PhD Mechanical Engineering

The program educates, train and mentor scholars with curious and investigative minds to learn advance concepts, techniques and methodologies through courses and especially practical research work and mentoring. The knowledge and research skills thus gained can open a multitude of opportunities in academia, industry and research organizations both locally and internationally. A trained PhD scholar has multitude of opportunities where he can apply his expertise to solve applied research problems. Teaching and research sectors are the main markets that employs PhD degree holders apart from public sector research and development organizations that require the skillset of a PhD to solve complex problems related of national interest.

It is pertinent to mention here that PhD is a path adopted by a few individuals especially in engineering and qualified PhDs in the field of mechanical engineering are in limited supply. Therefore, there is good market potential for a degree holder and in future it is expected that the demand of PhD graduates will increase both at the national and international level. As an example, the recent accreditation visits to various universities across Pakistan has identified lack of PhD faculty and recommended hiring of PhD faculty. The vision of HEC of 100% PhD qualified faculty in university will also increase employability of PhD graduates.

In addition, there is growing need to integrate and employ more PhDs in local industry to boost the innovation, technology and quality of local manufacturing industry. This might create opportunities in the near future as the race for technology adaptation and upgradation will require advance knowledge with an innate research aspect to compete in the global market

The PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Central Punjab is a research-intensive program designed to develop scholars with deep expertise and innovation capacity across traditional and emerging areas of mechanical engineering. As engineering challenges grow in complexity, there is a rising need for advanced researchers capable of contributing cutting-edge solutions to academia, industry, and society.

This program emphasizes advanced learning, interdisciplinary research, and scholarly contribution in diverse domains, including:

• Thermal and Fluid Sciences
• Mechanical Design and Analysis
• Mechatronics and Control Systems
• Aerospace and Aerodynamics
• Robotics and Instrumentation
• Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

Aligned with global trends in doctoral education, the program encourages students to explore and integrate multiple areas of specialization, equipping them to work at the forefront of academic and industrial research.

Program Name: PhD Mechanical Engineering

Admission Fee: 25,000

Disclaimer

The above-mentioned fee structure is for illustration purpose only. UCP reserves the rights to make changes in the Fee Structure whenever deemed necessary or appropriate.

A student enrolled in Ph.D. (Mechanical engineering) has to complete 06 courses in consultation with his supervisor and program coordinator. A semester-wise breakdown for completion of PhD degree in 03 years is given below. A PhD candidate will be allowed to register in maximum three courses in one semester. A PhD scholar will not be allowed to register in a course which he has studied during his mater degree. In case of those students who have previously completed a graduate degree in the same discipline (MS/MPhil or equivalent), the university shall notify a policy (which may vary by discipline) with objective criteria allowing such students to receive credit for prior coursework for not more than 50% of the total credit requirement of the program.

Semesters I

Semester-II

Semester – III

Semester-IV

A PhD student will have to choose six courses from the following courses after consultation with his thesis supervisor and approval of HoD. If considered necessary by the thesis supervisor and approved by the dean, a PhD candidate might complete not more than 02 courses from another department of the Faculty of Engineering or another faculty of the UCP.

A PhD candidate can enroll in an MSc Mechanical Engineering course if he has not already studied that course during his MSc coursework.

Ph.D. graduates in Mechanical Engineering are equipped for high-impact careers in academia, research, advanced technology development, and strategic engineering leadership roles. The program fosters advanced analytical thinking, research innovation, and problem-solving skills aligned with global industrial and academic demands.

Key career pathways include:

• University Teaching & Academic Leadership
• Advanced Research & Innovation in Mechanical Systems
• R&D Roles in Aerospace, Automotive, and Energy Sectors
• Technology Development in Mechatronics and Robotics
• Industrial Consultancy and Technical Advisory
• Engineering Policy & Standards Development
• Leadership Roles in Engineering Projects & Organizations

A PhD scholar shall be required to successfully complete the following requirements:

3. 18 Cr. Hrs. course work with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 out of 4.0;
4. Complete 30 Cr. Hrs. of research work;
5. Successfully pass comprehensive examination;
6. Successfully defend his research work synopsis;
7. Publication of at least one research paper as first author during his/her doctoral studies in an HEC approved W category (or as per UCP guidelines as communicated time to time in accordance with HEC requirements) research journal for the award of degree, and
8. Receive good dissertation foreign reviews with recommendation of thesis defense;
9. dissertation defense.

A student has to fulfill the residency requirement of at least 02 years at the university. The timeline of various milestones is defined in the table given below.

A PhD scholar shall cease to continue his/her studies if he/she fails to complete 18 Cr. Hrs. coursework within four regular semesters with at least 3.00/ out of 4.00 CGPA.

The PhD degree shall be awarded after a minimum of three (3) years and not more than eight (8) years after the enrolment of the student; provided that for students who are unable to complete the program within eight (8) years, the university may designate a competent authority to determine whether the delay was caused by circumstances beyond the student’s control, and if so, grant an extension in such exceptional circumstances; however, in no event shall the PhD degree be awarded more than ten (10) years after the enrolment of the student in the program. The date of notification of the award of the PhD degree subsequent to the PhD defense shall be considered to be the date of the completion of PhD studies.