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Master of Aerospace Engineering

The Master of Aerospace Engineering (MAE) is a multidisciplinary, part-time professional graduate degree for recent graduates as well as working professionals.

The MAE emphasizes the applied skills and experience needed in industry and differs from the Master of Science in Aeronautics & Astronautics (MSAA), which emphasizes preparation for independent, academic research. The MAE is a terminal, coursework-only degree (does not lead to a PhD).

Total Credits: MAE students are required to complete a minimum of 45 graduate-level MAE-specific credits within the William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics. These courses are designated with the prefix "A E". Courses outside the department as well as "A A" courses within the department will not be accepted toward MAE degree requirements. In order to satisfy degree requirements, students must earn a minimum of a 2.7 in each course and maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Part-Time Enrollment: You are expected to enroll part time, taking one technical course and one professional development course (5 credits total) per quarter. Courses meet in the evening, once per week.

Time-to-Degree: Assuming continuous enrollment (autumn, winter, spring) and satisfactory academic performance, students can finish in three years.

All MAE students will register for courses online via the MyUW portal. The registration process for fee-based courses is administered by UW Professional & Continuing Education (UWPCE). MAE students will enroll in the PCE section of each AE course (section B), which can be found on the PCE time schedule. Detailed information about the registration process, including step-by-step instructions, can be found on PCE's website.

The 45 required MAE credits are distributed among an analytical methods course, prescribed core courses, technical electives, and a weekly professional development colloquium. Current students are able to access detailed information about degree requirements, deadlines, and policies on the MAE Student Resource Canvas.

Analytical Methods: All MAE students are required to take A E 501, "Analytical Methods for Aerospace Engineering" in their first quarter in the MAE program.

Core Area: You indicated an area of interest at the time you applied. However, you must formally declare your concentration by the end of your first year in the program. Each concentration corresponds to a set of five required core courses.

Technical Breadth: In addition to the courses required by your core area, you must complete breadth electives outside your concentration. You may choose to complete all breadth requirements within a single area or may choose to take breadth electives in multiple areas.

Professional Development: Every quarter, the department will offer a weekly professional development seminar: A E 598, "Aerospace Engineering Colloquium". The colloquium will feature a series of guest speakers presenting on topics relevant to professional aerospace engineers. MAE students are required to enroll in the colloquium every quarter on a CR/NC basis.

Master of Aerospace Engineering Curriculum
Credits
Analytical Methods
4
Core Area Classes
20
Technical Breadth Electives
12
Professional Development Colloquium
9

By the end of your first year in the MAE program, you must declare an area of concentration. Your area of concentration will dictate which five courses will be required as your "core area" requirements. Descriptions for all MAE courses can be found in the course catalog.

CONCENTRATION

REQUIRED COURSES

Controls

AE 510, Linear Systems Theory
AE 511, Classical Control Theory
AE 512, Dynamics, Stability, & Control of Vehicles
AE 513, Multivariable Control
AE 514, Estimation Theory

Fluids

AE 520, Fluid Dynamics
AE 521, Aircraft Propulsion
AE 522 Rocket Propulsion
AE 523, Aircraft Noise
AE 524 Computational Methods in Aerodynamics

Structures

AE 540, Mechanics of Solids (required)

Take 4 out of the 5 following classes:
AE 541, Finite Element Methods
AE 542, Fatigue & Fracture
AE 543, Structural Vibrations
AE 544, Additive Manufacturing
AE 550, Mechanics of Composites

Composites

AE 550, Mechanics of Composites
AE 551, Aerospace Composite Design I
AE 552, Aerospace Composite Design II
AE 553, Advanced Composite Structural Analysis
AE 554, Manufacturing of Aerospace Composites

MAE students are expected maintain part-time enrollment and finish in three years. This will require satisfying core requirements at the appropriate times. Many courses are offered on an every-other-year schedule. This means your course schedule will depend on whether you entered the program in an even year (e.g., Autumn 2018) or odd year (e.g., Autumn 2019).

Here is a set of example schedules that you should plan to follow. If you plan to take a quarter off, please contact the graduate adviser to discuss an alternate course plan.

Online courses are available for all students (including international students) in the MAE program.

Courses completed online rely on the exact same content (i.e., lectures, assignments, exams, and evaluation) as courses completed on campus. Students in online courses are provided access to view lectures via live webcast or to access them after they have been recorded. Homework and exams can be completed remotely. Students are held to the same deadlines standards of performance regardless of if they attend class online or in person.

Read further details about online learning.