International Master of Science In Aerospace Engineering Sciences A Joint US/EC Consortium |
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The IMS ProgramActivitiesStudent MobilityStudent Contact Support Information Contact / InfoGranting Agency Related Links
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Anual Report to FIPSE 1999PROJECT
SUMMARY A consortium of
seven universities and two polytechnics are developing an international Master’s
degree program consisting of course modules and directed research modules . The purpose of the Masters program is to train
effective leaders for aerospace engineering development, by developing both their
professional capabilities and their understanding of the operation of global markets. Course content and management structure is
currently under development. This program comprises the formation of an International
Master of Science (IMS) Degree Program in Aerospace Engineering. Under the IMS program, qualifying students at each
participating university will assemble a personalized degree program, choosing course- and
project modules from among the partner universities.
Approximately one third of each student’s chosen modules will be taken
in overseas institutions. Students will begin
the exchange program in the year 2000, and the first degrees will be conferred in the year
2001. The
participating universities are: The University
of Glasgow, in Scotland, The Technische
Universitat Munchen, in Germany, The Politecnico
di Torino, in Italy, The Politecnico
di Milano, in Italy, The
Universidade da Beira Interior, in Portugal, The University
of Colorado at Boulder, in Colorado, The University
of Colorado at Colorado Springs, also in Colorado, North Carolina
State University, in Raleigh North Carolina, and Stanford
University’s Center for International Cooperation in Space, in California. PROJECT STATUS
Table 1: Year-One Progress
(See p. 2 of the grant application)
Progress to Date The
establishment of the IMS degree program began with the plenary meeting at Virginia
Commonwealth University in November of 1998. At
this four-day meeting, the coordinating faculty member from each institution met to form
the Consortia Advisory Committee. Each member
of the committee presented an overview of the academic program at his institution, with an
emphasis on the particular hurdles that the implementation of the IMS degree faces at his
institution. An action plan was developed for
each separate institution, and for the IMS implementation team as a whole, in the form of
action items. The meeting also produced an
outline of the IMS Coursework and Research Projects Catalog that will be offered by the
partners in the following year. An outline of the specific exchanges of year two was also
developed at this meeting. In the
succeeding four months following the meeting, the coordinating faculty member from the EU
and US lead institutions worked with the participating faculty of each institution in
address that institution’s action plan. In March of
1999, the coordinating faculty member from each institution met at UBI Covilha, Portugal
in the second planning session. At this time
the particulars of the next year’s student exchanges were specified, and the material
for the first draft of the Coursework and Research Projects Catalog was collected. A framework for student applications and
evaluation was discussed, graphics material for outreach and dissemination was collected,
and continuing efforts to expand the funding and the membership of the consortia was
discussed. Following the
second planning meeting, the US lead and the EU lead met in Glasgow Scotland, to put
together the action plan developed from the discussions in Covilha. The first draft of the Coursework and Research
Projects Catalog was compiled for dissemination, and work began on the graphics for
publicity material and on this First Year Annual Report. The Future Balance
of Project Year One: In July of 1999
the coordinating faculty members form the EU and US lead institution will meet in Glasgow. Unresolved issues that were raised in the action
plan of the Covilha meeting will be addressed intensively, so that final approval of the
student exchange positions for the following year can be determined. At the conclusion of this meeting confirmation of
available host modules will be finalized, so that student recruitment can move into the
assignment of modules as students become available. Outcome
of Year One: At the end of
the first year the details of the first student exchanges will be determined and agreed
upon in writing by the IMS students participating, the student’s host institutions,
and the student’s home institutions. The
Credit to be received for IMS courses will be agreed on and published in the first copy of
the Coursework and Research Projects Catalog . Publicity
and dissemination for the degree in the universities of the consortia and in aerospace
industry will be documented. Student
recruitment continues. Final report for year
one will be submitted to the funding agencies. Project
Year Two: In November of
1999 all the coordinating faculty members from the nine institutions will meet in
Copenhagen, Denmark, at the funding agencies’ annual meeting. This will allow lessons learned from the
development of pilot exchange to be developed into refined management and exchange
schemes. In Copenhagen the Coursework and
Research Projects Catalog will be updated
with any changes that are relevant for the second half of the year. Work on student selection and appointment for the
second year will be initiated. Work towards
publicity and dissemination for the degree in the universities of the consortia and in
aerospace industry will continue. In January of
2000 the first IMS students will begin their overseas stays. In the spring, overseas faculty visits will be
made by the coordinating faculty member from each participating university from each
consortium. These visits will serve as
in-depth observational studies to check for any further need to alter the IMS program. Following these visits the coordinating faculty
members from the lead institutions will meet in Boulder, where changes, progress and
action items for the IMS program will be determined.
Work on these alterations will subsequently proceed through mail, Email and
phone connections whenever possible. This
will produce a final iteration of the IMS plan for the second year of the exchange. Outcome
of Year Two: At the end of
the second year the first student exchanges will be documented, and reports from students
participating, the students host institutions, and the students home institutions on the
success and difficulties of these exchanges will be compiled, and any changes in
management of the degree arising from these activities will be documented. An updated
version of the Coursework and Research Projects Catalog
will be produced. Publicity for
the degree in the universities of the consortia and in aerospace industry will be
documented. Final report for year two will be
submitted to the funding agencies. Project
Year Three: In the Autumn
of 2000 the IMS students will begin another wave of overseas stays. Overseas Faculty visits will be made by the
coordinating faculty member from each participating university from each consortium. These visits will again serve as in-depth
observational studies to check for any further need to alter the IMS program. Following these visits the coordinating faculty
members will meet in Boulder for the fourth Consortia Advisory Committee meeting, where
changes, progress and action items for the IMS program will be determined. This will
produce a final iteration of the IMS plan that is intended to guide exchanges in years
following the grant, when money for faculty travel, investigations, and adjustments in the
program structure may be more limited. During the
autumn of 2000 the IMS Coursework and Research Projects Catalog will be updated with any changes that are relevant
for the second half of the year. Student
selection and appointment for the second half of the pilot year will be finalized. Publicity and
dissemination for the degree in the universities of the consortia and in aerospace
industry will continue. Faculty at all
participating universities will collaborate in establishing funding for the program in
subsequent years. The coordinating members of
the lead organizations may visit other institutions to collaborate in the development of
follow-on funding. Outcome
of Year Three: At the end of
the third year the experiences accrued in managing the student Exchanges will
be documented, and reports from students participating, the students host institutions,
and the students home institutions on the success and difficulties of these exchanges will
be compiled. Final changes in management of
the degree arising from these activities will be documented. An updated version of The IMS Coursework and
Research Projects Catalog will be produced. Publicity for the degree in the universities of
the consortia and in aerospace industry will be documented.
Program graduates will provide data for the longitudinal evaluation of the
IMS program. Final report for year three will be submitted to the funding agencies. First IMS degrees will be awarded by the home
institutions.
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