Exploration Systems Design (Instrumentation), PHD

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (1 credit hour)
SES 502 Exploring SESE Research (1)

Concentration (9 credit hours)

Other Requirements (1 credit hour)
SES 501 SESE Colloquium (1)

Electives or Research (61 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours)
SES 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information
When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree in a related field to be used for this degree. Related fields include, but are not limited to, engineering, computer science, geological sciences and physics.

As part of the electives or research, students take two science courses selected from the SESE graduate catalog (GLG, SES or AST prefixes). Substitutions may be made per academic unit approval.

Substitutions for Other Requirements may be made per department approval.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution. An undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering or mechanical engineering is preferred.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

1. graduate admissions application and application fee
2. official transcripts
3. statement of purpose
4. three letters of recommendation
5. proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Students should see the program website for application deadlines.

Professionals with expertise in exploration systems design are in high demand across sectors and industries, including remote sensing, systems engineering, data science, technical consulting, Earth and planetary science and engineering. Coding and numerical modeling skills translate across many domains, even beyond exploration systems design. Skills in the design, manufacture and deployment of engineered solutions to science problems are valuable to businesses and institutions that rely on data-driven strategies to manage large teams and complex problems. The doctoral degree in exploration systems design is generally required for careers in postsecondary education and research.

Career examples include:

• data scientist
• engineering professor
• instrument builder
• machining specialist
• project manager
• research engineer