Aviation, Ph.D.
Saint Louis University's Ph.D. in aviation is offered in an online format, ideal for working professionals, and provides opportunities for interdisciplinary coursework and research collaboration.
Program Highlights
- Ph.D. students in aviation at Saint Louis University complete coursework before scheduling a qualifying exam that focuses on topics related to the coursework and assesses general preparation for graduate research.
- Upon successfully passing the qualifying exam, students develop a dissertation proposal under the supervision of a research mentor. Students then present and defend the dissertation proposal.
- After conducting research and writing a dissertation, students defend the dissertation in a public forum and then privately to the committee.
Curriculum Overview
Students will work with their advisor and Ph.D. committee to determine the specific coursework to complete the program. Those students holding an appropriate Master of Science degree may include a maximum of 27 credits of the associated M.S. degree course credits, but not the thesis or project credits, in the 63 credits required for the Ph.D. degree.
Careers
Graduates with a Ph.D. in aviation are uniquely qualified to conduct aviation-related research in academia, government and industry.
Admission Requirements
Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.
Most admitted students meet the following criteria:
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0
- A four-year undergraduate degree in aviation or a field related to the desired graduate program
Application Requirements
- Online application form
- Official transcript(s) of all previous degrees
- Three letters of recommendation (preferably from recent instructors)
- A writing sample solely authored by the applicant that has been preferably composed within the last two to three years. The sample should relate to a contemporary issue in aviation or describe the student’s proposed research agenda and how that contemporary issue or proposed research agenda matches the research currently being conducted by faculty in the Department of Aviation Science. Submissions should be formatted in APA style, be between 3,500-4,500 words, and include an abstract of fewer than 300 words.
- Curriculum vitae/résumé
- Professional goal statement
Requirements for International Students
All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:
- Demonstration of English Language Proficiency
- Proof of financial support, including:
- A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
- A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
- Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.
Application and Assistantship Deadlines
The department only reviews applications for the fall semester. To be considered for enrollment in the fall semester, submit application materials by March 31.
Admitted students who want to be considered for an assistantship must submit a separate application for assistantship consideration by March 1.
Review Process
Once the online application is complete, and all the materials are received, the application is reviewed by the Parks College Office of Graduate Education and Research before being sent to the Department of Aviation Science for a recommendation. The final decision is made by Parks’ associate dean of graduate education and research.
Admissions decisions are made based on the background and educational experience of students. Applications are reviewed when completed, and decisions are generally made within a few weeks.
Tuition
Tuition | Cost Per Credit |
---|---|
Graduate Tuition | $1,370 |
Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:
Information on Tuition and Fees
Financial Support
The School of Science and Engineering offers graduate fellowship awards and assistantships each year. Assistantships provide tuition, stipend and health insurance. There are also many opportunities for students to receive funding through external research grants that are managed by individual faculty.
For more information, visit the: Office of Student Financial Services.
- Graduates will be able to assess relevant literature or scholarly contributions in the field(s) of study.
- Graduates will be able to apply the major practices, theories or research methodologies in the field(s) of study.
- Graduates will be able to apply knowledge from the field(s) of study to address problems in broader contexts.
- Graduates will be able to articulate arguments or explanations to both a disciplinary or professional audience and to a general audience, in both oral and written forms.
- Graduates will be able to evidence of scholarly and/or professional integrity in the field of study.
The courses in SLU'S Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation curriculum are taught in an entirely online format. The aviation Ph.D. program requires a total of 63 credits beyond a bachelor's degree. Students will work with an adviser and Ph.D. committee to determine the specific coursework to complete the Ph.D. in aviation. If students have an applicable master’s degree, 27 credits of that program may count towards the 63 credits necessary, with department approval. No research or project credits will be counted towards the advanced standing for the Ph.D.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ASCI 5980 | Graduate Reading Course | 3 |
Aviation Foundation Requirement | 12 | |
Research Methodology Requirement | 12 | |
Secondary Discipline | 12 | |
Students should choose 12 credits in a secondary discipline complementary to the knowledge of aviation, with department approval | ||
Aviation Electives | 12 | |
Dissertation Research | 12 | |
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | |
Total Credits | 63 |
Please note: the courses in the Ph.D. in Aviation curriculum are taught in an entirely online format.
Non-Course Requirement
All students must complete an exit survey with their department/program during their final semester.
Continuation Standards
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.
