Guide to Graduate Programs
RECOMMENDED GRADUATE COURSE LIST
FOR
AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITYOF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
August 2009
FOREWORD
The Department of Aerospace Engineering (AE) offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Aerospace Engineering (AE). A student may pursue major study in one of the following general areas: aerodynamics, astrodynamics, combustion and propulsion, control systems, dynamical systems, fluid mechanics, structural mechanics, and materials. This Guide to Graduate Studies provides detailed statements of the requirements for all the graduate degrees offered by the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and descriptions of the procedures to be followed in completing the requirements of each degree program.
While research and course work in aerospace engineering at UIUC cover a very broad range of subjects, a choice of one of the above fields allows students to focus their activities while taking advantage of the flexibility offered by the breadth of interests in the AE Department. In consultation with his or her adviser, a student designs a program of study in one of the above fields, consisting of the fundamental and elective courses prescribed in this guide. Descriptions for all graduate courses offered by the department are also included, together with other useful information about the department, its faculty, and its research facilities. The student is urged to become familiar with the various regulations and procedures in order to ensure that his or her program of studies meets the requirements for the degree sought.
The Graduate College publishes A Handbook for Graduate Students stating the various Graduate College requirements and regulations that apply to all graduate students. There are additional departmental requirements, which in some instances are more stringent than those of the Graduate College. Thus, the information in this guide supplements, and in many cases supersedes, the information given in the handbook. This guide includes all the departmental rules and regulations that apply to AE graduate students and assistants together with many of the most commonly encountered Graduate College regulations from the handbook. Students should consult both the handbook and this guide when planning or revising their program of studies.
This Guide to Graduate Studies and related information are available on the departmental homepage at http://www.ae.illinois.eduContents
1 DEPARTMENT MISSION AND RESOURCES
3 THE M.S. DEGREE PROGRAM
3.1 Course Requirements
3.2 Breadth Requirements
3.3 Computational Science and Engineering Option
3.4 Thesis Requirements
3.5 Course Selection
3.6 Degree Conferral
3.7 Time Limitations
4 THE PH.D. DEGREE PROGRAM
4.1 Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy
4.2 AE Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
4.3 Core Topics
4.31 Aerodynamics and Propulsion
4.32 Dynamics and Control
4.33 Structures and Materials
4.4 Course Requirements
4.5 Mathematics Requirements
4.6 Computational Science and Engineering Option
4.7 Doctoral Committee
4.8 Preliminary Examination
4.9 Progress of Research
4.10 The Final Examination
4.11 Time Limitations
4.12 Direct Ph.D.
5 FELLOWSHIPS, ASSISTANTSHIPS, AND AWARDS
5.1 Fellowships
5.2 Tuition and Service Fee Waivers
5.3 Assistantships
5.4 Graduate Awards
1 DEPARTMENT MISSION AND RESOURCES
The Department of Aerospace Engineering provides students with a strong background in engineering and applied science while placing emphasis on aircraft and spaceflight engineering. The department's objective is to provide education, research, and public service in aerospace sciences and engineering of the highest possible quality to meet the needs of the State of Illinois and the nation as a whole. We wish to instill in students the knowledge, values, and leadership ability in engineering, which will prepare them for lifetimes of continued learning and growth in the profession and in a broad spectrum of other fields.
The department's research program aims at maintaining a leadership position in the rapidly changing field of aerospace and in producing aerospace engineers with a solid foundation and a creative professional approach. The future success of our graduate program depends upon its ability to construct a curricular experience, which guarantees both a student's depth and breadth while retaining the strong student-advisor relationship, which is important to our research. Our graduates must be strong in at least one core discipline and very capable in several related areas. The breadth of engineering research today demands a much more flexible engineer than in the past. Tomorrow's graduates must be competent in their chosen specialty and also be prepared to integrate their experience with engineers from any number of disciplines.
Our future leaders in research and technology will need to be far more adept at team research, systems integration, and important systems requirements in seemingly unrelated areas. Recognition of the computer, networking, and communications revolution has to be present in any modern curriculum. The interdisciplinary nature of aerospace engineering and the broad credentials of the College of Engineering make it certain that contributions from related mechanical sciences and electrical and computer engineering are essential components of an aerospace career. Some of the broader engineering specialties, such as manufacturing or simulation will become our research topics in the future, and we must provide the necessary flexibility in our program to accommodate non-traditional engineering training. Courses will be structured and restructured as needed to accommodate these specialized needs.
