Recruiting PhD students to study Solid Mechanics at Harvard
Each year, several new students begin their studies of Solid Mechanics for PhD degrees at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The students come from all over the world. We have no constraint on where they come from.
Faculty members in Solid Mechanics. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is not divided into departments, but faculty do assemble into programs. Faculty members directly responsible for the program of Solid Mechanics are
- Katia Bertoldi
- David R. Clarke
- John W. Hutchinson
- L. Mahadevan
- James R. Rice
- Zhigang Suo
- Joost J. Vlassak
Please look at the above websites, and feel free to contact us for any question.
Application. We will be delighted if you find that your interest matches ours. In the application form, please check the “Solid Mechanics” box. If you are interested in working with a particular professor, please list the name of the professor in your application. In the statement of purpose, please indicate your experience or aspiration relevant to Solid Mechanics. If you have done research, please tell us details. Please mention in your statement of purpose the name of the professor and your reasons. We read each statement of purpose with care, and look for good matches. So, please help us.
Mentioning the name of a professor does not bind you with the professor. You can choose to work with anyone at Harvard once you are here. Please learn more about application.
Admission. Individual faculty members can make recommendations, but cannot determine which student to admit. All students are admitted through the Graduate Admissions Committee in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, on a competitive basis.
Financial support. Every PhD student receives a fellowship, which is sufficient to cover all expenses to study and live in Cambridge. The fellowship, however, is rarely offered to a Master student. If your final goal is to obtain a PhD degree at Harvard, you may not wish to apply for admission as a Master student. Instead, you may apply for admission as a PhD student: you only need a Bachelor degree to do so.
Your program of study. We are flexible. Once you come to Harvard, you and your advisor will work together to define a program of study specifically suitable to you.
If you absolutely cannot wait to plan ahead, here is what you need to get started. The PhD degree requires that you take 10 courses. You may look at the catalogue of courses at Harvard. Harvard students can also take courses at MIT. Here is a very short list of Harvard courses popular among students of Solid Mechanics:
- Engineering Sciences 240. Solid Mechanics
- Engineering Sciences 241. Advanced Elasticity
- Engineering Sciences 242r. Solid Mechanics: Advanced Seminar
- Engineering Sciences 246. Plasticity
- Engineering Sciences 247. Fracture Mechanics
- Engineering Sciences 216. Biological Dynamics
- Engineering Sciences 220. Fluid Mechanics
- Engineering Sciences 262. Advanced Hydrology and Environmental Geomechanics
- Earth and Planetary Sciences 263. Earthquake Source Processes
- Earth and Planetary Sciences 201. Physics of the Earth's Interior
- Earth and Planetary Sciences 204. Global Sesmology
- Applied Mathematic 201. Physical Mathematics I
- Applied Mathematics 202. Physical Mathematics II
- Applied Physics 282. Solids: Structures and Defects
- Applied Physics 292. Kinetics of Condensed Phase Processes
- Applied Physics 293. Deformation of Solids
A short list of other Harvard faculty members who have strong interests in Solid Mechanics or closely related fields. Once you come to Harvard to study Solid Mechanics, you are likely to encounter the following professors:
- Joanna Aizenberg (biophysics)
- Michael J. Aziz (materials science)
- Debra T. Auguste (bioengineering)
- Michael P. Brenner (applied mathematics, fluid mechanics)
- David A. Edwards (bioengineering)
- Robert D. Howe (bioengineering, robotics)
- David J. Mooney (bioengineering)
- Richard J. O'Connell (theoretical geophysics)
- Kit Parker (disease biophysics)
- Shriram Ramanathan (materials science, mechanical behavior of materials)
- Frans Spaepen (materials science)
- David A. Weitz (soft matter)
- George M. Whitesides (physical chemistry, bioengineering, soft matter)
- Robert J. Wood (microrobotics)
Questions and answers. I'll try to anwser your questions if you post them as comments below. I'll also update this list as questions come to me through phone calls and emails. You can also direct your questions to Julia Holbrook (holbrook@seas.harvard.edu), Director of Graduate Admissions, of SEAS.
Q: Can I apply for enrollment in Spring?
A: No. We admit students once a year. All students are enrolled in Fall.
Q: If I can obtain external funding, will my chance for admission improve?
A: Yes. Admissions are principally based on two factors: (1) An applicant is competitive in the pool of applicants, without the consideration of funding; (2) A professor is willing to support the applicant. By obtaining external funding, you help to resolve (2).
Q: I attach my resume. Can you tell me if I am likely to be admitted?
