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Katelyn
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
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How many years of college does it take on average to get a phd ?
To get a PhD in aerospace engineering.
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4 answers
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1334
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Australia
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Dr’s Answer
Hey Katelyn, generally speaking, once you’ve completed your bachelor’s degree, most PhD programs in aerospace engineering take about five years of full-time study. That means you’re looking at roughly nine years of college education in total (four years for your bachelor's plus about five years for your PhD). Of course, this timeline can vary depending on factors like your research progress, coursework, and any challenges along the way, but five years is a pretty common benchmark for the PhD portion in this field. Hope that helps! All the best buddy! 😉
Bright Komor
Nurse
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Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
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Bright’s Answer
A PhD in Aerospace Engineering typically takes 4-6 years to complete, depending on factors like prior education, program structure, and research complexity. Programs require 60-96 credit hours of advanced technical subjects, including core topics like fluid dynamics, propulsion, and structural mechanics. The dissertation takes 2-4 years, depending on experimental work or computational projects.
Institutional variations vary, with MIT taking 3-4 years, Stanford taking around 6 years, Georgia Tech taking 5 years, and the University of Colorado taking 4-6 years. Key milestones include qualifying exams, dissertation defense, and funding and assistantships.
Factors affecting the timeline include funding and assistantships, which may require teaching or research commitments, and research delays due to experimental projects or computational challenges. Top programs like MIT and Stanford often have structured pathways, while others offer flexibility for industry collaborations or part-time study. For more details on specific programs, refer to university admissions pages or accreditation bodies like ABET.
Institutional variations vary, with MIT taking 3-4 years, Stanford taking around 6 years, Georgia Tech taking 5 years, and the University of Colorado taking 4-6 years. Key milestones include qualifying exams, dissertation defense, and funding and assistantships.
Factors affecting the timeline include funding and assistantships, which may require teaching or research commitments, and research delays due to experimental projects or computational challenges. Top programs like MIT and Stanford often have structured pathways, while others offer flexibility for industry collaborations or part-time study. For more details on specific programs, refer to university admissions pages or accreditation bodies like ABET.
Michelle M.
Actress
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Michelle’s Answer
Hi, Katelyn !
This is such an exciting career that you are interested in and I'd be happy to provide information to you !
In your state of Minnesota, the PhD Program for Aerospace Engineering would take between 4 - 7 years at the University of Minnesota in Twin Cities. You would need your Bachelors and Masters Degrees first (6 years). No other Universities in Minnesota offer a PhD program for this subject, however.
There are other colleges out of your state that offer PhD programs for Aerospace Engineering. Those colleges are: Georgia Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, University of Texas in Austin, University of Maryland in College Park, Stanford University (near Palo Alto, CA), Utah State University, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, University of Colorado in Boulder, Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and Texas A & M in College Station. I think that the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor might be the closest one, but you should explore this and decide which colleges to apply to after finding what the duration for the PhD would be at their campuses.
The long duration for this PhD is good because there is a lot to learn. You would be taking advanced courses in aerospace engineering and needed courses such as mathematics, physical sciences, and computer sciences. You will conduct studies at the direction of your professors, sometimes by yourself and sometimes with other students. You would be doing high level research projects. This will help you gather work for your PhD thesis or dissertation. Seminars and workshops at this level are often offered so that you can enhance your knowledge and skills.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best ! For specific detailed information about a college or program, contact the college directly as they are official representatives of the college and can give you current, up to date information.
This is such an exciting career that you are interested in and I'd be happy to provide information to you !
In your state of Minnesota, the PhD Program for Aerospace Engineering would take between 4 - 7 years at the University of Minnesota in Twin Cities. You would need your Bachelors and Masters Degrees first (6 years). No other Universities in Minnesota offer a PhD program for this subject, however.
There are other colleges out of your state that offer PhD programs for Aerospace Engineering. Those colleges are: Georgia Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, University of Texas in Austin, University of Maryland in College Park, Stanford University (near Palo Alto, CA), Utah State University, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, University of Colorado in Boulder, Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and Texas A & M in College Station. I think that the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor might be the closest one, but you should explore this and decide which colleges to apply to after finding what the duration for the PhD would be at their campuses.
The long duration for this PhD is good because there is a lot to learn. You would be taking advanced courses in aerospace engineering and needed courses such as mathematics, physical sciences, and computer sciences. You will conduct studies at the direction of your professors, sometimes by yourself and sometimes with other students. You would be doing high level research projects. This will help you gather work for your PhD thesis or dissertation. Seminars and workshops at this level are often offered so that you can enhance your knowledge and skills.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best ! For specific detailed information about a college or program, contact the college directly as they are official representatives of the college and can give you current, up to date information.
Dr Fisch
Flight Attendant
48
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Although a university may give you up to 7 years to complete your coursework & begin your dissertation, you may also have 7 more years at that point to finish your dissertation. So, 14 years maximum! Of course you can do it quicker, but these are generally the limits. They don't want too to be there forever. However, each university might have their own policy so it's best to check with their administration department to confirm. I know you specifically asked about the average time, but this max info is related and might be helpful to you as well in your overall calculation.