The Doctor of Philosophy degree in mechanical engineering is designed to prepare graduates for professional practice in teaching, research and development, design, and consulting. Graduates are prepared for challenging and rewarding employment in high-technology industries, research organizations, consulting firms and government agencies.These programs are also designed to serve both full-time and part-time graduate students. The department is closely associated with area industries, consulting firms, government agencies and research laboratories, which add relevance to the graduate engineering curricula, creating a stimulating environment for the pursuit of graduate studies. Students benefit from the University's affiliation with NASA Langley Research Center, the Jefferson National Laboratory, the National Institute of Aerospace, and the Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center.