Graduate students join the SSDL as either M.S. or Ph.D. degree candidates. Many start as Masters candidates and may continue to receive their Ph.D. degrees. All students perform research while attending graduate school. Doctoral candidates will complete their dissertation while Masters candidates conduct research through a Masters thesis or independent project. Most SSDL students are enrolled in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering and are obligated to satisfy all requirements put forth by the AE School (http://www.ae.gatech.edu/) and Graduate Studies Office (http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/).
AE M.S. Program
The requirements for Masters degree are stated below:
Students opting for the Thesis option must select their topic in their first year and pass both a Thesis proposal and a Thesis defense.
AE Ph.D. Program
The Georgia Tech AE doctoral curriculum includes coursework, research, a qualifying examination, an approved thesis proposal, and an approved thesis defense. The following table summarizes the credit requirements for a Ph.D student:
SSDL students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. typically take the qualifying examinations in their second/third year of graduate work. They select System Design Optimization (Space Vehicles) and a secondary area which is relevant to their research.