Earn your PhD at McKelvey Engineering

Graduate Admissions

Earn your PhD at McKelvey Engineering

As a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis you will be an integral part of cutting-edge research. Opportunities inside and outside the lab and faculty mentoring will prepare you to solve problems and work collaboratively to tackle the largest challenges the world faces today.

Join a community of world-class researchers

Learn more below about our academic programs, graduate student life and opportunities at McKelvey Engineering.

Request information

Deadline for all PhD programs: Dec. 15, 2023

Meet our faculty

Meet our faculty

Find the right PhD program for you

Find the right PhD program for you

Explore our research and current projects

Explore our research and current projects

Connect with us at an upcoming info session

Full support and funding

Our PhD students are fully-funded, including full tuition support and health insurance.

As a doctoral candidate, you will receive a generous stipend to cover living expenses. This support is guaranteed as you continue to make satisfactory progress towards your degree.

Additionally, doctoral students may also qualify for one of the fellowships:

How much more expensive are other cities?

San Francisco, CA - 117% ↑

Seattle, WA - 77% ↑

Boston, MA - 77% ↑

Chicago, IL - 41% ↑

Houston, TX - 7% ↑

See how the cost of living in STL compares (Nerd Wallet)

Student Profiles

Shirin Shoushtari

Degree pursuing: PhD in electrical engineering
Hometown: Isfahan, Iran

"I love the rich cultural landscape in St. Louis. I also enjoy occasional visits to its parks and museums."

Ganesh Chelluboyina

Degree pursuing: PhD in energy, environmental & chemical engineering
Hometown: Hyderabad, Telangana (India)

"I do believe that scientific leadership is necessary though when it comes to influencing public policies, climate change and other relevant concerns."

Allison Martinez Mejia

Degree pursuing: PhD in biomedical engineering
Hometown: Tegucigalpa, Honduras

"Besides the amazing and super collaborative research being offered, WashU was extremely welcoming to me. As I spoke to different students and faculty, I knew I would be able to find a niche in the school."

Deepangsu Chatterjee

Degree pursuing: PhD in energy, environmental & chemical engineering
Hometown: Kolkata, India

"WashU has a plethora of resources in terms of research infrastructure, motivated faculty members and loads of exciting projects to work on."

Shubham Agrawal

Degree pursuing: PhD in energy, environmental & chemical engineering

"The Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at WashU is world-renowned, with latest research in hot topics."

Bharat Singhal

Degree pursuing: PhD in electrical engineering

"WashU provides a unique research environment where I can collaborate with experts from diverse domains, allowing me to grow as a researcher. "

Xuan Liu

Degree pursuing: PhD in energy, environmental & chemical engineering
Hometown: China

"I have a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and I am interested in environmental research especially aerosol science and engineering. WashU's a perfect fit for me."

Ziping Liu

Degree pursuing: PhD in biomedical engineering
Hometown: Anhui, China

"Getting a PhD degree in biomedical engineering would be incredibly important for me to build on the expertise in the field."

Jacqueline Rogers

Degree pursuing: PhD in energy, environmental & chemical engineering
Hometown: New Jersey

"I specifically chose to pursue a graduate engineering degree in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering because of the integrative approach to research that is encouraged. Having the opportunity to learn from faculty or fellow graduate students with different backgrounds has only enriched my experience."

Jordan Escarcega

Degree pursuing: PhD in mechanical engineering
Hometown: Costa Mesa, California

"Don't be afraid to reach out to professors before and after submitting an application to the university. They love talking about their research to prospective students and it could be a good way to get your foot in the door. "

Huiyong Li

Degree pursuing: PhD in energy, environmental & chemical engineering
Hometown: China

"Be patient and explore different courses that can provide you with more diverse techniques. Also, try to break your limits as you are a graduate student that can learn a ton."

Kathryn Sarullo

Degree pursuing: PhD in computer science
Hometown: Palm Coast, Florida

"I am working under S. Joshua Swamidass, MD, applying machine-learning techniques and decision theory to chemical biology and clinical data."

Zhenqin Wang

Degree pursuing: PhD in energy, environmental & chemical engineering
Hometown: Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

"I like WashU because of its worldwide prominence. Most importantly, WashU has the only EECE program in the world."

Maren Loe

Degree pursuing: PhD in systems science & mathematics and MD
Hometown: Apple Valley, Minnesota

"My current project is using an advanced signal processing approach to detect and characterize potential biomarkers in EEG of critically ill pediatric patients. My hope is that we'll be able to integrate my automated detection pipeline into bedside monitoring devices in order to provide additional prognostic information and improve patient care."

Yana Malysheva

Degree pursuing: PhD in computer science
Hometown: New Jersey

"I've had an interest in computer science education for many years: Both the teaching aspect, and the aspect of developing tools and content for teaching CS."

Aahana Bajracharya

Degree pursuing: PhD in imaging science
Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

"The opportunity to perform interdisciplinary research attracted me to the imaging science doctoral program at WashU."

Ghiska Ramahdita

Degree pursuing: PhD in mechanical engineering
Hometown: Depok, West Java, Indonesia

"I felt the warmth of people at WashU even before I moved here. Being a part of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy gave me more opportunities to learn and grow in a flourishing environment."

Maria Bandres

Degree pursuing: PhD in biomedical engineering
Hometown: Maracay, Venezuela

"I decided to get a degree in engineering because I wanted to produce new knowledge that directly addressed existing problems whose solutions would positively impact people's lives."

Marion Sudvarg

Degree pursuing: PhD in computer science
Hometown: St. Louis

"I wanted to learn more about computing, so I pursued a part-time master's degree in computer science at WashU. Toward the end, I realized that I wanted to dive in more deeply so I came back for a PhD."

Suzanne Russo

Degree pursuing: PhD in materials science & engineering
Hometown: Rockford, Illinois

"I would urge a new student to get involved in activities outside of their lab early on. By joining clubs and student government, you’ll meet so many new people who can become friends and mentors along your PhD journey."

Porter Weeks

Degree pursuing: PhD in materials science & engineering
Hometown: Corning, New York

"I have always been a part of the Peer Mentoring Committee in IMSE. Being able to help students prepare for the qualifying exam and being there when others in the program need someone to talk to has been an incredibly rewarding experience."

Christie Crandall

Degree pursuing: PhD in mechanical engineering

Rosie Dutt

Kaushik Dutta

Wiete Fehner

Niyousha Karbasion

Yao Ma

Yuanxin Qiu

Yue (April) Rao

Lydia Reader

Anxu (Ben) Wang

Zixuan (Zach) Wang

Ivy Smith

Degree pursuing: PhD in computation and data science
Hometown: Canton, Mississippi

"As soon as I stepped onto the campus, I knew this was the place for me. I love the interdisciplinary nature of my program, DCDS."

Saugat Pandey

Degree pursuing: PhD in computer science
Hometown: New Delhi, India

"Visualization has been one of the most insightful courses for me about understanding the use of visualizations in various fields. It has also helped me shape my research interests."

Discover what life is like for PhD students
at Washington University in St. Louis

Take a look inside our labs and facilities

Learn about the Vascular Mechanics Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

Body machine interface for video game play as a rehabilitation strategy

Tour Whitaker Hall – home of McKelvey Engineering's biomedical engineering department

Watch more lab and building tours

PhD programs