Bachelor of Science in
Aerospace Engineering

The Aerospace Engineering program exists in partial fulfillment of the University’s purpose “to provide a comprehensive education to prepare graduates for productive careers and responsible citizenship with special emphasis on the needs of aviation, aerospace engineering, and related fields.” The program’s focus is primarily on the engineering of mission-oriented vehicles for atmospheric and space flight.

In a few years of graduation, Aerospace Engineering alumni are expected to have successful engineering careers as productive members or leaders within teams or organizations or as independent innovators, to have applied creative thinking and practical problem-solving skills to the solution of new problems or to the development of new processes or products for the aerospace industry, or to be engaged in advanced studies.

Furthermore, Aerospace Engineering alumni are expected to be responsible and ethical members of society and the engineering profession, and to pursue personal development through continuing education and active participation in professional organizations.

In order to achieve these objectives, the following student outcomes have been adopted:

1. An ability to identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

To enter this program, students should have demonstrated competence in mathematics, physics, and chemistry in high school.

The Aerospace Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering program requires successful completion of a minimum of 129 credit hours. The program may be completed in eight semesters assuming appropriate background and full-time enrollment. A CGPA of 2.0 or higher and a grade of "C" or better within three attempts including audits and withdrawals in all courses is required for degree completion.

Remaining on Track for AE

Aerospace Engineering students must attain a CGPA of 2.5 or higher in those courses prescribed by the College of Engineering, First-Year Engineering Experience, Common First-Year Courses and in its EGR, MA and PS courses.  Failure to satisfy the above requirements will delay the student from continuing in the program.

Suggested Program of Study

Students should be aware that most courses in each academic year have prerequisites and/or corequisites (check the course descriptions before registering for classes to ensure required sequencing). See the AE flowchart(s) from the department for the recommended plan of study.

NOTE: Students in the Aerospace Engineering program desiring to complete a minor must complete at least six credit hours of coursework applied to the minor that are not specifically required in the student’s degree program.

Aeronautics Option

Astronautics Option

Propulsion Option

Technical Electives

One upper-level Technical Elective needs to be selected from the BSAE Approved Technical Electives list, in the areas of Engineering and Science, maintained by the AE Department. The second upper-level Technical Elective must be an AE course. All non-duplicating AE upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses are acceptable.

Footnotes

The Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering provides a broad exposure to engineering fundamentals and prepares the graduating student for a wide range of engineering positions in industry or government. The program also is an excellent preparation for graduate school in a number of disciplines. The program’s focus is primarily on the engineering of mission-oriented vehicles for atmospheric and space flight. In addition to the general education requirements, the student will study aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, space systems, controls, materials, instrumentation, electrical fundamentals, computer applications, orbital mechanics, and design. Students choose to integrate their knowledge in either an aircraft or spacecraft capstone design project. Design projects in a number of courses will develop and refine the students’ ability to integrate their knowledge, communicate both verbally and in writing, and work in a team environment. A large number of hands-on experiences will expose the student to practical engineering to balance the theoretical analysis required to understand aircraft and spacecraft systems.