The Ph.D. course in Aeronautics and Space Engineering represents the highest level of university education in the aerospace engineering provided by the University of Rome La Sapienza. The PhD program aims at training the skills needed to carry out high quality research activities in the aerospace field. This is a course designed mainly for postgraduate students in the fields of aeronautics and space, but candidates with a master's degree in engineering and sciences (or equivalent degrees, or they qualifications obtained abroad and recognized as appropriate) may also be admitted. The curriculum of the PhD program involves the carrying out of an original piece of research to be completed over three years. The course provides a first phase which aims to complete the candidate technical-scientific background. Subsequently, a research activity is carried out by the candidate under the guidance of a member of the PhD council, and, finally a period devoted to the elaboration of the dissertation. The course objective is to train doctoral students able to introduce their self successfully in the field of research and development of innovative solutions typical of fields such as aeronautics and space, which has always required state-of-the-art technology. In fact, research in these areas is strongly connected with industry, as demonstrated by the significant funding to industries by local, national and community institutions. The characteristics of pure and applied research in the aerospace industry have led to a strong link between major companies and national and international institutions, particularly those with head offices in Lazio. In this collaboration several scholarships have been funded by major corporations and companies in the sector (such as ESA, ASI, Thales Alenia Space, Avio, Telespazio, Elv, Selex...). A contract of high-level education training has been established with Airworks s.r.l. for one of the phd students. The main areas where research is carried out by teachers and students of the PhD program are: numerical and experimental fluid dynamics; aeroelasticity; dynamics and control of aerospace structures; design and testing of materials and innovative structures; flight mechanics; Space Missions; combustion; efficiency and emission control in aircraft engines; space propulsion; design of launchers; Turbomachinery for aviation and space; dynamics and control of helicopters. The international characterization of research projects in the field makes the PhD course also linked to national and foreign research institutions and agencies as: European Space Agency (ESA-ESTEC, Netherlands), von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Rhode-St-Genèse, Belgium), ONERA (France), DLR (Germany), CIRA (Italy), Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, USA), Purdue University (West Lafayette, USA), Carleton University (Canada), Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA), NASA Langley (USA), ASI (Italian Space Agency), Combustion Research Facility/SANDIA National Laboratory (USA), University of Notre Dame (USA), CCRC/KAUST (Arabia Saudita), University of Illinois (USA), Princeton University (USA). In some of the above mentioned institutions, students of Aeronautics and Space Engineering PhD course had the opportunity to carry out successfully a part of their research. Based on the established relations a "Research advisory group" (international advisory board) of the PhD course has been established which includes experts from the above mentioned agencies and research centers.