Hi all, I am an Engineering student on my Masters year. I have been searching for PhDs and I came across the Airbus PhD programme. How is it different from a traditional PhD? I am more interested in delving into the industry right after my Masters so I prefer not to spend more years at unis again or at least be based in industry rather. Where can I find more of Airbus PhD kind of programme? Thanks!!

If you have a good idea for a PhD thesis in Engineering - one that will make a substantially original contribution, you may proactively contact any university and any industry employer and arrange a joint partnership. There need not be a very large amount of administration work involved for either party if you do all the ground work. The key is to target the employer and university that has the strongest interest in your sub-field. In most cases, there is nothing to stop any industry/university combination from jointly supporting your project e.g. CalTech and Boeing OR MIT and McDonnell Douglas. You need to argue the benefits involved to both parties. These sorts of collaborations are popular and common. If you have good skills and the knowledge is useful for both parties, you might find yourself with a full tuition fee waiver from the university and paid employment (including an expense account, travel grant, study leave etc, ) paid for by the employer who is your source of data collection. Like killing two birds with one stone - a real job that builds a PhD at the same time. On the other hand, yes there are existing partnerships where universities and industry employers have traditionally paired up and joint venture program PhD programs have long existed which you can slide into. I believe CalTech and NASA is an example. You can find out which programs exist using Google searches and by asking around. There are also professional doctorate programs which might have equivalent standing to the PhD if the thesis makes a substantially original contribution. The DEng of EngD is popular in Australia and some other countries. My personal opinion is that these types of programs are excellent. A good PhD should leave the door open for working in a number of fields: NGO, government, industry, academia and personal consulting (your own business). PhD that are overly theoretical and almost purely academic do not open as many doors. I wish you well. Jay

Have you looked into EngDs?