This major emphasizes the analysis, design, and operation of aircraft and spacecraft. Students learn the theories and practices in the fundamental subjects of aeronautics, astronautics, aerodynamics and fluid dynamics, aerospace materials and structures, dynamics and automatic control, aircraft stability and control and/or orbital and attitude dynamics and control, air-breathing and rocket propulsion, aircraft systems design and /or spacecraft systems design. All of these place significant weight on the development and use of teamwork and communications skills for effective problem-solving. Graduates in aerospace engineering find employment in the customary settings such as government laboratories, large and small aerospace firms, and in nontraditional positions that also require the use of systems-engineering approaches to problem-solving; they can also pursue graduate study in aerospace engineering and related fields.
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the design, development, testing, and production of aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems and equipment. The field has traditionally focused on problems related to atmospheric and space flight, with two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Aerospace engineers develop leading-edge technologies and integrate them into aerospace vehicle systems used for transportation, communications, exploration, and defense applications. This involves the design and manufacturing of aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion systems, satellites, and missiles, as well as the design and testing of aircraft and aerospace products, components, and subassemblies. Successful aerospace engineers possess in-depth skills in, and an understanding of, aerodynamics, materials and structures, propulsion, vehicle dynamics and control, and software.
This program currently has administrative enrollment controls. Administrative Enrollment Controls are initiated when limitations of space, faculty, or other resources in a major prevent accommodating all students who request them. Students must follow the administrative enrollment controls that are in effect for the semester that they enter the university.
In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, students must satisfy the following requirements:
Students who entered the University from Summer 2018 through Spring 2024 should view the administrative enrollment controls in the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin archive. Students who entered the University prior to the summer 2018 semester should consult with their academic adviser about the administrative enrollment controls in effect for the semester they entered the university.
For the Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering, a minimum of 131 credits is required:
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| General Education | 45 |
| Requirements for the Major | 113-117 |
27 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 9 credits of GN courses; 6 credits of GQ courses; 3 credits of GS courses; 9 credits of GWS courses.
The first two years of study are similar to those in other engineering majors and provide students with a basic education for the engineering profession. Students need to complete EMCH 212 , CMPSC 121 or CMPSC 131 or CMPSC 200 or CMPSC 201 , MATH 220 , MATH 230 , and MATH 250 or MATH 251 prior to the start of the junior year in order to meet graduation requirements in the following two years. Six of the nine technical-elective credits taken in the senior year must be aerospace engineering courses.
To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.
