Apr 19, 2025

DRAFT 2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Aerospace Engineering, BS

The Aerospace Engineering BS, offered by the Department of Aerospace Engineering , is based on a strong core of mathematics, science, and engineering science and is designed to prepare students for professional careers in aerospace engineering fields, such as aircraft and space systems research, design, development, testing, and integration. It also provides excellent preparation for graduate study. The Aerospace Engineering Bachelor of Science degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the General Program Criteria and the Aerospace and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

Students in this major must complete all courses in Required in the Major (All courses in Preparation, Core, and Concentration/Specialization) with a “C or better” to graduate.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 12 (13 units may be satisfied by major coursework, 3 units of 1B units waived)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 0 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 0 (waived)

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 0 (3 units satisfied by ENGR 100W)

Major Preparation: 36

Major Requirements: 66

Total: 120

2. Major Preparation (36 units)

To qualify for a baccalaureate degree in Aerospace Engineering, a student must receive a grade of “C” or better in all courses in preparation for the major.

CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
ENGL 1B - Argument and Analysis 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3B / Formerly Area C2) (or equivalent second semester composition course.)
MATH 30 - Calculus I 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
MATH 31 - Calculus II 4 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
MATH 32 - Calculus III 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
MATH 33A - Ordinary Differential Equations for SCI & ENGR 3 unit(s)
AE 105 - Mathematical Methods for Aerospace Engineers 3 unit(s)
PHYS 50 - General Physics I: Mechanics 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
PHYS 51 - General Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
PHYS 52 - General Physics III: Waves, Light, Heat 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)

3. Major Requirements (66 units)

To qualify for a baccalaureate degree in Aerospace Engineering, a student must receive a grade of “C” or better in all courses required for the major.

Core Courses (13 units)

EE 98 - Introduction to Circuit Analysis 3 unit(s)
ENGR 10 - Introduction to Engineering 3 unit(s)
ENGR 100W - Engineering Reports 3 unit(s) (WID + GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
AE 20 - Computer-Aided Design for Aerospace Engineers 2 unit(s)
AE 30 - Computer Programming for Aerospace Engineers 2 unit(s)

Required Courses (42 units)

AE 107 - Programming & AI for Aerospace Applications 2 unit(s)
AE 112 - Aerospace Structures and Materials I 5 unit(s)
AE 114 - Aerospace Structures and Materials II 3 unit(s)
AE 138 - Vector-Based Dynamics for Aerospace Applications 3 unit(s)
AE 140 - Rigid Body Dynamics 3 unit(s)
AE 157 - Aerospace Automatic Control Systems Design 3 unit(s)
AE 160 - Aerodynamics I 3 unit(s)
AE 162 - Aerodynamics II 3 unit(s)
AE 164 - Aerothermodynamics 5 unit(s)
AE 165 - Aerospace Flight Mechanics 3 unit(s)
AE 167 - Aerospace Propulsion 3 unit(s) OR AE 267 - Space Propulsion Systems 3 unit(s)
AE 168 - Aerospace Vehicle Dynamics and Control 3 unit(s)

Numerical Methods / Simulation Course

Complete one course:

AE 119 - Finite Element Analysis for Aerospace Applications 3 unit(s)
AE 149 - Advanced Dynamics and Simulation 3 unit(s)
AE 169 - Computational Fluid Dynamics 3 unit(s)

Capstone (8 units)

Complete one of the following options:

Option 1: Aircraft Design

AE 171A - Aircraft Design I 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
AE 171B - Aircraft Design II 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGR 195A - Global and Social Issues in Engineering 1 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
ENGR 195B - Global and Social Issues in Engineering 1 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Option 2: Spacecraft Design

AE 172A - Spacecraft Design I 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
AE 172B - Spacecraft Design II 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGR 195A - Global and Social Issues in Engineering 1 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
ENGR 195B - Global and Social Issues in Engineering 1 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Technical Electives (3 units)

A technical elective may be chosen from the following list:

AE 110 - Space Systems Engineering 3 unit(s)
AE 119 - Finite Element Analysis for Aerospace Applications 3 unit(s)
AE 142 - Astrodynamics 3 unit(s)
AE 149 - Advanced Dynamics and Simulation 3 unit(s)
AE 166 - Rocketry 3 unit(s)
AE 169 - Computational Fluid Dynamics 3 unit(s)
AE 173 - Uncrewed Air Vehicle Design 3 unit(s)
AE 180 - Individual Studies 1-3 unit(s) (project must be approved by AE Department Chair)
AE 199 - Special Topics in Aerospace Engineering 1-4 unit(s) (course must be approved by AE Department Chair)
Students with GPA 2.7 or higher may take an MSAE course as their elective

Non-AE courses from any of the topical lists below are also eligible

Design/Manufacturing
ME 110 - Manufacturing Processes 3 unit(s)
ME 136 - Design for Manufacturability 3 unit(s)
ME 154 - Mechanical Engineering Design 4 unit(s)
ME 165 - Computer-Aided Design in Mechanical Engineering 3 unit(s)
ISE 114 - Safety Engineering 3 unit(s)
Management/Economics
ISE 102 - Engineering Economic Systems 3 unit(s)
ISE 105 - Introduction to Systems Engineering 3 unit(s)
ISE 151 - Engineering Management Systems in Global Society 3 unit(s)
Mathematics, Numerical Methods & Modeling
MATH 112 - Vector Calculus 3 unit(s)
MATH 129B - Linear Algebra II 3 unit(s)
MATH 133B - Partial Differential Equations 3 unit(s)
MATH 143M - Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing 3 unit(s)
ISE 130 - Engineering Probability and Statistics 3 unit(s)
ISE 170 - Operation Research 3 unit(s)
Materials
MATE 131 - Fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing 3 unit(s)
MATE 135 - Introduction to Composite Materials 3 unit(s)
Physics
ASTR 117A - Astrophysics I 3 unit(s)
ASTR 117B - Astrophysics II 3 unit(s)
PHYS 105A - Advanced Mechanics I 4 unit(s)
PHYS 105B - Advanced Mechanics II 3 unit(s)
PHYS 120A - Electronics, Data Acquisition & Analysis 3 unit(s)
PHYS 120C - Advanced Physics Lab: Optics 3 unit(s)
PHYS 158 - Modern Optics 3 unit(s)
PHYS 160 - Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics 3 unit(s)
Structures
CE 160 - Structural Analysis 3 unit(s)
Thermal/Fluids
ME 114 - Heat Transfer 3 unit(s)
ME 149 - Engineering Acoustics 3 unit(s)
Controls/Mechatronics
ME 106 - Fundamentals of Mechatronics Engineering 4 unit(s)

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