Post-MS PhD Course Requirements

Because of the wide range of interests in the field of Aerospace Engineering, there are no specific course requirements for the PhD, except a mathematics requirement. Each student plans a program in consultation with his or her thesis advisor. Courses offered by departments other than the AE Department may be included in the area of study when these courses are of particular value to the research work that the student desires to emphasize. This is a list of recommended courses for each area of specialization.

Minimum Course Requirements

24 hours of technical course credit beyond the MS degree.
16 hours of the 24 hours beyond the MS degree must be at the 500-level; 8 of these 16 hours must be in Aerospace Engineering (no substitutions allowed).
4 of the 24 hours may be a special project class, defined as an individual or group project, in contrast to a lecture-discussion course with written homework and examinations (AE597). Independent study (AE597) is not allowed with thesis advisor.
AE 590 Seminar: All PhD students must enroll in AE 590 prior to their Qualifying Exam, and at least 4 semesters beyond the passing of the Qualifying Exam

Mathematics Requirements

PhD candidates are expected to exhibit competence in applied mathematics. They may meet this requirement by taking a minimum of 4 hours of 500 level mathematics courses from a list of approved Mathematics, Physics, and Theoretical and Applied Mechanics courses.