PhD

Doctorate Program Requirements

To complete the Doctorate, a minimum of 48 credits must be taken (including 24 credits from the Master’s program) in  courses from the Postgraduate Program.  Courses in each area are not specific and should be chosen by the candidate under the supervision of their advisor. Among the 48 Postgraduate credits, the distribution should be as follows:

• minimum of 12 credits in the concentration area, consisting of 06 credits  from the optional courses in your concentration area  and the 06 credits already obtained in the Master’s  program  from the optional courses in  your concentration area ;mínimo de 06 créditos na área de Matemática (incluindo os 03 créditos obtidos no mestrado); podendo
• minimum of 06 credits in Mathematics, including 03 credits obtained in the Master’s  program, which can be selected from: MEC 2110 – Mathematical Methods in Mechanical Engineering I,  3 credits, MEC 2111 – Mathematical Methods in Mechanical Engineering II, 3  credits;  Courses from the Department of Mathematics or other  courses with  mathematical content approved by the  graduate committee as   part of the Mathematics area;
• maximum of 09 credits in Guided Study.  Enrollment in these courses requires authorization from the Graduate Committee;
• maximum of 03 credits in Teaching Internship in Undergraduate  courses (MEC 3201 – Teaching Internship I, MEC 3211 – Teaching Internship II, or MEC 3221 – Teaching Internship III);
• The remaining credits should be taken in related areas.

Any student who has received a  scholarship (with remuneration)  during any month of their course, must  complete at least two Teaching Internship  courses (including the  one taken during the Master’s  program).

All students must enroll in the course MEC 2001 – Doctoral Seminar I and MEC 2002 – Doctoral Seminar II, which are zero credit courses  that should be taken preferably during the development of the doctoral thesis.

Students must pass the Qualifying Examination (MEC3005), whose rules are described below.  Failure to pass  this exam by the end of the third  semester  results in dismissal from the program.

Students must demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages (English – LET 3101, German – LET 3100, or French – LET 3102),  at a sufficient  level for reading, or  one foreign language  at a sufficient  level for reading and writing technical texts (English – LET 3106). Only one exam is sufficient  if   already passed  during the Master’s program.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DEFENSE

·         Enroll the course Scientific Production I (MEC3032): Students must demonstrate their thesis work through a written document (mini-thesis or journal article, where the latter is preferred) evaluated by a committee along with an oral presentation. The student and their advisor must appear as authors of the article. The written document  should clearly describe the problem to be addressed, the state of the art, the objectives, the methodology adopted, the results already obtained  to date, and the expected results. The oral presentation  should occur by the sixteenth week of the semester. Students on internships abroad  may present virtually. The committee consists of the advisor(s) and two additional professors, one of whom may be external to DEM/PUC-Rio.  Failure to pass  this course by the end of the fifth  semester results in automatic dismissal from the program.

·         Enroll the course Scientific Production II (MEC3033): For approval, students must present two full articles in English, with at least one published in a high-ranked journal (Qualis A4 or higher). One article must be accepted for publication, and the other must be accepted or submitted (proof of submission required). Students will also pass this course if they have an article accepted for publication in a high-ranked journal (Qualis A4 or higher). The student and their advisor must appear as authors of the articles. The thesis defense can only be scheduled if this course is “completed”. For thesis work resulting in patentable assets, journal articles may be substituted with a descriptive invention report submitted to the university administration, according to the Rector’s Order No. 30/99.

Students must present, defend, and pass a Doctoral Thesis (MEC 3001) within 48 months, according to PUC-Rio regulations.

NOTE:  For scholarship  holders, the  continuation of scholarships depends on academic performance.

Omitted cases are handled by the Departmental Graduate Committee. The qualifying exam  consists of two stages: a 45-minute written exam (without consultation) on fundamental  mechanical engineering concepts in the student’s  concentration area; and a 45-minute oral exam to answer the questions in the presence of an evaluating committee.

The questions are at the graduate level, covering fundamental concepts in Thermosciences (including linear algebra, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer) and Applied Mechanics (including linear algebra, statics, dynamics, stresses, and deformations). In ​​Petroleum and Energy, students must answer  questions on Thermosciences or Applied Mechanics areas, according to their  choice.

The first opportunity for the exam is between the fourth and sixth weeks of the semester (the exact date will be defined by the Graduate Committee). The candidate who fails this opportunity will be entitled to repeat the exam between the thirteenth and sixteenth weeks of this current semester.

The final grade for the qualifying exam is “pass” if approved in one of the two opportunities. Otherwise, the student is “failed” and automatically dismissed from the program.  Students who do not enroll in the Qualifying Exam course by the third semester is also dismissed.

The  qualifying exam  is evaluated by a committee of three professors from each concentration area (Thermosciences and Applied Mechanics).  Advisors do not participate in the exam evaluation or are members of the examination  committee. If a second exam is required, the  committee may change based on availability.

Area of Concentration: Applied Mechanics

Area of Concentration: Thermosciences

Area of Concentration: Oil and Energy