博士 是基于论文的博士学位。它非常注重研究，是打算从事研究，开发，研究管理或大学教学工作的学生的最终学位。对于希望在该领域从事学术，政府和/或行业研究的职业，拥有工程，物理科学或数学硕士学位的个人来说，这是一个很棒的计划。博士生必须满足核心要求。除核心要求中指定的要求以外，研究生课程要求由候选人的博士委员会根据个人情况确定。通常，博士学位没有指定的学分数量。但是，学生通常会获得MS学位以外的至少24个课程学分。
Most spacecraft being launched today host both conventional (i.e., chemical) propulsionused for orbital insertion, large delta-V maneuvers, and attitude controland electric propulsion (EP) used primarily for station keeping and, less often, for LEO GEO transfer and interplanetary missions. At Penn State, we are conducting research in a number of areas relevant to space propulsion. In the area of chemical propulsion, our experimental research includes characterizing the unsteady combustion behavior of solid and liquid propellant rockets by means of advanced diagnostics. These measurements provide important input into the prediction of rocket-chamber combustion stability. In advanced space propulsion, we conduct experimental, computational, and analytical research into microwave-heated propulsion, whereby propellant gases are heated to plasma temperatures to obtain performance higher than chemical rockets. Thrusters are characterized under vacuum conditions via direct and indirect thrust measurements and various optical diagnostics.