatStanfordbeforeundertakingtheMastersprojectin
theirsecondyear.
DegreeRequirements(60unitstotal)
ME313

HumanValues&InnovationinDesign

3Units

ME203

DesignandManufacturing

4Units

ARTSTUDI60

DesignI:FundamentalVisualLanguage

3Units

ME216A

AdvancedProductDesign:Needfinding

4Units

ME312

AdvancedProductDesign:Formgiving

4Units

ARTSTUDI160

DesignII:TheBridge

3Units

ME311

DesignStrategyandLeadership

4Units

ME316ABC*

MastersDesignProject

12UnitsTotal

ARTSTUDI360ABC* MastersDesignProject

6Units

ME365

StructureofDesignResearch

13Units

ApprovedElectives**

16Units

*ME316ABCandArtStudio360ABCaretaken concurrentlyforthreequartersduringthe
secondyear.
**Approvedelectivesfulfillcareerobjectives.Studentsmayfocustheirenergyinengineering,
entrepreneurship,business,psychology,orotherareasrelevanttodesign.Moststudentselecta
broadbasedapproachthatspansthesedomainsandincreasestheirdesign,technology,businessor
culturalawareness.Approvedelectivesmustbediscussedwiththestudentsadvisor.
Note:Aleast21unitsmusthaveSchoolofEngineeringcoursenumbersof200orabove,andall
requiredcoursesandapprovedelectivesmustbetakenforalettergradeunlesspriorapprovalhas
beenobtained.
AminimumGPAof2.75inthe60unitprogramisrequiredforgraduation.

36

MASTEROFSCIENCEINENGINEERING(nofielddesignation)
AsdescribedintheSchoolofEngineeringsectionoftheBulletin,each departmentintheSchoolof
Engineeringmaysponsorstudentsinamoregeneraldegree,theMasterofScience in Engineering.
SponsorshipbytheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineeringrequiresthatthestudentsubmita
petitionforadmissiontothisprogram andthatthecenterofgravityoftheproposedprogramlie
inMechanicalEngineering.Thepetitionmustbesubmittednolaterthanthe2nd quarteroftheMS
program,alongwithastatementexplainingtheobjectivesoftheprogram,howitiscoherent,
containsdepth,andfulfillswelldefinedcareerobjectives.Theproposedprogrammustincludea
minimumof9unitsofgraduatelevelworkintheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineering.The
graduationrequirementsarethesameasfortheMasterofSciencein Mechanical Engineering.
Ifyouchoosetogothisroute,pleasebesurethatyouareincludedintheemailliststhatare
managedbytheStudentServicesOffice intheMechanicalEngineeringDepartment.Sincestudents
followingthispathareconsideredstudentsoftheSchoolofEngineering(asopposedtothe
DepartmentofMechanicalEngineering)importantcommunicationsoriginatedfromthe
MechanicalEngineeringDepartmentmaynotreachyouifyouarenotproactiveinthisregard.

37

DEGREEOFENGINEER
The basicUniversityrequirementsforthedegreeofEngineerare describedinthe Degreesection
oftheStanfordBulletin.Theprogramisdesignedforstudentswhodesire toengageinmore
specializedstudythantheMSstudents,andwho plan totakeupprofessionalengineeringwork
upongraduation.
TheadmissionstandardsforthisprogramaresubstantiallythesameasfortheMastersdegree.
However,since thesissupervisionisrequired,thedepartmentcannotadmitastudenttothe
programuntilthestudenthaspersonallyarranged forafaculty membertosupervise theirresearch
project.Thiswillfrequentlyinvolveapaidresearchassistantshipawardedby an individual faculty
member(usually on asponsoredresearchproject).StudentsstudyingfortheirMastersdegreeat
Stanford whowish tocontinuefortheEngineersdegreeordinarilymakesucharrangementsduring
theirMSprogram.
Thedepartmentrequirementsforthedegreeinclude athesis,forwhich upto18unitsofcreditwill
beallowed(ME400). Inadditiontothethesis,27unitsofapprovedcourseworkinmathematics,
scienceand engineeringarerequiredbeyondtherequirementsfortheMasterofSciencedegree.
Thechoiceofcoursesissubjecttotheapprovaloftheadvisor.Studentswhohavenotfulfilledthe
StanfordMSdegreerequirementswillberequiredtodoso(upto45unitsmaybetransferred via
petition foran MSdegree received fromanotherinstitution).Atotalof90unitsisrequiredforthe
program.
Allcandidatesforthedegree ofEngineerwillbeexpectedtohavetheapprovalofthefacultyand
tohaveaminimumgradepointaverageof3.0forallcourses(exclusiveofthesiscredit)taken
beyondthoserequiredfortheMastersdegree.

