PhD in Aerospace Engineering

The program is structured in two large areas:

• Aeronautics
• Space

Career opportunities for graduates are focused on three areas: a scientific career in universities or national and international research centers; a professional career in the Aerospace R&D sector; and the creation of technology-based companies through patents and/or registered software as direct outcomes of the research.

Student profile

The program considers as a recommended access profile a graduate background training in the field of Science, Engineering and Architecture and, specifically, the area of the program, Aerospace Engineering.

The program is open to students with Master's degrees in the areas of Manufacturing Engineering, Systems Engineering and Automation, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Thermal Engines and Machines, Fluid Mechanics, Continuum Mechanics and Structural Analysis, Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering, Telematic Engineering, Electronic Technology or Signal Theory and Communications. In these cases, some graduate training in the specific areas of the program is required. The Academic Committee will determine the complementary research training that candidates need according to their particular background.

The UC3M Master's degrees with direct access to the Ph.D. are the Master in Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) and the  Master in Space Engineering (MISE)

Also, UC3M offers two double Master's degrees, the Double Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering and Space Engineering and the Double Master's Degree in Telecommunications Engineering and Space Engineering, which complement the direct-access Masters with a professional specialization degree.

Access requirements

As a general rule, to access the program it is required to hold an official Spanish Bachelor's degree plus a minimum of 60 ECTS of a Master's degree in the field of Aerospace Engineering or an equivalent from other European Higher Education Area member countries. The sum of ECTS for both degrees must be a minimum of 300 ECTS. Also, students with a degree from international education systems may access the program, with no homologation process required, provided that it certifies an equivalent level of training to the official Spanish Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering and that it gives access to Ph.D. studies in the home country.

Students with graduate training in areas other than the Aerospace Engineering can be also admitted. These students shall have Master-level training in: 

• Science (Mathematics or Applied Physics)
• Engineering and Architecture: Manufacturing Engineering, Systems Engineering and Automation, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engines and Machines, Fluid Mechanics, Continuum Mechanics and Structural Analysis, Chemical Engineering, Telematic Engineering, Electronic Technology or Signal Theory and Communications.

Admission criteria

Admission is based on the criteria established by the Academic Committee listed below. These are implemented by the director of the program, who reports to the Committee on a regular basis. 

In the admission and selection process, the Academic Committee will consider:

• Academic transcript (Bachelor's and Master's degrees). Formulas from competitive programs such as FPU (Formación de Profesorado Universitario, a Ph.D. scholarship program at national level in Spain) will be used to quantify the grade, including equivalence from non-Spanish transcripts. Weight: 60%.
• Suitability of the candidate's background training (subjects, grades and language skills) to the lines of research of the Ph.D. program. Weight: 20%.
• Research experience (publications, conferences, etc.). Weight: 15%.
• Motivation, commitment to the program and research interests of the candidate, all of which will be assessed based on a motivation letter. The candidate can provide one or more endorsement letters from a researcher from any university, which will serve as proof of commitment. Weight: 5%.

The Academic Committee can require a personal interview with the candidate. This will not be considered as part of the admission criteria with a specific weight but, rather, an additional tool for clarification of the suitability and motivation of the student.