The M.S. Degree Program
All graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 to continue in the AE Graduate Program. The cumulative GPA is computed on all courses taken for credit except thesis and seminar courses in which DF, S, and U grades are recorded. All graduate students must register in the seminar course AE 590 and must attend at least six seminars each semester while they are on campus. M.S. students are expected to select courses in consultation with an M.S. advisor.
Course Requirements
- MS with Thesis
Candidates for the degree of Master of Science with thesis are required to complete a minimum of thirty-two hours of credit: twenty-eight hours of course work and four hours of thesis credit. At least twelve hours must be in the 500-level courses, and at least eight of these twelve hours must be in Aerospace Engineering. Four of the twenty-eight hours may be a special project class, defined as an individual or group project, in contrast to a lecture-discussion course with written homework and examinations. - MS without Thesis
A non-thesis option is also available. Students should indicate their intention to seek the non-thesis M.S. option when applying to the AE graduate program or through a departmental petition. In the non-thesis option, thirty-six hours of course work are required. At least sixteen of these hours must be in 500-level courses, and at least twelve of the sixteen hours must be in Aerospace Engineering. A student electing a non-thesis option must declare an area of concentration (aerodynamics/fluid mechanics/combustion/propulsion; dynamics/control; structural mechanics/materials) and have a faculty advisor in that area.
For highly qualified students with a B.S. degree who intend to pursue the Ph.D., a Direct Ph.D. program is also available.
Breadth Requirements
- Mathematics requirements:
Graduate students are expected to exhibit competence in applied mathematics. M.S. students may meet this requirement by taking a minimum of four hours of mathematics courses from a list of approved Mathematics, Physics, and Theoretical and Applied Mechanics courses. This list is provided in the Recommended Courses list for each area of specialization. - Core courses requirements:
All M.S. students must complete a core requirement by taking one core course from two of the following three areas namely (1) Aerodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Combustion, and Propulsion (AFMCP), (2) Astrodynamics, Control and Dynamical Systems (ACDS) and (3) Structural Mechanics and Materials (SMM). These courses cover fundamental concepts in these areas and are prerequisites for more advanced courses. Courses will be selected from the following list with the help of the advisor.
| Core area | Core courses |
|---|---|
| AFMCP | AE 412, AE 413, AE 416, AE 434 |
| ACDS | AE 402, ECE 515 |
| SMM | AE 420, AE 428, AE 451, TAM 551 |
It is possible that a M.S. student may have taken one or more of these or equivalent courses at UIUC or elsewhere. In this case, the student is allowed to petition to certify that one of the two core area requirements has already been satisfied.
Computational Science and Engineering Option
The AE Department offers a M.S. program with specialization in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE). A M.S. student enrolled in the CSE option is expected to satisfy all regular requirements for graduate study within the AE department and the following additional requirements: four hours of course work must be from the CSE core courses, and four hours of course work must be from the CSE specialization courses in AE or another department. Some of these courses are listed in Appendix A. For more information, please consult the CSE web page at http://www.cse.uiuc.edu.
Thesis Requirements
For those students in the M.S. degree thesis option, a master's thesis for a minimum of four hours of credit in AE 599 must be submitted. Only four hours of credit in AE 599 is counted towards the M.S. degree (even if the student registers for more 599 hours during the M.S. program).
Students should seek out faculty members with research interests similar to theirs and explore possible thesis topics as early as possible. The AE graduate faculty and their research interests are listed in Appendix B of this guide. In many cases, faculty members will advise students to read various articles or to take specific courses in order to obtain the necessary background for conducting research in their areas of interest. Recommended courses for various areas of research are also listed in the Recommended Courses List.
Degree Conferral
Master's degrees are conferred in May, August, October and January. In order to receive a degree, the student's name must be on the graduation list for the appropriate graduation date. Students should submit their names to the AE Departmental Office at the beginning of the semester in which they intend to deposit their thesis.
Time Limitations
The Master of Science program requires a minimum of one academic year of full-time study. The Graduate College requires candidates for the M.S. degree to complete all requirements for the degree within five calendar years after first registration in the Graduate College. However, the AE department requires on-campus candidates for the non-thesis M.S. degree to complete all the requirements within four semesters and for the M.S. with thesis to complete all the requirements within five semesters.
