The goal of the PhD program in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics is to train professionals and researchers capable of dealing with advanced and innovative topics in the field of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Therefore, in-depth study of mathematical disciplines and of the fundamentals of mechanics are developed in parallel. These objectives are pursued through training activities that embrace both the fundamental and technological aspects of the discipline, providing advanced theoretical/practical tools used in scientific/technological fields, even beyond the classical ones of Mechanics. Particular care is taken in the training of PhD students in modeling, numerical and experimental areas, with the aim of developing innovative design ideas, procedures, systems and technological solutions useful for systematically dealing with research and development activities of interest.
These activities are carried out in constant contact with the varied expertise of teacher members of the doctoral college and through collaborations with universities, research institutions and industries in the field, where periods of study and in-depth study are carried out (on average over 40% of the students of this doctoral program carry out a period of study abroad, AlmaLaurea 2023).
The PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics has also paid considerable attention over the years to identify and continuously update its research objectives and interests, introducing the necessary multi-thematic discipline linked to the latest technological developments. Among others, we mention the link between fluid dynamics and biology and biochemistry, between the dynamics of mechanical systems and control systems and between passive, active and semi-active meta-materials. At the same time, the research contributions produced within the framework of the doctorate are also welcomed in the most prestigious physics and physics-mathematics journals, in addition to those in the field of applied engineering, a demonstration of a solid dual vocation of the research carried out within this specific PhD.
The research activities carried out in the PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics are divided into three multidisciplinary areas:
(i) Fluid-dynamics
(ii) Applied Mechanics
(iii) Mechanics of Solids and Structures
In the field of fluid dynamics, research refers to studies and multi-scale applications, ranging from macro-industrial systems to micro-biological. In the field of Applied Mechanics, dynamic and mechatronic systems, advanced materials, bio-mechanical and sensor applications are considered. In Solid and Structural Mechanics, systems and structures from the macro to the nano-mechanical scale are investigated, examining the study of innovative constitutive bonds.
Examples of studies and applications developed in recent years: drag reduction with diluted polymer solutions, control dynamics of interferometers for gravitational waves, evaporation and droplet condensation, nanoscale interfaces, viscoelastic behavior of materials, bio-manufacturing mechanics of complex tissues, membranes and lipid vesicles, robotic and mechatronic systems, mechanical joints, multiphase flow fields, performance of self-propelled hydrodynamic bodies, molecular dynamics, nano-porous materials, interaction between acoustic waves and bodies solids, damage identification for naval applications,
modeling of marine turbines, composite material braking systems, tactile perception of surfaces, micro-fluidic systems for heat exchange, fatigue resistance in rubbery materials.
The PhD degree in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics has proven to be a very high qualification for the entry of doctors in work, with particular regard to advanced research sectors, both in the public and private areas, even international. All Doctors who have obtained the title in previous years are placed in research and development areas, both integrated and specialized. Very often they are called to collaborate outside national borders in prestigious research institutions and important companies.
The sectors of expertise are extensively distributed: from research in the sector of fluids for vehicle, aeronautical and aerospace applications and more recently in the sectors of bio-fluid dynamics, to research in the sectors of sensors and control of mechanical systems, vibrations and acoustics , both in the automotive and aeronautical sectors, to the study of new materials, to artificial intelligence applied to new industrial automation systems, to the modeling of deformable systems, which range from the analysis of pneumatic mechanisms to new porous materials.
In particular, the typical expected employment opportunities concern:
- Research and development centers of companies with high technological content;
- National and international research bodies, public and private;
- Foreign (and national) universities;
- Management positions in companies characterized by high product innovation.
Statistics (AlmaLaurea, 2023)
1-YEAR EMPLOYMENT RATE: 89.3%
TIME SPENT TO GET 1ST JOB: 1.5 months
SECTOR OF ACTIVITY: public 44.5%, private 55.5%
NET MONTHLY SALARY: €1875
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