Doctoral Program

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is intended primarily for students who desire a career in research, advanced development, or teaching. Students in the PhD program obtain a broad education in the core areas of Aeronautics and Astronautics through coursework, while also engaging in intensive research in a specialized area, culminating in a doctoral thesis.

Ph.D. IN AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS

Department requirements are stated below for students admitted for Autumn 2021-22. Students admitted prior to Autumn 2021-22 should refer to the section “Ph.D. Aeronautics and Astronautics for Students Admitted Prior to Autumn 2021-22” (at the bottom of this page) for Qualifying Examination procedures.

Aero/Astro Doctoral Study

Students admitted to our Ph.D. program who do not already have an M.S. in a related discipline conferred when they begin the Ph.D. program must complete the Aeronautics and Astronautics M.S. degree requirements prior to receiving the Ph.D. This requires submission of the Graduate Program Authorization Petition in Axess ($125 fee) to add the M.S. program to a student’s record, and submission of the Master’s Program Proposal with advisor’s signature to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office. This must be completed at, or before, the beginning of year three of the Ph.D. program.

All Ph.D. students must complete the department qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy by the end of their second year of graduate study to remain in good standing in the Ph.D. program. Requirements for remaining in good standing for the duration of the program are described in the “Ph.D. Requirements for Good Standing”, below. The Qualifying Examination is given once in the Autumn Quarter and once in the Spring Quarter. The application must have the signed approval of the student's Ph.D. advisor.

Ph.D. Requirements and Good Standing

Ph.D. students maintain good standing by:

• Meeting the university requirements for graduate enrollment and minimum progress (see below).
• Receiving official commitment of one faculty member to advise their Ph.D. program by the end of quarter four. This is recorded on the Ph.D. Advisor Commitment form and submitted to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office.
• Passing the Qualification Examination. Ph.D. students must complete this in the second year of graduate study. (Students admitted from the Stanford M.S. program must take the examination in Spring Quarter of year two of their graduate studies.)
• Submitting the Application to Candidacy before the end of the quarter when they pass the Qualification Exam. Once achieved, candidacy is granted through year seven of graduate study for students completing the M.S degree, or through year six of graduate study for students admitted with an M.S. degree in a related discipline, unless terminated by the department (e.g., for unsatisfactory progress).
• Participate in research, retain advisor, and sustain satisfactory research progress as determined by advisor.
• Satisfy coursework requirements.
• Secure advisor approval for any internship or leave of absence.
• Form a Dissertation Reading Committee.
• Pass the Oral Examination, in which dissertation results are presented and defended.
• Submit the final dissertation to the university. (See Doctoral Dissertation below)
• Apply to Graduate in AXESS during your final quarter in the program.
• Complete all these requirements for the Ph.D. within the candidacy period, or receive department approval for an extension of candidacy (for up to one year) and complete the requirements during that period.

Ph.D. Qualifying Procedures in Aero/Astro

The Aero/Astro Qualifying Examination entails two components: (1) Field Examinations (components can be waived, more details provided below) and (2) Research Examinations. All Ph.D. students must attempt the department qualifying procedures before the end of their second year of graduate study to remain in good standing in the Ph.D. program. The Aero/Astro Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is given once in the Autumn Quarter and once in the Spring Quarter, usually in the second week of November and May. The exact dates are announced several weeks before the exam. The Application for the Aero/Astro Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is made available early each examination quarter, with the application deadlines early in April and October. The application must have the signed approval of the student's proposed Ph.D. advisor. Students must be enrolled in the quarter they attempt the Qualifying Examination.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Aero/Astro Qualifying Examination, a student must meet the following conditions by the appropriate deadline.

• The candidate should have the official commitment of one faculty to advise them. There is no explicit requirement regarding having taken one or more AA290 classes with the advisor.
• The student’s overall average GPA must be greater than or equal to 3.5.

Application for the Aero/Astro Qualifying Examination

The application form is made available early each Quals quarter and is due approximately two weeks later. The application must have the signed approval of the student's Ph.D. advisor.

All petitions (to waive specific Quals conditions or to defer the exams) are due prior to the start of the Quals quarter (deadline announced); they must include a justification of exception circumstances, advisor signature, and appropriate documentation. Submitting any such petition is not guaranteed to be approved.