The department's most important resource is its faculty. Research activities in the AE Department encompass a wide range of problem areas in aerospace engineering and related engineering disciplines. The traditional strength of the department is in aerodynamics and propulsion. Eight faculty teach or conduct research in this area. Laboratories dedicated to this type of research include: Advanced Heat Exchange Lab, Aerodynamics Research Lab, Aerospace Flight Simulation Lab, Applied Computational Aerodynamics Lab, Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser (COIL) Lab, Compressible Fluid Mechanics Lab, Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab, Energy Desposition Flow Control Lab, Electric Propulsion Lab, Fuel Cell Lab, Shock Tube and High Pressure Combustion Lab, and Supersonic Inlets Lab. Six faculty members have interest and conduct research in the areas of astrodynamics, control and dynamical systems. The Computational Astrodynamics Research Lab (CARL) and the Nonlinear Systems Lab provide opportunities for graduate education and research in the general area of control and dynamical systems. Another active area in this department is structural mechanics and materials. Five faculty members teach and conduct research in this area. The state-of-the-art Composite Manufacturing Lab provides training and attracts a great deal of industrial support. Novel computational tools are being developed at the Computational Solid Mechanics and Aeroelasticity Lab for various issues associated with fracture mechanics, composite manufacturing, and other research topics in solid mechanics. In the High Strain Rate Mechanics Lab, researchers are studying the dynamic behavior and failure of advanced materials. Other active labs in this area are: Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics and Vibrations Lab, and Nanomechanics and Materials Research Lab. Faculty are active in the major research centers on campus, including the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), the Center for Simulation of Advanced Rockets (CSAR), the Coordinated Science Lab (CSL), etc.
Members of the AE Department have access to a wide range of excellent computational facilities. In addition to the various computers available in many individual AE research groups and mainly dedicated to in-house research endeavors, the department maintains a series of high-end HP and LINUX workstations and personal computers (PCs and PowerMacs) to support the research and educational projects of its undergraduate and graduate students. Both UNIX platforms and personal computers are loaded with a wide variety of software for design (Unigraphics, ProEngineer, etc.), computational fluid dynamics (GridGen, Fidap, WIND, etc.), solid mechanics (Patran, Ansys, Abaqus, etc.), and mathematical analysis (Mathematica, Matlab, Maple, etc.). The departmental computational facilities are complemented by the Engineering Workstation Laboratories (EWS) containing more than 300 high-end HP, Sun and NT workstations, available at various locations throughout the campus and also loaded with a wide range of commercial codes. Finally, large-scale computations are often performed on the massively parallel machines available at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) located on the UIUC campus and accessed through the campus high-speed network. In addition to its advanced computational facilities, NCSA also provides access to the Mass Storage System used to store very large sets of data and to its Visualization Lab for rapid rendering of numerical data.
Funded research has grown significantly in the department over the past five years. New faculty in emerging research areas and significant investment in new research laboratories and equipment have been made. Currently, 20 faculty have a total funded research expenditure of approximately 5.0 million from AFOSR, DARPA, DOD, DOE, DOT, NASA, NSF, ONR, and industry sponsor grants.
These research programs, combined with the constantly evolving graduate curriculum, provide a wealth of opportunity for graduate study.
A full program of study consists of twelve hours or more during a semester and six hours during an eight-week summer session. This is also the minimum credit load which must be carried in order to be certified as a full-time student (for loans, Immigration and Naturalization Service, fellowships, etc.) or to hold a tuition and fee waiver from the Graduate College. Within the ranges shown below, a student is considered to be making normal progress towards a degree. Note that the minimum departmental requirement of eight hours each semester and twenty hours each calendar year can be satisfied in all cases. Additional information can be found in the Handbook for Graduate Students and Advisors which can be found on the Graduate College’s web site.
Graduate Students with 25%-67% assistantships, except Fellows (see below)
- Fall and Spring terms: a minimum of 8 graduate hours
- Summer term: a minimum of 4 graduate hours in thesis units or a course that meets for at least eight weeks (enrollment in a four-week course in the summer term will not fulfill the requirement for full-time registration)
Graduate Students with traineeships or waiver-generating fellowships (regardless of whether the student holds a concurrent assistantship) and graduate students with “stand-alone” tuition waivers
- Fall and Spring terms: a minimum of 12 graduate hours
- Summer term: a minimum of 4 graduate hours in thesis units or a course that meets for at least eight weeks (enrollment in a four-week course in the summer term will not fulfill the requirement for full-time registration)
Graduate Students with 1%-24% assistantships and graduate students without assistantships
- Fall and Spring terms: a minimum of 12 graduate hours
- Summer term: a minimum of 4 graduate hours in thesis units or a course that meets for at least eight weeks (enrollment in a four-week course in the summer term will not fulfill the requirement for full-time registration)
Time limitations for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are discussed in sections 3.6 and 4.11.
AE 590 Seminar requirements for M.S. and Ph.D. students are discussed in sections 3 and . The complete policy can be found on the AE Department web site at http://www.ae.illinois.edu.
All graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 to continue in the AE Graduate Program. The cumulative GPA is computed on all courses taken for credit except thesis and seminar courses in which DF, S, and U grades are recorded. All graduate students must register in the seminar course AE 590 and must attend at least six seminars each semester while they are on campus. Commuting distance is not grounds for waiving the seminar requirement. M.S. students are expected to select courses in consultation with an M.S. advisor.
MS With Thesis
Candidates for the degree of Master of Science with thesis are required to complete a minimum of thirty-two hours of credit: twenty-eight hours of course work and four hours of thesis credit. At least twelve hours must be in the 500-level courses, and at least eight of these twelve hours must be in Aerospace Engineering. Four of the twenty-eight hours may be an AE 597 independent study course.
