AA-MS - Aeronautics and Astronautics (MS)

The University’s basic requirements for the master’s degree are outlined in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

Students with an aeronautical engineering background should be able to complete the master’s degree in five quarters; note that many courses are not taught during the summer. Students with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Science, Mathematics, or other areas of Engineering may find it necessary to take certain prerequisite courses, which may lengthen the time required to obtain the master’s degree.

The Master of Science (M.S.) program is a terminal degree program. It is based on the completion of lecture courses focused on a theme within the discipline of Aeronautics and Astronautics engineering. No thesis is offered. Research is optional (required to take the qualifying examination).

Grade Point Averages

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 is required to fulfill the department's master's degree requirements. A minimum GPA of 3.5 is required for eligibility to attempt the Ph.D. qualifying examination. Students must also meet the University's quarterly academic requirements for graduate students as described in the "Degree Progress" section of this bulletin and in the "Satisfactory Progress" section of the Guide to Graduate Studies in Aeronautics and Astronautics. All courses (excluding seminars) used to satisfy the requirements for basic courses, mathematics and technical electives must be taken for a letter grade. Insufficient grade points on which to base the GPA may delay expected degree conferral or result in refusal of permission to take the qualifying examinations.

Transfer credit is not accepted for the master's degree.

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the "Graduate Advising" section of this bulletin.

The purpose of the master’s program is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for a professional career or doctoral studies. This is done through course work which provides a solid grounding in the basic disciplines, including fluid mechanics, dynamics and control, propulsion, structural mechanics, and applied or computational mathematics, and course work or supervised research which provides depth and breadth in the student’s area of specialization.