Aerospace Engineering - Curriculum 609 (Resident Program)

Program Officer

Yevtte Davis, CDR, USN

Code 74, Watkins Hall, Room 107

(831) 656-2033, DSN 756-2033

yevtte.davis@nps.edu

Academic Associate

Christopher Adams

Watkins Hall, Room 333

(831) 656-3400

caadams@nps.edu 

Brief Overview

The objective of this program is to provide graduate education, primarily in the field of Aerospace Engineering, in order to produce graduates with the technical competence to operate and maintain modern military aerospace systems.

The Aerospace Engineering program is designed to meet the specific needs of the U.S. Military, industry, and international partners with a broad-based graduate education in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on missile design, autonomous systems, and rotorcraft. The program is intended to be completed within 24 months but can be completed in as little as 12 months for academically prepared students.

This program gives the student a broad aerospace engineering education in the areas of aerodynamics, flight mechanics, propulsion, flight structures, and systems integration. Additionally, students receive graduate level instruction in aircraft/missile design and aero-computer science.

An original research project resulting in a finished thesis is an integral part of the curriculum. 

Requirements for Entry

The objective of this program is to provide graduate education, primarily in the field of Aerospace Engineering, in order to produce graduates with the technical competence to operate and maintain modern military aerospace systems.

The Aerospace Engineering program is designed to meet the specific needs of the U.S. Military, industry, and international partners with a broad-based graduate education in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on missile design, autonomous systems, and rotorcraft. The program is intended to be completed within 24 months but can be completed in as little as 12 months for academically prepared students.

This program gives the student a broad aerospace engineering education in the areas of aerodynamics, flight mechanics, propulsion, flight structures, and systems integration. Additionally, students receive graduate level instruction in aircraft/missile design and aero-computer science.

An original research project resulting in a finished thesis is an integral part of the curriculum.

Convenes

Aerospace Engineering is typically an eight-quarter program with preferred entry dates in January or June. Refresher quarters are offered in March and September and are recommended for non-engineering undergraduates and those out of school greater than 5 years. Time in residence may be reduced by course validations depending on the officer's specific academic background. If further information is needed, contact the Program Officer or the Academic Associate.

Degree Requirements

Requirements for the Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering – MSAE; or Master of Science in Engineering Science with a major in Aerospace Engineering – MSES(AE) are met as a milestone en route to satisfying the educational skill requirements of the program.

Aerospace Engineering Typical Course

Quarter 1

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
MA1115Multi Variable Calculus

4

0

MA1116Vector Calculus

3

0

ME2201Introduction to Fluid Mechanics

3

2

ME2502Dynamics

4

1

Quarter 2

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
MA2043Introduction to Matrix and Linear Algebra

4

0

MA2121Differential Equations

4

0

ME2101Engineering Thermodynamics

4

2

AE2440Introduction to Scientific Programming

3

2

-or-

EC2440Introduction to Scientific Programming

3

2

Quarter 3

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
MA3232Numerical Analysis

4

0

MS3001Materials Science and Engineering I

3

3

ME3240Marine Power and Propulsion

4

2

ME4751Combat Survivability, Reliability and Systems Safety Engineering

4

1

Quarter 4

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
ME3611Mechanics of Solids II

4

0

MS3002Materials Science and Engineering II

3

3

ME2801Introduction to Control Systems

3

2

MA3132Partial Differential Equations and Integral Transforms

4

0

Quarter 5

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
ME3205Missile Aerodynamics

4

1

ME3801Dynamics and Control of Marine and Autonomous Vehicles I

3

2

MS4601Fabrication, Characterization and Applications of Nanomaterials

3

2

ME3201Applied Fluid Mechanics

4

1

Quarter 6

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
ME0810Thesis Research

0

8

AE4452Advanced Missile Propulsion

4

1

ME3521Mechanical Vibration

3

2

ME4225Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer

3

2

Quarter 7

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
ELECTAE/ME Elective (4000-level)

ME0810Thesis Research

0

8

ME0810Thesis Research

0

8

ME4703Missile Flight and Control

4

1

Quarter 8

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
ELECTAE/ME Elective (4000-level)