MS Without Thesis
A non-thesis option is also available. Students should indicate their intention to seek the non-thesis M.S. option when applying to the AE graduate program or through a departmental petition. In the non-thesis option, thirty-six hours of course work are required. At least sixteen of these hours must be in 500-level courses, and at least twelve of the sixteen hours must be in Aerospace Engineering. Eight of the thirty-six hours may be an AE 597 independent study course. A student electing a non-thesis option must declare an area of concentration (aerodynamics/fluid mechanics/combustion/propulsion; dynamics/control; structural mechanics/materials) and have a faculty advisor in that area.
For highly qualified students with a B.S. degree who intend to pursue the Ph.D., a Direct Ph.D. program is also available. See Section 4.12 for more details.
- Mathematics Requirements:
Graduate students are expected to exhibit competence in applied mathematics. M.S. students may meet this requirement by taking a minimum of three-four hours of mathematics courses presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Approved Mathematics Courses of the Aerospace Engineering M.S. Degree Program
|
- Aerospace Engineering Breadth Requirements :
All students in the M.S. with thesis option must complete a breadth requirement by taking one course from two of the following three areas namely (1) Aerodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Combustion, and Propulsion (AFMCP), (2) Astrodynamics, Control and Dynamical Systems (ACDS) and (3) Structural Mechanics and Materials (SMM). These courses cover fundamental concepts in these areas and are prerequisites for more advanced courses. These courses must be selected from the list presented in Table 2.
All students in the M.S. non-thesis option must complete the breadth requirement by taking one course from all three areas from the list presented in Table 2.
Table 2: Courses for Breadth Requirement of Aerospace Engineering M.S. Degree Program
Core area |
Breadth courses |
Aerodynamics, Fuid Mechanics, Combustion and Propulsion (AFMCP) |
AE 410: Computational Aerodynamics AE 412: Viscous Flow & Heat Transfer AE 416: Applied Aerodynamics AE 419: Aircraft Flight Mechanics AE 434: Rocket Propulsion AE 435: Electric Propulsion ME 410: Intermediate Gas Dynamics ME 501: Combustion Fundamentals ME 510: Advanced Gas Dynamics |
Astrodynamics, Controls and Dynamical Systems |
AE 402: Orbital Mechanics AE 454: Systems Dynamics & Control AE 483: Aerospace Computing Systems AE 502: Advanced Orbital Mechanics AE 504: Optimal Aerospace Systems ECE 515: Control System Theory and Design ECE 470: Introduction to Robotics |
Structural Mechanics and Materials |
AE 451: Aeroelasticity ME 471: Finite Element Analysis TAM 427: Mechanics of Polymers TAM 428: Mechanics of Composites TAM 451: Intermediate Solid Mechanics TAM 551: Solid Mechanics I |
It is possible that a M.S. student may have taken one or more of these or equivalent courses at the University of Illinois or elsewhere. In this case, if the course has not been used toward another degree, the student is allowed to petition to certify that one of the core area requirements has already been satisfied.
3.3 Computational Science and Engineering Option
The AE Department offers a M.S. program with specialization in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE). A M.S. student enrolled in the CSE option is expected to satisfy all regular requirements for graduate study within the AE department and the following additional requirements: four hours of course work must be from the CSE core courses, and four hours of course work must be from the CSE specialization courses in AE or another department. Some of these courses are listed in the Recommended Course List. For more information, please consult the CSE web page at http://www.cse.uiuc.edu.
For those students in the M.S. degree thesis option, a master's thesis for a minimum of four hours of credit in AE 599 must be submitted. Only four hours of credit in AE 599 is counted towards the M.S. degree (even if the student registers for more 599 hours during the M.S. program).
Students should seek out faculty members with research interests similar to theirs and explore possible thesis topics as early as possible. The AE graduate faculty and their research interests are listed on the AE Department website. In many cases, faculty members will advise students to read various articles or to take specific courses in order to obtain the necessary background for conducting research in their areas of interest. Recommended courses for various areas of research are also listed in Recommended Course List.
3.5 Course Selection
To facilitate course selection, Table 3 organizes graduate courses taught in AE and other departments in a set of topical tracks. These lists are provided as guides when selecting courses in your area of interest. Actual course selection should be done in consultation with your advisor.