Field Examination Procedures

1. The student must take two courses in each of three core areas. The three core areas must be chosen from the following list of four core areas: Controls/Dynamics, Fluids, Structures, and Applied Mathematics and Computation. A GPA will be assessed for each core area (three separate GPAs), each must be greater than or equal to 3.7 to pass. Only the first grade received is considered for core area evaluations, students will not receive qualifying examination GPA consideration for re-taken courses. For any waived courses, the grade obtained during the course waiver exam will be used.
   • Students can waive one or more of these classes by following a two-step process: (step 1) showing that they have taken a sufficiently related class at a prior institution (which needs to be certified by the AA Director of Graduate Studies) and (step 2) taking an exam for each of the classes the student desires to waive and achieving a grade of A or higher (the instructor can handle the exam in the form of their choosing, e.g., through an oral exam or a written exam). The exam will be offered once per year (synchronously with the regular exam for the related course). If the student does not achieve a grade of an A or higher on the waiver exam, then the student is required to take the course.
2. Students who do not meet the 3.7 core course GPA requirements will be required to take a field exam in each corearea where the GPA is lower than 3.7. Field Exams will be scheduled for the same week as QualifyingExaminations. Each Field Exam is a 45-minute oral examination of knowledge and understanding on topics fromone core area, and is conducted by a committee of three examiners made up of AA faculty (the advisor, or co-advisor, may be included). In consultation with their advisor, the student will submit a list of suggested examiners(at least four, ranked in order of preference). The AA Director of Student and Academic Services will determine the final list of examiners based on the provided list and faculty availability. One faculty member will be assigned as the Point of Contact (POC) in charge of sending examination feedback and results to the Director of Student and Academic Services.

Field Exam Decision

• Immediately after the exam, the examiners will meet for approximately 15 minutes to discuss the student’s performance and make one of the following decisions:
  • Pass
  • Fail
• Once compiled, the Director of Student and Academic Services will disseminate the feedback and results to the student’s Ph.D. advisor(s).

Following the Field Exams, the results will be discussed by the department faculty in a closed meeting. A student who fails to pass a field exam, or exams, the first time will be eligible to retake the exam(s) with advisor approval. A student approved to retake a field exam must pass the next available Field Exams. A student who does not receive advisor approval for a retake option or fails the field exam(s) for a second time will be removed from the Ph.D. program. The student’s Ph.D. advisor will relay final decisions to the student.

Core courses per area for gaining Qualifying Examination eligibility:

• Controls and Dynamics:
  • ENGR 205: Introduction to Control Design Techniques
  • AA 242A: Classical Dynamics
• Fluids:
  • AA 200: Applied Aerodynamics
  • AA 210A: Fundamentals of Compressible Flow
• Structures:
  • AA 240: Analysis of Structures
  • AA 256: Mechanics of Composites
• Applied Mathematics and Computation:
  • AA 203: Optimal and Learning-based Control
  • AA 214: Numerical Methods for Compressible Flows
  • AA 222: Engineering Design Optimization (CS 361)
  • AA 228: Decision Making under Uncertainty (CS 238)

Research Examination

1. The candidate student will be examined by 3 faculty (advisor, and co-advisor, not included; the advisor(s) mayattend the exam session as a “silent observer”, but will leave for the discussion regarding the decision). At least 2 ofthe faculty should be AA faculty (no courtesy). In consultation with their advisor, the student will submit a list of suggested examiners (at least five, ranked in order of preference). If the student is proposing faculty from outside of AA, it is highly recommended the Ph.D. advisor and student consult with the outside faculty member(s) to assist with availability, scheduling, and guidelines. The AA Director of Student and Academic Services will determine the final list of examiners based on the provided list and faculty availability. One faculty member will be assigned as the Point of Contact (POC) in charge of sending examination feedback and results to the Director of Student and Academic Services.
2. The advisor submits a one-paragraph recommendation of the student to the examiners. The recommendation will inform the discussion and evaluation of the student at the end of their exam.
3. The student is asked to prepare a 30-minute presentation based on their research work. The presentation should clearly address the following points:
   • What is the research problem? Why is it hard? Who does it impact?
   • What is the state of knowledge in the field today? What are the limits of current practice?
   • What is the new technical idea? Why can we succeed now?
   • Are there others dedicated to finding a solution to the problem?
   • What is the impact if successful?
4. The student supplies to each examiner a 1-page report summarizing the student’s research project and a plan for the Ph.D. The report is due to the examiners two weeks before the exam. The role of the report is to give some time to the examiners to familiarize themselves with the student’s research project.
5. The exam is 1 hour long and is divided in two parts:
   • During the first half hour the student presents the research project. 
   • The second half hour comprises a 30-minute QA session related to the research project. During this session the examiners can ask questions related to the fundamental concepts covered during the presentation. This gives the opportunity to the examiners to assess general mastery of the area the student is working on, beyond the traditional confines of coursework. The examiners should make sure that there is enough diversity in the questions asked.

