Curriculum in Doctor of Philosophy – Aerospace Engineering
A candidate for the Ph.D. degree with a major in aerospace engineering must comply with the rules and regulations as outlined in the WVU Graduate Catalog and the specific requirements of the Statler College and the Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering (MMAE).
Program Requirements
The doctor of philosophy degree with a major in aerospace engineering is administered through the college’s interdisciplinary Ph.D. program. The research work for the doctoral dissertation must show a high degree of originality on the part of the student and must constitute an original contribution to the art and science of aerospace engineering.
All Ph.D. degree candidates are required to perform research and follow a planned program of study. The student’s research advisor, in conjunction with the student’s Advising and Examining Committee (AEC) will be responsible for determining the plan of study appropriate to the student’s needs. The underlying principle of the planned program is to provide the students with the necessary support to complete their degree and prepare them for their career.
The doctoral courses of study are selected to fit the particular interests and objectives of the student, with proper attention given to broadening related areas of study. The research work for the doctoral dissertation may entail a fundamental investigation into a specialized area or a broad and comprehensive study in a related subject.
All students pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the MMAE department are expected to engage in research and complete and successfully defend a Ph.D. dissertation. They should identify a subject for their Ph.D. dissertation, form a five-member advisory and examining committee, and file a plan of study by the end of their first semester of enrollment in the graduate program. At least one member of the graduate faculty from outside the department is required to serve on the advisory and examining committee.
Publication Requirement
Prior to scheduling the dissertation defense, Ph.D. students are required to provide written documentation that they have received formal proof of submission of either:
a.) At least one manuscript, generally co-authored with their research supervisor and about some portion of their PhD dissertation research, to an archival journal for publication, or
b.) At least one patent disclosure, also generally about some portion of their PhD dissertation research.
Curriculum Requirements (BS-PhD Pathway)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses. | ||
| Course Requirements + | ||
| Core Area Courses | 9 | |
Select nine (9) hours from one of the following core areas: | ||
| Area A: Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics (FMA) | ||
| Dynamics of Viscous Fluids | ||
| Convection Heat Transfer | ||
| Fundamentals of Turbulent Flow | ||
| Area B: Thermal Sciences and Systems (TSS) | ||
| Advanced Thermodynamics 1 | ||
| Dynamics of Viscous Fluids | ||
| Convection Heat Transfer | ||
| Area C: Dynamics and Controls (D&C) | ||
| Intermediate Dynamics | ||
| Advanced Vibrations | ||
| Feedback Control in Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Area D: Solid Mechanics and Design (SMD) | ||
| Advanced Mechanics of Materials | ||
| Continuum Mechanics | ||
| Intermediate Dynamics | ||
| Advanced Vibrations | ||
| Area E: Materials Science (MS) | ||
| Crystallography and Crystals | ||
| Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials | ||
| Microscopy of Materials | ||
| Mathematics Requirements | 12 | |
Select twelve (12) hours from of the following (at least two (2) courses with MATH prefix or MAE 515): | ||
| Numerical Analysis | ||
| Numerical Solution of PDE | ||
| Modern Algebra 1 | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Number Theory 1 | ||
| Real Variables 1 | ||
| Complex Variables 1 | ||
| Introduction to Dynamical Systems and Applications | ||
| Mathematical Modeling | ||
| Intermediate Differential Equations | ||
| Intermediate Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Advanced Calculus 1 | ||
| Advanced Calculus | ||
| Graph Theory | ||
| Design of Experiments | ||
| Applied Regression Analysis | ||
| Theory of Probability and Statistics 1 | ||
| Theory of Probability and Statistics 2 | ||
| Analytical Methods in Engineering | ||
| Conduction Heat Transfer | ||
| Computational Fluid Dynamics | ||
| Continuum Mechanics | ||
| Energy Methods in Applied Mechanics | ||
| Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering | ||
| Linear Control Systems | ||
| Optimal Control | ||
| Technology Forecasting | ||
| Applied Linear Programming | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical Physics | ||
| Additional Courses ++ | 15 | |
| Select fifteen (15) hours from the following | ||
Any BIOM, BMEG, CE, CHE, CHEM, CPE, CS, EE, IENG, IH&S, MAE, MATH, MINE, PNGE, PHYS, SAFM, SENG, EXPH 583, or STAT courses 500-795, as approved by the student's AEC. | ||
| Research | 24 | |
| Research | ||
| Milestones | ||
Plan of Study | ||
Qualifying Exam | ||
Candidacy Exam | ||
Publication Requirement | ||
Final Exam | ||
Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- +
Students who do not hold a baccalaureate degree in aerospace engineering are required to take a set of undergraduate aerospace courses above and beyond the minimum coursework requirements.
