GRADUATE ADMISSION
An applicant may be admitted to the Graduate School as either a regular degree student on main campus or via distance learning (CAETE).
Aerospace Engineering Sciences at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:
1. Have undergraduate courses in calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.
2. Have two semesters of undergraduate calculus-based physics.
3. Have at least two semesters of upper-division undergraduate courses in engineering or physics.
4. Hold a baccalaureate degree in engineering, science, or mathematics from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or have the equivalent.
5. Have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.40.
6. Provide official GRE scores. The desired GRE scores are at least 157 verbal, 158 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical writing (new scoring scale), or 560 verbal, 740 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical writing (old scoring scale).
International students must provide documentation that they have the financial resources to support themselves for at least the first year in the program.
Students with undergraduate degrees in all areas of engineering are encouraged to apply. Students with undergraduate degrees in mathematics, physics, chemistry and other physical sciences are also encouraged to apply.
FUNDING:
If you are a PhD applicant interested in funding, submit your application as early as possible, and include the optional graduate application supplement (link below). Masters students are not funded by the department.
Optional Funding Supplement:
Complete this Graduate Application Supplement form and upload it with your online application; or mail, fax, or email it to the department, University of Colorado, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, 429 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, 303-492-7881, or aerograd@colorado.edu.
Colorado Advantage Graduate Preview Weekend. Colorado Diversity Initiative event open to students from groups severely underrepresented in STEM graduate education, as defined by the National Science Foundation. These groups include African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives that hold tribal membership, and Pacific Islanders (native peoples of Hawaii, Guam and Samoa).
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Graduate students are admitted into a specific focus area that provides research advising, financial support, and sets specialized admission and program requirements and recommendations for course work within and outside the department. The four focus areas are:
- Aerospace Engineering Systems (not available via distance learning EXCEPT for the structures and materials thrust which is available through distance learning)
- Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation Systems
- Bioastronautics
- Remote Sensing, Earth and Space Science
Each focus area has defined the required characteristics of its successful graduates at the MS and Ph.D. level, and defined the required and elective courses that support its educational program. See, Graduate Handbook for more information.
Application Materials **(ALL application materials must be received by the application deadline, including letters of recommendation)**:
An applicant for admission must present complete application materials that include:
- The graduate application (including focus area/special field).
- Official transcripts of ALL post-secondary academic work completed to date. Official transcripts come directly from your institutions either electronically, or in a sealed envelope. Transcripts must be submitted for all college coursework taken. This includes courses appearing as transfer credit on other transcripts, credits earned in study abroad programs, and courses taken at colleges for college credit while in high school. Copies of transcripts mailed in unsealed envelopes and sent directly by applicants are not official transcripts.
- Electronic transcripts. The university is now able to receive official electronic transcripts submitted directly by your post-secondary institutions. (Copies of transcripts emailed, mailed or faxed to the department by the applicant are not official and will not be accepted.) To see whether your institution is able to provide electronic transcripts to our university, contact your university's Registrar's Office directly.
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Application Mailing Instructions
Domestic Applicants:
All parts of your application, transcripts, supporting credentials, and correspondence in reference to your application should be sent directly to:
Graduate Admissions
University of Colorado Boulder
553 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0553 -
For overnight or express mail send
-
Graduate Admissions
University of Colorado Boulder
3100 Marine St Bldg. RL3
Suite A122
Boulder, CO 80303-1058
(303) 492-6301
All International Applicants:
All parts of your application, transcripts, supporting credentials, and correspondence in reference to your application should be sent directly to:
Overnight/Express Mailing Address (DHL, UPS, Fedex)
Office of Admissions/International
University of Colorado Boulder
3100 Marine Street – 65 UCB
BLDG RL3 Suite A122
Boulder, CO 80303-1058 USA
For standard international mail or mail within the US, including USPS Priority and Express:
Office of Admissions/International
University of Colorado Boulder
3100 Marine St Suite A122
65 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0065 USA
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee. The foreign application fee is $70.
- Four letters of recommendation. Because online links are not sent to recommenders until after your application has been submitted, you must submit your application well ahead of the posted deadlines in order for recommendations to be received in a timely manner, i.e. by the application deadline.
- Recommenders should use the online recommendation process which is part of the online application process. They should not mail hard copies of recommendations, or email recommendations, directly to the department.
- Recommenders should use the online recommendation process which is part of the online application process. They should not mail hard copies of recommendations, or email recommendations, directly to the department.
- Official test scores from the analytical, quantitative, and verbal sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the past 5 years. Copies of scores are not official scores and are not accepted. Do not "mix and match" when self-reporting GRE scores. Provide all three GRE scores from the same test date (verbal, quantative, and analytical writing). Multiple testing dates may be entered.
- Aerospace Graduate Data Request Form (link emailed to you after you have submitted the online application).
Decisions:
All decisions will be emailed. Applicants should make sure that ann.brookover@colorado.edu is on their email safe list. If there has been a change in the email address provided in the online application please let the department know so that your record can be updated.
Questions or problems with the online application? Email technical support, gradadm@colorado.edu DO NOT contact the department.
**For optimal processing of your graduate application, upload all documents to the online application website in PDF format. Word and Excel files are incompatible with the department's internal process. Please do not submit duplicate materials. **
Application Deadlines:
The application deadline for domestic applicants (U.S. Citizens, green card holders) is JANUARY 5 for FALL semester, and OCTOBER 1 for SPRING semester. (We begin accepting domestic fall applications after October 1st and domestic spring applications after August 1st)
NOTE: recommenders do not receive the online link to the recommendation form until after your application has been submitted so submit the application at least two weeks prior to the posted deadlines in order to ensure that recommendations are received by the application deadline.
International student deadlines are December 1 for FALL and August 1 for SPRING. (We begin accepting international fall applications after August 1st and international spring applications after June 1st)
ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS, including application, application fee, statement of purpose, official transcripts, 4 letters of recommendation, GRE and TOEFL scores MUST BE RECEIVED by the application deadline or your application may not be considered for admission and you will have to reapply.
Late applications are not accepted and the application fee is non-refundable.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:
- The institution code for the University of Colorado is 4841; the department code for Aerospace Engineering is 1601. Use these codes when requesting your official GRE and TOEFL scores from ETS.