Research Examination Decision

• Immediately after the exam, the examiners meet for approximately 30 minutes to discuss student’s performance, and make one of the following decisions:
  • Pass
  • Pass, with a list of classes the student should take to strengthen their background (at most three); the student should receive a grade of at least B in these classes in order to defend their thesis
  • Fail, with retake option (if first time) or removal of the student from the PhD program (if second time)
• Once compiled, the Director of Student and Academic Services will disseminate the feedback and results to the student’s Ph.D. advisor(s).

Following the Research Exams, the results will be discussed by the department faculty in a closed meeting. If there is no consensus on an exam outcome, the Department Chair will lead a discussion regarding the case until a consensus is reached. A student who fails the research examination the first time will be eligible to retake the exam with advisor approval. A student approved to retake the research exam must pass the next available Research Exams. A student who does not receive advisor approval for a retake option or fails the exam for a second time will be removed from the Ph.D. program. The student’s Ph.D. advisor will relay final decisions to the student.

After the Exams

A student who passes the Qualifying Examination must file for candidacy before the end of the quarter. 

A student can take field exams and/or research exams at most twice (with advisor approval). The first time should be either in the Fall or Spring of the second year; the second time, if applicable, should be the next available Qualifying Examination. A student who fails to qualify after two attempts may remain in the AA-Ph.D. program for one additional quarter. After this additional quarter, a student will be formally dismissed from the Ph.D. program by the Aero/Astro Faculty Committee. In this quarter, the department will not approve a leave of absence or reduced tuition requests.

If a student elects to formally enter the Engineer degree, they must discontinue the Ph.D. at the same time they add the Engineer degree via the Graduate Program Authorization Petition in Axess.

Candidacy

There are two requirements for admission to Ph.D. candidacy in Aeronautics and Astronautics: students must first pass the departmental qualifying exam and must then submit an application for candidacy. The Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree (PDF) must be submitted to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office before the end of the quarter in which a student passes the Qualifying Examination. The candidacy form lists the courses the student will take to fulfill the requirements for the degree. The form must include the 90 non-MS units required for the Ph.D.; it should be signed by the advisor and submitted to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office for the Director of Graduate Studies’ approval signature. Aero/Astro uses a department-specific candidacy form, which may be obtained in the Aero/Astro Student Services Office. It is incumbent upon Ph.D. students to request letter grades in all courses listed on the Application for Candidacy form. 

Students must receive a passing grade, and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, on all courses listed on the Candidacy form. Changes can be filed at any time by submitting a revised Candidacy form with advisor's signature, and submitting the form to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office for the Director of Graduate Studies’ approval. In order to graduate or go TGR, you must have completed all units listed on your current Candidacy form including any units for a Ph.D minor.

Once achieved, candidacy is granted through year seven of graduate study for students completing the M.S degree, or through year six of graduate study for students admitted with an M.S. degree in a related discipline, unless terminated by the department (e.g., for unsatisfactory progress). This term is not affected by leaves of absence. The candidacy end date is listed on the student’s record in AXESS. Students who are unable to graduate before their candidacy expires may submit an extension request for up to one additional year of candidacy.

Candidacy extensions requests require review of a dissertation progress report, a dissertation draft, timetable for completion of the dissertation, and any other factors regarded as relevant by the department. Students must submit the candidacy extension request before the end of their program's time limit. Once candidacy has expired, registration privileges are terminated and the student will need to apply for reinstatement into the Ph.D. program. Extension requests should be submitted to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office. Note, the department is not obligated to grant an extension, and all requests are subject to final approval by the Aero/Astro Department Chair.

Ph.D. Funding

AA-PhD students who are in good standing relative to program requirements are funded to the department’s 50% academic year post-quals research assistantship level. Arranging for this funding is the responsibility of the faculty Ph.D. advisor and the department, and can include fellowships, research assistantships, training grants and teaching assistantships.

