MSc in Mechanical Engineering - Tribology in Atlanta United States | Georgia Institute of Technology

The Woodruff School offers a rigorous graduate program designed for students with engineering, mechanics, mathematics, or science backgrounds, culminating in a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While most coursework is flexible, all study plans must satisfy the School's standards for breadth, depth, and academic rigor.

Tribology focuses on the interaction of moving surfaces, building upon traditional studies of friction, lubrication, and wear. For more than 40 years, this field has been a cornerstone of research at Georgia Tech's George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, with six primary research focuses: contact mechanics, lubricated interfaces, high-pressure rheology, rotordynamics, seals, and biotribology.

Our contact mechanics research explores elasto-plastic rough surface modeling, scale effects in surface interactions, thermal generation, and electrical contact resistance. Studies on lubricated interfaces examine adhesion in microdevices like MEMS and disk drives, along with soft metal lubrication properties. High-pressure rheology work involves measuring liquid properties under extreme pressures, supporting applications in elastohydrodynamics, fluid power systems, and petroleum recovery. Rotordynamics research covers cracked shaft diagnostics, nano/macro-scale bearing design, and viscoelastic damper mechanics. Seal studies focus on mechanical seal simulation (including nuclear coolant pump seals) and elastomeric seal modeling. In biotribology, we analyze cartilage mechanics in healthy and arthritic joints, as well as friction mechanisms in limbless animal movement.