Determine if your branch of the military will pay the tuition of a doctorate degree by contacting the education office for your military unit. Each branch of service and even units within branches have different rules for the type of education paid through its tuition assistance program. Doctorate degrees are not covered by all branches, although the Naval Post Graduate School, which offers engineering doctorates, is open to officers of each branch.
Apply for the Armed Forces Tuition Assistance by contacting the education office for your military unit. The education office will have the most current information and forms needed for application. The tuition assistance program can pay all the tuition up to a certain limit, which depends on the type and level of the degree you seek.
Get permission of your commander and supervisor to seek tuition assistance for a Ph.D. in engineering. Tuition assistance must be signed off by superiors who determine if the education courses interfere with duties. Usually, a superior or commander will grant tuition assistance.
Exhaust all avenues of military financial aid by deciding whether G.I. Bill benefits will be needed. If your military branch does not cover doctorate degrees and your are in active duty service, you will likely need to dip into your benefits through the G.I. Bill, which pays 36 months' equivalent of the costliest undergraduate tuition in a soldier's home state. Since graduate education is substantially costlier, active-duty members can apply for the Top Up program that may pay some of the difference.
In addition, try to use schools in the Yellow Ribbon Program in which member schools agree to pay for part of the difference between the G.I. Bill benefit and tuition. Contact your education office to find more information about the G.I. Bill and a list of Yellow Ribbon Schools.
Find an accredited college close enough to attend or an accredited online program that offers doctoral degrees in engineering. Look on the Accreditation Board for Engineering or Technology website (see Resources) for programs that are accredited and which ones offer part or all of the degree online. Active-duty members will likely find it hard to find an accredited college near their base. Online offerings could be the best bet, and many traditional colleges offer engineering doctorates online.
Commit yourself to long hours over and beyond a regular military work day. Earning a Ph.D. in engineering can take three to five years, and requires research and often requires a dissertation, a task those on active duty must complete off hours. If possible, incorporate your military position and experience into your Ph.D. research.