Students receiving summer funds, including RAs and fellowships, must be registered. If there is a reasonable expectation for a student to be making progress toward the degree in the summer or during a graduation quarter, and the student is in good standing, the student should be funded at minimum to the 50% post-quals research assistantship level. However, arrangements may be made during the summer for a research assistantship percentage increase/decrease depending on the expectations of research progress agreed upon by the student and advisor. When students near the end of their degree program, the student and advisor may agree to end the graduate funding; it’s necessary, for instance, if students begin their new employment before Ph.D. conferral.

Course requirements

Each individual Ph.D. program, designed by the student in consultation with the advisor, should represent a strong and cohesive program reflecting the student's major field of interest. Ph.D. candidates must complete a minimum of 135 units. Ph.D. candidates who received their M.S. from Stanford may count up to 45 units towards the 135-unit total. Students who received an M.S. degree at another institution may petition (through the university Registrar’s Office) to transfer up to 45 units toward the 135-unit requirement.

Of the 90 units required beyond the M.S., a student must complete a minimum of 27 units (including 9 units of mathematics) of approved courses in advanced study in engineering, science, and mathematics (excluding research, directed study, and seminars) beyond the MS degree. These units must be taken for a letter grade, and all courses must be numbered 200 and above. Note: One math course may be taken at the 100 level if approved by the advisor. The remainder of the 90 units may be in the form of either Ph.D. dissertation units or free electives, these remaining units must be in courses at or above the 100 level. Units which were applied toward the M.S. degree cannot be used again. An advisor approved Ph.D. course proposal must be submitted when applying for Ph.D. candidacy.

Ph.D. students in Aeronautics and Astronautics must take 3 mathematics courses (a minimum of 9 units), with at least 6 units from courses numbered above 200. The Aero/Astro Department and the other engineering departments offer many courses that have sufficient mathematical content that they may be used to satisfy the mathematics requirement; a pre-approved list of mathematics requirements (PDF) is included in the department's handbook, but there are many others which may be acceptable. Please consult with your advisor and the Aero/Astro Student Services Office before assuming that a particular course will be accepted in your own program.

Ph.D. Minor

If choosing to take a Ph.D. minor, or minors, in other departments, a maximum of 9 units total from the minor program(s) may be included in the 27 units of formal coursework; the remaining minor units may be considered free electives, and included within the 90-unit total (beyond the MS) required for the Aero/Astro Ph.D.

Dissertation Reading Committee

Each Ph.D. candidate is required to establish a reading committee for the doctoral dissertation within six months after passing the department's Ph.D. Qualifying Examination. Thereafter, the student should consult frequently with all members of the committee about the direction and progress of the dissertation research. The student’s principal advisor and dissertation reading committee have the responsibility of supervising the research work and insuring that high standards of performance are maintained. Conversely, it is the student’s responsibility to keep their reading committee members informed about their research progress. The signatures on your dissertation represent the final certification of its adequacy.

A Dissertation Reading Committee consists of the principal dissertation advisor and at least two other readers. If the principal advisor is not within the Aero/Astro Department, there should be an Aero/Astro co-advisor. It is expected that at least two members of the Aero/Astro faculty will be on the reading committee. Although all readers are usually members of the Stanford Academic Council, the Department Chair may approve in special circumstances that must be justifiable, one non-Academic Council reader if the person brings unusual and necessary expertise to the dissertation research, and has no conflict of interest (for example, this person should not be part of the research project or directly associated with the funding authority). Generally, this non-Academic Council reader will be a fourth reader, in addition to three Academic Council members. It is the student’s and the advisor’s responsibility to justify to the Chair why this non-Academic Council member is proposed as a fourth reader.

The student must submit a Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form, signed by each of the readers, to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office for approval by the Department Chair. Approval of a non-Academic Council reader requires submission of a Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members. Any changes to the committee must be submitted to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office for approval by the Department Chair prior to submission of the dissertation. The Change of Advisor or Reading Committee Form requires the signature of anyone who is added to the committee; advisors/readers who signed the original form do not need to sign again.

University Oral Examination

Each Ph.D. candidate is required to take the University Oral Examination after the dissertation is substantially completed but before final approval of the dissertation. The dissertation draft must be in writing, with the expectation the final dissertation will be ready to submit within one quarter of the examination. The student should make available the draft copy of the dissertation to members of the examination committee prior to the exam. The examination itself is intended to verify that the research represents the student’s own contribution to knowledge and to test their understanding of the research. Candidacy must be valid and the student must be registered in the quarter in which the University Oral Examination is taken. The coordination of this exam is the responsibility of the department (primarily the student and advisor). The Registrar reviews but does not participate in the examination. The examination normally begins with a presentation by the Ph.D. candidate during which clarifying questions may be asked. This part of the examination is typically open to the public. After a brief recess, the examination continues in private session, with only the candidate and members of the examining committee in attendance.