Topical tracks in suggested aerospace engineering and associated courses
- Aerodynamics
- AE 511: Transonic aerodynamics
- AE 514: Boundary layer theory
- AE 515: Wing theory
- AE 598 AAA: Advanced applied aerodynamics
- AE 598 GSE: Diagnostics for aerodynamics and propulsion
- TAM 537: Experimental fluid mechanics
- Fundamental fluid mechanics
- AE 510: Advanced gas dynamics
- AE 513: Dispersed multiphase flow
- AE 514: Boundary layer theory
- TAM 531: Inviscid flow
- TAM 532: Viscous flow
- TAM 536: Instability and transition
- TAM 537: Experimental fluid mechanics
- TAM 538: Turbulence
- Computational fluid mechanics
- AE 510: Advanced gas dynamics
- AE 598 CFD: Advanced computational aerodynamics
- AE 598 CMF: Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics
- TAM 570: Computational fluid mechanics
- Combustion & Propulsion
- AE 435: Electric propulsion
- AE 538: Combustion fundamentals
- AE 598 GSE: Diagnostics for aerodynamics and propulsion
- Astrodynamics
- AE 402: Orbital Mechanics
- AE 502: Adv. Orbital Mechanics
- AE 504: Optimal Aerospace Systems
- AE 508: Optimal Spacecraft Trajectories
- AE 403: Spacecraft Attitude Control
- AE 454: Intro. To Dynamics & Control
- AE 554: Dynamical Systems Theory
- AE 434: Rocket Propulsion
- MATH 484: Nonlinear Programming
- GE 531: Genetic Algorithm Methods
- ENG 451: Cubesat
- Dynamical Systems & Control
- AE 454: Intro. To Dynamics & Control
- AE 504: Optimal Aerospace Systems
- AE 554: Dynamical Systems Theory
- AE 455: Estimation & Data Assimilation
- AE 552: Random Dynamical Systems (no longer in course catalog)
- AE 555:Multivariable Control Design
- AE 556: Robust Control
- ECE 534: Random Processes
- PHYS 510: Nonlinear Dynamics
- PHYS 511: Adv. Nonlinear Dynamics
- PHYS 500: Advanced Mechanics
- MATH 561: Theory of Probability I
- MATH 562: Theory of Probability II
- MATH 518: Differentiable Manifolds I
- MATH 519: Differentiable Manifolds II
- MATH 587/ECE 580: Optimization by Vector Space Methods
- Information & Intelligent Systems
- AE 483: Aerospace Computing Systems
- CS 473: Algorithms
- AE 482: Intro. to Robotics
- AE 598: Distributed Systems & Control
- IE 598: Convex Optimization
- AE 504: Optimal Aerospace Systems
- AE 554: Dynamical Systems Theory
- ECE 534: Random Processes (?)
- MATH 482: Linear Programming
- MATH 484: Nonlinear Programming
- MATH 518: Differentiable Manifolds I
- MATH 519: Differentiable Manifolds II
- CS 446: Machine Learning
- AE 555:Multivariable Control Design
- AE 556: Robust Control
- ECE549/CS543: Computer Vision
8. Aerospace Materials
- TAM 451: Intermediate Solid Mechanics or TAM 551: Solid Mechanics I
- AE 420: Finite Element Analysis
- AE/TAM 427: Mechanics of Polymers
- AE/TAM 428: Mechanics of Composites
- AE 522: Dynamic Response of Materials
- AE 523: Nanoscale Contact Mechanics
- AE 525: Advanced Composite Materials
- AE 526: Composite Manufacturing
- AE 529: Viscoelasticity Theory
- AE 598/TAM 555: Fracture Mechanics
- AE 560: Fracture Mechanics Laboratory
- ME 551: Polymer Rheology & Processing
- TAM 424: Mechanics of Structural Metals
- TAM 456: Experimental Stress Analysis
- TAM 524: Micromechanics of Materials
- TAM 554: Plasticity
- CEE 576: Nonlinear finite elements
- CEE 598 TCI: Computational inelasticity
9. Aerospace Structures
- TAM 451: Intermediate Solid Mechanics or TAM 551: Solid Mechanics I
- AE 420: Finite Element Analysis
- AE 451: Aeroelasticity
- AE 598NA: Nonlinear Aeroelasticity
- AE 528: Large Deformation Theory
- TAM 518: Wave Motion
- CEE 571: Plates and Shells
- CEE 573: Structural Dynamics II
- CEE 598 FEC: Nonlinear continuum finite element method
- CEE 598 NFM: Nonlinear finite element method
3.6 Degree Conferral
Master's degrees are conferred in May, August, October and January. In order to receive a degree, the student's name must be on the graduation list for the appropriate graduation date. Students should submit their names to the AE Departmental Office at the beginning of the semester in which they intend to deposit their thesis.
3.7 Time Limitations
The Master of Science program requires a minimum of one academic year of full-time study. The Graduate College requires candidates for the M.S. degree to complete all requirements for the degree within five calendar years after first registration in the Graduate College. However, the AE department requires on-campus candidates for the non-thesis M.S. degree to complete all the requirements within four semesters and for the M.S. with thesis to complete all the requirements within five semesters.
The Ph.D. program is usually entered after completion of the M.S. degree. A Direct Ph.D. program, entered directly after completion of the B.S., is described in 4.12.
Graduate students admitted to the Ph.D. program with an M.S. from another institution, or to the Ph.D. Direct program, automatically have Ph.D. student status.
Graduate students with a UIUC M.S. degree (thesis or non-thesis) must satisfy three requirements to be admitted to the Ph.D. program and enrolled as a Ph.D. student:
1) a minimum graduate school GPA of 3.5,
2) approval by their M.S. advisor (or the AE department head for a non-thesis degree),
3) approval by their prospective Ph.D. advisor
The formal requirements for the doctoral degree consist of a minimum of sixty-four hours beyond the master's degree. The doctoral program, consisting primarily of research, generally includes three stages:
- the completion of the M.S. degree or its equivalent and successful passing of the Departmental Ph.D. Qualifying Examination (completion of these two requirements elevates a student’s status to that of a Ph. D. Candidate);
- the completion of a minimum of thirty-two additional hours of course work and any special course requirements and successful passing of the Departmental Preliminary Examination; and
- research with a minimum of thirty-two hours of thesis credit, preparation of a dissertation, and successful passing of the Final Examination.