38

DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
ThebasicUniversity requirementsarediscussedintheDegreessectionoftheStanfordBulletin.
The Ph.D.degreeisintendedprimarilyforstudentswho planforacareerinresearch orteaching.
Fortheseendeavorsabroadbackgroundinmathematicsand engineering,along withintensive
studyandresearchexperience,isnecessary.
Sincethesissupervisionisrequired,admissionisnotgranteduntilthestudenthaspersonally
arrangedforfundingandsupervisionbyafacultymember.
MSStudentsinterestedincontinuingtowardsaPh.D.degreemustsecurefundingand faculty
supervision.Ifthefacultyadvisorisemeritusorfromanotherdepartment,acoadvisorfromMEis
required.Onceaccomplished,aGraduateAuthorizationPetitionanddepartmentalcoversheet
mustbecompletedandsubmittedtotheMEStudentServicesOfficewellinadvanceoftheMS
degreeconferral.FailuretosubmitthispetitionontimewillforcetheMSstudenttoapplyforthe
Ph.D.programthroughtheregularadmissionsprocess,payapplicationfees,etc.Pleasecontactthe
MEStudentServicesOfficewithquestions.
StepstoObtainthe Ph.D.Degree
1. Ph.D.QualifyingExamination:Duringthefirstyearofpostmastersstudy,astudentis
expectedtotakeandpassthe Ph.D.qualifyingexamination.Note:onoccasion,anoutstanding
MSstudentisencouragedbyfacultytopursuethePh.D.programandisrecommendedtotake
thequalifyingexam.Pleasebeawarethatpassingthequalifyingexamalonewillnotgainyou
admissiontothePh.D.program.Afterpassingthequalifyingexam,securingfundingand
programsupervision,youmustalso completethe GraduateAuthorizationPetition and
departmentalcoversheet,andsubmitthem priortoconferralofyourMSdegree.Detailsfor
theproceduresofthequalifying examfollowthissectioninthehandbook.
2. Ph.D.candidacy:ToachievePh.D.candidacystatus,thestudentmustfilethePh.D.
candidacyform(Universitypolicyrequiresthatthisformbefiledbytheendofthe6th quarter
ofthestudentspostmastersregistration). Thisusuallytakesplaceimmediatelyfollowing
successfulcompletionofthequalifyingexam.Stanfordfundingandfutureregistrationwillbe
placedonholduntilthestudentcomplieswiththepolicy.Thecandidacyformistobe
approved andsignedbytheadvisorandtheAssociateChairofGraduateCurriculum(viathe
MEStudentServicesOffice).Studentsareexpectedto completetheirprogramwithinfive
yearsfromthedatethatcandidacyisgranted.
3. Readingcommittee: AfterattainingPh.D.Candidacy,inconsultationwiththeadvisor,the
studentmustformareadingcommittee.Thereadingcommitteeapprovestheprogramof
advancedcourseworkbeyondtheMS,includingthetechnicalbreadthrequirement.Aformal
readingcommitteeform mustbecompletedandfiledwiththeStudentServicesOffice priorto
thedissertationproposal presentation (Step5).MoststudentssubmittheReadingCommittee
Formatthesametimethecandidacypaperworkisfiled.
Readingcommitteeselection:Thedissertationreadingcommitteeconsistsofthreemembers:
theprincipaldissertationadvisorandtwootherreaders.Atleasttwomembersmustbe
StanfordAcademicCouncilmembers.

