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Industry PhD

Dartmouth Engineering's Industry PhD option offers a pathway for working professionals to pursue a doctoral degree without pausing their careers. Industry PhD students conduct research at their companies, in collaboration with a Dartmouth faculty advisor, to make research discoveries with real-world impact.

The Industry PhD option is designed for professionals already working in industry or in a national laboratory who want to pursue a doctorate while engaging in research at their current workplace.

How to Apply

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Industry PhD at-a-Glance

3

terms in residence

With an approved waiver, Industry PhD students complete just three terms in residence, compared to nine for traditional candidates.

2–3

terms of full-tuition support

Dartmouth offers two terms of full-tuition support, with opportunity for an additional term fully-funded through a teaching assistantship.

30%

tuition for remaining terms

In addition to the fully-funded terms, Industry PhD students benefit from significantly reduced tuition rates for subsequent terms.

Program Overview

The Industry PhD option allows professionals to pursue a doctoral degree under the guidance of Dartmouth Engineering faculty while conducting research with direct impact in their current field. Eligible applicants have at least two years of industry or national laboratory experience or an MS degree plus one year of professional experience. Applicants must also be currently working in industry or government.

PhD students walk in the processional at Investiture.

Flexibility & Benefits

While completing the standard PhD requirements, Industry PhD students enjoy added flexibility including:

  • Reduced residency: a minimum of three to six terms in residency—a significant reduction from the nine terms required for traditional PhD candidates.
  • Waived professional development requirement: The professional development course (ENGG 197.1) is optional for Industry PhD students.
Professor Dan Olson works with a Dartmouth Engineering student in his lab.

Bridging Academia and Industry

The Industry PhD begins with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Dartmouth and the sponsoring company, outlining how intellectual property (IP) will be managed to safeguard innovation while empowering students to pursue research that drives both career growth for the student and industry impact. Depending on the project, the IP may be owned solely by the company, by Dartmouth, or jointly, with options to further negotiate license terms.

Tuition & Funding

Dartmouth Engineering supports Industry PhD students with a tuition structure designed to support their academic and professional paths:

  • Full-tuition support for two terms while students are in residence. During this time, students may also request a stipend if the company is not providing a salary.
  • Additional support through a teaching assistantship. Students may be eligible for an additional term of full-tuition support by serving as a teaching assistant (TA) for an undergraduate engineering sciences course, pending approval by the TA director.
  • Significantly reduced tuition. In addition to the two to three terms of full support from Dartmouth, students are billed at 30% of standard tuition for any remaining fall, winter, and spring terms—no tuition is charged in summer.

Additional health access fees still apply, with potential waivers considered on a case-by-case basis. Students may be charged user fees, as deemed appropriate, for the use of Dartmouth's experimental, computational, or laboratory facilities.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Professor Jifeng Liu works with a Dartmouth Engineering student in his lab.

Get Answers to Your Questions

To learn more about the Industry PhD option and application process, please contact Ian Baker, senior associate dean for research and graduate education. We also invite you to sign up for our mailing list below, or join us at an upcoming admissions event.

Request Info
A Dartmouth Engineering PhD student works on a mechanical engineering project.

Ready to Apply?

Apply via the Dartmouth Engineering PhD application and submit all required materials. Within the application, select "Industry PhD" on the program information page, and include a brief summary of your current company.

How to Apply