Direct to PhD Program

The MAE department gives admission directly into the PhD program from the BS degree for those who are highly qualified.  A minimum GPA of 3.5 is a strict requirement for this path.  Those who are admitted to this path will be required to take the PhD qualifying exam at the end of the second semester of study.

 

Credit Requirements (72 Total Hours)

The following table shows the recommended schedule for the direct-to-PhD path.

• Graded courses: 13 – 16 letter-grade courses (39 – 48 credit hours) are required.
  • A maximum of 5 of these courses (15 hours) can be approved non-MAE courses.
• Doctoral dissertation: 24 – 33 credit hours of doctoral research (MAE 895) are required to reach a total of 72 hours for graduation.
• A minor is optional but requires that 3 courses be in the same program. Students pursuing a minor should also contact the department of the minor for additional requirements.
• Students can apply to receive a non-thesis MS degree en-route to the PhD when the following conditions are met:
  • Successful completion of all graded courses for PhD degree.
  • Successful completion of the Qualifying Exam.
  • Successful completion of the Doctoral Prelim Exam.

 

A brief outline of these exams are below, however a complete overview of the d-PhD program requirements is included in the MAE d-PhD Student Guide. Access your MAE PhD Student Guide from the MAE Graduate Advising website today!

 

Qualifying Examination (QE)

Any student entering our PhD program without the MS degree must take the QE under the following guidelines:

• QE will be administered by the student’s PhD committee no later than the end of the third semester.
• You, your Faculty Advisor, and at least two other committee members will identify written questions for the QE and the timeframe in which the exam must be completed.
• Your completed QE exam should be submitted to the MAE Graduate Office by your Faculty Advisor.
• If a student does not pass the QE, a second (and final) attempt can be made in the following semester.

 

PhD Committee Selection

• Without a Minor

i. Your Academic Advisor, 2 MAE faculty members, and 1 non-MAE faculty member from NCSU to serve as your Graduate School Representative (GSR).

or

ii. Your Academic Advisor, 3 MAE faculty members, and 1 Graduate School Representative (GSR).

• With a Minor

Your Academic Advisor, 2 MAE faculty members,  1 minor representative, and 1 Graduate School Representative (GSR).