Graduate
Application
• US Citizens
• International

Degree Programs
• M.S in Mechanical
Engineering
• Masters in Mechanical
Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy

Interdisciplinary Programs
• Aerospace Engineering
• Materials Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Enrollment Requirements

Graduate Courses

Graduate Student Associations

 INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING 

Message from the Program Director

Karolos Grigoriadis, Ph.D. Program Director

Welcome to Aerospace Engineering at the University of Houston! The Houston area is nationally and internationally recognized for the strength of its aerospace related activity due to the presence of NASA Johnson Space Center and the multiple aerospace-related industry and companies in the area. The Aerospace Engineering Program at UH provides graduate education in aerospace engineering to those interested to acquire advanced knowledge, conduct research and pursue advanced careers in the field. This is an interdisciplinary program taught by faculty in the Mechanical Engineering Department with assistance from other colleges and departments. It offers the Master of Science (M.S.) degree (with a thesis of non-thesis option) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.
Areas of coursework and research concentration include:

(a) Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer
(b) Structural Mechanics and Materials, and
(c) Controls and Automation.

However, to expand their knowledge base, students in the program can attend elective courses in other areas, such as, Mathematics, Space Physics, Computer Science, Telecommunications, Human Factors, Systems Engineering, and others. Thesis and dissertation topics span as wide area of aerospace engineering, including, modeling and simulation of aerospace systems, structural dynamics and vibration isolation, system health monitoring, space automation and control, heat transfer and thermo-fluid systems, materials for aeronautical and space applications, aerodynamics, and others.

I. Program Administration
The graduate program in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Houston is an interdisciplinary program in which the Master of Science (M.S) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees are offered. This program is designed for those with undergraduate engineering and science degrees who wish to further their education for a career in the aerospace field.

The program is administered by the Cullen College of Engineering and is taught primarily by faculty from Mechanical Engineering with assistance from Electrical and Industrial Engineering.

II. Graduate Scholarships
Scholarships up to $2,000 per semester are available to qualified students who are interested to pursue a graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering. The objective of the scholarships is to attract and recruit students to the Aerospace Engineering program at the University of Houston.

For consideration, students should submit the completed application material for admission to the Aerospace Program and they should contact the Graduate Admissions Assistant to be considered for the scholarship. The scholarships are competitive and the selection is based on the applicant’s file that includes transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation and the statement of purpose.

The scholarships are part of the programs involvement in the Aerospace Workforce Innovation Network (AWIN) project funded by the State of Texas Workforce Commission.

III. Program Description

OBJECTIVES
The Houston area is recognized nationally for the strength of its aerospace-oriented companies and its proximity to the NASA Johnson Space Center. The Aerospace Program offers the opportunity for graduate study to those employed or seeking employment in the aerospace field to help them advance in the technical track of this profession.

Admission Requirements
Unrestricted admission to this program requires an accredited undergraduate degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering. Those applicants with undergraduate degrees in other fields of engineering and science or mathematics are eligible for admission, but might be required to complete several leveling courses to prepare themselves for successful participation in the program. Application for entry into the program should follow the same application procedure listed under the graduate Mechanical Engineering program and the applicants should complete the corresponding application forms stating “Aerospace Engineering” as their major.

For students entering the Master of Science (M.S.) program: Admission into the M.S. program is based on a competitive combination of the following: (i) academic background, (ii) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, (iii) letters of recommendation, and (iv) the student's statement of purpose. International students must submit their TOEFL scores as well. Normally an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 out of 4.0 is required on the last 60 semester credit hours attempted exclusive extracurricular credits. Texas law prohibits the definition of minimum acceptable scores on the GRE. However, average scores for the 1997 – 2001 admission classes for all programs are 715 on the Quantitative section and 540 on the Verbal section. A TOEFL score of at least 550 is required for students whose native language is not English. In special cases, conditional admission may be granted to a student who is not clearly competitive in all areas. However, conditional admission is not available to non-immigrant visa holders. While letters of recommendation from industrial supervisors are accepted, they are not as useful as letters from faculty members who have observed the academic performance of the applicant.

For students entering the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program: Admission to the Ph.D. program generally requires a M.S. degree in aerospace engineering, or its equivalent. However, an exceptional student who has demonstrated an ability to work well independently can be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program without a M.S. degree. Academic performance, GRE scores, extracurricular activity, and the student's statement of purpose are considered for admission. Consideration is also given to the student's proposed research area. Normally, admission to the program requires a GPA of previous graduate work of at least 3.5 out of 4.0, and GRE scores that are competitive with the doctoral student admission class. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 is required from students whose native language is not English. Conditional admission is not granted to the Ph.D. program. It is expected that students entering the Ph.D. program would have completed a thesis as a part of their M.S. program. Advancement to the Ph.D. from the master's program for a continuing student requires a positive recommendation of the student's M.S. thesis committee.