A: Usually No. An applicant is admitted on a competitive basis within a pool of applicants. It is hard for me to give you a useful reply without going through the pool.
Q: My scores for the English tests are below the levels set by your school. What is the chance for me to be admitted?
A: Very low. An applicant is admitted by a committee of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. It takes an extraordinary effort for a member of the faculty to persuade the committee to accept an applicant with very low scores.
- Zhigang Suo's blog
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Hi Zhigang I am currently
Hi Zhigang
I am currently a PhD student in Caltech. I have strong interests in Applied Mechanics with special focus on solid mechanics and physics of earthquake rupture. I am expecting to graduate by 2009. Are there any opportunities for Post Doc. positions available at Harvard Solid Mechanics?
Best,
Ahmed
Solid Mechanics and other positions at Harvard
Ahmed: As you probably know well, at Harvard Jim Rice is active in the field of earth science. You may want to contact him directly. If you are interested in other fields where solid mechanics plays roles, you may want to contact other faculty memebers as well. Here are annoucements of two positions:
Thanks
Dear Zhigang
Thanks for the valuable information you have provided here.
Best,
Ahmed
A rare opportunity
I am a masters student presently from Imperial College London. I am working on alternative modeling of fracture and more specifically the Rice-Tracey model. I am using this to model adhesive fracture on a DCB specimen using FEA. I have a very keen interest in pursuing a PhD in the field of fracture mechanics and specifically in modeling of fracture. I would be glad if you could enlighten me whether there are any openings in this field. If yes, then I would be honoured to apply for this rare opportunity.
Ph.D. study of fracture mechanics at Harvard University
Sorry to see this message so late. Yes, fracture mechanics is a traditional strength here at Harvard. Quite a few projects are concerned with fracture. There will be some changes in coming years:
Re: Ph.D. study of fracture mechanics at Harvard University
Hi, I am a masters
Hi, I am a masters student currently at Rutgers U. studying micromechanics and ferroelectrics under Dr. G.J. Weng. I have a strong interest in solid mechanics and I am currently applying to Harvard for the Fall 2009. I just want to say that am interested in your research along with the research of John Hutchinson but unfortunately for me he is retiring.
Would it be okay if I mentioned him as someone I would like to work with in my statement of purpose anyway? Thanks.
Hutchinson will teach for 2 additional years
John Hutchinson will teach for 2 additional years, and will possibly retire in the Fall of 2011. Although he has not recruited student himself, he has been active in research, and in interacting with students. Surely you can mention that you would like to work with him.
Question
Dear Prof Suo,
thank you for your reply to my email. You said that applications are open in the end of each year, so now can't i apply? What a pity!
By the way, if i 've got PhD degree in china, should I take English test then to apply?
Re: Question about PhD Program at Harvard
We have admitted people with PHD degrees before, I believe. But I don't think we have many such cases. I don't know if the university has a policy on this issue or not.
Prof Suo, thanks. So whom
prof Suo, Thanks. So whom should I contact to know whether Harvard has the policy on this issue?
By the way, why can't I always log in?
Can I still apply for PhD admissions if I already have a PhD?
Here is a paragraph from a website of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), of Harvard University
Persons holding a PhD or its equivalent, or who have completed most of the work required to earn the PhD elsewhere, may apply to a PhD program in the Graduate School only if it is an unrelated field of study. In view of the large number of excellent applicants for the limited number of places in the Graduate School, preference for admission and financial aid will be given to those who have not already had an opportunity to receive a doctoral degree here or elsewhere.
I want to study on analytical modeling on concrete with friends
I want to study on analytical modeling on concrete with friends who know ANSYS well
Phd in planetary sceince
Dear Prof Suo ,
I am a masters student in Mechanical design. I am interested to go in the direction of planetary sceince ie., dynamics of asteroids and heavy planets. Impacts and formations.
Can you please tell me who is interested in this direction of research . I visisted your websites and found related study in fracture , but can that be applied or carried forward to planets... ???
Thanks
Nikhil
Re: Phd in planetary sceince at Harvard
I'm unfamiliar with mechanics in planetary sciences. You may wish to explore the website of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard.
Phd subject about elastic wave propagation in PZT materials
Dear Prof. Suo
My name is Hee-yuen koh and I'm working in the national research center in South Korea after graduating the master degree in KAIST(Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). These days, I'm looking for a Ph.D position to study about behavior of piezoelectric materials as a micro generator. Besides, I'm developing a programe for predicting its behavior like elastic wave propagation and generated electromagnetic field in it.