This Committee is comprised of four faculty examiners plus a chairman. The examination should be conducted according to the major department’s stated practice, although it should not exceed three hours in length. A typical exam in Aero/Astro is expected to take three hours. At the conclusion of the examination the candidate should be asked to leave so that the committee can confer in private. A vote is taken and the chair tallies the votes of the members. The Orals Chair should submit the results of the examination to the Student Services Office immediately following the exam. The student’s advisor will notify the student of the outcome.

The University Oral Examination Form can be found on the Registrar’s Office website. The form must be submitted with a thesis draft to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office at least three weeks prior to the date arranged for the oral examination. The department will provide a (red) folder which includes the exam schedule, ballots, and department and university guidelines for the exam. Note: Students must be enrolled during the quarter when they take their University Oral Examination. If the orals take place during the break time between quarters, the student must be enrolled in the prior quarter. Once the oral examination has been passed, the student finalizes the thesis for reading committee review and final approval.

Procedures for Scheduling University Oral Examinations

• Register for the quarter in which you will be taking your Orals.
• Verify your Reading Committee in Axess : If the committee who signed on the form when you submitted your Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form is no longer appropriate, complete the Change of Advisor or Reading Committee Form and submit to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office.
• Identify your Orals committee
  • Four examiners: normally your reading committee plus one other faculty member, although readers are not required to be members (for instance, in case of scheduling conflicts). At least one examiner must be from your major department; Aero/Astro expects that two or, more likely, three members will be Aero/Astro faculty. Check with your minor department for their rules for representation. At least three examiners must be members of the Academic Council (i.e., a Stanford Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor - not Adjunct or Visiting). A non-Academic Council member requires a Petition for Doctoral Committee Members.
  • Committee chair: must be a member of the Academic Council or an emeritus member. May not hold an appointment in the same department as you or your advisor (this includes joint appointments, but does not include courtesy appointments). May not be a member of the reading committee. The chair is an "impartial representative of the University" in the exam; although the chair does vote, the chair need not be expert in your field. If you are having difficulty identifying a chair, ask your advisor or fellow students for suggestions. If you decide on a chair from a distant field (e.g., History or Music), make sure your advisor is aware of your plan before the exam
• Schedule a room: for participation in a public seminar, ask the Aero Astro Office (Durand 202), email: durandconferencerooms@stanford.edu
• Submit to Aero/Astro Student Services Office three weeks in advance- for the Department Chair's review and signature:
  • University Oral Examination Schedule Form (if you have a minor, obtain minor department chair signature)
  • Dissertation abstract (for the committee chair)
  • Dissertation draft (for the department chair, and full committee as requested)
  • Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members, if required (with curriculum vitae if they are not visiting faculty or on the Stanford academic staff.)
• Remind your Committee – Approximately three days before the oral, send reminders to your full committee about the exam date and location.

Doctoral Dissertation

Please refer to the Directions for Preparing Doctoral Dissertations, which outlines the University guidelines for preparing a Ph.D. dissertation. When the final draft of your dissertation has been completed, make an appointment to consult with the Graduate Degree Progress (GDP) officer in the Registrar’s Office to go over a review of the completion of your Ph.D. program and the strict formatting requirements for the dissertation. Submit the final version of your dissertation to the GDP no later than the dissertation deadline of your submission quarter. Note: All members of the Reading Committee must sign the dissertation before the filing deadline.

The date of degree conferral is early in the following quarter. Diplomas are mailed following degree conferral. Students who have no outstanding Stanford obligations (financial or academic) may obtain an official "certificate of completion" from the Graduate Degree Progress Office after degree conferral. Prior to requesting a Statement of Completion, the submission must first be approved by both the Final Reader and Registrar's Office. Note: students will receive email confirmation once the submission is approved by the Registrar's Office. This email confirmation will provide instructions for obtaining the letter by essentially logging on to AXESS, and going to the eDissertation/eThesis Center, where it should be ready and available as a link to the student.

Note: Students may be eligible to petition for a Graduation Quarter during the quarter they plan to submit the dissertation. For details, contact the Aero/Astro Student Services Office. International students should consult carefully with the International Center before selecting specialized registration status because their visas may prohibit it.