Overview
The AU PhD program began in 2011 and is administered through the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS). It was approved by the Federal Departments of Education and Defense and remains accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Following their successful completion of the MPhil at SAASS, a select number of graduates immediately continue their studies by conducting further research and writing toward the completion of a dissertation. Under the supervision of a current SAASS faculty member, possibly with the support of additional coursework, AU PhD candidates who successfully complete and defend a dissertation within seven years of graduating SAASS are awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Military Strategy by Air University.
Eligibility
The following persons are eligible for consideration:
- Any current year SAASS student (sister services, civilians and international officers included)
- Formal application for PhD candidacy the spring semester of their SAASS year
- Graduate SAASS with a cumulative 3.7 or higher GPA
In the spring semester of their SAASS year, students interested in the PhD program must fill out an application that places them in the candidate pool for admission. The Director of PhD programs gathers an Admission’s Committee that evaluates the applications and presents a proposed slate of candidates for admission to the whole SAASS faculty. Upon approval by the Commandant, candidates are provisionally accepted into the program (pending candidate completion of SAASS graduation requirements and maintenance of a 3.7 GPA). If provisionally accepted and the candidates successfully meet the criteria by the end of their SAASS year, they are enrolled in the AU PhD program and their seven year clock starts.
Completion process
The application for PhD candidacy requires the applicant to identify one or more potential dissertation chairpersons from the current pool of SAASS faculty members. The AU PhD admission committee is responsible for successfully matching the proposed slate of candidates with available and willing dissertation chairs. The candidate’s dissertation chair supervises and guides the academic development of the student, to include the preparation of a dissertation topic, prospectus and completed dissertation. The dissertation chair and the candidate together develop a dissertation committee of at least three terminally credentialed members to assist the student in completing their PhD. The dissertation chair must be a current SAASS faculty member, the second member an AU faculty member, and the outside member a terminally credentialed person who is not currently a faculty member at AU (a faculty member at another institution, a retired AU faculty member, or an active-duty or retired military officer with relevant expertise and a terminal degree).
Lorenz Fellowships
AU PhD candidates who are selected for Senior Development Education can petition to do their SDE as a Lorenz Fellow with SAASS. Air Force officers are prioritized in the fellowship selection, in accordance with the Lorenz Fellowship instructions. This fellowship year provides the candidate with the opportunity to complete their dissertation as an SDE credit. Typically, AU has an allotment of three Lorenz Fellows per year. A fellowship year is not a requirement for the PhD degree; it provides the opportunity to focus on completing and defending the dissertation in a supportive scholarly environment.
Current AU PhD Statistics
Number of AU PhDs awarded to date: 57
Graduation rate: 64%
Current enrollment: 41
Lorenz Fellows for AY26: 2