39

Onoccasion,permissionfortheappointmentofone nonAcademicCouncilreadermaybe
approvedbythedepartmentiftheproposedreaderisparticularlywellqualifiedtoconsulton
thedissertationproject.ApprovalisrequestedonaPetitionforDoctoralCommitteeMember
form (foundontheUniversityRegistrarswebsite).ThereadermusthaveaPh.D.orthe
foreignequivalentandthepetitionmustbeaccompaniedby acurriculumvitae.
4. TeachingRequirement:AnimportantaspectofaPh.D.fromStanfordisthedemonstrated
abilitytocommunicatefundamentalconceptsanduniqueideastoadiverseaudience.Excellent
preparationforcommunicationideasinindustryoracademiaisthroughteachingexperience.
Tothatend,Ph.D.studentsmust1)completecourseassistanttrainingfromtheCenterfor
TeachingandLearningand2)obtainteachingexperienceequivalenttoatleasta25%course
assistantshipandthreeunitsofME491Ph.D.TeachingExperienceorsimilarteaching
experiencewhichmayincludeequivalentteachingpreparation,lecturing,leadingsessions,
tutoring,orscientificorengineeringoutreach.Definitionofthenatureandscopeofthe
teachingexperienceandfulfillmentofthisrequirementwillbecertifiedbythePh.D.advisor.
ThispolicywillapplytoallPh.D.studentswhostarttheirPh.D.programinfall2007orlater.
5. Coursework: Ph.D.candidatesmustcompleteaminimumof135units(Ph.D.candidateswho
receivedtheirMSfromStanford maycountupto45unitstowardsthe135total).Outofthe
135units,astudentmustcompleteaminimumof27unitsofapproved coursesinadvanced
study (excludingresearch,directedstudy,seminarsandME491)beyondtheMSdegree.
Theseunitsmustbetakenforalettergrade.Thecoursesshouldconsistofupperlevel
graduatecoursesinengineeringandsciences.Inaddition,all Ph.D.candidatesmust
participateintheirareasresearchseminareachquarter.StudentswhoreceivedanMSdegree
atanotherinstitutionmaypetitiontotransferupto45unitstowardsthe135unitrequirement.
The MechanicalEngineering departmenthasabreadthrequirementforthe Ph.D.program.
Thismaybesatisfiedeitherbyaminorinanotherdepartmentorby atleast9unitsofcourse
workcoveringphysicalprinciplesormethodologiesoutsidethestudentsprimaryareaof
research.Candidateswithprimarilyexperimentalprojectsshouldincludeatleastthreeunits
onexperimentaltechniques(thisrequirementcanbe waivedifsuitablecourseshavealready
beentakenatthe MSlevel).IfchoosingtotakeaPh.D.minorinanotherdepartment,the20
unitsrequiredfortheminorprogrammaybeincluded withinthe135unitsrequiredforthe
Ph.D.
5. Dissertationproposalpresentation:Atleastoneyearbeforeanticipatedcompletionofthe
dissertation,awrittenproposal mustbesubmittedtothereading committee.Thecommittee
willreviewtheproposalwithregardtothequalityofthetechnicalcontentandthewritten
exposition.Iftheproposalisacceptable,thecommitteewillaskthecandidatetomakeanoral
presentation. Thepurposeofthispresentationistoensurethereadingcommittee thatthe
candidatehasanadequateunderstandingofthesubjectarea,and itaffordsthestudentthe
opportunity to seek guidanceforthedissertationwork.
6. Universityoralexamination:Anytimeaftercompleting anacceptabledraftofthe dissertation,
withthe approval ofthe advisorandreadingcommittee,thestudentmayschedulethe
universityoralexamination (DissertationDefense).Todosorequirescompletionofthe
university Oral ExamSchedule form (availablefromtheUniversityRegistrarswebsite).The
form mustbesubmittedforapprovalatleasttwoweekspriortothedayoftheexam.Itisthe
studentsresponsibilitytoschedulethetimeanddayoftheexamandensurethatallexaminers
areavailabletoattend.
40

