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News

AE Teams Sweep Space Design Competition

Aerospace Engineering teams from the University of Illinois swept all awards in the recent 2007-2008 Undergraduate Team Space Design Competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation.

Boeing recognizes AE graduate student in international competition

AE graduate student Manu Sharma was among three University of Illinois students recently honored in the Boeing 2008 Student of the Year Awards.

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Events

October 17
AE Alumni Advisory Bd Meeting

October 28
AE 590 Seminar
Characterization of Plasticity Mechanics in Organic Single Crystals

More Events ››

 
Graduate Program

Graduate Program FAQs

Qualifying Exam

Detailed information about the AE Qualifying Exam can be found in the Guide to Graduate Programs

Preliminary Exam

Detailed information about the AE Preliminary Exam can be found in the Guide to Graduate Programs

Final Exam

Detailed information about the AE Final Exam can be found in the Guide to Graduate Programs

Appointments

Detailed information about funding your graduate education can be found in the Graduate College Handbook

When is the qualifying exam offered?

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The AE qualifying exam is offered twice per year - the week before classes begin in January and the week after convocation in May.

How do I sign up to take the Qualifying Exam?

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An email with information about the qualifying exam will be sent to all graduate students in early fall for the January offering and in early spring for the May offering. Students interested in taking the qualifying exam will need to reply to the email and include a list of all coursework taken since the B.S. degree.

Are copies of old exams available for study purposes?

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Yes. They are located in the main department office. You may take the file containing old exams for your area (AFMCP, ACDS or SMM) and make copies of those exams which you want to study from.

Can I learn who else is taking the exam so that we can study together?

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Unfortunately, no. The names of students taking the qualifying exam cannot be released, even to the faculty, until after the exam.

Are calculators/tables/lists of equations/etc. permitted?

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You will receive a letter from the Chair of the Qualifying Exam in your area which will detail what is acceptable.

When will I learn the results of the exam?

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The department tries to notify all students of the results no later than two weeks after the exam.

When may I take the preliminary exam?

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The preliminary examination may be taken no earlier than the semester in which the candidate completes the thirty-second hour of coursework required in the second stage of the Ph.D. program.

How do I notify the department that I plan to take the preliminary exam.

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Each semester an email is sent to all graduate students asking who is planning to take the preliminary exam during the upcoming semester. You may respond to that email or send an email to tank@illinois.edu at any time.

How do I set up my doctoral committee?

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At least three weeks prior to the date of your exam, complete the Request for Appointment of Doctoral Examination Committee form and return it electronically to tank@illinois.edu. It is okay to send the form with the graduate faculty member and tenured columns unchecked.

May someone from off-campus be appointed to my committee?

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Yes, but you must provide a brief description of the qualifications and justification for each non-Graduate College Faculty member being nominated to serve as a voting member of the committee. You must also provide a copy of the person's cv (electronically is preferred) as well.

Are there any forms I need to worry about?

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The Thesis Office will send letters of appointment to your committee. They will also send a Certificate of Result of Preliminary Examination for the Doctoral Committee. You will need to pick up this form from Staci Tankersley in 306 Talbot Lab the day before your exam. Your committee will need to indicate the results of the exam on the form and each member will need to sign it. The form must be returned to Staci as soon as possible after the exam.

How do I reserve a room for my exam?

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You may reserve the department conference rooms in Talbot Lab (319N, 319M, 302E and 206N) via the web at http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/department/calendars/. For classrooms or other rooms on campus, please contact Barb Kirts at bkirts@illinois.edu.

Am I supposed to provide refreshments for the committee?

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Most students do. The most common treats are coffee, donuts, cookies, pastries, etc.

When may I take the final exam?

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The Final examination must be taken between nine months and five years after the preliminary exam.

How do I notify the department that I plan to take the final exam.

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Each semester an email is sent to all graduate students asking who is planning to take the final exam during the upcoming semester. You may respond to that email or send an email to tank@illinois.edu at any time.

