Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering

An AOE student holds a quadcopter — A student researcher works on an unmanned aerial system in the Nonlinear Systems Laboratory. The lab provides a facility for research and instruction in dynamics and control of nonlinear systems. It is a core laboratory in the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems (VaCAS).

This research-oriented degree can focus on one or more specializations, including Areas of Expertise.

Ph.D. Process Section:

1. Acquiring a Ph.D. AOE Faculty Advisor and the Application process. Visit the Graduate Admissions page on How to Apply to Graduate School.

2. Ph.D. Course Credit Requirements

3. Doctoral Residency -Students who are Virginia residents do not automatically receive in-state tuition status when they enter a graduate program at Virginia Tech, even if they were undergraduate students at Virginia Tech paying as an in-state resident. All applicants wishing to be considered for in-state tuition must submit the In-State Tuition Request form.

4. Advisory Committee-

Committee Composition and Size

Graduate Committee Composition

Degree Type	Minimum Number of Committee Members	Required Fraction of VT Faculty
PhD	4	2/3
EdD	4	2/3
EDS	3	2/3
Master's thesis	3	2/3
Master's non-thesis project & report	3	2/3
Master's coursework only	1	1

5. Plan of Study-Link to AOE Ph.D. Plan of Study