- ++
No more than 6 hours of independent study can count. No courses below 500 level can count.
Curriculum Requirements (MS-PhD Pathway)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses. | ||
| Course Requirements * | ||
| Core Area Courses | 3 | |
| Select one course in the relevant core area from the following: | ||
| Area A: Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics (FMA) | ||
| Dynamics of Viscous Fluids | ||
| Convection Heat Transfer | ||
| Fundamentals of Turbulent Flow | ||
| Area B: Thermal Sciences and Systems (TSS) | ||
| Advanced Thermodynamics 1 | ||
| Dynamics of Viscous Fluids | ||
| Convection Heat Transfer | ||
| Area C: Dynamics and Controls (D&C) | ||
| Intermediate Dynamics | ||
| Advanced Vibrations | ||
| Feedback Control in Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Area D: Solid Mechanics and Design (SMD) | ||
| Advanced Mechanics of Materials | ||
| Continuum Mechanics | ||
| Intermediate Dynamics | ||
| Advanced Vibrations | ||
| Area E: Materials Science (MS) | ||
| Crystallography and Crystals | ||
| Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials | ||
| Microscopy of Materials | ||
| Mathematics Requirements | 6 | |
| Select two of the following (at least one course with MATH prefix or MAE 515): | ||
| Numerical Analysis | ||
| Numerical Solution of PDE | ||
| Modern Algebra 1 | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Number Theory 1 | ||
| Real Variables 1 | ||
| Complex Variables 1 | ||
| Introduction to Dynamical Systems and Applications | ||
| Mathematical Modeling | ||
| Intermediate Differential Equations | ||
| Intermediate Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Advanced Calculus 1 | ||
| Advanced Calculus | ||
| Graph Theory | ||
| Design of Experiments | ||
| Applied Regression Analysis | ||
| Theory of Probability and Statistics 1 | ||
| Theory of Probability and Statistics 2 | ||
| Analytical Methods in Engineering | ||
| Conduction Heat Transfer | ||
| Computational Fluid Dynamics | ||
| Continuum Mechanics | ||
| Energy Methods in Applied Mechanics | ||
| Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering | ||
| Linear Control Systems | ||
| Optimal Control | ||
| Technology Forecasting | ||
| Applied Linear Programming | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical Physics | ||
| Research | 24 | |
| Research | ||
| Any BIOM, BMEG, CE, CHE, CHEM, CPE, CS, EE, IENG, IH&S, MAE, MATH, MINE, PNGE, PHYS, SAFM, SENG, EXPH 583, or STAT courses 500-795, as approved by the student's AEC. | 9 | |
| Milestones | ||
Plan of Study | ||
Qualifying Exam (Ph.D. qualifying examination) | ||
Candidacy Exam (Dissertation research proposal defense) | ||
Publication Requirement | ||
Final Exam (Final dissertation defense) | ||
Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 42 | |
- *
Students who do not hold a baccalaureate degree in aerospace engineering are required to take a set of undergraduate aerospace courses above and beyond the minimum coursework requirements.
Journal Paper Publication requirement for All PhD Students:
Beginning with all PhD students admitted for the summer or fall of 2016 and thereafter, every Ph.D. student, prior to his/her dissertation defense, will be required to provide written documentation that they have received formal proof of submission of either:
a.) At least one manuscript, generally co-authored with their research supervisor and about some portion of their PhD dissertation research, to an archival journal for publication, or
b.) At least one patent disclosure, also generally about some portion of their PhD dissertation research.
This publication requirement will have to be satisfied prior to scheduling the defense of the Ph.D. Dissertation.
Major Learning Outcomes
Aerospace Engineering
The MMAE Department is committed to deliver high quality education and research experience to all graduate students in order to enable them to achieve success in their careers, though the following Learning Goals:
- Expertise, depth and breadth in a chosen field of aerospace engineering.
- Capacity to engage in original research, advanced technological discovery and innovation in order to advance the frontiers of knowledge in the science of the aerospace engineering discipline.
- Capacity of effective high level communication in order to document, disseminate and transfer knowledge of the science of the aerospace engineering discipline in educational, research or applied workplace settings.
- Appreciation and understanding of the role of the science of the aerospace engineering discipline in a global and societal context.