University of Alabama · Department of Mechanical Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering Online

Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

PhDFunding not verified

Overview

A 60-credit online PhD (42 coursework hours past the bachelor's plus 18 dissertation hours) with recorded lectures, proctored exams and remote interaction with the faculty research advisor and dissertation committee. Part-time or full-time study is possible.

Official program name: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering Online
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level: PhD — doctor of philosophy (phd)
Engineering major: Mechanical Engineering
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Program type: Dedicated degree
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School: University of Alabama — Department of Mechanical Engineering
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location: Tuscaloosa, ALWhere the school is located. This is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Thesis / non-thesis: Dissertation
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required credits: 60 Credit Hours (42 coursework past the bachelor's + 18 dissertation research)
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Duration: Not verified
Start terms: Fall
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

Why this program is listed

Online PhD in Mechanical Engineering with recorded lectures and remote advising.

Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees in 22 engineering majors that the school offers online, and — separately labelled — Engineering Technology and hybrid programs. Campus-only degrees, certificates, generic computer science and engineering management are excluded. Eligibility rules

Format and physical attendance

How coursework is delivered, how much of the degree the online pathway covers, and what you must attend in person. “Fully online” appears only when the school states that no physical attendance is required.

Coursework delivery: Online courseworkCoursework is delivered online. Physical attendance requirements (labs, visits, exams, research) are listed separately.
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Online scope: Online scope not verified
Physical attendance: Physical attendance requirements not verifiedRequired in person: proctored exams, qualifying exam
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Part-time or Full-time
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

In-person requirements as published

Proctored exams Required
Exams are taken off campus with live proctors approved by the Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education.
off campus, approved live proctors
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Qualifying exam Required
Comprehensive qualifying exam and proposal presentation
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Research, labs and practical requirements

Laboratory arrangements, capstones, internships and research requirements, as the school publishes them.

Advisor: Students work directly with a faculty adviser.
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Other research requirement: Students interact with instructors, research advisor and dissertation committee remotely.
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Dissertation: Dissertation documenting original research.
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Online engineering PhD attendance requirements

Curriculum

Other

Students with a master's degree can receive credit for up to 21 hours of coursework.
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Prior degree: RequiredMaster's in ME (GPA 3.0) or bachelor's in ME (GPA 3.3)
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — 3.0 with a master's in ME; 3.3 with a bachelor's in ME (4.0 scale)
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
International applicants: RequiredOpen to US students and international students residing in the US with the appropriate visas
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: Waived — minimum 300Page states test scores are temporarily waived; GRE minimum 300 otherwise, automatically waived for ABET-accredited MSME holders.
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadline
December 1 · for Fall
The university does not print a year with this date.
Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students	$480	per creditEstimated tuition$28,800 = 60 credits × $480 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required in-person sessions, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Estimated total tuition: $28,800 (60 credits × $480 per credit)

Comparison basis: All students, academic year not stated. Excludes mandatory fees, books, living costs and any rate changes during the program. How we calculate

Funding

Funding policy and awards exactly as the school publishes them. Competitive scholarships and assistantships are not guaranteed funding; loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Campus assistantships are not assumed to be open to distance students. Online engineering tuition and scholarships

Funding classification: Funding not verified

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable.

Scholarships, fellowships or assistantships for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation and enrollment restrictions

Institutional accreditation covers the whole school; ABET accreditation covers only the program, degree and campuses or delivery its record lists. Enrollment restrictions for online students are a separate question.

Institutional accreditation

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No current ABET accreditation is matched to this program in ABET's database. ABET rarely accredits graduate programs; this is normal and not a mark against the program. Institutional accreditation does not imply program accreditation, and another program at the same school being accredited does not cover this one.

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

The state of Alabama is a member of NC-SARA and the University is an approved NC-SARA institution. Official pageSource: online.ua.edu · verified October 12, 2026

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Licensure and professional disclosures

What the school publishes about professional licensure or certification. Meeting a state's educational requirements is only one part of licensure: examinations, post-degree supervised experience, background checks and a board application follow. This directory does not decide whether you qualify.

A professional licensure disclosure for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Professional Engineer licensure is decided by the board of the state where you apply — not by the school's state — and usually involves education, the FE exam, experience and the PE exam. A degree listed here is not a licensure guarantee. Engineering licensure and online degrees · Engineering vs engineering technology

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.

online.ua.edu/about-us/state-authorization/ — Official disclosure page, verified October 12, 2026
online.ua.edu/degrees/phd-in-mechanical-engineering/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile

Key facts

Degree
PhD · PhD
Major
Mechanical Engineering
ABET
Not matched for this program
Delivery
Online coursework
Physical attendance
Online coursework; required in person: proctored exams, qualifying exam
Study intensity
Full-time or part-time
Length
60 Credit Hours (42 coursework past the bachelor's + 18 dissertation research)
Tuition
$480 per creditAll students
Next deadline
No upcoming verified date
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL

The school publishes enrollment restrictions for online students. Check your state before applying. Details

Official program page

Also at University of Alabama

Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level, major and format, schools in Alabama first. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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Michigan Technological University

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$1,448 per credit · All students — 2026–27 Estimated Graduate Expenses, graduate tuition · 2026-2027Est. total tuition $43,440 (30 credits × $1,448 per credit; fees excluded)

No upcoming verified deadline

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OnlineEngineeringSchools.net is independent and not affiliated with University of Alabama. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs, deadlines and attendance with the school, and licensure questions with your state engineering board.