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CU-Boulder ranks fourth among U.S. universities
(excluding military academies) in the number of astronauts it
has produced. |
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Aerospace Engineering Sciences
Aerospace Engineering is shaping the future of transportation,
communication, explorations, and security through hands-on experience and
teamwork. The department’s mission is to prepare students for leadership
positions in design, testing, and operation of complex aerospace and related
systems. Ranked 16th nationally by U.S. New and World Report, the
graduate program spends more than $11 million annually on research. It’s
home to four research centers, two funded by NASA, and was named a program
of excellence by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
Areas of Study and Research
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:
- Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation
Systems
- Bioastronautics
- Remote Sensing, Earth and Space Science
- Structural and Material Systems
- Vehicle Systems, including Aerodynamics and
Systems and Control
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.
Degrees Offered
MS
The Master of Science requires 30 hours of course
work, at least 24 hours of which must be completed
at the graduate level, and no more than 12 hours
taken outside of the aerospace engineering sciences department.
Students must also complete a project (6 semester
hours) consisting of either (1) a MS thesis, (2)
two semesters of independent study, or (3) a two-semester
team projects course. Each project culminates
with an oral presentation and or written report
or oral examination (in the case of the MS thesis).
ME
Students typically elect to enroll for a Master of Engineering Degree rather than a Master of Science degree for one of the following reasons: (1) they are distance learning (CAETE) students who are interested in a course work only program; or (2) a student desires a more flexible and customized degree program (e.g. incorporating business courses) and does not wish to follow any focus area curriculum. The Master of Engineering requires 30 hours of
course work, at least 24 hours of which must be
completed at the graduate level, with at least
15 hours from the aerospace engineering science
department at the graduate level.
PhD
The Ph.D. requires 36 credit hours at the 6000 level
or above, 18 hours taken in the aerospace engineering sciences department, and 30 hours of dissertation credit.
Students must pass the departmental preliminary
and comprehensive examinations and successfully
defend the dissertation in a final examination.
Students do not need to have a master’s
degree to apply to the Ph.D. program.
Admission
Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive
standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate
School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission.
Applicants must:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university,
or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
- Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as
judged by the student’s scholastic record.
- Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
- Have at least a 3.00 (3.00=B) undergraduate grade point average.
Aerospace Engineering Sciences Admission Requirements
Applicants must:
- Have undergraduate courses in calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.
- Have two semesters of undergraduate calculus-based physics.
- Have at least two semesters of upper-division undergraduate courses in engineering, physics, or chemistry.
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing (or the equivalent).
- Have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00.
- Provide official GRE scores from an examination taken within the last 5 years.
- Provide four letters of recommendation.
- Provide a statement of purpose.
Expected Standards for
Applicants
The 2007-08 median undergraduate GPA was 3.62,
and the median GRE scores were: 570 Verbal,
780 Quantitative, and 4.5 Analytical Writing.
Financial Support
Applicants are automatically considered for
financial support during the admissions process.
No separate application is required.
MS students
- Financial support is not guaranteed for MS
students.
- Individual advisors may offer research assistantships
to MS students.
- MS students should indicate their interest in hourly course assistantships after confirming their intent to enroll in the program.
- Top students may be considered for sponsored
fellowships or summer internships
Ph.D. students
Students meeting the rigorous admission requirements
for the PhD are admitted to a focus area, matched
with a faculty advisor, and are offered financial
support for up to 4 years to completion of the
doctoral degree. This continued financial support
will be renewed each year provided that the
student is making acceptable progress as evidenced
by progression through the preliminary and comprehensive
exams, and annual progress reviews by her/his
thesis committee.
This support may be subject to the availability
of continued funds in the student’s selected
research area. It is provided primarily by the
advisor or focus area, through external fellowships,
contracts & grants. In the case of an unexpected
loss of funding, the student may be required to
switch fields in order to keep their financial
support. One year of support (typically the first
year) can be provided by a departmental fellowship.
All PhD students are expected to complete a teaching
practicum. It may be satisfied by a combination
of teaching assistantship, team-teaching a course with their
faculty advisor, grading (over several semesters),
and/or other departmentally approved teaching
activities.
| Application
Information and Deadlines |
| Application major code |
GR-ASEN |
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| Fall admission |
Yes |
| Application deadline |
February 1 |
| International application deadline |
December 1 |
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| Spring admission |
Yes |
| Application deadline |
October 1 |
| International application deadline |
August 1 |
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| Summer admission |
No |
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Contact Information
University of Colorado at Boulder
Aerospace Engineering Sciences
Engineering Center
Office Tower 632 (ECOT 632)
429 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0429
Phone: 303-492-6416
Fax: 303-492-7881
Web site: www.colorado.edu/aerospace
Email: aerograd@colorado.edu
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Arts and Sciences
