Graduate Program: Aerospace Engineering (MS) - Accelerated Master's Program

General Information

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Program/Degree
Aerospace Engineering (MS) - Accelerated Master's Program  
Program Description

Masters' students may choose a thesis, master’s report option, or non‑thesis/coursework only option:

  • Master's Thesis Option - The thesis option consists of 26 units of coursework, plus 6 units of Thesis (AME 910).  Students who choose the thesis option must complete a thesis and pass a final oral examination.  The examination lasts from one to two hours and includes a defense of the research results.
  • Master’s Report Option - The report option consists of 29 units of coursework, plus 3 units of Master's report (AME 909).  No other independent study units are allowed for the report option.  Students who choose the report option must complete a report and pass a final oral examination. This examination consists of a 30-minute presentation by the student followed by 15 minutes of questioning. 
  • Non‑Thesis/Coursework Only Option - This option is not available to students who receive financial support from the University in the form of teaching or research assistantships or fellowships.  The non‑thesis option consists of 32 units of coursework following the general requirements of the M.S. degree program.  A maximum of 3 units of Independent Study (AME 599) or 3 units of research (AME 900) may be included in the study program.  A student who wishes to enroll in independent study must make arrangements for supervision by a faculty member in the Department and submit the independent study proposal form to the Graduate Administrative Associate. The non‑thesis option does not require a final oral examination.
 
Department/Academic Unit(s)

The Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering (AME) is excited that you have chosen to apply to our graduate program!

Admission to the AME graduate programs is granted based on a holistic evaluation of applicants’ credentials, including undergraduate and/or graduate GPA, GRE scores, personal statement, research experience, and letters of recommendation. A Bachelor of Science degree from an aerospace, mechanical, or nuclear engineering curriculum of a recognized institution of higher education is required of all applicants to the graduate program, with a cumulative grade point average equivalent to 3.25/4.00 or better in previous university‑level academic coursework, particularly in advanced mathematics and engineering courses. However, graduates from other engineering, mathematics, and physical sciences curricula may be admitted provisionally. Applicants’ GRE scores are expected to be in the top 25th percentile, particularly for the Quantitative portion of the GRE.  International students must submit TOEFL (minimum overall score of 79) or IELTS scores (minimum composite score of 7, with no subject area falling below a 6) in order to be considered for admission.

Please note that ALL applicants who wish to be considered for departmental funding must apply and submit an online application for admission by January 1st for Fall admission and by June 1st for the Spring admission.  Online applications for admission (not requiring funding) may be submitted by domestic applicants at any time before the start of the Fall or Spring semesters, and by international applicants by June 1st for Fall admission and by October 15th  for Spring admission. 

 
College

College of Engineering

 
Campus where offered

University of Arizona - Main - Tucson

 
Contacts
Admissions Contact
Liza Maria Soto
520-621-4692
Graduate Program Coordinator
Liza Maria Soto
520-621-4692
Director of Graduate Studies
Jesse C Little
520-626-8677
Graduate College Degree Counselor
Hayley Jean Kral
520-621-3484
 
Tuition and Fees
Please refer to the UA Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information about tuition and fees. 
Please refer to the UA Registrar's's Office Special Course Fees for up-to-date information about special course fees. 

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

Programs will select from among a qualified pool, based on the following criteria. Individual programs may have more stringent or additional requirements:

  • Completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of application; a minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of entry into the AMP. If the student's GPA falls below 3.30 at the time s/he has completed 90 units, the student will not be admitted into the program. Courses taken for audit may not be included in the total number of units counted for eligibility or admission.
  • Completion of at least 12 earned units of undergraduate course work in the major at the UA.
  • Units still graded Incomplete, units graded Pass/Fail or units taken as audit will not count toward the requirement of the 12 undergraduate units in the major.
  • Completion or near completion of general education requirements.
  • Submission of a graduate application and payment of a graduate application fee.
  • Demonstration of the maturity necessary for success in an accelerated, highly competitive program.
  • Expectation to complete the undergraduate degree within four years. The undergraduate degree requirements must be completed before the student is eligible to have the Master's degree awarded.
  • Interested students should verify departmental requirements as they may have additional or more stringent requirements than the Graduate College minimum requirements.
 
