Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Aeronautics and Astronautics - Structures

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program is an advanced engineering degree that prepares students for leadership roles in academia, industry, and research institutions specializing in aeronautics and astronautics. Engineered advanced materials and adaptive structures for sustainable terrestrial and space travel, security and habitation. The widespread adoption of composites - combined with advances in additive manufacturing, robotics and automation - has expanded our capacity to manufacture new forms and build unusual flight structures. Our faculty explore new designs, tests, and manufacturing methods, looking at how novel materials are performing across the industry. Current research includes design of engineered materials systems (e.g. nanocomposites and metamaterials), structural design, material characterization, non-destructive testing and evaluation, certification and structural health monitoring. In these activities, state of the art computational modeling methods are utilized and new methodologies are developed.

Previous academic preparation: The Doctor of Philosophy is an advanced engineering degree. It is expected that admitted applicants will hold an undergraduate degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering. Undergraduate degrees in other fields may be acceptable, as long as the applicant has completed fundamental engineering and math coursework. Professional experience, though highly desirable, is not accepted in lieu of college-level coursework. Minimum GPA and exam scores: The University of Washington Graduate School requires an applicant to have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be considered eligible for admission. Beyond this, our department does not maintain a fixed minimum for either GPA or exam scores. However, admission to our department is competitive.