TheUniversityOralExaminationCommitteemustconsistofaChairandfourexaminers
includingtheprincipal dissertationadvisor.TheChairmustbeaStanfordAcademicCouncil
memberand maynothaveafullorjointappointmentinthesamedepartmentasthe
candidateortheprincipal advisor.Thepurposeofthisregulation istoensure thatthereisat
leastoneunbiasedcommitteememberwhocanmakesurethatallrulesandpoliciesare
followedduringtheexam.TheChairneednotbefamiliarwiththestudentsfieldof
specializationandemeritifaculty membersareeligibletoserve.Atleastthreeofthefour
remainingcommitteemembersmustbe onthe StanfordAcademicCouncil.
Oncethe OralExamSchedule hasbeenapprovedbythe StudentServicesManager,the
studentshouldpickuptheapprovedpetitionandaccompanyinginformation to give tothe
Chairoftheexamatleasttwodaysinadvanceoftheexamdate.IftheChairman oftheexam
doesnothavetheapprovedpetitionpriortothestartoftheexam,theexamwillbeinvalid.
TheOralChairshouldsubmittheresultsoftheexamination totheStudentServicesOffice
immediatelyfollowingtheexam.Thestudentsadvisorwillnotifythestudentoftheoutcome.
Note:Studentsmustberegistered during thequarterinwhichtheexaminationistaken
7. DissertationPreparationandSubmission: Rulesgoverning formatofdissertation,fees,forms
anddatesofsubmissioncanbe found at:
http://registrar.stanford.edu/students/academics/dissertations.htm

41

Ph.D.QualificationExamination
MechanicalEngineeringDepartment
StanfordUniversity
ExamPurpose
Theexamevaluatesyourcapacitytoperformoutstandingresearch,andhasseveralgoals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Tomotivateyoutoreviewandsynthesizecourseworkandresearchmaterial.
Todetermineyourcreativepotentialtopursuedoctoralresearch.
Todetermineyourabilitytounderstandandapplyfundamentalconcepts.
Totestyouroralcommunicationskillsandyourabilitytorespondtoquestions.
Toidentifyareasthatneedstrengtheningasyouworktowardsthe doctorate.

ExamStructure
PhDStudentsareexpectedtotakethequalifyingexambeforetheendoftheirfirstyearofpostMS
study.ExamsaregivenduringthesecondandthirdweeksoftheFall,Winter,andSpringacademic
quarters.Theexamlastsapproximatelytwohours.Itbeginswitha20minuteresearchlecture
followedbyquestionsaboutyourresearch,anddetailedquestionsinfourtechnicalsubjectareas.
AdministrativeProceduretoScheduleyourExam
1. ObtainaFacultySponsor.AnAcademicCouncilMemberfromtheDepartmentof
MechanicalEngineeringmustbewillingtosuperviseyourPh.D.programanddissertation.The
decisionbythefacultymembertosupervisetheprogramanddissertationisbasedonyourpotential
tobecomeanindependentscholar,aswellasmanyotherfactors,includingyourundergraduateand
graduatecourserecord,research,teaching,andprofessionalexperience.Themostimportant
factoristhedirectknowledgethefacultysponsorhasofyourresearchcapabilities.Youneeda
minimumgraduateStanfordGPAof3.5tobeeligiblefortheexam.Studentsareencouragedto
worktogethertopreparefortheexam.Typicallytheexamistakenshortlyafterearningthe
mastersdegree.
2. PrepareanApplicationFolder.Thefolderincludes:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Updatedtranscriptsofallundergraduateandgraduatecoursework.
Curriculumvitae.
UnofficialStanfordtranscriptandGPAcalculation.
Title and abstract for the research lecture given during the exam (less than 200
words).
Preliminary dissertation proposal (one to three pages) providing a rationale and
methodologyfortheproposedwork.

42

3. ChooseanAcademicQuarterfortheExamination.Examsmustbetakeninthesecondor
thirdweekoftheAutumn,Winter,orSpringquarters.Theapplicationfoldermustbesubmitted
firsttothefacultyadvisorforapprovalonthedateindicatedbelow.Approximatelytwoweeks
later,thefolderisduetotheOfficeofStudentAffairs.