How is the information about my final exam announced?

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You will need to provide the following information at least two weeks prior to your exam. This information will be sent electronically to AE faculty, staff and graduate students. You will need to make sure that your committee members who are outside AE are notified of the details. In addition, you will need to provide a hard copy of your thesis to be kept in the main department office for review by the public.

  • Date/Time/Location
  • Title of Dissertation
  • Abstract (electronically please)

How do I set up my doctoral committee?

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At least three weeks prior to the date of your exam, complete the Request for Appointment of Doctoral Examination Committee form and return it electronically to tank@illinois.edu. It is okay to send the form with the graduate faculty member and tenured columns unchecked.

Do the same people who served on my preliminary exam have to be appointed to my final exam?

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Usually the same people serve on both exams but changes in the committee are allowed.

May someone from off-campus be appointed to my committee?

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Yes, but you must provide a brief description of the qualifications and justification for each non-Graduate College Faculty member being nominated to serve as a voting member of the committee. You must also provide a copy of the person's cv (electronically is preferred) as well.

Are there any forms I need to worry about?

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The Thesis Office will send letters of appointment to your committee. They will also send a Certificate of Result of Final Examination for the Doctoral Committee. You will need to pick up this form from Staci Tankersley in 306 Talbot Lab the day before your exam. Your committee will need to indicate the results of the exam on the form and each member will need to sign it. The form must be returned to Staci as soon as possible after the exam.

In addition, you will want to take copies of the Certificate of Committee Approval form to you exam. The exact number is up to you but at least two are needed - 1 for the department and one for the Thesis Office. This form requires signatures from your committee members and it is helpful to have this form signed when your committee is together rather than trying to get each signature separately.

How do I reserve a room for my exam?

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The final exam is open to the public. Due to their size, the conference rooms in Talbot Lab are generally not used for the final exam. For classrooms or other rooms on campus, please contact Barb Kirts at bkirts@illinois.edu.

Am I supposed to provide refreshments for the committee?

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Most students do. The most common treats are coffee, donuts, cookies, pastries, etc.

How do I apply for funding?

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Does my appointment provide a tuition and fee waiver?

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Assistantships which are 25% to 67% provide a tuition and fee waiver. Please note that you will lose your tuition and fee waiver if you work more than 67%. This includes time worked on hourly appointments.

Example - You have a 50% assistantship which is equivalent to 20 hours per week. If you also have an hourly appointment, the most time you can report on that appointment per week is 6.8 hours (40 hours per week x 67% = 26.8 hours).

Also, please note that international students may not work more than 50% (20 hours per week) when school is in session.

What does the tuition and fee waiver cover?

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  • Tuition
  • Service Fee
  • $130 per semester of the Health Insurance Fee
  • Health Service Fee
  • AFMFA Fee
  • Library Fee

Who do I contact for questions about deductions and taxes?

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Please contact the Payroll Office at 265-6363 or payinq@uillinois.edu. You can also visit their office at 100A North Henry Administration Building, 506 S. Wright Street.

What are the assistantship pay rates for Aerospace Engineering?

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The current pay rates can be found at http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/department/business-office/RA_TA_Rates.html.

Do I have to be registered in order to hold an assistantship?

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You must be registered during the academic year in order to hold an assistantship.  The department does not require students to register in the summer. However, you should check with your advisor before deciding not to register.  Also, international students must be registered during the summer if it is their first or last semester on campus. Students who are not registered during the summer will be assessed additional taxes (~7.5%) for old age and Medicare.

I did not receive my check/I think the payment is incorrect.

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Please contact Staci Tankersley at tank@illinois.edu if you do not receive a check or if there seems to be a problem with the payment. Offer letters are emailed to all students who will hold assistantships. If you are expecting an assistantship but do not receive an offer letter, please contact Staci at tank@illinois.edu.