B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering

The objectives of the Aeronautical Engineering program are that graduates

1. will competently apply engineering methods to solve professional problems associated with the design, manufacture, and maintenance of aircraft and related systems and understand the social, ethical, and environmental context of their work;
2. will communicate clearly, collaborate competently in teams, and assume leadership roles;
3. will have the habit of continuous professional development.

The program outcomes are the generic abilities that graduates will demonstrate that they have acquired. The defining characteristics of professional problems1 and the process used to solve them lead directly to these generic program outcomes.
   
    ¹  See Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering Department Student Handbook.

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering, an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data. (ABET a& b)
• An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs with realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability, and an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams. (ABET c & d)
• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems, and an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. (ABET e & f)
• An ability to communicate effectively, and the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and social context. (ABET g & h)
• A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning, and a knowledge of contemporary issues. (ABET i & j)
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. (ABET k)

The Aeronautical engineering program expects that graduates have a knowledge of aerodynamics, aerospace, structures, propulsion, flight mechanics, and stability and control. It is also expected that graduates have design competence that includes integration of various disciplines within aeronautical engineering.

Curriculum Overview: The 120-credit program contains 87 credit hours of required technical courses, 33 credit hours of electives (including two professional electives, one undesignated elective and five Knowledge Area/University Course, KA/UC, electives).

Required Technical Courses: The first two years of the curriculum cover mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering science courses (including basic principles of statics, dynamics, solid mechanics, electrical circuits, materials and the use of computers).

In the third and fourth years, students take specialized courses on topics such as aerodynamics and flight mechanics. These courses provide knowledge and skills that strongly support the second outcome listed above, which is a key element in aircraft design. The laboratory components of the first-year physics and chemistry courses introduce study of the relationship between theory and reality. This fosters the development of the student’s technical intuition. Aeronautical engineering laboratory courses add to this development.

Training in professional problem-solving begins in the spring of the second year, with the first course in engineering design. The first course to train students formally in the solution process, it lays the foundation for the fourth-year capstone design course. In the capstone course, students work in teams to design an aircraft. Thus, they learn to apply the solution process to a real professional problem. Students may acquire additional professional experience by participating in the Design, Build, and Fly Competition team. Or they may participate in the Formula SAE, Mini-Baja, Clean Snowmobile, or other team competitions, which are open to any student.

Common Curriculum Requirements: Plans of study must include a total of five Knowledge Area (KA) courses. Students will select these so that at least one is a designated University Course, and so that together these five courses cover the six knowledge areas. Communication intensive course requirement will be fulfilled by a combination of courses having one or two communication points each, with a total of six points required for graduation. At least two of these six points will be earned through 300- or 400-level courses required in the major.

Professional and Undesignated Electives: The professional electives must meet criteria in the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) Department Student Handbook1. The undesignated elective may be any college-level course that does not contain a significant amount of material already covered in other courses. It could be chosen to enrich the student’s technical or nontechnical background. Advanced (200-level or above) Aerospace Studies or Military Science courses may be used as undesignated electives.

Curriculum
FIRST YEAR (See Common First-Year Curriculum in Engineering)
First Semester				Second Semester
Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.		Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.
MS/AS	Military Science/			MS/AS	Military Science/
	Aerospace Studies				Aerospace Studies
	(if elected)	1			(if elected)	1
SOPHOMORE YEAR
First Semester				Second Semester
Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.		Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.
ES220	Statics	3		ES222	Strength of Materials	3
ES250	Electrical Science	3		ES223	Rigid Body Dynamics	3
ES260	Materials Science	3		AE/ME212	Intro to Engineering
MA232	Elementary Differential				Design	3
	Equations	3		MA231	Calculus III	3
AE200	Aeronautical Engineering			AE201	Mechanical Engineering
	Seminar	0			Lab I	1
	KA/UC Elective	3			KA/UC Elective	3
		15				16
JUNIOR YEAR
First Semester				Second Semester
Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.		Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.
ES330	Fluid Mechanics	3		AE/ME425	Aerodynamics	3
ES340	Thermodynamics	3		AE429	Aircraft Performance
AE/ME350	Aircraft Structures	3			and Flight Mechanics	3
MA330	Advanced Engineering			AE458	Design of Aircraft
	Math**	3			Structures	3
AE/ME455	Mechanical Vibrations			AE401	Mechanical Engineering
	and Control	3			Lab III	1
AE301	Mechanical Engineering				Undesignated Elective	3
	Lab II	1			Business Elective	3
		16				16
SENIOR YEAR
First Semester				Second Semester
Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.		Course	Title	Cr. Hrs.
AE450	Aircraft Design I	3		AE451	Aircraft Design II	3
AE430	Stability Control of			AE427	Design of Propulsion
	Aerospace Vehicles	3			Systems	3
AE/ME431	Gas Dynamics	3			Professional Elective	3
	Professional Elective	3			KA/UC Elective	3
	Economics Elective	3
						12
		15

** or MA331 and STAT383
¹ Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering Department Student Handbook .

For professional concentrations see Professional Concentrations in Engineering.