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College of Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

students in windtunnel

An Aerospace Engineer
In The Making

Aircraft, asteroids, autonomous vehicles and more. The sky isn’t our limit—learn engineering fundamentals and discover your potential in designing and building the machines of the future. We give you the tools, hands- on experience and motivation to guide you into a successful and exciting career. Aerospace engineering prepares you for many types of engineering careers—more than half of our graduates work in fields that go beyond airplanes and rockets.

Your Discovery In The Making

The aerospace curriculum is designed to provide you with an education in the fundamental principles of aerodynamics, flight dynamics, propulsion, structural mechanics, flight controls, design and systems. Our program is committed to
real-world preparation that includes a foundation in basic sciences, math and engineering; laboratories to build practical skills; hands-on experiences to understand the problems of tomorrow; and design challenges focused on aerospace industry needs.

Our faculty and students conduct cutting-edge research in nondestructive evaluation; complex systems; computational and experimental aerodynamics; astrodynamics; guidance, navigation and control; aircraft icing; composite structure; and micro/nano mechanics of materials.

students in the make to innovate lab
students working with propeller blade
students in the make to innovate lab

Whatever your goals are, your success is important to us! Our programs, labs, hands-on learning and facilities will give you a competitive advantage.

  • Learning communities—you can join a Launch Pad learning community where you take classes together, get advice from experienced peer mentors and work with faculty on projects. Honors Launch Pad is also an option for students in the First-Year Honors Program.
  • Make to Innovate (M:2:I) Laboratory—where you have access to a wide-range of tools, computers, electronic instruments and 3-D printers.This space is great for design creativity to address real-world problems.
  • Next gen classroom—with custom glass whiteboards and 12 video monitors, the open-air layout facilitates interactive breakout groups and instructor-driven lectures.
  • Wind tunnels—conduct a variety of tests in our wind tunnels. Industry uses similar equipment to evaluate aircraft configurations, test building structures and visualize shock waves.
  • Center for Nondestructive Evaluation—this facility contains state-of-the-art equipment used to discover flaws that may lead to failure of aircraft engines or wind turbines.
  • Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC)—step into a virtual 3-D environment in the C6 facility – featuring some of the highest resolution you’ll find anywhere
    in the world.
  • Composite Structures Lab—build your own structure models from composite materials and test them for durability and strength.
  • Flight Simulator Lab—experience aircraft flight with four high-fidelity desktop simulators providing a detailed, immersive and challenging flight experience.
  • Research partnerships—the aerospace engineering department has partnerships with companies like Boeing and Collins Aerospace.
  • Research opportunities—you can partner with our faculty to work on projects like micro-aerial vehicles, reusable launch vehicles, nondestructive evaluation of equipment, or picosatellites, and often present at professional conferences.
  • Study abroad—take advantage of one of our many study abroad opportunities around the world.

Your Career In The Making

  • The average starting salary of aerospace engineering graduates is more than $74,500/year.
  • Co-op and internship salaries for our students average over $25/hour.
  • More than 1400 companies visit the College of Engineering each year to recruit our students.
  • 92 percent of our aerospace engineering students have a positive career outcome within six months of graduation.