Aerospace Engineering
2012-13 Tuition
Research degree: $29,500; Professional degree: $43,185Application deadlines
Ph.D: Fall, Dec. 15; no spring admissions. M.Eng: Fall, Feb 1; Spring, Oct. 15Requirements summary
Ph.D., M.Eng.
- all Graduate School Requirements, including the TOEFL Exam for Non-Native English Applicants
- three recommendations
- GRE general test
- applicants who are Cornell undergraduate students should contact the field office for requirements
Degrees
- M.Eng.
- Ph.D.
Subjects
- Aerospace Engineering (Ph.D., M.Eng.)
Major concentrations
- aerodynamics
- aerospace systems
- biomedical mechanics
- dynamics and control
- materials and structures
- propulsion
- thermal sciences
- The program emphasizes basic aerospace sciences to prepare students for the diversity found at the frontiers of research and industrial development. The faculty is particularly strong and active in fluid dynamics and aerospace systems, including fundamental and applied projects in noise generation, numerical methods, transonic flows, turbulence, nonequilibrium gas dynamics, unsteady and vortical flows, combustion processes, transport processes in microgravity, chemical kinetics, and dynamics and control of space structures.
The M.S./Ph.D.and Ph.D. programs provide advanced levels of training suitable for students pursuing careers in research and development, education, or advanced engineering analysis and design. The field does not admit students into an M.S.-only degree program; applicants may apply for the Ph.D. program directly from a bachelor's degree. Doctoral degree candidates must take a qualifying examination in addition to the examinations required by the Graduate School. Teaching experience for two semesters, normally satisfied by a teaching assistantship, is required of Ph.D. students.
The professional degree of Master of Engineering (Aerospace) provides a one-year course of study for those who want to develop a high level of competence in current technology and engineering design and who plan to practice engineering in industry or professionally. The program has a thirty-credit curriculum and requires an engineering design project.
Application:
Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or the physical sciences. All applicants must submit GRE general test scores. Admission is for the fall semester except in unusual cases.
The graduate field of aerospace engineering emphasizes fundamental and applied engineering, physics, and mathematics principles to prepare students for the diversity of research and development found at the frontiers of academia and industry. Faculty are particularly strong and active in astrodynamics, aerospace systems and design, estimation and system identification, robotics and autonomous systems, dynamics and control, mechanics of materials and materials processing, fluid dynamics, and propulsion.
The field offers three degrees:
1. Ph.D.
2. Master of Science
3. Master of Engineering
The field typically has about 55 active graduate degree candidates, including about 30 Ph.D. candidates, two master of science candidates, and 25 master of engineering candidates.
The Ph.D. Degree
The following proficiencies are expected from students receiving a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering. A student receiving a Ph.D. should:
1. Make an original and substantial contribution to the discipline
- Think originally and independently to develop concepts and methodologies
- Identify new research opportunities within one’s field
2. Demonstrate advanced research skills
- Synthesize existing knowledge, identifying and accessing appropriate resources and other sources of relevant information and critically analyzing and evaluating one’s own findings and those of others
- Master application of existing research methodologies, techniques, and technical skills
3. Demonstrate commitment to advancing the values of scholarship
- Keep abreast of current advances within one’s field and related areas
- Commit to professional development through engagement in professional societies, publication, and other knowledge transfer modes
- Create an environment that supports learning—through teaching, collaborative inquiry, mentoring, or demonstration
4. Demonstrate professional skills
- Advance ethical standards in the discipline
- Communicate in a style appropriate to the discipline
- Listen, give, and receive feedback effectively
Assessment for the Ph.D. Degree
The ability of Ph.D. students to meet the above stated proficiencies is measured using the following metrics and evidence:
1. PhD dissertation, as assessed by the committees and approved by the thesis
approval form upon completion of the evaluation (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3)
2. Dissertation defense (B exam) and presentations, as assessed by the
committees, and reported on the B exam form (addresses proficiencies 1,2,4)
3. Admission to candidacy (A exam) and presentations, as assessed by the
committees, and reported on the A exam form (addresses proficiencies 2,4)
4. Qualifying exam, as assessed by the qualifying exam committee, and summarized by
a report from the Q exam committee chair to the DGS (addresses proficiencies 2)
5. Publication of scholarly articles, as tracked by the students and the field during the
annual review, measures the ability of students to make an original and substantial
contribution to the discipline (addresses proficiencies 3, 4)
6. Participation and presentation at professional meetings, as tracked by the students
and the field during the annual review, develops the students ability to make
presentations, give and receive feedback (addresses proficiencies 3, 4)
7. Grade point average in courses taken, as tracked by the registrar, measures the
