PhD Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology

Programme overview

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.

Faculty: School of Engineering, Applied Science, and Health | Department: Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

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.

Career pathways

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.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

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. We Hit the Ground Running Supportive Community and Strong Mentorship Min-Lin Tsai is a Raymond H. Springer Endowed Fellowship recipient. Min-Lin Tsai (Ph.D. MAE Student) Associate Professor, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm Sweden 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.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall and Spring.

Fall term: regular deadline January 31. Spring term: October 1, extended to October 15. GRE is required for PhD applicants.

Chicago-Kent J.D.: no application fee for 2026 J.D. applicants; first-year entry is Fall, with transfer entry in Fall or Spring.

Apply through the official page: https://www.iit.edu/admissions-aid/apply

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