The three stages can be completed in a minimum of three years of full-time study. The academic program for each doctoral candidate is planned on an individual basis. All graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 to continue in the AE Graduate Program. The cumulative GPA is computed on all courses taken for credit except thesis and seminar courses in which DFR, S, and U grades are recorded.
All Ph.D. degree students must register for AE 590 for four semesters beginning with entrance into the Ph.D. candidate program. Students who are registered in AE 590 must attend at least six seminars each semester while in residence. Commuting distance is not grounds for waiving the seminar requirement. In addition, each Ph.D. student must serve as a departmental teaching assistant for one semester. This requirement can be met at any time during the student’s graduate studies in the department. International students for whom English is a second language must first pass a SPEAK test given by the Center for Teaching Excellence before serving as a departmental teaching assistant.
4.1 Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy
Graduate students who seek admission to Ph.D. Candidacy must take the Departmental Qualifying Examination by the second offering after their enrollment as a Ph.D. student, but students may also take the exam as a M.S. student.
4.2 AE Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
1. Qualifying Examination. The Qualifying Examination (QE) shall be a 3 hour written closed book examination given in January and May and limited to the student's primary discipline (PD). The PDs are 1) Aerodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Combustion and Propulsion (AFMCP); 2) Astrodynamics, Control and Dynamical Systems (ACDS); and 3) Structural Mechanics and Materials (SMM). Three months prior to the exam, the student candidate will select a PD, and present to the Head the name of the Ph.D. advisor(s) and a list of graduate courses taken. The Head shall assign the student a Test Number, and forward the list of graduate courses to the chair of the PD Examination Committee.
2. Primary Discipline Examination Committee. The PD Examination Committees are appointed by the Head and shall include the AE tenured or tenure-track faculty in the PD. Emeritus faculty, faculty affiliates and faculty from outside the department may serve; however the committee must have a majority of AE tenure or tenure-track faculty. At least two months prior to the exam, the Committee will provide the student candidate with a list of core topics in the PD on which questions will be based. Typical core topics are given in Section 3.2. In addition, a file of previous QE questions is available for reading in the departmental office. The PD Examination Committee shall conduct the QE and evaluate the student's performance and ability to complete the Ph.D. degree. Students who fail the exam for the first time will be allowed a retest in the same PD at the next available opportunity.
3. Evaluation. Scoring will be conducted "blind," referring to the Test Number. After scoring the exam, and before recommending a result, the student's identity will be revealed to the Committee, and the student's Ph.D advisor(s) will be consulted. The committee will then evaluate the student's exam performance, summarized by a letter from the committee chair, written with the knowledge of the committee and signed by the chair and members, to the Head. If the student is found deficient in an area, the committee has the flexibility to recommend corrective measures, e.g. taking the exam for a second time or the taking of another course, and will so state in the letter. The Head will be responsible for the final results and for communicating these to the student, the advisor, and the Graduate College. If the QE is not passed on the second try, the student will be dropped from the Ph.D. program. If objections are raised to the results of a QE, the Head may call a special meeting of the faculty, or may ask the AE Graduate Policy Committee to make recommendations to the Head on issues relating to the QE. If a member of the GPC has a conflict of interest the Head will appoint a suitable replacement.
4.3 Core Topics
Core topics for each PD are given below. These core topics can be adjusted for each candidate based on the courses submitted for the qualifying exam.
4.31 Aerodynamics and Propulsion
1. Incompressible Flow:
- Governing equations
- Potential flow
- Airfoil Theory
- Finite wings
- Viscous flow
2. COMPRESSIBLE FLOW:
- Conservation of mass momentum and energy of a fluid
- Isentropic flow
- One-dimensional compressible flow
- Oblique and normal shock waves
- Prandtl-Meyer expansions
- Shock-expansion method and method of weak waves
- Quasi-one-dimensional flow
- Unsteady waves
3. Propulsion:
- Conservation of mass, momentum and energy, thrust equations
- Chemical rocket performance
- Combustion chemistry and nozzle flow of a reacting gas
- Ram-, turbo-, and fan-jets: ideal cycles and efficiency
- Subsonic and supersonic inlets
- Component analysis of compressors, turbines, combustors, and nozzles
- Off-design behavior
- Throughflow theory -- the Euler turbine equation
Sample Texts:
- Foundations of Aerodynamics, Bases of Aerodynamic Design, (4th edition, 1986) by A. M. Kuethe and C. Chow, John Wiley and Sons
- Modern Compressible Flow: With Historical Perspective, (2nd edition, 1990) by J. D. Anderson, McGraw-Hill Publishing Company
- Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine and Rocket Propulsion, (1988) by G. C. Oates, AIAA
4.32 Dynamics and Control
1. DYNAMICS:
- Particle kinematics and dynamics in translating and rotating coordinate frames
- Newton’s second law: translational and rotational applications, mechanical work, kinetic and potential energy
- Lagrange’s equations for finite-degree-of-freedom mechanical systems
- Multiple-degree-of-freedom vibration theory
- Rigid body kinematics and dynamics
2. CONTROL:
- Modeling of linear dynamic systems
- Convolution and block diagram algebra
- Laplace transform solution of differential equations
- Linear systems stability: Routh's criterion
- Performance specification of controlled systems