FallQuarterExam
WinterQuarter
SpringQuarter

DuetoFacultySponsor
May15*
October15*
January15*

Dueto SSO
June1*
November1*
February1*

*If this date falls on a weekend or holiday, the material is due on the closest following
businessday.
Afterthecommitteehas beenidentifiedandyouhavereceiveddepartmentapproval,schedulethe
specificdateandtimeoftheexamwiththeexaminers.
4. ChooseFourSubjects.Togetherwithyourfacultysponsor,choosefourindependentsubjects.
Twoofthesubjectsmustbetakenfromseparatelinesinthelistbelow.Forexample,Solid
MechanicsandDesignsatisfythetwosubjectrequirement,whereasFluidmechanicsand
Heattransferdonot.
Thetworemainingsubjectsmaybedrawnfromthelistwithoutconstraint.Alternatively,oneor
bothoftheadditionalsubjectsmaynotbeonthelist.Subjectsnotonthelistneedtobechosen
togetherwithyourfacultysponsortoreflectthebreadthanddepthofyourknowledgeintopics
relevantforyourthesis.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

Biomechanics
Controls
Design
FluidMechanics OR HeatTransfer
Manufacturing OR Materials
Mathematics OR ComputationalMethods
Thermodynamics OR ReactiveSystems
SolidMechanics

Notethattheserequirementsdonotprohibittheuseoftwosubjectsfromagivenlineintheabove
list,aslongasatleastoneotherlineisrepresented.Forexample,thefollowingfoursubjects
wouldbeallowed:Mathematics,ComputationalMethods,Manufacturing,andMaterials.
5. ChooseExaminers. Selectfourexaminerstogetherwithyourfacultysponsor.Atleastthree
examinersmustbemembersoftheacademiccouncil.Thefacultysponsormaybeoneofthe
examiners,butnotthechairofthecommittee.Atleastoneoftheexaminersshouldbefromoutside
thefacultysponsor'sgroup.
6. MeetwithExaminersandFocustheSubjectMaterial.Meetwitheachexamineratleasttwo
monthsbeforeyourexamtodiscussanddeterminethespecificsubjectcontent.Each subjectshall
beapproximatelyequivalenttothecontentoftwocourses,whichmayormaynotbeavailableat
Stanford.Youshouldmeetwiththemasearlyaspossibletohelpfocusyourpreparationinthe
subjectareas.

43

7. PrepareaResearchLecture.Theexamwillstartwitha1520minutelectureonyour
research.Oneweekpriortothelecture,sendeachcommitteememberaremindercontainingthe
abstractofthelecture,aswellasthetimeandlocation.
Outcomes
Immediatelyaftertheexam,the committeewilldeliberateonalloftheinformationithasacquired
duringtheprocessandwilldecideonaresult(pass,conditionalpass,orfail)asdescribedbelow:
(a) UnconditionalPass
(b) ConditionalPass
Inthiscase,thecommitteewilloutlinetheweaknessesandconditionsthestudentmust
fulfillbeforeattainingcandidacy.Examplesofconditionsincludecoursestobetakenwith
performanceataspecifiedlevel,improvedcommunicationskillsasevidencedbyacertain
activity,completingone quarterasaTeachingAssistantinarelevantcourse,orre
examinationinoneormoresubjectareas.Theseconditionsshouldberecordedonthe
appropriateformandsubmittedtotheStudentServicesOffice.Whentheconditionshave
beenmet,withthefacultysponsor'sendorsement,thestudentwillrequestachangein
statusfromConditionalPasstoPass.TheChairoftheGraduateCurriculum
Committeewillactontherequest.
(c) Fail(withorwithouttheoptiontoretake)
AmajorityvoteoftheExaminationCommitteeisrequiredforboththepassandtheconditional
pass.Theexamcannotbetakenmorethantwiceandmaynotberetakenduringthesamequarter.
TheChairoftheexamcommitteewillnotifythestudentandStudentServicesoftheresults.

