Degree of Engineer — Post M.S. Program

The Engineer’s degree represents one to two additional years of study beyond the Master’s degree and includes a research thesis. The program is designed for students who wish to do professional engineering work upon graduation and who want to engage in more specialized study than is afforded solely by a Master’s degree.

Applicants not currently enrolled at Stanford should follow the standard procedures for graduate applications. Current Stanford students who wish to continue or transfer to the Engineer’s degree program should submit the following materials to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office several weeks before the end of their current degree program:

Online Graduate Program Authorization Petition;
Statement of purpose describing the area of study and topic for thesis research;
Short letter from an Aero/Astro faculty member, addressing your preparation for the proposed research and their willingness to serve as your academic/research advisor.

Refer to the “Changes of Degree Level or Department” section, above, for more information.

Course requirements

Each individual Engineer’s Degree program, should represent a strong and cohesive program reflecting the student's major field of interest. Engineer’s Degree candidates must complete a minimum of 90 units. All units must be in courses at or above the 100 level. Stanford M.S. graduates can transfer up to 45 units to apply to the Engineer’s Degree.

Of the 45 units required beyond the M.S., a student must complete a minimum of 21 units in advanced study in engineering, science, and mathematics (excluding research, directed study, and seminars) beyond the M.S. degree. These units must be taken for a letter grade, and all courses must be numbered 200 and above. Students may register for up to 24 units of Engineer thesis. Units which were applied toward the M.S. degree cannot be used again. An advisor approved Engineer’s Degree course proposal must be submitted when applying for Engineer’s Degree candidacy.

Academic Requirements

Students should be familiar with the University’s requirements for minimal progress as outlined in the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures GAP. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required to fulfill the Engineer’s Degree, and to maintain satisfactory academic standing in the program. It is incumbent upon the student 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.

Candidacy

Students in the Engineer degree program must submit an Application for Candidacy no later than the second quarter of Engineer's study. This form indicates the courses and thesis work which the student will be using for the degree. If the research topic cannot be clearly described when this form is filed, the area of research should be described along with a timetable for identifying a thesis topic. Aero/Astro has a department-specific Candidacy form, available in the Aero/Astro Student Services Office.

The Application for Candidacy should be signed by the student's research advisor, and submitted to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office for approval. Neglecting to file for candidacy can prevent you from receiving your degree. Changes to your program of study can be filed at any time by submitting a revised Candidacy form. Obtain your advisor's signature and submit it to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office for approval. In order to graduate or go TGR, you must have completed all the units listed on your current Candidacy form.

Engineer’s thesis

For specific information regarding the format and deadlines for submission of theses, please check with the Graduate Degree Progress Office. Students should follow the format defined in the Preparing Engineer Thesis for Electronic Submission. Note: the advisor must sign the thesis before the filing deadline, which is generally the last day of classes during the graduation quarter. The date of degree conferral is early in the following quarter. 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. Diplomas are mailed following degree conferral.

Degree completion

Candidates for the engineer degree are required to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 for courses beyond those required for the master's degree. All courses except seminars and those that are mandatory pass/no-credit should be taken for a grade. Students must also meet the university’s quarterly academic requirements for graduate students, as described in the Bulletin and in the Satisfactory Progress section of the Guide to Graduate Studies in Aeronautics and Astronautics.

For midyear degrees, the date of conferral is early the quarter after degree completion. Students who have no outstanding Stanford obligations (financial or academic) may obtain an official “certificate of completion” from the Graduate Degree Progress Office at any time after finishing. Diplomas are printed only once a year, for distribution at Commencement in June.