Viterbi School of Engineering
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering Degrees
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
The requirement for this degree is 130 units. A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required in all upper division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken. See the common requirements for undergraduate degrees section.
| composition/writing requirement | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| WRIT 130 | Analytical Writing | 4 |
| WRIT 340 | Advanced Writing | 3 |
| General Education | units | |
|---|---|---|
| General education+ | 20 | |
| Pre-major requirements | units | |
|---|---|---|
| Math Requirement | ||
| MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 226 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MATH 245 | Mathematics of Physics and Engineering I | 4 |
| Physics Requirement | ||
| PHYS 151L* | Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics | 4 |
| PHYS 152L | Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS 153L | Fundamentals of Physics III: Optics and Modern Physics | 4 |
| Chemistry Elective | ||
| CHEM 105aL* | General Chemistry, or | |
| CHEM 115aL | Advanced General Chemistry, or | |
| MASC 110L | Materials Science | 4 |
| Major requirements | units | |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering | ||
| AME 105 | Introduction to Aerospace Engineering | 4 |
| AME 150L | Introduction to Computational Methods | 4 |
| AME 201 | Statics | 3 |
| AME 204 | Strength of Materials | 3 |
| AME 231L | Mechanical Behavior of Materials | 3 |
| AME 261 | Basic Flight Mechanics | 4 |
| AME 301 | Dynamics | 3 |
| AME 302 | Dynamic Systems | 3 |
| AME 308 | Computer-Aided Analysis for Aero-Mechanical Design | 3 |
| AME 309 | Dynamics of Fluids | 4 |
| AME 310 | Engineering Thermodynamics I | 3 |
| AME 341aLbL | Mechoptronics Laboratory I and II | 3-3 |
| AME 404 | Computational Solutions to Engineering Problems | 3 |
| AME 436 | Energy and Propulsion | 3 |
| AME 441aL | Senior Projects Laboratory | 3 |
| AME 451 | Linear Control Systems I | 3 |
| AME 481 | Aircraft Design | 4 |
| Astronautics | ||
| ASTE 280 | Foundations of Astronautical Engineering | 3 |
| Major Electives | units | |
|---|---|---|
| AME core electives** | 3 | |
| Technical electives*** | 6 | |
| Total units: | 130 | |
Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering
In addition to the general requirements listed in this catalogue, the department has identified requirements in the following areas of specialization: aerodynamics/fluid dynamics; aerospace controls; aerospace design; aerospace structures; computational fluid dynamics; hypersonics/kinetics of gases and plasmas; propulsion; and space science. Core requirements and elective requirements are defined for each area of specialization. Information on the current approved courses that comprise these core and elective requirements is available from the department.
Master of Science, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Computational Fluid and Solid Mechanics)
The program prepares students for professional careers in engineering companies that develop products using computational tools of fluid and solid mechanics. The program also provides the necessary background for pursuing higher degrees, Engineer and Ph.D., in aerospace and mechanical engineering with specializations in computational fluid mechanics, computational solid mechanics and computational heat transfer. The degree course work provides a necessary background in basic aerospace and mechanical engineering disciplines (solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer), engineering mathematics and numerical methods. The advanced computational technical electives provide practical examples using existing numerical programs to simulate structures, heat transfer and fluid flows as well as commercial mathematical packages for analyzing data and simulations.
Admission requirements follow the general admission rules for aerospace and mechanical engineering graduate programs. The program requires completion of a minimum of 27 units and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for graduation. The program with thesis requires 28 units, four of which are thesis units.
| Required core courses (21 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| AME 404 | Computational Solutions to Engineering Problems | 3 |
| AME 509 | Applied Elasticity, or | |
| CE 507 | Mechanics of Solids I | 3 |
| AME 525 | Engineering Analysis | 3 |
| AME 526 | Engineering Analytical Methods | 3 |
| AME 530a | Dynamics of Incompressible Fluids | 3 |
| AME 535a | Introduction to Computational Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CE 529a | Finite Element Analysis | 3 |
Select a computational technical elective from the following list or another approved by a graduate adviser: 3 units.
| Computational Technical Elective (3 units) | units | |
|---|---|---|
| AME 415 | Turbine Design and Analysis | 3 |
| AME 535b | Introduction to Computational Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| ASTE 545 | Computational Techniques in Rarefied Gas Dynamics | 3 |
| CE 529b | Finite Element Analysis | 3 |
| CE 551 | Computer-Aided Engineering Project | 3 |
| MASC 575 | Basics of Atomistic Simulation of Materials | 3 |
| MASC 576 | Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Materials and Processes | 3 |
| MATH 504ab | Numerical Solution of Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations | 3 |
Select a technical elective from the following list or other electives approved by a graduate adviser: 3 units.
| Technical electives (3 Units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| AME 511 | Compressible Gas Dynamics | 3 |
| AME 516 | Convection Processes | 3 |
| AME 590 | Directed Research | 1-12 |
| AME 599 | Special Topics | 2-4, max 9 |
| CE 541a | Dynamics of Structures | 3 |
| CE 542 | Theory of Plates | 3 |
One core class requirement may be waived at the discretion of a graduate adviser if a student documents that he or she completed or is enrolled in an equivalent course. The waived class must be replaced by a technical elective. Credit for one course of not more than 4 units from another accredited institution may be approved by a graduate adviser. The Master’s Thesis (4 units) may be substituted for a technical elective class (3 units).
Master of Science in Product Development Engineering
See the listing under Product Development Engineering
Master of Science in Systems Architecting and Engineering
See the listing under Systems Architecting and Engineering.
Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering/Master of Science in Engineering Management
The department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in conjunction with the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering offers programs leading to the degree of Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering/Master of Science in Engineering Management. This program is designed for graduate aerospace engineers whose career objectives lead to increasing technical management responsibilities.
In addition to the general requirements of the Viterbi School of Engineering, the dual degree of Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering/Master of Science in Engineering Management is also subject to the following requirements:
- All applicants must meet the admission requirements of both the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering;
- A minimum of 48 units is required;
- A minimum of 18 units must be graduate-level course work in AME, approved by an AME graduate student adviser;
- A minimum of 18 units must be graduate level course work in ISE, approved by the ISE Engineering Management graduate student adviser and chosen from the course list under Master of Science in Engineering Management;
- A minimum additional 12 units of acceptable course work must be chosen with the consent of the ISE Engineering Management graduate student adviser to form a coherent program.
Engineer in Aerospace Engineering
Requirements for the Engineer in aerospace engineering are the same as the general requirements. Three to 6 of the units required for the degree must be AME 690. Prior approval must be obtained from the qualifying exam committee before registration in AME 690.
Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering
The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in aerospace engineering is also offered. See general requirements for graduate degrees.