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Space Systems Engineering – Master of Science

*This program is currently pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

The MSSE is structured to produce graduates with systems-level engineering skills in spacecraft design, development, testing and operation. There is a significant need in the workforce for the type of engineer that this program produces. Fifteen percent of the United States GDP is now related to aerospace and the aerospace industry supports over 15 million high quality American jobs. The aerospace industry has experienced eight consecutive years of growth. As of 2013, aerospace is the number one manufactured export in Kentucky. Graduates are competitive in the job market for all areas of the space sector including aerospace engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, technical jobs in electronics and microelectronics, Earth station operation, and micro-nanotechnology engineering. Scientists and engineers play a vital role in building the 21st-century enterprises that create solutions and jobs critical to solving the large, complex, and interdisciplinary problems faced by society. Many of these complex societal problems are solved by the utilization of space assets. From financial and data transfer to national defense and homeland security to the search and management of natural resources, space plays a vital role. Applied research conducted by graduates often leads to commercializable technologies that allow them to become the entrepreneurs and innovators of the new space age.

The courses are taught by experienced faculty in the aerospace industry. The curriculum is intensely hands-on, focusing on design, fabrication and testing processes involved in satellite technologies. The world-class facilities of the Space Science Center (SSC) support implementation of embedded laboratories and research toward a master's thesis that every student is required to complete.

Admission Requirements

  1. General admission to graduate study.
  2. Satisfy all of the following:
    1. A minimum GRE score of 150 on verbal reasoning and 146 on quantitative reasoning,
    2. Undergraduate GPA X GRE (verbal and quantitative) = 875,
    3. Undergraduate degree in a relevant area (space science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or closely related discipline),
    4. Completed a sequence of courses in engineering physics and calculus through calculus III.

Requirements for the Degree

  1. Be unconditionally admitted to the program.
  2. Successfully complete and defend a thesis.
  3. Complete the required course work with a minimum graduate cumulative 3.0 GPA. No credit is allowed for a mark below "C".

Program Requirements

Core

SSE 610Space Mission Analysis and Design

3
SSE 626Thermal and Structural Analysis

3
SSE 630Linear Systems

3
SSE 640Advanced Processor Systems

3
SSE 642Modeling and Simulation

3
SSE 644Advanced Space Communication

3
SSE 650Spacecraft Design and Fabrication

3
SSE 660Spacecraft Sensors and Remote Sensing

3
Total Credit Hours:24

Electives

SSE 678Micro/Nano Systems for Space Applications

3
SSE 645Satellite Ground Systems Operations

3
SSE 648Orbital Mechanics

3
ITEC 600Digital Signal Processing I

3
ITEC 650Digital Signal Processing II

3
ASTR 620Astrophysics Payloads and Methods

3
Total Credit Hours:6

Thesis

SSE 699AMaster Thesis Research

3
SSE 699BMaster Thesis

3
Total Credit Hours:6

Student Learner Outcomes

Graduates will:

  1. Be able to articulate advanced concepts of space science, telecommunications, microprocessors and electronics, and the application of these concepts to the development of space assets.
  2. Complete projects requiring a number of technical skills that are in high demand in the workforce, including the ability to work as a member of a team.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate technical information through presentations, technical reports, and papers.
  4. Demonstrate competency in technical skills, including schematic board layout, electronics systems fabrication and testing, computer aided mechanical design, mechanical systems fabrication and testing, modeling and simulation.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of space mission design and the significance of contributing factors including the space environment, mission and payload requirements, orbital considerations, the communication link and space asset user and customer considerations.
  6. Use instrumentation to monitor and control technical systems, including ground station equipment, test and measurement instrumentation, and spacecraft environmental testing systems.
  7. Demonstrate an understanding of the design of satellite systems, including power systems, communications systems, attitude determination and control systems, payload systems and payload interface systems.
  8. Be able to apply the principles and methods of physics and engineering to solve technical problems.

Assessment Procedures

  1. Students are required to complete a thesis that is comprised of a written thesis and defense.
  2. Students must complete the required coursework with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0.

Total Credit Hours: 36