Graduate Programs

Portland State University serves the Portland metropolitan area, which is a vibrant and growing community with a culturally diverse population. Portland State University's motto, "Let knowledge serve the city," highlights the campus as a leader in location and international university-community partnerships.

The Mechanical & Materials Engineering graduate programs are multi-faceted, offering a strong educational experience steeped in a variety of research areas, which include additive manufacturing, controls, electronic packaging, indoor air quality, materials testing, mechatronics, mechanical design, microfluidics, microgravity fluid management, nanofabrication and synthesis, and wind energy, among others.

The Department incorporates 10 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 1 non-tenured-track faculty, 4 full-time staff, and various talented adjunct and affiliated research faculty.

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)

The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering provides advanced coursework and research that blends basic Mechanical Engineering with fundamental engineering principles and practice. Closely tied to industry needs and applications, the program supports research in turbulence, mechanical design, additive manufacturing, computational fluid dynamics, microgravity fluid management, micro fluidics, motion synthesis for manufacturing and material handling processes. The program features research thrusts spanning a wide range of cutting-edge and specialty areas. Applicants to the program need a strong undergraduate background, an ability to work independently, and a desire to work on problems with no obvious solution.

For further details, please see the MSME Degree Requirements.

Master of Science in Materials Science & Engineering (MSMSE)

The Master of Science in Materials Science & Engineering provides advanced coursework and research that blends basic materials science with fundamental engineering principles and practice. Closely tied to industry needs and applications, the program supports research in nanomaterials, semiconductor materials, biomaterials, composites, metallurgy, welding, micro-joining, manufacturing, computational modeling, and materials synthesis, post-treatment, and characterization. The flexibility of the program structure encourages students to explore research in conventional disciplines as well as those in inter- or multi-disciplines. The program features research thrusts spanning a wide range of cutting-edge and cross-disciplinary areas.

For further details, please see the MSMSE Degree Requirements.

Doctorate (PhD) - Mechanical Engineering

The PhD program in Mechanical Engineering aims to educate technical experts and researchers to fill key leadership roles in industry, research and education. The program culminates in a written dissertation representing an original contribution to knowledge in the field. PhD applicants must have a master's of science degree.

Specialty Areas Include:

Building Science & Energy Systems
Controls and Dynamics
Fluid Mechanics
Heat Transfer
Materials Science
Mechanical Design

For further details, please see the ME PhD Degree Requirements.

Semiconductor Materials & Manufacturing Graduate Certificate (SMMGC)

The Semiconductor Materials and Manufacturing Graduate Certificate provides advanced training in semiconductor materials and manufacturing technologies. Developed with industry needs in mind, the program focuses on how semiconductor materials are made, how their properties are characterized, how the materials’ failures are identified and analyzed, and how the correlations between the processing conditions and the material properties are established. This program is designed for working professionals and traditional graduate students alike. MSME, MSMSE, or PhD students can earn this certificate simultaneously and the credits can be applied towards both the degree and certificate.

For further details, please see the SMMGC Requirements.