Mechanical Engineering (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here. 

Program Overview

The graduate program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering encompasses the areas of mechanical systems, thermal-fluid science, materials science and engineering, and microsystems. The graduate faculty works closely with graduate students in research projects that cover both traditional and nontraditional areas. Graduate students are engaged in experimental, numerical, and modeling studies and can select their course work from mechanical engineering and other departments, in consultation with their advisory committees. Students have access to excellent laboratory facilities and equipment, as well as to extensive computer systems, both in the department and on the LSU campus. Mechanical engineering graduates are prepared for employment in industries, universities, state and federal government, and the private sector.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School: www.lsu.edu/gradapply. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are received and evaluated by the department. Evaluation will be completed by the department within two months of receipt. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by The Graduate School. The department’s deadline is generally two weeks before the application deadlines established by The Graduate School. Students seeking admission must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, acceptable GRE and TOEFL and/or IELTS exam scores, and three letters of recommendation. The admission requirements of the department are in addition to those of The Graduate School and are generally more restrictive. Typically, a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (“A” = 4.0) and a GRE (verbal + quantitative) score of 300-310 are required. Applications with a Quantitative Reasoning GRE score below the 80th percentile will not be considered unless petitioned by an ME faculty member.

International students whose native language is not English must have a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper-based test, a 213 on the computer-based test, or a 79 on the Internet-based test, or an IELTS score of 6.5.

As deciding on admissions and assistantships as well as taking care of visa formalities take considerable time, potential students are advised to apply as early as possible, usually six to nine months in advance of the semester in which they wish to enroll.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to some students. Support may be available through the department in the form of research or teaching assistantships. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted in accordance with deadlines established by the LSU Graduate School. Research assistants take active part in research activities and projects as directed by relevant faculty members advising the assistants. Research assistantships are negotiated and eventually offered through direct discussions between the student and faculty members.

Graduate Faculty

(check current listings by department by clicking this link)

Sumanta Acharya (M) • Numerical and experimental heat transfer, fluid mechanics, combustion
Tryfon Charalampopoulos (M) • Heat transfer, combustion, laser diagnostics
Marcio de Queiroz (7M) • Nonlinear control theory and applications; active magnetic and mechanical bearings; biological and biomedical system modeling and control
Ram Devireddy (7M) • Bioheat and mass transfer, tissue engineering, biological fluid flow, cryopreservation of cells and tissues
Jost S. Goettert (7M) • MEMS processes: X-ray lithography, Molding MEMS application and prototyping: microfluidics, microoptics, and BioMEMS
Keith Alan Gonthier (7M) • Theoretical and computational fluid dynamics; combustion; continuum mechanics; multi-phase flow; gas dynamics.
Shengmin Guo (7M) • Fluid sciences, thermal engineering
Jack Helms (3F) • Mechanical design, mechanics of composite materials, computational mechanics
Michael Khonsari (M) • Tribology, rotating machinery performance analysis, heat transfer, numerical analysis, modeling and simulations
Guoqiang Li (7M) • Composite materials and composite structures
Michael Martin (6A) • Fluid dynamics and heat transfer; design, and simulation of micro- and nano-systems, rarefied gas dynamics
Wen Jin Meng (7M) • Plasma-based materials processing, nanostructure ceramic coatings, and micro/nano fabrication
Dorel Moldovan (7M) • Materials modeling and simulation; microstructure evolution and deformation in nanocrystalline materials; thin films and interfacial materials
Michael C. Murphy (7M) • Biomechanics, microsystems, system dynamics, control
Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos (M) • Experimental and numerical fluid dynamics, two-phase flow and microfluidics
Su-Seng Pang (M) • Mechanics of composite materials, composite piping systems, joining technology, experimental solid mechanics
Sunggook Park (7M) • Nanofabrication technology and applications; Nanoimprint lithography; BioMEMS/NEMS; bioengineering; polymer photonic devices, liquid crystal displays, and surface coatings
Yitshak Ram (7M) • Dynamics, vibrations, control, mathematical modeling
Aravamudhan Raman (M) • Metallurgical problems, corrosion, surface modification, structure and properties of novel materials, x-ray diffraction
Mehdy Sabbaghian (EM) • Mechanical systems
Ingmar Michael Schoegl (6A) • Combustion; thermochemical energy conversion (fuel reforming, gasification); alternative fuel sources (biofuels, biomass); solid-oxide fuel cells
Glenn Sinclair (M) • Fracture mechanics, tribology and contact problems, numerical methods
Warren Waggenspack Jr (M) • Computer-aided geometric design (CAGD), computer-aided engineering for biomechanical engineering, machine design, education, microsystems
Muhammad Wahab (7M) • Fatigue and fracture mechanics, stress analysis, computational plasticity, structural integrity
Wanjun Wang (7M) • MEMS, microsensors, microactuators
Ying Wang (6A) • Energy conversion and storage systems; electrochromic displays; nanostructured materials; functional ceramics; atomic lay deposition and chemical vapor deposition
Eyassu Woldesenbet (7M) • Nanocomposites, Composite materials, solid mechanics, sandwich composites, self-healing materials, nondestructive evaluation
Harris Wong (7M) • Fluid mechanics, heat transfer, interfacial phenomena, solid films, two-phase flow in porous media, human tear film, spectral and boundary integral methods

Degree Programs

Programs

• Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.

• Mechanical Engineering, M.S.ME