Aerospace Engineering (PhD) Post-Master’s Track

The Aerospace Engineering PhD, Post-Master’s track trains and prepares graduates for successful careers in research and development in industry, in academia, and in government research laboratories and agencies. PhD graduates will have the advanced ability to apply their knowledge of mathematics, engineering, and science to formulate and solve problems and conduct high-quality research in mechanical and aerospace engineering, the ability to communicate scientific and technical research effectively in writing and oral presentations, and the ability to conduct independent cutting-edge research and contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

The track is intended for students with a master's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or a closely related discipline. The PhD degree offers the following gateways into the program:

• a PhD for students with formal training in this area who have earned an MS degree and are seeking higher level graduate education and research training.
• a PhD for students with formal training in a related field who have earned an MS degree and are seeking higher level graduate education and research training.

The Aerospace Engineering PhD, Post-Master’s Track requires completion of 42 credit hours, of which 15 credit hours minimum must be formal coursework, exclusive of directed research (XXX 6918), thesis (xxx 6971), doctoral research (XXX 7919), and independent study (XXX 6908), and 15 credit hours minimum of dissertation research (XXX 7980). No more than 12 credit hours combined of directed research (XXX 6918)), or thesis (XXX 6971), doctoral research (XXX 7919) and/or independent study (XXX 6908) may be taken toward fulfilling the degree program of study coursework requirements. The track is designed for students who have an M.S. degree in engineering and are seeking a higher-level education and research training. Students are expected to pass the qualifying examination(s) in the first year.

Track Prerequisites

An earned Master's degree or its equivalent in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or a related discipline is required. The Graduate Program Director will evaluate the suitability and applicability of degrees in other disciplines for admission purposes.

Financial Information

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Fellowship Information

Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.

The Post-Master’s track requires successful completion of a minimum of 42 credit hours at the graduate level beyond MS and the successful defense of a PhD dissertation. Specifically, the Post-Master’s Track requires:

(1) 15 credit hours minimum must be formal coursework, exclusive of directed research (XXX 6918), thesis (xxx 6971), doctoral research (XXX 7919), and independent study (XXX 6908).

(2) No more than 12 credit hours combined of directed research (XXX 6918)), or thesis (XXX 6971), doctoral research (XXX 7919) and/or independent study (XXX 6908) may be taken toward fulfilling the degree program of study coursework requirements.

(3) 15 credit hours minimum must be Dissertation (XXX 7980).

(4) Successful completion of the PhD Qualifying Examination.

(5) Successful completion of the Candidacy Examination.

(6) Successful completion of defense of the doctoral dissertation.