Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 University Catalog 
    
2017-2018 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering, BSAAE


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About the Program

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. (For a complete history visit the School’s history page.)

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.

Degree Requirements


130 Credits Required

Departmental/Program Major Courses (62 credits)


Note


COM 11400  is a highly recommended general elective and is counted separately from the 18 credits of Gen Ed requirement. Therefore the Gen Ed requirement is 18 + 3 credits = 21 when including COM 11400 .  AAE also requires students to complete a business elective and a communications/writing elective at the 300-level or higher.

General Electives (18 credits)


  • G.E.-I - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • G.E.-II - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • G.E.-III - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • G.E.-IV - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • G.E.-V - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • G.E.-VI - Credit Hours: 3.00

University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.

Program Requirements


Fall 1st Year


15 Credits


16 Credits


16 Credits


16 Credits


16 Credits


16 Credits


Fall 4th Year


17 Credits


Spring 4th Year


18 Credits


Notes


*Satisfies a University Core Requirement

**Satisfies a Non-departmental Major Course Requirement

++Students must earn a “C-” or better

2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical. A Critical Course is one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

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