With this degree option, students complete a minimum of 64 or 96 hours on their degree plans. The total number of hours on the degree plan, as well as the required number of hours of formal coursework, is dependent upon the student’s previous degree(s). As part of this research-intensive degree, students will pass the doctoral qualifying exam known as the Aerospace Engineering Fundamentals Exam (AFQE) qualifying exam in their second semester. Following completion of the AFQE, the preliminary exam and a research proposal, the student will write and defend a dissertation. A PhD requires a committee of four or more graduate level faculty members, including one faculty to act as the primary adviser for each candidate. Students may enter this program with the master’s or bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or an equivalent field. (If the previous degree is not in engineering, leveling courses may be required—perhaps even an undergraduate degree.) For more information about applicant qualifications and application deadlines, see the Consideration for Admission page. Students entering with a bachelor’s degree will be required to complete a 96-hour Doctor of Philosophy degree plan, and students who have earned at least a master’s degree, will complete a 64-hour Doctor of Philosophy degree plan.

Work leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is designed to give candidates a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of their professional field and training in methods of research. The student will perform supervised research in one of the following broad areas: (1) aerodynamics and propulsion, (2) dynamics and control, (3) materials and structures, and (4) systems, design, and human integration. The department specializes in the following research areas:

• Autonomous and Intelligent Systems
• Hypersonics
• Multi-Functional and Extreme Environment Materials
• Optical, Remote, and Quantum Sensing
• Reacting Flows and Propulsion
• Space Domain Awareness
• Space Flight and Operations: Human and Robotic

The final basis for granting the degree shall be the candidate’s grasp of the subject matter in a broad field of study and a demonstrated ability to do independent research. In addition, the candidate must have acquired the ability to express thoughts clearly and confidently in both oral and written languages. The degree is not granted solely for the completion of coursework, residence and technical requirements, although these must be met.