Overview
4 and 5 Year Graduation Plans
Humanities and Social Science Electives
-Suggested Humanities & Social Courses
Required Courses
Technical Electives
- Approved Tech Electives
Thematic Learning Community
Undergraduate Course Descriptions
Undergraduate Handbook
The Aerospace Engineering BS degree is accredited by the Enginering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone: (410) 347-7700.
The focus of the BS program in Aerospace Engineering is the design of aerospace vehicles and components. This is accomplished in a four year academic program that consists in the first year of basic sciences, mathematics, and communication courses. These courses form the key foundation for the rest of the program. Also, you will take an Introduction to Aerospace Engineering course that will give you an overview of the BS program. In the second year you will continue to take basic mathematics and science as well as engineering science courses. The engineering science courses apply the principles you have mastered in the basic sciences and mathematics to the solution of engineering problems. In the third year you learn the unique nature of aerospace problems. These courses cover the major subdivisions of Aerospace Engineering - fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and flight dynamics. You will also have courses in complementary topics including computer graphics and instrumentation. In your fourth year, you have the opportunity to see how all the individual specialized technologies are used to design a vehicle.
Throughout the program you have the opportunity to take elective courses from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These are referred to as Humanities and Social Science electives. You will take a course called Aerospace Colloquium all eight semesters in the program. This course is a seminar series in which practicing engineers from industry or government organizations present lectures based upon their experiences. This series of courses give you a feel for the Aerospace Engineering profession.
General RequirementsTo graduate with the Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering the student must complete a published curriculum in force at the time of entry or beyond. This curriculum consists of a distribution of required courses in English, mathematics, basic sciences, engineering sciences, and Aerospace Engineering. In addition to these required courses, each candidate must take approved Technical Electives and approved Humanities and Social Science Electives. The student must complete the required courses taken at KU with at least a 2.0/4.0 grade point average in all courses taken at KU as well as at least a 2.0/4.0 grade point average in all engineering courses taken at KU. The student must also take the last 30 hours of credit while enrolled in the KU School of Engineering. Note: The curriculum is constantly under review by the faculty and may change during a four year period. For this reason a student can select any published program in effect from the time of his/her entry in the program to the program in effect at the time of graduation. The student should advise his/her adviser which program is to be used and then all the requirements listed in this published program must be satisfied.
Specific Requirements for BS Degree in Aerospace Engineering
The program requirements for students entering the program in the fall semester 1997 are detailed in Required Courses for B.S. Degree in Aerospace Engineering. When students plan their course selections each semester they should be aware of two important facts. First, rigid prerequisites exist for each course. This is to assure students are adequately prepared to take a specific course. Second, the Aerospace courses listed are only offered once a year. Detailed descriptions of the Aerospace courses are given. Detailed descriptions of the other required courses can be found in the university’s undergraduate catalog. To assist the students, we've recommended a four-year sequence of courses. The prerequisite sequence is shown in the descriptions of the Aerospace courses page. This is the recommended sequence for students who are prepared to enter the program directly, and who are full-time students without other time-consuming activities, e.g. part-time work, ROTC, intercollegiate sports, Band, or other student activities. Many students who are involved in nonacademic time-consuming activities take more than four years to graduate. A typical five-year sequence of courses is given as well. Students who believe they may plan to take more than four years are strongly advised to discuss this with their adviser or the Department Chairman.
Credit/No Credit and Correspondence Courses
The department does not permit the use of any Credit/No Credit or Correspondence courses to fulfill degree requirements. This applies to course taken at KU or at other institutions.
Requirements for Enrollment in Junior Level Aerospace Courses
Enrollment in junior and senior level aerospace coursed is limited to students who have received a grade of C or better in freshman and sophomore courses in the basic Sciences (PHSX 211 & 212), Mathematics (MATH 121, 122, 220, and 290) , the Engineering Sciences (CE 301 & 310 and either ME 312 or C&PE 221), AE 245, AE 345, and AE 445. Students with a D or F in any of these courses must retake these courses and earn a C or better before they can take their junior or senior level aerospace courses.
For students who would otherwise be eligible to graduate after the fall semester, it is possible to substitute for the second design course, i.e., AE 522 or AE 523 or AE 524, in the fall semester. The substitution must not only be four hours but also must have four hours of design activity equivalent to the second design courses. The recommended substitution is AE 721 - Aircraft Design Laboratory I. Both the student’s adviser and the Department Chair must approve any other substitution. Students who plan to take these options and graduate in December are advised to discuss this with their adviser as soon as possible.
Some students, because of a broad interest or specific career plan, elect to pursue two Bachelor's degrees simultaneously. In such cases the student must satisfy the requirements of both degrees. This must also involve an additional 30 hour of credit beyond the first degree. Because of the desire to minimize the time and effort of the student and due to the complexities involved, it is strongly recommended the student make his/her plans known to his/her major adviser. In addition, the student should coordinate his/her program with an adviser from the second department.
Co-Enrollment in the BS and Graduate Programs
Often students, in the last semester of their BS program, will not have a full course load. These students can enroll in up to six hours of graduate courses that will count toward the Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering Degree. To be co-enrolled, the student must apply and be accepted in the graduate program. Also, the student must announce to both his/her adviser and the office of the Dean of Engineering which courses are to be used to complete the requirements for the BS and which courses should be counted toward the Master of Science degree.
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