proficiency of technical skill acquired (addresses proficiencies 2)
8. Teaching evaluations, as tracked by the field, measures the student's commitment to
teaching (addresses proficiencies 2)
9. Time to Degree, as tracked by the graduate school, measures the number of
semesters from matriculation to graduation (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3)
10. Residency units, as tracked by the student advisors and the graduate school each
semester, measures the satisfactory progress of each student towards completion
of a degree (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3). Annual graduate field reviews, as tracked
by the field, assesses student's general progress towards completing the
PhD objectives in a timely manner and identifies any systematic obstacles
to graduations (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3)
11. Graduate and alumni survey, administered by the field, asks graduating students and
alumni how well learning outcomes were achieved, how effective was the teaching
and what can be improved (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3)
12. Improvement
The data listed above (reports, grades, and lists) are tracked by the field members, field administrator, registrar, and the graduate school and compiled for each individual student and for the entire field. The loop is closed in the following ways:
- The chair of each student’s committee monitors each student’s overall progress towards completion of the PhD objectives, and provides feedback to the student as necessary
- The director of graduate studies monitors the overall status of the field and adjusts policies and strategies, in consultation with field members
- The field meets in an annual meeting to discuss data and identify action items for improvement of student learning and of collection of data.
Master of Science Degree
The Master of Science (M.S.) programs provide advanced levels of training suitable for students pursuing careers in development, education, advanced engineering analysis and design. The field does not admit students into an M.S. program directly but may offer the degree in certain circumstances.
Learning Outcomes
The following proficiencies are expected from students receiving a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. A student receiving a M.S. should:
1. Learn advanced research skills
- Synthesize existing knowledge, identifying and accessing appropriate resources and other sources of relevant information and critically analyzing and evaluating one’s own findings and those of others
- Apply existing research methodologies, techniques, and technical skills
2. Demonstrate commitment to advancing the values of scholarship
- Keep abreast of current advances within one’s field and related areas
- Show commitment to personal professional development through engagement in professional societies and other knowledge transfer modes
3. Demonstrate professional skills
- Adhere to ethical standards in the discipline
- Communicate in a style appropriate to the discipline
- Listen, give, and receive feedback effectively
Assessment
The ability of M.S. students to meet the above stated proficiencies is measured using the following metrics and evidence:
- Master thesis, as assessed by the committees and summarized by a report from the committee chairs to the DGS upon completion of the evaluation (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3)
- Thesis defense and presentations, as assessed by the committees, and summarized by a report from the committee chair to the DGS (addresses proficiencies 1,2,4)
- Grade point average in courses taken, as tracked by the registrar, measures the proficiency of technical skill acquired (addresses proficiencies 1,3)
- Average time to degree, as tracked by the graduate school, measures the number of semesters from matriculation to graduation (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3)
- Graduate and alumni survey, administered by the field, asks graduating students and alumni how well learning outcomes were achieved, how effective was the teaching and what can be improved (addresses proficiencies 1,2,3)
The data listed above (reports, grades, and lists) are tracked by the field members, field administrator, registrar, and the graduate school and compiled for each individual student and for the entire field. The loop is closed in the following ways:
- The chair of each student’s committee monitors each student’s overall progress towards completion of the MS objectives, and provides feedback to the student as necessary
- The director of graduate studies monitors the overall status of the field and adjusts policies and strategies, in consultation with field members
- The field meets in an annual meeting to discuss data and identify action items for improvement of student learning and of collection of data
Master of Engineering Degree
The MEng degree at Cornell differs substantially from the MS and other primarily research degrees, being mostly regarded as a ‘professional masters’ program. It has been the subject of two highly in-depth reports over the past decade which have looked extensively at every aspect of the degree program, many of these having very direct relevance to the current document.
In assembling the attached summaries of the 15 subject foci, it should be observed that each program has circulated drafts amongst their colleagues for approval, and each has agreed that over time they can gather the stated data for self-evaluation. The express intent is not that each ‘outcome’ be assessed every year, but that each year one or more ‘outcomes’ will be investigated, the feedback from which can then be used to inform the conduct of the program.