Doctor of Aviation, Av.D.

The Doctor of Aviation is designed to prepare working professionals in aviation with the capacity and experience needed to make scholarly contributions that enhance and promote practice within the aviation profession and to assume leadership positions within their organization. The focus of the Av.D. is applied and intended for the practitioner, with the dissertation research typically involving a practical field problem oriented for business/industry practitioners. The program is cohort-based, with new cohorts entering the program each fall term and is designed so cohorts can complete the program in as few as three years with the last year dedicated to the dissertation component.

Admission Requirements

An applicant to the program must have a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in an aviation-related field with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. The applicant also must be a full-time working professional in the aviation/aerospace industry. International applicants must hold a master’s degree in an aviation-related field from an international institution that provides suitable preparation for doctoral­-level studies, and be a full-time working professional in the aviation/aerospace industry. In addition to the application, applicants must submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a statement of objectives and a résumé.

General admission requirements and the process for applying are presented in the Academic Overview  section.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Aviation is conferred on students who successfully complete a minimum of 42 semester credit hours beyond the master’s degree as described below.

General degree requirements are presented in the Academic Overview  section.