Engineering Mechanics Major Resources

For students entering Engineering Mechanics (+Aerospace option):

• Fall 2025 or later
• Fall 2023 to Spring 2025
• Fall 2020 to Spring 2023
• Fall 2018 to Spring 2020

For students entering Engineering Mechanics:

• Fall 2025 or later
• Fall 2023 to Spring 2025
• Fall 2020 to Spring 2023
• Fall 2018 to Spring 2020

• Course descriptions
• Future course offerings

Option declaration form

• For EM students who wish to add the Aerospace Engineering option

Engineering mechanics is the home of aerospace engineering at UW-Madison. Some of the most exciting innovations in air and space travel require understanding of the engineering mechanics principles at the heart of this major. Whether there are humans in the cockpit or remote-controlled drones, the interaction of an aircraft with its surroundings results in deformation, vibration and dynamic motions that are all explained by engineering mechanics. Even without the atmosphere experienced by aircraft, spacecraft and vehicles that explore distant planets must also withstand a variety of forces and be reliable in environments where repair may not be possible. In both cases, there is a premium on reducing weight and expanding capabilities. This makes aerospace engineering a natural extension of engineering mechanics. Following the same fundamental courses as our engineering mechanics major, students in the aerospace engineering option will apply their education in structural analysis, material science, advanced dynamics and vibrations to specific courses on aerodynamics, flight dynamics, orbital mechanics and propulsion. A highlight of this program is the aerodynamics laboratory where students conduct field experiments on the UW-Madison wind tunnel. Talk to your faculty advisor about declaring this option. Learn more via Guide.

Students wishing to complete an independent project under staff supervision may enroll in EMA 599. To enroll, you must:

• Find a consenting instructor willing to serve as your support instructor throughout the project/semester.
• Work with your consenting instructor to determine the number of credits you will receive based on the amount of work/research you will complete (generally, between 1-3 credits).
• Once agreed upon, the consenting instructor should send an email to EMA Enrollment at ema-enrollment@engr.wisc.edu indicating that you are authorized to enroll in EMA 599.

• • SAE Aero/Aviation
  • Wisconsin Space Program (WiSP)

External Highlighted Scholarships:

• Department of Defense Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship
• Department Of Energy Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP) Scholarship Announcements
• Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aeronautics Scholarship Program
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship Program
• After College Engineering Scholarship
• Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (NASA funded)

• The Undergraduate Scholarship program
• Women in Aviation Scholarship
• The STEM Bridge Scholarship
• Undergraduate Research Fellowship
• Graduate & Professional Research Fellowship
• Dr. Laurel Salton Clark Memorial Research Fellowship

• Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Handbook 2025-2026

Policies and procedures for on-campus MS and PhD degrees in the Mechanical Engineering Department are described in detail in the Engineering Mechanics Department Handbook.

Current students enrolled in the Engineering Mechanics program need to follow the policies and procedures contained in the current posted version of the Handbook. The Handbook also contains detailed information on degree requirements for on-campus graduate degrees in Engineering Mechanics. The degree requirements for all students enrolled in EM degree programs are included in the handbook. Additional links related to Mechanical Engineering Department Policies and Procedures and course requirements are provided below.

Previous Graduate Student Handbooks can be found here.

• Approval of UW–Madison Undergraduate Courses
• Equivalence of Graduate Transfer Credit Form
• Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program Academic Policy Exception Request
• Add or Change Your Graduate Faculty Advisor
• ABET Accredited Undergrad Credit Equivalence Form

• Aerospace Engineering Curriculum Approval and Warrant Request (Please select the appropriate form)
  • • First enrolled in Fall 2025 and after
    • First enrolled in summer 2025 and prior
• EM MS Research Non-Thesis Warrant Request (Please select the appropriate form)
  • • First enrolled in Fall 2025 and after
    • First enrolled in Summer 2025 and prior
• EM MS Research Thesis Warrant Request (Please select the appropriate form)
  • • First enrolled in Fall 2025 and after
    • First enrolled in Summer 2025 and prior

• EM Prelim Exam Warrant Request
• EM PhD Oral Warrant Request
• Doctoral plan template
• PhD Minor Form for Non-Engineering Mechanics students

Students wanting to continue graduate study toward their PhD degree in the Department of Mechanical Engineering must take the PhD qualifying examination. The written portion of the exam is offered before the start of each spring and fall semester. The objectives of this exam are to:

• Ensure a standard of excellence associated with the degree of PhD in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Ensure that you have basic competency in the technical material related to your intended research program.
• Offer a growth experience, i.e., an opportunity to synthesize knowledge across a broader range than generally done in any class.
• More information about the qualifying exams and the required process, can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook under “Qualifying for the PhD Program.”

Practice exams for study purposes can be found here.

• ME TA Policy
• ME Grader Policy
• TA and Grader Application Form (web form)
  • To access form, make sure you are logged on to the UW Google Website.

• Graduate Student Advisory Council (ME GSAC)
• Graduate Women in Mechanical Engineering (GWME)
• Graduate Engineering Mechanics Society (GEMS)
• To find other graduate students organizations on campus visit Wisconsin Involvement Network