ME0810Thesis Research

0

8

ME4704Missile Design

3

2

AE4502Supersonic and Hypersonic Flows

4

0

Other Courses Available

Course NumberTitleCreditsLecture HoursLab Hours
ME3150Heat Transfer

4

1

ME3720Introduction to Unmanned Systems

3

2

MS3606Introduction to Welding and Joining Metallurgy

3

2

ME4101Advanced Thermodynamics

4

0

ME4220Viscous Flow

4

0

ME4225Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer

3

2

ME4231Advanced Turbomachinery

3

2

ME4240Advanced Topics in Fluid Dynamics

4

0

ME4251Engine Design and Integration

3

2

ME4420Advanced Power and Propulsion

4

0

ME4522Finite Element Methods in Structural Dynamics

4

0

ME4525Naval Ship Shock Design and Analysis

4

0

ME4550Random Vibrations and Spectral Analysis

4

0

ME4612Advanced Mechanics of Solids

4

0

ME4613Finite Element Methods

4

0

ME4731Engineering Design Optimization

4

0

ME4811Advanced Control of Autonomous Systems

3

2

ME4821GPS Aided Navigation of Military Systems

3

2

ME4822Guidance, Navigation, and Control of Marine Systems

3

2

ME4823Cooperative Control of Multiple Marine Autonomous Vehicles

4

0

ME4901Advanced Topics in Mechanical (Aerospace) Engineering

V

V

-or-

AE4901Advanced Topics in Mechanical (Aerospace) Engineering

V

V

ME4902Advanced Study in Mechanical Engineering

V

V

-or-

AE4902Advanced Study in Astronautical Engineering

V

V

Educational Skills Requirements

The ESRs consist of a core of prescribed aerospace engineering skills, which all graduates must acquire; plus specialization options of advanced topics in missile design, autonomous systems, or rotorcraft, which the student may pursue as electives.

1. AEROSPACE STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS: Be able to apply U.S. military standards and practices to analyze structural components of missiles systems & autonomous vehicles, using engineering analytic methods on idealized models and automated finite element methods on realistic models to determine stresses, strains, deformations and appropriate limiting conditions of yielding, fracture, buckling and fatigue.

2. FLIGHT MECHANICS: Be able to calculate all performance parameters for rotorcraft, military autonomous aircraft, and missile systems to determine their longitudinal and lateral-directional, static and dynamic stability characteristics. Be able to analyze and design aircraft and missile guidance and control systems, including feedback stabilization schemes and stochastic processes, using classical and modern control techniques.

3. AIRCRAFT AND MISSILE PROPULSION: Understand the principles and operating characteristics of fixed wing, rotorcraft and missile propulsion engines and be able to analyze the performance of rocket motor and turbines through knowledge of the behavior and design characteristics of the individual components. Be able to calculate performance parameters used in engine selection and know the state-of-the-art reasons for limitations on gas turbine engine performance, as well as the potential for future gains in the field. Be able to analyze the performance of rockets and ramjets through knowledge of the behavior of individual components, and be able to make steady-state, internal ballistic calculations for solid rocket motors.

4. AERODYNAMICS: Be able to use classical analytic, experimental and modern computational techniques of subsonic and supersonic aerodynamics, including laminar and turbulent boundary-layer viscous effects, without heat addition, to calculate internal flow properties through inlets, nozzles and engines and external air flow pressure distributions over wings, canards, tails, and other lifting surfaces to determine the resulting lift, drag and pitching moment.

5. INFORMATION PROCESSING: Be able to use current computer methods to solve aerospace engineering problems and possess knowledge of the application of dedicated avionic and systems computers on board military aircraft.

6. ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS: Demonstrate analytic ability to apply differential and integral calculus, ordinary and partial differential equations, vector calculus, matrix algebra, probability and statistics and numerical analysis in the development of engineering theory and its application to engineering problems.

7. SYSTEMS DESIGN: Be able to integrate all of the disciplines of aerospace engineering into a design of a missile or autonomous system or rotorcraft in response to a realistic set of military requirements, specifications, constraints and cost limitations. The design must include considerations for safety, reliability, maintainability and survivability.

8. RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION: Apply principles of project scoping, planning, design and execution to investigate a current research, development, test or evaluation problem of interest to the Department of Defense that culminates in the publication of a thesis.