Standardized Tests

N/A

 
Funding Opportunities
The Academic Unit has not provided this information. 
Admissions Deadlines

Domestic Applicants:

  • Fall: June 1st
  • Spring: Oct 1st

 

 
International Conditional Admission

International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.

Other Information
The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

32 

Core Coursework Requirements

The Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering program course requirements vary somewhat for Thesis, Master’s Report and Non‑Thesis/Coursework only options, but mandatory requirements for all programs include:    

  • 6 units, Advanced Engineering Analysis
    • AME 500A - Advanced Engineering Analysis (3 units) Minimum Grade Required: C
    • AME 500B - Advanced Engineering Analysis (3 units) Minimum Grade Required: C
  • 2 units of Graduate Seminar
    • AME 696G - Graduate Seminar (1 unit)
    • AME 696G - Graduate Seminar(1 unit)
  • 9 units from one of the following core areas
    • Fluid Mechanics
      • AME 536A - Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (3 units)
      • AME 536B - Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (3 units)
      • AME 536C - Compressible Fluid Dynamics (3 units)
      • AME 531 - Numerical Methods in Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer (3 units)
      • AME 561 - Finite Element Methods (3 units)
    • Solid Mechanics
      • AME 564A - Mechanics of Deformable Solids (3 units)
      • AME 564B - Mechanics of Deformable Solids (3 units)
      • AME 562 - Composite Materials (3 units)
      • AME 561 - Finite Element Methods (3 units) 
      • AME 563 - Advanced Finite Element Analysis (3 units)
    • Thermal Sciences
      • AME 530 - Advanced Thermodynamics (3 units)
      • AME 532 - Convective Transport Phenomena (3 units)
      • AME 531 - Numerical Methods in Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer (3 units)
      • AME 561 Finite Element Methods (3 units)
    • Dynamics and Control Systems
      • AME 550 - Advanced Dynamics (3 units)
      • AME 553 - Computational Multibody Dynamics (3 units)
      • AME 558 - Introduction to Advanced Control Theory (3 units)
      • AME 560 - Advanced Vibration (3 units)
      • AME 521 - Spacecraft Optimal Estimation (3 units)
      • AME 552 - Planar Multibody Dynamics with Applications (3 units)
      • AME 554 - Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control (3 units)
      • AME 555 - Introduction to System Identification Methods (3 units)
      • AME 556 - Nonlinear and Optimal Control (3 units)
      • ECE 542 - Digital Control (3 units)
  • 6 units of Thesis (AME 910) or 3 units of Master’s Report (AME 909) (not required for Non-Thesis/Coursework only students) depending on the option selected.

Please note that all 3 options require a total of 32 units' enrollment, and thus additional coursework beyond those listed above is required. No more than 6 units of non-AME courses are permitted. 

 
Elective Coursework

Additional coursework options:

  • AME 520 - Aircraft Conceptual Design (3 units)
  • AME 522 - Aerospace Engineering Design (3 units)
  • AME 538 - Nature of Turbulent Shear Flow (3 units)
  • AME 544 - Applied Thermodynamics (3 units)
  • AME 545 - Renewable Energy Systems (3 units)
  • AME  557 - Orbital Mechanics and Space Flight
  • AME  565 - Design Optimization
  • AME  566 - Biomechanical Engineering
  • AME  580 - Introduction to Nuclear Engineering
  • AME  583 - Micro Biomechanics
  • AME  586 - Microfluidics
  • AME  587 - Design of Mechatronic Systems
  • AME  589A - Fabrication Techniques for Micro- and Nanodevices
  • AME  596 - AME Special Topics
  • AME  599 - Independent Study
  • AME  620 - Advanced Computational Aerodynamics
  • AME  635 - Hydrodynamic Stability
 
Additional Requirements

 

No additional requirements

 
Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Additional Information

This is an Accelerated Master's Program (AMP).

The Graduate College offers exceptional undergraduate students in selected majors the opportunity to earn both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in as few as 5 years. The Accelerated Master's Program is for the top undergraduates in participating majors who plan to continue in a graduate program in the same, or closely related, UA discipline.

Programs will select from among a qualified pool, based on the following criteria. Individual programs may have more stringent or additional requirements:

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Last revised 05 Mar 2021