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Degree Requirements
M.S. degree requirements: The M.S. degree has two options: non-thesis and thesis. The M.S. non-thesis option degree consists of a minimum of thirty semester hours of graduate course work. Eighteen of these semester hours should be completed with courses in the following core areas:

(A) Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer,
(B) Structural Mechanics and Materials, and
(C) Controls and Dynamics.

Approved courses in these core areas are listed below under the Courses heading. Students can select a core area of concentration where they take the majority of their core courses. However, as a breadth requirement, students should take at least six semester hours of core course work outside their core area of concentration. The remaining twelve semester hours of graduate work should be completed with courses from the above core areas or from approved graduate elective courses listed under the Courses heading. The course work should be selected with the approval of the Aerospace Engineering Program Director. The M.S. thesis option degree consists of a minimum of twenty-one semester hours of course work and nine semester hours of thesis work. As in the non-thesis option, eighteen of the course work semester hours should be completed in the core areas (A), (B), and (C) with at least six semester hours of core course work outside the core area of concentration. The remaining three hours of course work should be completed with a course from the approved elective courses or the core courses. For the M.S. thesis option the course work should be selected based on the recommendations of the student’s thesis advisor. For both M.S. degree options a maximum of six hours of course work may be completed at the 5000 level.

Ph.D. degree requirements: The Ph.D. requirements consist of a minimum of 21 semester hours of course work past the M.S. degree and a minimum of 30 semester hours of research and dissertation (18 research hours and 12 dissertation hours). The Ph.D. course work does not have to fall under any prescribed topic area because of the focused nature of the required research. The Ph.D. course work shall be selected based on the recommendations of the student's research advisor to prepare the student to conduct the research program of his or her choice. All course work should be completed with courses at the 6000 level or above. An oral and/or written qualifying examination must be passed by the student at the conclusion of the course work to determine his or her ability to continue with the research component of the program. The Ph.D. candidate is required to fulfill a one-year residency requirement (full-time registration for two consecutive long semesters) during the Ph.D. program.

Approved courses offered by the University of Houston Clear Lake (UH-CL) that are listed under the Curriculum heading can be applied toward the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. However, no more than nine semester hours of course work from UH-CL can be applied.

The M.S. and Ph.D. degree requirements are summarized below with the numbers representing semester credit hours.

	Core*	Designated Electives	Thesis or Dissertation Research	Total
M.S. (nonthesis)	18	12	0	30
M.S. (thesis)	18	3	9/0	30
Ph.D.	0	21	12/18	51

*At least six semester hours should be completed outside a core area of concentration

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ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
A student must meet the requirements listed below for continued enrollment in, and successful completion of the program. These requirements are in addition to the general requirements of the University as given in the Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog.

• Degree plans must be approved by the Program Director and must meet the specific requirements listed in this document for the degree program.
• Students on F-1 or J-1 visas are required by U.S. law to be enrolled as full-time students.
• The University requires all full-time M.S. and Ph.D. students to enroll in a total of 9 hours in each long semester and 6 hours in the summer.
• Masters students supported as Research Assistants must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours in each long semester and 6 hours in the summer.
• Only full-time students are eligible to receive financial support from the University in the form of scholarships, academic fellowships, teaching fellowships or assistantships, research fellowships or assistantships, or other comparable forms of support.
• A minimum grade point average of 3.00 over all graduate courses attempted is required for the successful completion of any graduate degree.
• No grade lower than C- can be counted toward the completion of the credit hour requirements for a degree program.
• Up to 6 credit hours of course work may be transferred from another institution with the approval of the Program Director.
• No course used for a prior degree can be repeated or applied to another degree.
• No more than 6 hours can be transferred from post-baccalaureate to graduate credit level.
• The Four-C rule: the University requires that a graduate student who receives a grade of C+ or lower in 12 semester hours attempted at this institution for graduate credit or for application toward the graduate degree, whether or not in repeated courses, is ineligible for any advanced degree at this institution and will not be permitted to re-enroll for graduate study. Students wishing to enroll in courses not for graduate credit (hence not subject to the 4-C rule) must submit a written declaration to that effect to the Program Director prior to enrollment in those courses.

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III. Courses
The following list shows the approved core courses divided by areas. The courses are described in the University of Houston Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog. Also, approved courses offered by the University of Houston Clear Lake (UH-CL) are listed.