- Feedback control of linear systems: design using different types of feedback
- Root locus analysis and design
- Frequency response analysis and design
Sample Texts:
- Principles of Dynamics, (2nd edition, 1988) by D. T. Greenwood, Prentice Hall
- Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems, (4th edition, 1994) by G. F. Franklin, J. D. Powell, and A. Emami-Naeini, Addison-Wesley
- Analysis of stress and strain
- Constitution of isotropic and orthotropic materials
- Properties of common aerospace materials
- Euler-Bernoulli beams in extension and bending
- Torsion of shafts
- Analysis of open and closed section monocoque and semi-monocoque beams and shafts
- Energy methods, including theorems of virtual work, minimum potential and complementary energy, and Castigliano's Theorem
- Theory of elastic stability with application to beam-columns
- Finite element methods applied to truss and frame type structures
Sample Texts:
- Introduction to Linear Elasticity, (1994) by Phillip L. Gould, Springer Verlag
- Analysis of Aircraft Structures, An Introduction, (1993) by Bruce K. Donaldson, McGraw-Hill
Because of the wide range of interests in the field of Aerospace Engineering, there are no specific course requirements for the Ph.D., except a mathematics requirement described in the Recommended Course List. Each student plans a program in consultation with his or her thesis advisor. Courses offered by departments other than the AE Department may be included in the area of study when these courses are of particular value to the research work that the student desires to emphasize. A list of recommended courses is given in Recommended Course List for each area of specialization. The minimum course requirement for the doctoral degree consists of thirty-two hours of credit beyond the master's degree. At least twenty-four hours beyond the bachelor's degree must be at the 500-level, and sixteen of these twenty-four hours must be in Aerospace Engineering. Only eight of the thirty-two hours may be an independent study class, defined as an individual or group project, in contrast to a lecture-discussion course with written homework and examinations.
Ph.D. candidates are expected to exhibit competence in applied mathematics. They may meet this requirement by taking a minimum of four hours of mathematics courses (beyond the M.S.) from a list of approved Mathematics, Physics, and Theoretical and Applied Mechanics courses given in the Recommended Course List. At least four of the eight required mathematics hours taken for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees must be from a 500-level course.
4.6 Computational Science and Engineering Option
To fulfill the requirements of the CSE option, Ph.D. students must satisfy the following additional course requirements: four hours of the coursework beyond the M.S. should be taken from the CSE core courses and eight hours of coursework beyond the M.S. should be taken in CSE specialization courses, of which four hours must be from the AE/CSE cross-listed courses. Some of these courses are listed in the Recommended Course List. For more information, please consult the CSE web page at http://www.cse.uiuc.edu.
During the final stages of the required course work, the candidate consults with the Ph.D. thesis advisor regarding the proposed membership of the candidate's doctoral committee. There must be at least four members on the doctoral committee and the membership must satisfy the following criteria:
1. at least two members must be tenured faculty in the university;
2. at least one member must have a primary appointment in a department other than
AE;
3. at least two members must be from the AE Department;
4. the chair of the doctoral committee must have graduate standing and an appointment in the AE Department; and
5. at least three of members on the committee must be members of the graduate
faculty.
Once an appropriate membership list has been prepared, the candidate requests each member to serve on the proposed doctoral committee. This committee must be approved by the AE department head and the Graduate College. The candidate in conjunction with the advisor makes arrangements for a suitable time and place for the Preliminary Examination.
The Preliminary Examination for the Ph.D. degree is an oral examination administered by the candidate's doctoral committee. The first stage of the Ph.D. degree program must have been completed, which consists of completion of the M.S. degree and passing the Qualifying Examination, before the Preliminary Examination can be taken. The Preliminary examination must be taken between nine months and five years before the Final exam. Also, the examination may be taken no earlier than the semester in which the candidate completes the thirty-second hour of coursework required in the second stage of the Ph.D. program. The candidate must submit the thesis proposal to the doctoral committee at least two weeks prior to the Preliminary Examination. The proposal must outline the problem to be studied for the Ph.D. degree, the procedures and methods to be used in attacking the problem, work already completed on the chosen problem, and the additional work proposed to be completed. The proposal also must include a tentative title for the thesis.
The Preliminary Examination is intended to test the validity of the thesis proposal and the candidate's fitness to carry out the research work proposed. Typically, it begins with a short presentation by the candidate, outlining the problem chosen, the procedures and methods to be used, the work already completed, and the additional work proposed to be completed for the Ph.D. degree. The committee then questions the candidate regarding the problem, the preliminary results, and the proposed work. The candidate may be asked to clarify matters in the thesis proposal and to defend various aspects of the work already completed or the work being proposed. The committee may suggest alternative methods of attacking the problem or suggest different aspects of the problem as suitable areas for exploration. The committee also may ask questions of a more general nature in order to test the adequacy of the candidate's preparation for the proposed research.
