The Aerospace Engineering Sciences Master's, PhD, and Certificate programs at CU Boulder are based on collaborative environments and hands-on, team-based learning that encourages innovative research, inquiry, and exploration. 

Graduate students are admitted into a specific focus area, which provides research advising, financial support for PhD students, and sets specialized admission and program requirements.

Contact Your Advisor

Certificate Advising

Bachelor’s–Accelerated Master’s

MS and ProMS Advising

PhD Advising

Graduate Handbooks

Please visit the department’s Forms for Graduate Students page. This page includes forms for academic petitions, independent study, doctoral practicum, transfer credit, and more. 

This page also includes contact information for department personnel required on various forms. 

Transfer credit is defined as any credit earned at another accredited institution, credits earned on another campus of the CU system, or credits earned as a non-degree student within the CU system. Credit may not be transferred until the student has completed 6 credits of graduate level coursework as a degree-seeking student on the CU Boulder campus with a 3.0 GPA. Please see the Graduate Student Handbook for additional information about transfer credit for MS and PhD students.

Transfer credit requests follow a two-part process: 

  1. Request a transfer of credit through the Graduate School’s DocuSign process. Instructions, policies, and the form are on the Grad School's website. Courses are approved as “general elective” credit. 
    1. Note: a transfer of credit request must be submitted for any courses taken prior to matriculation into the AES graduate program, including those taken as an undergraduate at CU Boulder. 
  2. Once transfer credit is approved, apply the transferred courses towards specific AES degree requirements by submitting an academic petition (see below).

Academic petitions are used for a variety of internal department requests: 

  • Applying transfer credit to specific course requirements
  • Requesting course waivers
  • Course substitutions for program requirements

Visit the Academic Petition page for more information and instructions. Petitions should always be discussed with your faculty advisor and Focus Area lead BEFORE submitting the petition. 

Graduate students must receive a grade every fall and spring semester (W grades count) or apply for a leave of absence in order to return to CU Boulder in the future without reapplying. A leave of absence is not required for summer semester; graduate students not taking summer classes are considered active students.

To apply for a leave of absence or for more information, please visit the Registrar's website.

Any questions regarding this process can be directed to the Registrar at withdraw@colorado.edu