Core Area A: Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer

MECE 5312: Computational Fluid Dynamics I
MECE 5361: Introduction to Compressible Flow
MECE 5363: Fluid Mechanics
MECE 6333: Conduction and Radiation
MECE 6334: Convection Heat Transfer
MECE 6341: Viscous Flow Theory
MECE 6342: Potential Flow Around Bodies
MECE 6343: Boundary Layers
MECE 6344: Turbulent Flows
MECE 6347: Low Speed Aerodynamics
MECE 6349: Hydro/Aerodynamics
MECE 6353: Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics

Core Area B: Structural Mechanics and Materials

MECE 5307: Fracture of Structural Materials
MECE 5332: Introduction to Continuum Mechanics
MECE 5371: Vibration Analysis
MECE 6320: Composite Materials
MECE 6321: Polymer Materials and Mechanics
MECE 6322: Polymer Viscoelasticity and Failure
MECE 6351: Finite Element Analysis in Engineering Sciences I
MECE 6361: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
MECE 6365: Stress Waves in Continuous Media
MECE 6377: Continuum Mechanics I
MECE 6382: Theory of Elasticity I
MECE 6387: Intelligent Structural Systems
MECE 6390: Modern Techniques in Structural Dynamics
MECE 7320: Micromechanics of Composite Materials
MECE 7321: Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures
MECE 7322: Damage & Failure Mechanics of Composite Materials
MECE 7370: Flow and Fracture of Solids
MECE 7371: Advanced Fracture Mechanics
MECE 7378: Finite Elasticity
MECE 7379: Continuum Mechanics II

Core Area C: Controls and Dynamics

MECE 5367: Control System Analysis and Design
MECE 5387: Intermediate Dynamics
MECE 6362: Advanced Dynamics
MECE 6367: Flight Control Systems Design
MECE 6388: Optimal Control Theory
MECE 6389: Linear Matrix Inequality Control
MECE 6369: Nonlinear Control Systems Design
MECE 7360: Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
MECE 7375: Control of Smart Structures
ECE 6310: Robotics: Models, Controls, and Sensors
ECE 6325: State-Space Control Systems
ECE 6335: Digital Control Systems
ECE 6390: Linear Multivariable Control Systems
ECE 6394: Control System Component Design
ECE 7333: Optimal Control Systems
ECE 7334: Advanced Digital Control Systems
ECE 7335: Robust Control Systems
CENG 6533: Robotics (UH-CL)
PHYS 6309: Advanced Mechanics I
PHYS 6311: Advanced Mechanics II: Nonlinear Dynamics
PHYS 7308: Space and Atmospheric Physics
PHYS 8307: Advanced Methods in Space and Atmospheric Physics

The following list shows approved elective courses of the program. Other graduate elective courses can be applied to the program subject to the approval of the Program Director.

Elective courses

MECE 5339: Introduction to Engineering Alloys
MECE 5373: Computer-Based Resolution of Open Problems
MECE 6331: Advanced Classical Thermodynamics
MECE 6354: Spectral Methods for Partial Differential Equations
MECE 6355: Aero- and Hydro-acoustics
MECE 6373: Computer-Based Design Synthesis
MECE 6379: Computer Methods for Mechanical Design
ENGI 6362: Methods of Applied Mathematics I
ENGI 6363: Methods of Applied Mathematics II
CIVE 6349: Reliability and Safety of Structures
ELEE 6313: Neural Networks
ELEE 6315: Neural Computation
ELEE 6331: Advanced Telecommunications
ELEE 6333: Signal Detection and Estimation Theory
ELEE 6336: Advanced Microprocessor Systems
ELEE 6337: Introduction to Stochastic Processes
ELEE 6342: Digital Signal Processing
ELEE 6367: Computer Architecture and Design
ELEE 6375: Measurement and Analysis Techniques in Stochastic Processes
ELEE 6385: Analog Input/Output Design
INDE 6332: Engineering Project Management
INDE 6334: Statistical Decision Analysis and Design
INDE 6335: Engineering Administration
INDE 6336: Reliability and Quality Control
INDE 6337: Human Factors in Systems Design
INDE 6350: Design of Artificial Intelligence Systems
INDE 6364: Advanced Engineering Statistics
INDE 6369: Knowledge-Based Systems
INDE 6370: Operations Research: Digital Simulation
INDE 6372: Operations Research and Analysis of Systems
INDE 6373: Scheduling and Planning
INDE 6375: Logistics Engineering I
INDE 6385: Simulator Software Engineering
INDE 7331: Operations Research: Stochastic Processes
INDE 7332: Advance Mathematical Programming
INDE 7350: Multiobjective Optimization
INDE 7361: Industrial Robotics
INDE 7371: Nonlinear Optimization
PHYS 6131: Fundamentals of Astrodynamics (UH-CL)
PHYS 6231: Plasma Physics (UH-CL)
PHYS 6303: Methods of Mathematical Physics
PHYS 6304: Methods of Mathematical Physics II
PHYS 7324: Plasma Physics
ASTR 5431: Fundamentals of Astrodynamics (UH-CL)
ASTR 5432: Perturbation Methods in Astrodynamics (UH-CL)
ASTR 5431: Planetary Sciences (UH-CL)
SENG 5233: Systems Engineering Analysis and Modeling (UH-CL)
SWEN 5131: Software Engineering Tools (UH-CL)
SWEN 5431: Software Testing, Validation and Verification (UH-CL)
SWEN 5532: Software Safety (UH-CL)

Other courses can be accepted as electives with the approval or the Program Director.

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