Hi all.

I hope this topic is not way off base for this board. I have a question for those of you who have already taken their PhD Qualifying exams - what was the toughest question asked (in CFD or in basic fluid mechanics)? Was there any specific question that made you think long and hard?

You can be asked any thing, it just depends on your research! Just don't forget the basic's, is the only advice I would give.

James

At one point during my exam I had what the committee member called "potpurri:" a series of short rapid-fire questions.

Be prepared for anything. I focused my studies mostly on fluid mechanics and many of the questions I got were related to phase change phenomena.

Also be prepared for follow-up questions. A response you give may lead a committee member to have you go deeper into the topic. And maybe deeper into the hole you just started to big for yourself!

Good luck

My PhD oral exam lasted almost 4 hours in its entirety. Since it has been four years (1998), I don't remember a whole lot detail though. The format was the following:

Next to my areas of expertise (CFD, fluid mechanics, heat transfer) I was also questioned on two other areas (computer science, dynamics/kinematics/robotics). My committee mostly asked me general questions, on which I was able to give a five to ten minute talk, which was then followed by additional short questions and answers. In essence, they try to get you talking as much as they can. I also had to do a few problems/derivations on the board. Overall it was fair, and since I was very well prepared, I breezed through it. If you did well on the written exams, I don't think any committee will try to trip you up on the orals. Try to find answers to the things you missed on the written exams, because they will bring it up for sure.

I was also told beforehand that they can ask me 'anything', and one of the first questions they gave me was: "State Newton's laws, starting with the zeroth law." So don't be surprised if they throw in something easy yet unexpected to catch you off guard a little.

Thanks for all your replies.

Mine was about 3:15 hours long and it was a battle because, although very nice, the examinor's viewpoint was (still is) that you earn a PhD , it isn't given!

Although we disagreed slightly on some turbulence issues (it was more "philosophical" than purely engineering) he told me later that he liked the fact that I had stood my ground and argued my point. He said " there are and always will be difference of opinion and appreciation in research, but what is important is to be able to defend your point of view". I think that had I changed my mind because of his points, without battling through, it would not have been well preceived.

After the viva he became a sweet man again, with whom I have remained in touch (he later sent me an e-mail to congratulate me again and asked me to keep in touch). Finallyhe only gave me some spelling mistakes.