This degree information is under construction. Please contact Amy Borton if you want more information. aborton@ku.edu
The Doctor of Philosophy program in Aerospace Engineering is a traditional program that requires students to successfully demonstrate their abilities in a broad spectrum of aerospace technology, mathematics and original research.
General Description
To earn the Ph.D. degree students must:
- Complete Ph.D. course requirements in accordance with an approved plan of study
- Pass a qualifying examination
- Complete the Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship (RS2) requirement
- Satisfy the residency requirements
- Pass a comprehensive examination
- Prepare and defend a Ph.D. dissertation which must contain an original contribution to the field by the candidate.
A seven-step outline of a typical Ph.D. program is as follows:
Step 1: After earning the MSAE or MEAE degree (or equivalent) or for highly qualified applicants (with an undergraduate GPA > 3.75, after earning a BSAE) the student applies for admission to the PhDAE program. A student judged to be capable of earning the degree is admitted to the program as a PhDAE aspirant.
Step 2: The aspirant selects or (upon request) is assigned a major advisor based upon the aspirant’s area of interest. The major advisor assists the aspirant in selecting courses for the first year of study and the preparation of an initial plan of study including the formation of an initial dissertation committee.
Step 3: After completing the first year of study with a GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 (grades of D or F do not count toward the PhDAE degree) the aspirant requests the preparation of a qualifying examination.
Step 4: After passing the Qualifying examination the aspirant forms a Dissertation Committee and prepares a final plan of study.
Step 5: The aspirant completes the final plan of study and satisfies the Research Skills & Responsible Scholarship (RS2) requirement.
Step 6: The aspirant prepares for the comprehensive examination. An important component of this is a documented, original research plan which becomes the focus of the dissertation.
This original research plan must be approved by the aspirant’s dissertation committee. After committee approval the aspirant defends the original research plan. After passing the comprehensive examination the aspirant becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree.
Step 7: The candidate completes the Ph.D. research in accordance with the original research plan of Step 6 and writes a dissertation. The dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee. After approval by the dissertation committee the candidate defends the dissertation.
The dissertation must be completed within eight years after being admitted to the PhDAE program. In cases which require more than eight years the dissertation committee may grant an appeal for an extension of this period.
The sequence of steps described here is typical. In special situations this sequence may be altered. However, any changes in the sequence must be approved by the dissertation committee and by the department graduate advisor.
Maximum Tenure
The dissertation must be completed within eight years after being admitted to the PhDAE program. In cases which require more than eight years the dissertation committee may grant an appeal for an extension of this period.
