Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering prepares students for engineering work in the exciting aerospace industry. The aerospace industry is known for designing and building complex systems which push the limits of technology. Therefore a strong emphasis is placed on turning theory into practice and problem-solving using a disciplined systems engineering approach. The program’s faculty have developed a number of educational objectives to support this mission. These Program Educational Objectives are:
- Be life-long learners who continue to pursue professional development;
- Participate and thrive in a multi-disciplinary, systems-oriented work environment;
- Contribute to the solution of complex technical problems that exist in the global aerospace industry; and
- Understand their ethical role as a professional engineer and strive to promote a practice of integrity and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Concentrations
Aeronautics
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Astronautics
Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Program Learning Objectives
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major, Support or Concentration courses may be selected as credit/no credit. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| AERO 1121 | Aerospace Fundamentals | 2 |
| AERO 2220 | Aerospace Engineering Dynamics | 3 |
| AERO 3300 | Engineering Numerical Analysis (Upper-Division 2/5) 1 | 4 |
| AERO 3301 | Thermo Fluid Dynamics | 4 |
| AERO 3302 | Thermo Fluids Laboratory | 1 |
| AERO 3303 | Heat and Mass Transfer | 2 |
| AERO 3304 | Aerospace Propulsion Systems | 3 |
| AERO 3320 | System Dynamics | 3 |
| AERO 3331 | Aerospace Structural Analysis I | 4 |
| AERO 3460 | Aerospace Engineering Professional Preparation | 1 |
| AERO 4403 | Propulsion Laboratory | 1 |
| AERO 4431 | Aerospace Structural Analysis II | 3 |
| AERO 4433 | Experimental Stress Analysis | 1 |
| Concentration | ||
| (See list of Concentrations below) | 27 | |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| CHEM 1120 | Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties (5A & 5C) 1 | 4 |
| ENGR 2211 | Introduction to Mechanics | 4 |
| IME 1143 & IME 1140 | Introduction to Design and Manufacturing and Technical Graphics Communication for Design and Manufacturing | 3 |
| MATE 1220 | Principles of Materials Engineering for Non-Majors | 2 |
| MATH 1261 | Calculus I (2) 1 | 4 |
| MATH 1262 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 2263 | Calculus III | 3 |
| MATH 2341 | Linear Analysis | 4 |
| PHYS 1141 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 1143 | General Physics II | 4 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 33 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives | 0 | |
| Total Units | 128 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
Concentrations
Aeronautics
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| AERO 3305 | Introduction to Aerodynamics | 3 |
| AERO 4401 | Ground to Space Propulsion | 2 |
| AERO 4405 | Advanced Aerodynamics | 3 |
| AERO 4406 | Experimental Aerodynamics | 1 |
| AERO 4420 | Aircraft Dynamics and Control | 3 |
| AERO 4461 & AERO 4462 | Aircraft Design Senior Project I and Aircraft Design Senior Project II | 6 |
| Technical Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 9 | |
| Introduction to Orbital Mechanics | ||
| Spaceflight Propulsion | ||
| Applied Computational Aerodynamics | ||
| Re-Entry Aerodynamics | ||
| Aerospace Flight Test | ||
| Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control | ||
| Flight Dynamics and Automatic Control | ||
| Aircraft Performance | ||
| Spacecraft Electrical and Electric Systems | ||
| Introduction to Aerospace Systems Engineering | ||
| Intermediate Orbital Mechanics | ||
| Space Environments and Space Environments Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to Human Spaceflight | ||
| Special Advanced Topics | ||
| Special Advanced Laboratory | ||
| Finite Element Analysis of Continua | ||
| Computational Aerodynamics | ||
| Spacecraft Thermal/Fluid Control | ||
| Aerospace Structural Dynamics Analysis | ||
| Advanced Ground to Space Transportation | ||
| Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion | ||
| Complexity in Engineered Systems | ||
| Systems Engineering Applications | ||
| Advanced Control Theory | ||
| Advanced Orbital Mechanics | ||
| Advanced Spacecraft Dynamics and Control | ||
| Aerospace Research and Development I | ||
| Aerospace Research and Development II | ||
| Special Advanced Topics | ||
| Special Advanced Laboratory | ||
| Total Units | 27 | |
Astronautics
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| AERO 3351 | Introduction to Orbital Mechanics | 3 |
| AERO 4402 | Spaceflight Propulsion | 2 |
| AERO 4421 | Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control | 3 |
| AERO 4446 | Spacecraft Electrical and Electric Systems | 3 |
| AERO 4455 & AERO 4456 | Space Environments and Space Environments Laboratory | 4 |
| AERO 4463 & AERO 4464 | Spacecraft Design Senior Project I and Spacecraft Design Senior Project II | 6 |
| Technical Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Aerodynamics | ||
| Ground to Space Propulsion | ||
| Advanced Aerodynamics | ||
| Experimental Aerodynamics | ||
| Applied Computational Aerodynamics | ||
| Re-Entry Aerodynamics | ||
| Aerospace Flight Test | ||
| Aircraft Dynamics and Control | ||
| Flight Dynamics and Automatic Control | ||
| Aircraft Performance | ||
| Introduction to Aerospace Systems Engineering | ||
| Intermediate Orbital Mechanics | ||
| Introduction to Human Spaceflight | ||
| Special Advanced Topics | ||
| Special Advanced Laboratory | ||
| Finite Element Analysis of Continua | ||
| Computational Aerodynamics | ||
| Boundary-Layer Theory | ||
| Spacecraft Thermal/Fluid Control | ||
| Aerospace Structural Dynamics Analysis | ||
| Advanced Ground to Space Transportation | ||
| Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion | ||
| Complexity in Engineered Systems | ||
| Systems Engineering Applications | ||
| Advanced Control Theory | ||
| Advanced Orbital Mechanics | ||
| Advanced Spacecraft Dynamics and Control | ||
| Aerospace Research and Development I | ||
| Aerospace Research and Development II | ||
| Special Advanced Topics | ||
| Special Advanced Laboratory | ||
| Total Units | 27 | |
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 10 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 33 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 3 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 5B | Life Sciences | 3 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) (1 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences (3 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | 3 |
| Total Units | 33 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.