Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering

The Ph.D. degree represents the highest level of academic preparation. With it, a student can expect to maintain technical competence and contributions throughout a professional career. It is usually the preferred degree for research and development in industry and government and for teaching. Within the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, 72 credits of graduate-level studies, including the dissertation, are required for a Ph.D. The emphasis is on advanced study in a specialty with major focus on the dissertation. A doctoral student must pass a comprehensive examination, prepare a dissertation proposal and the dissertation itself, and present and defend the dissertation. Outcomes of the Graduate Curriculum - Students who successfully complete this program will be able to: demonstrate competency, both theoretically and empirically, in the field of Chemical Engineering, demonstrate proficiency in research and research methods, demonstrate effective presentation and speaking skills.RPI Aero faculty and graduate researchers are at the forefront of discovery in experimental and computational flow physics and flow control, adaptive and morphing structures, adaptive modeling and simulation, new computational analysis and optimization techniques, structural health monitoring, dynamics and control, materials and nanocomposites, and propulsion systems. Their research has application to fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft and space vehicles, as well as to areas such as wind-energy, undersea-vehicles, and buildings. Several Aero graduate students are winners of prestigious national fellowships supported by agencies such as NSF, NASA and the DoD. Graduate students have the opportunity to engage with student chapters of professional societies such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Helicopter Society, and participate in student design competitions sponsored by these societies as well as agencies such as NASA.