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Graduate Admissions
Earn your PhD at McKelvey Engineering
Through cutting-edge research opportunities and enriching faculty interaction, you will graduate prepared to help solve humanity’s biggest problems. You will gain an in-depth understanding of theoretical engineering concepts along with the practical, problem-solving skills you will need to excel.
Join a community of world-class researchers
Learn more below about the breadth of academic programs we offer.
Request information
Deadline for all PhD programs: Dec. 15, 2021
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 - 128% ↑ |
| Seattle, WA - 82% ↑ |
| Boston, MA - 71% ↑ |
| Chicago, IL - 39% ↑ |
| Houston, TX - 9% ↑ |
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Randall Martin
Raymond R. Tucker Distinguished Professor of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
Expertise: Leading expert on advancing the understanding of atmospheric compositionResearch News
Pandemic air quality affected by weather, not just lockdowns -
Hong Chen
Research News
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Expertise: Develops ultrasound-based image-guided drug delivery techniques
New tool activates deep brain neurons by combining ultrasound, genetics -
Kunal Agrawal
Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering
Expertise: Develops theoretically good and practically efficient algorithms and data structures for parallel systems and real-time systemsResearch News
Exploring the flatland of computer memory -
Damena Agonafer
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
Expertise: Works to develop 3D electrodes for energy storage devices used to harvest free energy of solutionsResearch News
Google supports Agonafer’s data center cooling tech -
Ulugbek Kamilov
Assistant Professor in Electrical & Systems Engineering
Expertise: Combines computational imaging, optimization, and machine learning to enable new intelligent imaging technologyResearch News
Scialog awards $50,000 grant to Kamilov to merge imaging technologies
Expert researchers as mentors
We offer a network of expert faculty conducting interdisciplinary research across a number of the university’s top programs.
Earning your degree at WashU will allow you to connect and study with research leaders in your field.
PhD Candidate Spotlight
Our students come from a variety of disciplines, interests and universities across the globe.
Each student enters the same process but exits an expert of their own unique domain.
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Maria Bandres
Degree pursuing: PhD in biomedical engineering
"I was extremely excited to join WashU, but also terrified (let's say that my impostor syndrome was having the best time of its life). However, I have felt nothing but welcomed and supported as a student and a scientist-trainee since I joined WashU."Bandres wins American Society of Neurorehabilitation Diversity Fellowship
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Alex Reiter
Degree pursuing: PhD in mechanical engineering
"The entire MEMS department was incredibly understanding of my unique situation and remained flexible as things changed. I cannot say enough positive things about the support I received from the MEMS faculty and staff." -
Maren Loe
Degree pursuing: PhD in systems science & mathematics and MD
"The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at WashU is one of the largest and most prestigious in the country. The combination of opportunities here was ideal for me: A top-notch medical education, cutting edge and collaborative biomedical research, and the opportunity to train at a world-class hospital." -
Onochie Okonkwo
Degree pursuing: PhD in biomedical engineering
"The [Aerosol science and Technology] course introduced me to the field of aerosols which has lots of applications for technology development."