Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Ph.D.)
Illinois Tech’s Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program provides students with the latest research-based education and knowledge through advanced coursework, state-of-the-art and original research, and publication of novel results in preparation for careers in academia and industrial research and development.
Our mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty and graduate students are making significant contributions to the profession, working in the areas of high-impact innovation including robotics; GPS/DGPS/CDGPS; manned and unmanned aircrafts and spacecrafts; driverless cars; biomedical devices; solar and wind energy; turbomachinery, and more.
Students working toward the doctoral degree have significant flexibility in formulating an overall program to meet individual needs under the guidance of an adviser and the department.
Program Overview
This program provides advanced, research-based education through coursework, state-of-the-art and original research, and publication of novel results for careers in academia and industrial research and development. Join our engineering faculty and graduate students to make high-impact contributions to the profession.
Career Opportunities
Our Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering degree program will prepare you for academic or industrial research careers, such as:
- Aerospace research engineer
- Senior aerospace engineer
- Senior mechanical engineer
Students in the Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, in consultation with the adviser, prepare a plan of study to meet individual needs and interests. The plan of study usually consists of at least one full year of advanced coursework beyond the master’s degree, or equivalent, and a minimum of one full year of thesis research.
Applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering must be accepted by a thesis adviser and pass a qualifying examination given by the department in order to be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The exam evaluates the student’s background in order to determine the student’s potential for achieving a doctorate.
Min-Lin Tsai is a Raymond H. Springer Endowed Fellowship recipient.
Min-Lin Tsai (Ph.D. MAE Student)
In addition to gaining thorough technical knowledge of fluid mechanics, Ricardo Vinuesa developed strong leadership skills and continued to forge his career path through hands-on research activities at Illinois Tech.
Ricardo Vinuesa (M.S. MAE ’09, Ph.D. MAE ’13)
Jim Grudzinski achieved both of his graduate degrees on a part-time basis via distance learning, video recordings, and evening coursework.
Jim Grudzinski (M.S. MAE ’96, Ph.D. MAE ’12)
A soft robotics research project sparks Declan Mulroy’s interest in complex systems.
Declan Mulroy (ME ’19, Ph.D MAE ’23)