Petition for Conditional Addition of the AA-PhD Degree

(Graduate Program Authorization Petition required upon approval, $125 fee)

This application is intended for students who plan to stay for an AA-PhD. In order to conditionally add the
Aeronautics and Astronautics PhD degree to your record, you must be a current AA-MS student.
Approval of this application is not binding, and is not required to take the Qualifying Examination.

Petition Deadline & Submission: Submit completed form to Aero/Astro Student Services (Durand 250)
for departmental review by April 20, 2017

(Policy reminders on reverse side)

For Completion by Student:

Last Name First Name

___________________________________
ID#
___________________________________
Current Degree Program
___________________________________
___________________________________
Email
___________________________________
First Quarter of Graduate Study (qtr/yr)
___________________________________

The following information will be considered in the review process:

Anticipated Qualifying Examination Date (qtr/yr):

Current Stanford GPA: ______________

AA 290 Quarter: AA 290 Instructor Name (Printed):

(list anticipated quarter and instructor if not already completed/enrolled)

*Please attach a short (half page) outline of your research plans/goals.

Signature: I acknowledge that if my application for conditional addition of the AA-PhD degree to my
record is approved, I must maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree as is outlined on page two of
this application. If I am not approved to take the Qualifying Examination in my second year, I will
withdraw from the AA-PhD degree or it will be removed from my record. I also acknowledge that I may be
subject to discipline for acts of misconduct, including seeking a University benefit to which a student is not
entitled.

I have read and accept the above agreement.

Students Signature: Date_________________________________

Department Use Only

Decision: Approve / Deny

Deny Reason:

Aero/Astro Candidacy Chair: Date:

Action: Student and Advisor Notified: 09/2016

Once approval is obtained, please submit a Graduate Program Authorization Petition in Axess,
https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/graduate-degree-progress/graduate-program-authorization-petition.
There is a $125 fee to submit the petition. (Select Spring Quarter for your new PhD program). When the
Universitys online Graduate Authorization Petition has been fully approved by the Aero/Astro Department
and the I-Center (if necessary), the PhD degree will become active in your record, and other university
systems will recognize it. (You can, for instance, initiate a Housing application as a doctoral student.)

International students: The Graduate Program Authorization Petition requires I-Center approval. Once
you have passed Quals, you must submit an online request for a new I-20 based on your PhD degree.

Before beginning dissertation research for the PhD. degree, a student must pass the departmental
Qualifying Examination (Quals). The Aero/Astro PhD. Qualifying Examination is given once in the Autumn
Quarter and once in the Spring Quarter, usually in the second week of November and May. The exact
dates will be announced several weeks before the exam.

Satisfactory Progress
Find a research topic (AA 290) and supervisor.
Pass the departments qualifying examination.
Complete the candidacy form (complete the courses listed).
Academic Requirements
A Stanford graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher is required to be eligible to take the Qualifying Examination.
Every student should be familiar with the Universitys requirements for minimal progress as outlined in the
Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures GAP. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of
3.0 is required to fulfill the departments PhD., and to maintain satisfactory academic standing in the
program. It is incumbent upon PhD. students to request letter grades in all courses listed on the
Application for Candidacy form. Students must receive a passing grade, and maintain a minimum GPA of
3.0, on all courses listed on the Candidacy form.
Candidacy
PhD. students must complete the candidacy process and be admitted to candidacy by the end of their
second year of doctoral study. There are two requirements for admission to PhD candidacy in
Aeronautics and Astronautics: students must first pass the departmental qualifying exam and must then
submit an application for candidacy. The candidacy form lists the courses the student will take to fulfill the
requirements for the degree. The form must include the 90 non-MS units required for the PhD.; it should
be signed by the advisor and submitted to the Aero/Astro Student Services Office for the Candidacy
Chairman's approval signature. Aero/Astro uses a department-specific candidacy form, which may be
obtained in the Aero/Astro Student Services Office. The Application for Candidacy is due in the
Aero/Astro Student Services Office before the end of the quarter in which you pass the Qualifying
Examination.

09/2016