Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

The field of aeronautical and astronautical engineering includes the challenging problems encountered in the design and operation of many types of aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles and puts a constant demand on research and development groups for an even better understanding of basic physical phenomena.

Aeronautical education has existed on at least a small scale at Purdue University since about 1920. Aeronautical Engineering degrees were first offered at Purdue by the School of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering during WWII, and the first B.S. Degrees were awarded in 1943. The School of Aeronautics was established as a separate entity on July 1, 1945.

During the first sixty years of its existence, the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics has awarded 5,824 BS degrees, 1,439 MS degrees and 474 PhD degrees. These graduates have made significant contributions to the aerospace field, and have held positions of high responsibility in government and private industry. Twenty-three graduates of Purdue have become astronauts, and of these, fourteen have been graduates of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering curriculum concentrates on the fundamental subject areas necessary to the research, development, design, and operation of the aerospace industry. The curriculum is designed to emphasize the disciplines of aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, dynamics, and control, and further provides design courses to integrate these disciplines into the design of flight vehicles that will perform the required mission. A strong background in mathematics and physics is required to pursue these disciplines, and extensive use of computers and programming skills is a necessity.

The future holds many interesting challenges. The record shows that our graduates have demonstrated their ability to provide technical leadership in a variety of successfully completed projects. A degree from Purdue University in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics promises to prepare our future graduates for the 21st century in the aerospace field.

Fall 1st Year

• MA 16500 - Analytic Geometry And Calculus I
• CHM 11500 - General Chemistry *
• ENGL 10600 - First-Year Composition * or
• ENGL 10800 - Accelerated First-Year Composition *
• ENGR 13100 - Transforming Ideas To Innovation I *
• CGT 16300 - Graphical Communication And Spatial Analysis **

15 Credits

Spring 1st Year

• MA 16600 - Analytic Geometry And Calculus II
• PHYS 17200 - Modern Mechanics *
• CS 15900 - Programming Applications For Engineers **
• ENGR 13200 - Transforming Ideas To Innovation II *
• COM 11400 - Fundamentals Of Speech Communication *

16 Credits

Fall 2nd Year

• AAE 20300 - Aeromechanics I ++
• AAE 25100 - Introduction To Aerospace Design
• MA 26100 - Multivariate Calculus
• Gen Elective I - Credit Hours: 3.00
• MA 26500 - Linear Algebra *
• AAE 20000 - Undergraduate Sophomore Seminar

16 Credits

Spring 2nd Year

• AAE 20400 - Aeromechanics II ++
• AAE 20401 - Aeromechanics II Laboratory
• PHYS 24100 - Electricity And Optics **
• MA 26600 - Ordinary Differential Equations
• ME 20000 - Thermodynamics I **
• Gen Elective II - Credit Hours: 3.00

16 Credits

Fall 3rd Year

• AAE 33300 - Fluid Mechanics
• AAE 33301 - Fluid Mechanics Laboratory
• AAE 35200 - Structural Analysis I
• MA 30400 - Differential Equations And Analysis Of Nonlinear Systems For Engineering And The Sciences
• AAE 30100 - Signal Analysis For Aerospace Engineering
• AAE 30000 - Undergraduate Junior Seminar
• Gen Elective III - Credit Hours: 3.00

16 Credits

Spring 3rd Year

• AAE 33400 - Aerodynamics
• AAE 33401 - Aerodynamics Laboratory or
• AAE 35201 - Structural Analysis I Laboratory
• AAE 33800 - Thermal Sciences or
• AAE 33900 - Aerospace Propulsion
• AAE 34000 - Dynamics And Vibrations
• AAE 36400 - Control System Analysis
• Gen Elective IV - Credit Hours: 3.00

16 Credits

Fall 4th Year

• AAE 36401 - Control Systems Laboratory
• Major/Minor Electives - Credit Hours: 6.00
• Gen Elective V - Credit Hours: 3.00
• Tech Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
• AAE 40000 - Undergraduate Senior Seminar
• AAE 42100 - Flight Dynamics And Control or Tech Elective

17 Credits

Spring 4th Year

• AAE 44000 - Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics or Tech Elective
• Major/Minor Electives - Credit Hours: 9.00
• Gen Elective VI - Credit Hours: 3.00
• AAE 45000 - Spacecraft Design or
• AAE 45100 - Aircraft Design

18 Credits

• All applicants must graduate from high school or have successfully completed their state’s high school equivalency requirements and Indiana residents are given preference.
• $60 Application Fee
• Original or attested copies of all transcripts, diplomas, mark sheets and certificates from all secondary and post-secondary schools attended. 
• SAT or ACT scores with writing is strongly encouraged for international citizens. International citizens who submit an exceptional SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing(new), SAT Critical Reading(old), or ACT English score may be exempt from submitting additional scores. Generally, an exceptional score is within the top 15 percentile
• Proof of English Proficiency
• Though not required, a letter of recommendation is strongly encouraged, especially for students eligible to be considered for scholarships, for the Honors College or for those who are applying to highly competitive programs.

Scholarships

• Need-Based Scholarships
• Merit-Based Scholarships