Because this calculation is deeply related to the stress and strain of the material, I am very interested in studying solid mechanics and getting the Ph.D position just like what you are offering. If it is related to your work, I'd like to send you an email with specific plans and ideas. What do you think?
Re:Phd subject about elastic wave propagation in PZT materials
You are most welcome to send emails to me. The subject of electromechanical transducer is of general interest in my group for many years.
As indicated before, individual professors cannot admit students. Students can only be admitted at the level of the School, on a competitive basis. So if you are interested, you will need to apply for admission later this year.
Dear Prof. Suo I'd just
Dear Prof. Suo
I'd just sent you an email. And, of course I know that fact very well.
Thank you for your kind reply.
Prof. Suo Thanks for your
Prof. Suo
Thanks for your kind reply, I've realized that my situation is not suitable for that, but you are one of the most famous young professors in solid mechanics of the world, I love solid mechanics and one of my areas is the nonlinear behavior of cracked FGM structures, hope i could have chance to meet you, take your classes and work for you.
subject Rotor Dynamics
Dear Prof.Suo,
I have completed M.Tech. from R.E.College, Durgapur (now called NIT Durgapur), India. at present I am working in an Engineering Institute, India. I wish to persue PhD in the area of rotor dynamics. Can you please tell me who is interested in this direction of research? Thank you, ............. Chattoraj
Re: subject Rotor Dynamics
Dear Chattoraj: I'm unfamiliar with the suibject of rotor dynamics, and sorry that I cannot help. Best wishes.
composite materials
Dear Prof Suo:
I am pursuing my master degree of composite materials in imperial college london and graduated from Nanyang Technological University singapore. Are you having any composite materials-related projects recently so that i can pursue my Phd in composite areas?Thank you.
Re: composite materials
Dear Ervin: Thank you very much for your interest. I don't have a project on composite materials, although most of our projects involve integrating materials one way or another. You can learn about our recent work on the web site of my group.
On Hyperelastic Material (hydrogel)l
Dear Prof Suo,
I am very much interest in experimental works on hydrogel material. may you suggest me something? to whom i have to send my resume?
Thanking you,
Regards,
Muthu Kumar M
Fracture and Fatigue studies using FEA
Dear Prof.Suo,
I am an under-graduate from IIT Guwahati , will be graduating by May 2010. I have keen interest towards facture and fatigue mechanics using FEA. I haven't yet started applying for MS. Can you please furnish me wih some details of fellowship for students pursuing only Master's Program and the positions at Havard.
- Karthik, IIT Guwahati.
To apply for our PhD program, you do not need to have a MS
No fellowship is available for Master students at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Every one of our PhD students receives a fellowship that fully covers tuition and living expenses.
To apply for our PhD program, you do not need to have a master degree. Thus, if you are interested in obtaining a PhD degree in the end, please apply for the PhD program directly.
Dear Prof Suo, I am
Dear Prof Suo,
I am very much interest
in experimental works on hydrogel material. May you suggest me
something?
Thanking you,
Regards,
Muthu Kumar M
experimental works on hydrogels
Dear Muthu: Thank you for your interest. It is hard to make such suggestions in general. You might want to take a look at our theoretical papers quickly. In the introductions, many applications are mentioned. These applications might give you some ideas of experimental work needed.
In general, experimental work is needed to develop basic testing methods, and to explore mechanisms of mechanical behavior of gels, including deformation, transport, and fracture.
Experimental works on hydrogels
Dear Prof.Suo,
First I am very thankful for your valuable reply. Actually in my master thesis I had worked on hydrogel material (above 90% water content). I had developed both uniaxial and equbiaxial experimental setup and charaterized the material. To prepare the polyacrylamide hydrogel we used ammonium persulphate solution(APS) as a initiator . Here I observed that if we increase the APS concentration the softness of the gel changes tremendously. I eagerly want to work in that area with your group. Also I have seen some papers in the area of swelling.
Thank you.
Muthu Kumar M
PhD student interested in dielectric elastomers
Dear professor Suo
I have worked on electromechganical behavior of dielectric elastomer composites and nanocomposites actuators. am top student with good GPA who wants continue her study as a PhD student in Harvard. I have news ideas in this progressive and innovative field. I wan your adviseif there is any chance for me.
Sincerely,
Nafiseh gharavi
Apply for PhD study at Harvard
Dear Nafiseh: This year Harvard Solid Mechanics will recruite quite a few students. Two new faculty members have just joined Harvard: Katia Bertoldi and David Clarke. They are experts in the mechanical behavior of materials, and will build up their groups.
Dear Professor Suo Thanks
Dear Professor Suo
Thanks for your attention and advise; I will follow it.