AEROSPACE
ENGINEERING, M.S.
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OFFICIAL
COURSE
LISTING 728-1019
Florida Tech 2023-2024 Florida Tech Catalog
Aerospace Engineering, M.S.
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Major Code: 8134 Degree Awarded: Master of Science
Delivery Mode(s): Classroom Admission Status: Graduate
Admission Materials: Letters of recommendation, Location(s): Main Campus - Melbourne
résumé/CV, objectives, transcripts
The master of science degree can be earned in one of four major areas: aerodynamics and fluid dynamics, aerospace
structures and materials, combustion and propulsion, and flight mechanics and controls. Because the purpose of each
program is to prepare the student for either a challenging professional career in industry or for further graduate study,
the programs do not permit narrow specialization. Emphasis is on required coursework in several disciplines in which an
advanced-degree engineer in a typical industrial position is expected to have the knowledge and problem-solving
expertise beyond that normally obtained during an undergraduate engineering education.
The master of science degree can be earned on either a full-time or a part-time basis. Full-time students can complete the
program in a minimum of three semesters (four in the case of graduate student teaching assistants). Students beginning
their coursework during the spring semester will be able to register for full course loads, although the commencement of
thesis work will normally be delayed.
Graduate student teaching assistants are required to successfully complete a three-day teaching assistant seminar offered
in August and January of each year.
Admission Requirements
An applicant should have an undergraduate major in a field related to aerospace engineering. Applicants whose
bachelor’s degrees are in other fields are normally required to take some undergraduate coursework in addition to the
program described below, as determined by the department head. Applications are also invited from graduates with
undergraduate majors in the physical sciences or mathematics. In these cases, at least one year of undergraduate
coursework in aerospace engineering is normally required before starting the master of science program. In evaluating an
international application, due consideration is given to academic standards in the country where the undergraduate
studies have been performed. Applicants from foreign countries must meet the same requirements as applicants from the
United States.
General admission requirements and the process for applying are presented under Graduate Academic Information.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering is offered with both thesis and nonthesis options. Each option requires a
minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework. Prior to the completion of nine credit hours, the student must submit for
approval a master’s degree program plan to indicate the path chosen and the specific courses to be taken. For the thesis
option, up to six credit hours of thesis work may be included in the 30-credit-hour requirement. The thesis can be
primarily analytical, computational or experimental; or it can be some combination of these. In each case, students must
demonstrate the ability to read the appropriate engineering literature, to learn independently and to express themselves
well technically, both orally and in writing. For the nonthesis option, a student may replace the thesis with additional
elective courses and a final program examination, following approval of a written petition submitted to the department
head. Generally, students wishing to pursue an academic career are encouraged to choose the thesis option.
Curriculum
The program of study leading to the master’s degree in aerospace engineering is offered in the four listed areas of spe-
cialization. The minimum program requirements consist of nine credit hours of core courses, six credit hours of math-
ematics and 15 credit hours (which may include six credit hours of thesis) of electives. Within the 15 credit hours of
electives, six credit hours of coursework are restricted electives. The department maintains a list of restricted electives
for each specialization.
The nine credit hours of core courses must be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor from one of the fol-
lowing lists.
Aerodynamics and Fluid Dynamics:
AEE 5120 Aerodynamics of Wings and Bodies
AEE 5130 Viscous Flows
AEE 5140 Experimental Fluid Dynamics
AEE 5150 Computational Fluid Dynamics
AEE 5160 Gas Dynamics
AEE 5180 Turbulent Flows
AEE 6130 Experimental Methods in Turbulence
Aerospace Structures and Materials:
AEE 5050 Finite Element Fundamentals
AEE 5060 Applications in Finite Element Methods
AEE 5430 Design of Aerospace Structures
AEE 5470 Principles of Composite Materials
AEE 5480 Structural Dynamics
MEE 5410 Elasticity
MEE 5460 Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue of Materials
Combustion and Propulsion:
AEE 5130 Viscous Flows
AEE 5150 Computational Fluid Dynamics
AEE 5160 Gas Dynamics
AEE 5360 Hypersonic Air-Breathing Engines
MEE 5310 Combustion Fundamentals
MEE 5320 Internal Combustion Engines
MEE 5350 Gas Turbines
Flight Mechanics and Controls:
AEE 5801 Advanced Flight Dynamics and Control
AEE 5802 Multivariable Feedback Control Systems
AEE 5803 Nonlinear Control Systems
AEE 5804 Guidance and Navigation of Aerospace Vehicles
AEE 5805 Spaceflight Mechanics and Controls
AEE 5806 Dynamics and Robotics of Spacecraft Rendezvous and Capture
MEE 5610 Advanced Dynamics
or
MEE 5630 Modeling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems
Total Credits Required: 30
Electives are selected from these course offerings and appropriate courses in mathematics, in consultation with the
student’s advisor and committee. The topics of emphasis for aerospace engineering in the four areas of specialization
include aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, experimental fluid dynamics, flow instability theory, combus-
tion, aerospace propulsion and power, aerospace structures, composite materials, fracture mechanics and fatigue of
materials, and flight dynamics and control.
