Doctor of Aviation, Av.D.

The Doctor of Aviation is designed to prepare working professionals in aviation with the capacity and experience needed to make scholarly contributions that enhance and promote practice within the aviation profession and to assume leadership positions within their organization. Although the focus of the Av.D. is applied and intended for the practitioner, the program is research-oriented, similar to that of a Ph.D. program, and students are expected to prepare, conduct and report dissertation research. This emphasis on research is reflected in the curriculum as described below. The program is cohort-based, with new cohorts entering the program each fall term and is designed so cohorts can complete the program in as few as three years with the last year dedicated to the dissertation component. The structure of the program requires full-time enrollment (six hours per term) for the first two years.

An applicant to the program must have a master’s degree from an accredited institution in an aviation-related field with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. The applicant also must be a full-time working professional in the aviation/aerospace industry. International applicants must hold a master’s degree in an aviation-related field from an international institution that provides suitable preparation for doctoral­-level studies, and be a full-time working professional in the aviation/aerospace industry. In addition to the application, applicants must submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a statement of objectives and a résumé/CV.