44

HONORCODE
Stanfordexaminationsarenotproctored.Weexpectstudentstobehaveasmatureadults,andtobe
judgedonthebasisofknowledgethattheyalonepossess.
Thisisnotthetraditionatmanyotheruniversities. We livebythehonorcode,andtodosowe
mustsupportit.Thismeansthatstudentsshould reportobservedhonorcodeviolations,andthe
facultyiscommittedtoaquickandjustresolutionofeachcaseofsuspectedviolationthrough
establishedadministrativepractices.
We dodealfirmlywithhonorcodeviolations.Studentshavebeensuspended,andhavehad degree
conferral delayed,followingconvictionsforhonorcodeviolations.
StanfordUniversityHonorCode
A. TheHonorCodeisanundertakingofthestudents,individuallyandcollectively
1. thattheywillnotgiveorreceiveaidinexaminationsthattheywillnotgiveorreceiveun
permittedaidinclasswork,inthepreparationofreports,orinanyotherworkthatistobe
usedbytheinstructorasthebasisofgrading
2. thattheywilldotheirshareandtakeanactivepartinseeingtoitthatothersaswellas
themselvesupholdthespiritandletteroftheHonorCode.
B. Thefacultyonitspartmanifestsitsconfidenceinthehonorofitsstudentsbyrefrainingfrom
proctoringexaminationsandfromtakingunusualandunreasonableprecautionstopreventthe
formsofdishonestymentionedabove.Thefacultywillalsoavoid,asfaraspracticable,
academicproceduresthatcreatetemptationstoviolatetheHonorCode.
C. Whilethefaculty alonehastherightandobligationtosetacademicrequirements,thestudents
andfacultywillworktogethertoestablishoptimalconditionsforhonorableacademicwork.
FormoreadditionalinformationontheHonorCode:
http://registrar.stanford.edu/bulletin/5471.htm

45

PLACESTOGETHELP
Ifyoufindyourselfinanoverwhelmingsituation,ratherthanletting thingsbuildupuntilyoucan
nolongerhandleit,thereare severalindividualsandofficesthatcanhelp.Hereisjustasampleof
placesyoucanturn.Theyarenotlistedinanyparticularorder,so feelfreeto contactwhomever
youfeelmostcomfortablewith.
CAPSCounselingServices(TOTALLYCONFIDENTIAL): 2ND floor,Vaden Health
Center:CrisisCenter,stressmanagementcenter,supportgroups,individualcounseling
GraduateLifeOffice:2nd flooroftheGraduateCommunityCenter:offerssupportand
assistswithconnectingstudentstonecessaryresourcesforpersonalandacademic
issues.
Youracademicadvisororanotherfacultymemberthatyoufeelcomfortablewith
IndraniGardella,StudentServicesManager,MechanicalEngineeringDepartment,
Building530,Room125
ProfessorChrisEdwards,AssociateChairofStudentServices,Building520
ProfessorTomKenny,AssociateChairofGraduate Curriculum,Building530
ProfessorHeinzPitsch,AssociateChairofGraduateAdmissions,Building500
SallyGressens,AssistantDeanofStudentAffairs,SchoolofEngineering,Terman
EngineeringCenter
FORADDITIONALASSISTANCE
CenterforTeachingandLearning SweetHall,room 110
Servicestostudents:
CoursestoImproveLearningEffectiveness
OneononeStudySkillsCounseling
TutoringandTutorTraining
BechtelInternationalCenter
583LagunitaDrive(behindTresidderUnion)
Forassistancewithculturalandlanguageproblemsaswellasvisas/passportissues
Excellentresourceforspouses/familiestoo!
REFERENCEGUIDES
GraduateAcademicPoliciesandProcedures: http://gap.stanford.edu/
ThisHandbookisacollection ofinformationaboutUniversitypolicies,requirements,and
resourcesrelevantto all Stanfordgraduatestudents
StanfordBulletin: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/registrar/bulletin/
Coursedescriptions,aswellasUniversityandSchoolpolicies

46