- At the conclusion of the examination, the committee deliberates privately, and the chairperson of the committee informs the candidate of one of four possible decisions:
- The candidate passed the Preliminary Examination and may proceed to independent study and research for the doctoral degree;
- The examination is temporarily adjourned, and the candidate must revise the thesis proposal and be examined again within six months;
- The candidate failed, but may submit a new thesis proposal and take another Preliminary Examination after completing additional coursework, independent study, or research;
- The candidate failed and will not be admitted to another examination.
Successful completion of graduate coursework and passing the Preliminary Examination mark the beginning of the third stage of the Ph.D. program. During this stage, the candidate carries out the research program proposed in the dissertation proposal and writes a doctoral dissertation requiring a minimum of thirty-two hours of credit in AE 599.
If the membership of the doctoral committee is modified for any reason, the modified committee membership must also satisfy the requirements stated above. It should be approved by the head of the department.
The doctoral committee (at least the AE members of the committee) shall meet at least once per year to monitor the progress of the student. At this meeting the committee will review a written progress report (minimum two pages) submitted by the student. Any suggestions or deficiencies noted will be communicated to the student through the advisor.
During the final stages of the dissertation research when the dissertation is nearing completion, the candidate makes arrangements for a suitable time and place for the Final Examination which is also administered by the candidate's doctoral committee. The candidate must submit the proposed committee list and information about the time and place for the examination to the AE Department Office at least two weeks prior to the date chosen for the Final Examination. At the same time, the candidate submits the dissertation to the members of the doctoral committee and deposits a copy in the department office for review by all faculty members.
The Final Examination for the Ph.D. degree is a public oral examination administered by the candidate's doctoral committee. It must take place at least nine months (but no later than five years) after the Preliminary Examination. The examination is composed of two distinct parts: in the first part, the Ph.D. candidate presents a formal one-hour departmental seminar (including some time for questions from the audience) during which the student summarizes the results of his or her research efforts. Since the presentation is aimed at a fairly general audience, this first part of the defense should focus on the motivations, importance, methodology, and main results of the research work, leaving the more advanced concepts and technical details for the second part of the Final Examination. The second part, which is also public, consists of a less formal session during which the candidate may be asked to clarify matters in the thesis and to defend various aspects of the work. Errors and ambiguities in the thesis may be brought to the candidate's attention by the members of the thesis committee. If needed, the student may choose to give an additional presentation on topics not covered, or covered superficially, in the first part of the examination. This second part of the Final Examination takes place immediately after the general seminar, or at a later date agreed upon by the doctoral committee. At the conclusion of both parts of the Final Examination the committee deliberates privately, and the chairperson of the committee informs the candidate of one of five possible decisions:
- the candidate passed the Final Examination and the thesis is accepted as submitted; the thesis certificate of approval is signed by all the members of the committee;
- the candidate passed the Final Examination but the thesis will be accepted and signed by the committee after various specified corrections and revisions have been made; the candidate must make the necessary changes and submit the thesis to the committee members for their signatures;
- the examination is temporarily adjourned, and the candidate must revise the thesis and be examined again within the next six months;
- the candidate failed, but may rewrite the thesis and take another Final Examination after completing additional independent study and research;
- the candidate failed and will not be admitted to another examination.
4.11 Time Limitations
The three stages of the Ph.D. program can be completed in a minimum of three years of full-time study. A doctoral candidate must complete all requirements, including the M.S. degree, within seven years of first registering in the Graduate College. A candidate for the doctoral degree who has received a master's degree elsewhere, however, must complete the requirements within six years of first registration in the doctoral degree program on this campus. However, the department expects doctoral candidates to complete all the requirements within four years of first registration in the doctoral degree program on this campus.
If more than five years elapse between a student's preliminary and final examinations, the student will be required to demonstrate that his or her knowledge is current by passing a second preliminary examination, which is a prerequisite for admission to the final examination. If more than one year elapses between the student's final examination, and the deposit of the dissertation in the Graduate College, the dissertation must be accompanied by a statement of explanation from the department head to the Dean of the Graduate College and must be submitted to the Graduate College.
4.12 Direct Ph.D. Program
In addition to the traditional Ph.D. program described above, teh AE Department offers a Direct Ph.D. program, which allows highly qualified students, generally with a B.S. degree GPA of 3.75 equivalent or better, to apply for admittance directly into the Ph.D. program without an M.S. degree, which reduces the course work requirement. Application for this program for new students is initiated on the Graduate Application form. Students in the M.S. program must have approval of a Ph.D. advisor and petition the AE Graduate Policy Committee to join the Direct Ph.D. program before the end of the second semester after enrollment.
The Direct Ph.D. program requires a total of ninety-six hours of credit, of which fifty-six hours must be course work. Of these course work hours, twenty-four hours must be at the 500-level, sixteen of which must be in AE. Other requirements include eight hours of math with four at the 500-level, two core courses in separate core areas (see section 3.2) and a maximum of eight hours of independent study. All Direct Ph.D. students must satisfy the same breadth requirement as M.S. students by completing the AE 590 seminar requirement and a core course requirement as described in Section 3.2. They must also satisfy both the M.S. and Ph.D. applied mathematics requirements as described in Sections 3.2 and 4.5. The qualifying exam must be taken by the third offering after enrollment. The preliminary exam can be taken at any time after the qualifying exam is passed. Students are considered to be in Stage II of the doctoral program when they pass the qualifying exam. Stage III begins when students pass the preliminary exam.