Aviation Foundation Attributed Courses
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ASCI 5030 | Aviation Security Management | 3 |
ASCI 5040 | Human Factors in Aviation Safety | 3 |
ASCI 5150 | Aviation Incident and Accident Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5210 | Aviation Organization Theory and Management | 3 |
ASCI 5220 | Aviation Safety Programs | 3 |
ASCI 5230 | Prof Ethics and Standards | 3 |
ASCI 6010 | Federal & International Regs | 3 |
ASCI 6020 | Flight Op's Business & Admin | 3 |
ASCI 6030 | Aviation and Public Policy | 3 |
ASCI 6070 | Aviation Training Methods | 3 |
Aviation Research Attributed Courses
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ASCI 5010 | Introduction to Aviation Research Methods | 3 |
ASCI 5020 | Aviation Safety Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5460 | Qualitative Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5470 | Quantitative Data Analysis | 3 |
AA 5221 | Applied Analytics & Methods I | 3 |
EDR 5100 | Intro to Inferential Stats: Ed | 3 |
EDR 6100 | Intermediate Applied Statistics for Education | 3 |
ORES 5100 | Research Methods in Health & Medicine | 3 |
PSY 6500 | Applied Multivariable and Multivariate Statistics in Behavioral Science | 3 |
SOC 5750 | Qualitative Analysis, Grounded Theory Method | 3 |
SOC 5800 | Survey Design & Sampling | 3 |
Aviation Elective Attributed Courses
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ASCI 5010 | Introduction to Aviation Research Methods | 3 |
ASCI 5020 | Aviation Safety Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5030 | Aviation Security Management | 3 |
ASCI 5040 | Human Factors in Aviation Safety | 3 |
ASCI 5150 | Aviation Incident and Accident Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5210 | Aviation Organization Theory and Management | 3 |
ASCI 5220 | Aviation Safety Programs | 3 |
ASCI 5230 | Prof Ethics and Standards | 3 |
ASCI 5460 | Qualitative Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5470 | Quantitative Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5980 | Graduate Reading Course | 1-3 |
ASCI 6010 | Federal & International Regs | 3 |
ASCI 6020 | Flight Op's Business & Admin | 3 |
ASCI 6030 | Aviation and Public Policy | 3 |
ASCI 6070 | Aviation Training Methods | 3 |
AA 5221 | Applied Analytics & Methods I | 3 |
BME 6000 | Preparing Future Faculty | 3 |
EDR 5100 | Intro to Inferential Stats: Ed | 3 |
EDR 6100 | Intermediate Applied Statistics for Education | 3 |
GIS 5040 | Introduction to Remote Sensing | 3 |
IB 6000 | Global Business Environment | 3 |
IB 6220 | International E-Business | 3 |
ORES 5100 | Research Methods in Health & Medicine | 3 |
PSY 6500 | Applied Multivariable and Multivariate Statistics in Behavioral Science | 3 |
SOC 5750 | Qualitative Analysis, Grounded Theory Method | 3 |
SOC 5800 | Survey Design & Sampling | 3 |
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
Roadmap for Students with Advanced Standing
Year One | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
ASCI 5150 | Aviation Incident and Accident Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5220 | Aviation Safety Programs | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 5030 | Aviation Security Management | 3 |
ASCI 5470 | Quantitative Data Analysis | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Year Two | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 5040 | Human Factors in Aviation Safety | 3 |
ASCI 5460 | Qualitative Data Analysis | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 5020 | Aviation Safety Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5980 | Graduate Independent Study in Aviation Science * | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Summer | ||
Ph.D. Qualifying Exam | ||
Credits | 0 | |
Year Three | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Summer | ||
Ph.D. Proposal Defense/Doc Oral Exam | ||
Credits | 0 | |
Year Four | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Summer | ||
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense | ||
Credits | 0 | |
Total Credits | 36 |
- *
ASCI 5980 Graduate Reading must be taken in the last semester of coursework prior to taking the Ph.D. qualifying examination, which is a requirement of the program.
Roadmap for Students without Advanced Standing
Year One | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
ASCI 5010 | Introduction to Aviation Research Methods | 3 |
ASCI 5150 | Aviation Incident and Accident Analysis | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 5020 | Aviation Safety Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5470 | Quantitative Data Analysis | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Year Two | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 5030 | Aviation Security Management | 3 |
ASCI 5040 | Human Factors in Aviation Safety | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 5460 | Qualitative Data Analysis | 3 |
ASCI 5210 | Aviation Organization Theory and Management | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Year Three | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 5230 | Prof Ethics and Standards | 3 |
BME 6000 | Preparing Future Faculty | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 5220 | Aviation Safety Programs | 3 |
ASCI 6010 | Federal & International Regs | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Year Four | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 6020 | Flight Op's Business & Admin | 3 |
IB 6000 | Global Business Environment | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 6030 | Aviation and Public Policy | 3 |
ASCI 6070 | Aviation Training Methods | 3 |
Credits | 6 | |
Year Five | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 5980 | Graduate Independent Study in Aviation Science * | 3 |
Ph.D. Qualifying Exam | ||
Credits | 3 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Summer | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Credits | 3 | |
Year Six | ||
Fall | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal/Doc Oral Exam | ||
Credits | 3 | |
Spring | ||
ASCI 6990 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense | ||
Credits | 3 | |
Total Credits | 63 |
- *
ASCI 5980 Graduate Reading must be taken in the last semester of coursework prior to taking the Ph.D. qualifying examination, which is a requirement of the program.
For more information about any School of Science and Engineering graduate program, email ssegrad-admissions@slu.edu.