PhD Industry Research Option

The PhD industry research option is for people working in industry who wish to conduct research at the company where they work while pursuing a Dartmouth Engineering PhD with a faculty advisor, or for students performing their dissertation research in industry after completing residency requirements at Dartmouth. 

An applicant for the PhD industry research option must have spent either at least two years in Industry or have an MS degree and have worked at least one year in Industry. The option is detailed below:

  • The student must satisfy all the thesis, course and other requirements of the PhD program, including meeting normal Dartmouth standards for quality of research, giving a presentation at a conference, and the publication of a first-author paper in a refereed journal. The dissertation (thesis) will be publicly published, although a delay for up to a year to preserve intellectual property rights will be permitted.
  • Dartmouth provides two terms of tuition while in residence. During this time, a stipend request may be honored if the company is not paying salary.
  • One potential additional term of tuition in return for TA-ing a substantial undergraduate engineering sciences course can be provided if approved by the TA director.
  • Half tuition will be charged for subsequent Fall, Winter and Spring terms — no tuition is charged in the summer. Additional health access fees must be paid in full although fee waiver requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • User fees may be charged for the use of Dartmouth experimental, computational, or laboratory facilities, if determined appropriate by the CFAO.
    • Before a student can elect the industry research option, a Memorandum of Understanding that covers intellectual property (IP) must have been executed between Dartmouth and the company where the student works. Depending on circumstances, IP may be owned solely by the company, or solely by Dartmouth, or jointly. The company will have an option to negotiate license terms for IP owned solely or jointly by Dartmouth.
    • Normal residency requirement is six terms. A waiver for reduced residency requirements may be requested, but at minimum, the student must be engaged at Dartmouth on a regular basis for no less than three quarters, either continuously or in parts. Preferably this would be the first year of the PhD program.
    • To discuss the PhD industry research option and application process, please contact the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education.