5 FELLOWSHIPS, ASSISTANTSHIPS, AND AWARDS
5.1 Fellowships
The purpose of fellowships is to permit their holders to devote full-time to graduate study. Recipients of fellowships must be enrolled as degree candidates and must register during each academic term for which they hold their fellowships. Students are nominated by their advisors for these fellowships. The AE Fellowship/Scholarship Awards Committee chooses the recipients of department awards.
5.2 Tuition and Service Fee Waivers
The Graduate College grants tuition and service fee waivers providing exemption from tuition and part of the service fees for the academic year and the summer immediately preceding or following that year. Students holding waivers must register for a full program of study. Holders of waivers may accept incidental employment not to exceed twenty hours per week with the university or with an outside employer.
5.3 Assistantships
Generally, quarter-time and half-time appointments are available. Assistants with appointments ranging from 25 to 67 percent time are exempt from paying tuition, service health center fees. For assistants holding such appointments in the Spring semester, the exemption extends through the Summer session unless they hold summer appointments of more than 67 percent time. Recipients of assistantships must be registered during the academic year. International students are limited to 50 percent time while registered for classes.
- Teaching Assistants: Teaching assistants are appointed by the department. M.S. students cannot be supported by a teaching assistantship for more than four semesters and Ph.D. students for more that two semesters. International students are required to pass the SPEAK Test offered by the Center for Teaching Excellence. Teaching assistantships are not available for summer sessions. Typical duties assigned to teaching assistants include the teaching of laboratory courses or discussion sections of courses taught in the lecture-discussion format; preparation of course materials such as problem sets, quizzes and solution sets of all these; grading homework and quizzes; and aiding in the development of new courses or laboratory experiments. Teaching assistants are also expected to schedule time for office hours each week for each class or section taught. A half-time assistant should expect to spend about twenty hours each week in carrying out the assigned duties. Satisfactory performance of duties is determined by the faculty instructor in charge of the assignment and the head of the department.
Although assistants on academic-year appointments are not entitled to vacations, the department permits teaching assistants to be absent during Fall and Spring break or when classes are not in session between semesters provided that their teaching duties have been completed.
- Research Assistants: Research assistants have appointments in the department, laboratory, center, or institute that administers the research project that they assist, and are responsible to the members of the AE graduate faculty who direct the research project. Research assistant appointments may be for the academic year, for the academic year and summer session, or for a summer session only. In some instances, research assistants may hold calendar year (that is, twelve-month) appointments. Research assistantships are generally renewable subject to satisfactory academic progress and satisfactory performance of the duties of the assistantship, to the continued need for services, and also to the availability of funds.
The director of the research project employing a research assistant assigns the duties. In most instances, the work required of a research assistant is tied directly to the thesis research, and in such instances, it is not possible to determine absolutely the number of hours of work expected of the assistant. Where the work is not related to thesis research, a half-time assistant should expect to spend twenty hours each week in carrying out the assigned duties. Satisfactory performance of duties is determined by the director of the research project employing the research assistant and the head of the unit administering the project.
Research assistants employed for the academic year or summer session or any portion thereof are not entitled to vacations other than the official university holidays which occur during the term of their appointments. Summer appointments are typically for two months, and the third summer month is the (unpaid) vacation time for assistants employed for the academic year and summer session. Any time taken off during the period of appointment must be with the consent of the director of the research project employing the assistant.
1. Department of Aerospace Engineering Awards
- Roger A. Strehlow Memorial Award: The award is presented annually in his honor to a graduate student in recognition of outstanding research accomplishment. Professor Strehlow joined the aero faculty in 1961. His background was in chemistry, and he was an acknowledged expert in the field of detonations and explosions. He also made significant contributions toward the understanding of the structure, stability, and extinction of laminar premixed flames. He was an early advocate of microgravity combustion and successfully characterized the extinction and flammability states of flames under microgravity conditions. Professor Strehlow was the first AIAA Fellow in the Department of Aerospace Engineering.
2. College of Engineering Awards
- Henry Ford II Scholar Award: The award is made to an outstanding first-year engineering graduate student entering the second year of study. The award is based upon performance during the first year of study and is given in addition to the usual assistantship or other support. In addition to grade point average, the award is based upon other evidence of accomplishments such as initiating research or contributing directly to practice. When more than one nominee meets all criteria, preference will be given to the nominee whose field will contribute most to areas related to the automotive industry. The Henry Ford II Scholar Award, in the amount of $5,000 is supported by an endowment grant of $100,000 from the Ford Motor Company Fund.
- Ross J. Martin Award: The Ross J. Martin Award has been established to recognize an outstanding research achievement by a graduate student in the College of Engineering. The award is to recognize the importance of research in graduate engineering education. Dean Martin served as Director of the Experiment Station for 26 years; the engineering research budget grew from $5 million to $36 million dollars under his administration.
- Mavis Memorial Fund Scholarship Awards for Doctoral Students: These awards are presented annually to students working for their doctorates in the College of Engineering. It is the donor's desire that those students planning to become teachers be given preference. Approximately ten awards for an amount of $5,000 each are given out each year. The nominations to the college should be submitted by the department head.
