MS in Aerospace Engineering
The MS degree in aerospace engineering requires 30 hours of graduate credit, consisting of required core courses (16 credits) and elective courses (no less than 14 credits). Students are also required to complete a thesis (Plan A) or oral exam (Plan B).
No more than 10 credits can be transferred from non-matriculated study at Rochester or from an outside institution. See the Graduate Bulletin for steps on how to request transfer credit.
All students need to complete the Program of Study Form, available from the graduate coordinator, by the end of their second semester of study.
Required Core Courses (Four Courses)
Four of the following courses:
- ME 400: Applied Boundary Value Problems
- ME 441: Finite Element Methods OR ME 432: Optomechanical
- ME 427: Aerodynamics
- ME 449: Elasticity OR ME 444: Continuum Mechanics
Thematic Elective Courses (Four Courses)
Students can select any four courses. They can be all in the same group, different groups, or a mix of any groups.
Group A - Solids and structures:
- ME 481: Mechanical Properties of Solids
- ME 446: Aerospace Structures
- ME 440: Mechanics of Structures
Group B - Dynamics and controls:
- ME 407: Advanced Dynamics
- ME 431: Feedback and Control of Dynamical Systems
- ME 424: Robust Design
- ME 445: Precision Instrument Design
Group C - Fluids and propulsion:
- ME 433: Nanoscale Energy Transport
- ME 436: Compressible Flow
- ME 437: Incompressible Flow
- ME 439: Turbulence
- ME 434: Plasma Physics I
- CHE 468: Fundamentals of Computational Fluid Dynamics
- ME 536: Hydrodynamic Stability
Plan A, Thesis Option
Plan A requires a written dissertation prepared by the student under the supervision of their advisor in aerospace engineering. Of the 30 required credit hours, this option requires:
- The required courses listed above (16 hours)
- Up to six hours of research
- A selection from the thematic courses listed above
The formal defense of the dissertation takes place after the completion of all coursework, and the student must be registered for the semester in which the defense takes place.
See the ME Graduate Handbook for more information about Plan A and the thesis defense.
Plan B, Coursework Option
Plan B requires:
- The four required core courses listed above
- At least 14 hours from the thematic courses also listed above
- Up to two hours of research may also be included
Plan B students are required to take a comprehensive oral examination at the end of their coursework. Students should speak to the graduate coordinator and their faculty advisor to schedule the exam.
See the ME Graduate Handbook for more information about Plan B and the oral exam.
Tuition Benefits
No stipend support is available for MS degree candidates, but a limited number of partial tuition scholarships are available.
Full-time MS students who also work as teaching assistants are eligible for a competitive tuition discount. Federal work-study program funds, government or personal loans, or part-time employment may sometimes be used to meet expenses.
The details of a particular student's financial offer can vary depending upon specific circumstances and will be specified in a letter sent to each student at the time that an admission offer is made.