The Ph.D. Program in Aerospace Engineering represents the highest level of academic education in the aerospace sector offered by the University of Rome "La Sapienza."
The program aims to provide the skills necessary to conduct highly qualified research in the fields of aeronautics and space. It is primarily intended for the top graduates in aerospace engineering but is also open to candidates holding a specialized or master's degree in related fields of engineering or science (or equivalent qualifications obtained abroad and deemed suitable).
Program Overview
The program involves the development of original research to be completed over three years. It includes:
-An initial phase to deepen the candidate's technical and scientific preparation, building on their prior academic studies.
-Conducting research activities under the guidance of a faculty committee affiliated with the program.
-Writing and defending the final dissertation.
Objective
The program's goal is to train researchers capable of successfully contributing to the development of innovative solutions in industrial sectors like aeronautics and space, which are characterized by cutting-edge technologies.
In these sectors, research is strongly intertwined with industrial applications, as demonstrated by significant funding provided by local, national, and European institutions. This collaboration has established strong ties between the program and major companies and institutions, such as Thales Alenia Space Italia, Leonardo, AVIO Colleferro, General Electric, Piaggio, ENEA, CNR, CIRA, INAF, ENAC, ASI, ESA, NASA, DLR, and AFOSR, which have financed numerous scholarships.
Research Areas
The primary research areas addressed in the program include:
-Aeroelasticity, dynamics, and control of aerospace structures
-Combustion, efficiency, and emissions control in aeronautical engines
-Dynamics and control of helicopters
-Numerical and experimental fluid dynamics
-Aeronautical and space flight mechanics
-Space missions
-Design of launch vehicles for space access
-Design and testing of innovative materials and structures
-Aeronautical and space propulsion
-Turbomachinery for aeronautical and space applications
Word Cloud of the most frequent keywords in Ph.D. thesis titles.
International Collaborations
The international nature of the research projects makes the program closely tied to universities, research centers, and foreign agencies, including:
*European Space Agency (ESA-ESTEC, Netherlands)
*Italian Space Agency (ASI)
*Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium)
*ONERA (France)
*DLR (Germany)
*CIRA
*Georgia Institute of Technology (USA)
*Purdue University (USA)
*Carleton University (Canada)
*Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA)
*NASA Langley (USA)
*Combustion Research Facility/SANDIA National Laboratory (USA)
*University of Notre Dame (USA)
*CCRC/KAUST (Saudi Arabia)
*University of Illinois (USA)
*Princeton University (USA)
Ph.D. students have successfully conducted part of their research activities at many of these institutions.
Experts from the aforementioned institutions also participate in the "Research Advisory Board," specifically established for the Ph.D. Program in Aerospace Engineering.