Reach for the Stars with AeroAstro Engineering at Purdue

Some engineers dream of designing and building the vehicles that soar through the sky or explore deep space. These are the aeronautical and astronautical engineers who work at the forefront of innovation and strive to solve the challenges posed by designing and operating aircraft, missiles, rocketry, satellites and space vehicles. 

The need for skilled engineers in these fields will continue to increase as we move forward in the 21^st century, and a master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering is a great way to ensure your career takes flight.

Purdue’s online Master’s of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering (MSAAE) gives engineers a strong understanding of the fundamental aspects of research, development, design and operation of aircraft and spacecraft in the aerospace industry.  The program offers a curriculum that emphasizes knowledge in disciplines including aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, dynamics, controls and design.

Purdue’s Online Master’s Degrees Offer Flexibility

Purdue administers its online degree offerings through their Purdue Engineering Online program, which is geared toward working engineers who want to further their education, while balancing this with full-time employment.

The online MSAAE degree is a 30-credit-hour (10 courses), non-thesis program that can be taken either full-time or part-time, according to the student’s schedule needs.  The application and acceptance criteria are the same for online students as for on-campus students, and the education received through either format contains the same material and is equally rigorous.

Prospective students interested in applying will need to have a strong background in mathematics and physics, as well as computer and programming skills.

Once accepted into the program, MSAAE students have an AAE faculty member acting as their graduate committee advisor, as well as two other engineering faculty to act as members of that student’s graduate committee.  The role of these faculty is to help advise students on course selection, developing a Plan of Study (PoS) and to support the student over the course of their degree.

Purdue’s MSAEE program is highly flexible, in order to adapt to the needs of working engineers.  Online students can access lectures both delivered live through video streaming, and as downloadable video files available for students to watch at their convenience.

Students who have been out of school and working for some time might have concerns about balancing school and their job. Purdue encourages these students to begin by taking one course at a time until they find the balance of work and school that suits them best.

Tuition is also flexible, as students pay a flat rate per course.  Tuition amounts to about $34,160 for residents of Indiana, and $37,740 for non-residents for the full degree.

Curriculum and Courses for Purdue’s Online MS AAE

The flexibility of Purdue’s MSAAE degree program isn’t just in how you learn, but what you learn.  The MSAAE program covers a wide range of courses available across the major areas of aeronautical and astronautical study, enabling students to structure their degree and plan of study to best serve the needs of their knowledge and career goals.

Students are encouraged to select a major, which requires completing at least 4 courses in that subject.  Students can also declare a minor of study, which requires at least 2 courses, and which is not limited to the AAE course offerings, but can be drawn from the larger areas of engineering and the sciences.

Major topic areas and their associated courses are below.  This list includes both AAE courses, as well as courses from other Schools or Departments that are appropriate for MSAAE students:

Aerodynamics

AAE 51200 – Computational Aerodynamics
AAE 51400 – Intermediate Aerodynamics
AAE 59000 – Molecular Gas Dynamics
AAE 62400 – Laminar to Turbulent Transition
AAE 62600 – Turbulence and Turbulence Modeling

ME 50900 – Intermediate Fluid Mechanics
ME 51000 – Gas Dynamics
ME 51300 – Engineering Acoustics

Aerospace Systems

AAE 55000 – Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
AAE 56000 – System of Systems Modeling and Analysis
AAE 59000 – Hypersonic Performance and Design

ME 55300 – Product and Process Design
ME 57100 – Reliability-based Design

Astrodynamics & Space Applications

AAE 50700 – Principles of Dynamics
AAE 50800 – Optimization in Aerospace Engineering
AAE 52300 – Introduction to Remote Sensing
AAE 53200 – Orbital Mechanics
AAE 57500 – Introduction to Satellite Navigation and Positioning
AAE 59000 – Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics
AAE 60700 – Variational Principles of Mechanics
AAE 63200 – Advanced Orbital Dynamics
AAE 67500 – Advanced Signals & Systems for Satellite Navigation
AAE 69000 – Orbital Perturbations

Dynamics and Control

AAE 50700 – Principles of Dynamics
AAE 56400 – Systems Analysis and Synthesis
AAE 56800 – Applied Optimal Control and Estimation
AAE 60700 – Variational Principles of Mechanics

ECE 58000 – Optimization Methods for Systems and Control
ECE 60000 – Random Variables and Signals
ECE 60200 – Lumped System Theory
ECE 68000 – Modern Automatic Control

ME 56000 – Kinematics
ME 56200 – Advanced Dynamics
ME 56500 – Vehicle Dynamics
ME 57500 – Theory and Design of Control Systems
ME 57800 – Digital Control
ME 57900 – Fourier Methods in Digital Signal Processing
ME 67500 – Multivariable Control System Design

Propulsion

AAE 53800 – Air Breathing Propulsion (also cross listed as ME 538)
AAE 53900 – Advanced Rocket Propulsion
AAE 59000 – Aerospace Propulsion

ME 52500 – Combustion

Structures & Materials

AAE 55300 – Elasticity in Aerospace Engineering
AAE 55400 – Fatigue of Structures and Materials
AAE 55500 – Mechanics of Composite Materials
AAE 55800 – Finite Element Methods in Aerospace Structures
AAE 59000 – Characterization of Advanced Composite Materials
AAE 65400 – Fracture Mechanics
AAE 69000 – Multiscale Structural Mechanics

ME 56300 – Mechanical Vibrations
ME 56900 – Mechanical Behavior of Materials

Mathematics

MA 51000 – Vector Calculus
MA 51100 – Linear Algebra with Applications
MA 52500 – Introduction to Complex Analysis
MA 52700 – Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Physicists I
MA 52800 – Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Physicists II

ME 58100 – Numerical Methods in Mechanical Engineering

STAT 51400 – Design of Experiments
STAT 51600 – Basic Probability and Applications

Purdue University has sponsored this post.  All opinions are mine.  –Meghan Brown