Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

In the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro), we look ahead by looking up.

At its core, aerospace empowers connection — interpersonal, international, interdisciplinary, and interplanetary. We seek to foster a community that values technical excellence, and we research and engineer innovative aerospace systems and technologies that have world-changing impact. We educate the next generation of leaders, creative engineers, and entrepreneurs who will push the boundaries of the possible to shape the future of aerospace. We do these things while holding ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and ethical practice. Working together with our partners in the public and private sectors, we aim to expand the benefits of aerospace to strengthen national security, contribute to a prosperous economy, and explore other worlds for the betterment of humankind. Our vision is to create an aerospace field that is a supportive community, pushing the boundaries of the possible to ensure lasting positive impact on our nation, economy, and society.

MIT AeroAstro is a vibrant community of uniquely talented and passionate faculty, students, researchers, administrators, staff, and alumni. As the oldest program of its kind in the United States, we have a rich tradition of technical excellence, academic rigor, and research scholarship that has led to significant contributions to the field of aerospace for more than a century. Today, we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible to shape the future of air and space transportation, exploration, communications, autonomous systems, education, and national security.

Our department’s core research capabilities include the following:

• Autonomous systems and decision-making: autonomy, guidance, navigation, estimation, control, communications, and networks
• Computational science and engineering: computational mathematics and numerical analysis, high-performance computing, model reduction and multifidelity modeling, uncertainty quantification, and optimization approaches to engineering design
• Earth and space sciences: environmental impact of aviation, environmental monitoring, sciences of space and atmosphere, space exploration, Earth observation, energy, plasma physics, aircraft/atmospheric interaction, and astrodynamics
• Human-system collaboration: human-machine systems; interactive robotics for aerospace, medical, and manufacturing; human factors; supervisory control and automation; biomechanics; life support; and astronaut performance
• Systems design and engineering: system architecture, safety, optimization, lifecycle costing, in-space manufacturing, and space logistics
• Transportation and exploration: aviation, space flight, aircraft operations, instrumentation, flight information systems, infrastructure, air traffic control, industry analysis, and space missions
• Vehicle design and engineering: fluids, materials, structures, propulsion, energy, durability, turbomachinery, aerodynamics, astrodynamics, thermodynamics, composites, and avionics

In the latest version of the department’s strategic plan, we identified seven strategic thrusts to pursue in tandem with our core capabilities. Strategic thrusts are forward-thinking, high-level initiatives that take into account both the current and future states of the aerospace field.

Our three research thrusts are: integrate autonomy and humans in real-world systems; develop new theory and applications for satellite constellations and swarms; and aerospace environmental mitigation and monitoring. These areas focus on long-term trends rather than specific systems and build upon our strengths while shaping future changes as the aerospace field continues to evolve.

Our two educational thrusts are: lead development of the Schwarzman College of Computing education programs in autonomy and computational science and engineering; and develop education for digital natives and digital immigrants. Both goals leverage the evolving MIT campus landscape as well as the increasing role of computing across society.

Our culture and leadership thrusts are: become the leading department at MIT in mentoring and advising; and make innovation a key component in MIT AeroAstro leadership. These areas respond to the priorities of our students and alumni while addressing pervasive challenges in the aerospace field.

The AeroAstro undergraduate engineering education model motivates students to master a deep working knowledge of the technical fundamentals while providing the skills, knowledge, and attitude necessary to lead in the creation and operation of products, processes, and systems.

The AeroAstro graduate program offers opportunities for deep and fulfilling research and collaboration in our three department teaching sectors — air, space, and computing — as well as across MIT. Our students work side-by-side with some of the brightest and most motivated colleagues in academia and industry.

Our world-renowned faculty roster includes a former space shuttle astronaut, secretary of the Air Force, NASA deputy administrator, Air Force chief scientist, NASA chief technologist, former director of MIT Lincoln Laboratory, industry executives, company founders, and numerous National Academy of Engineering members and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics fellows.

Upon leaving MIT, our students go on to become engineering leaders in the corporate world, in government service, and in education. Our alumni are also entrepreneurs who start their own businesses; they are policy makers shaping the direction of research and development for years to come; they are educators who bring their passion for learning to new generations; they are researchers doing transformative work at the intersection of engineering, technology and science.

Whether you are passionate about flying machines, pushing the boundaries of human civilization in space, or high-integrity, complex systems that operate in remote, unstructured, and dynamic environments, you belong here.

Sectors of Instruction

The department's faculty are organized into three sectors of instruction: air, space, and computing. Typically, a faculty member teaches both undergraduate and graduate subjects in one or more of the sectors.

Air Sector

The Air Sector is concerned with advancing a world that is mobile, sustainable, and secure. Achieving these objectives is a multidisciplinary challenge spanning the engineering sciences and systems engineering, as well as fields such as economics and environmental sciences.

Air vehicles and associated systems provide for the safe mobility of people, goods, and services covering urban to global distances. While this mobility allows for greater economic opportunity and connects people and cultures, it is also the most energy-intensive and fastest growing form of transportation. For this reason, much of the research and teaching in the Air Sector is motivated by the need to reduce energy use, emissions, and noise. Examples of research topics include improving aircraft operations, lightweight aerostructures, efficient engines, advanced aerodynamics, and quiet urban air vehicles. Air vehicles and associated systems also provide for critical national security and environmental observation capabilities. As such research and teaching in the sector are also concerned with topics including designing air vehicles for specialized missions, high-speed aerodynamics, advanced materials, and environmental monitoring platforms.

Teaching in the Air Sector includes subjects on aerodynamics, materials and structures, thermodynamics, air-breathing propulsion, plasmas, energy and the environment, aircraft systems engineering, and air transportation systems.

Space Sector

The design, development, and operation of space systems require a depth of expertise in a number of disciplines and the ability to integrate and optimize across all of these stages. The Space Sector faculty represent, in both research and teaching, a broad range of disciplines united under the common goal to develop space technologies and systems for applications ranging from communications and Earth observation, to human and robotic exploration. The research footprint of the sector spans the fundamental science and the rigorous engineering required to successfully create and deploy complex space systems. There is also substantive research engagement with industry and government, both in the sponsorship of projects and through collaboration.

The research expertise of the Space Sector faculty includes human and robotic space exploration, space propulsion, orbital communications, distributed satellite systems, enterprise architecture, systems engineering, the integrated design of space-based optical systems, reduced gravity research into human physiology, and software development methods for mission-critical systems. Numerous Space Sector faculty design, build, and fly spaceflight experiments ranging from small satellites to astronaut space missions. Beyond these topics, there is outreach and interest in leveraging our skills into applications that lie outside the traditional boundaries of aerospace.

Academically, the Space Sector organizes subjects relevant to address the learning objectives of students interested in the fundamental and applied aspects of space engineering theories, devices, and processes. This includes courses in astrodynamics, space propulsion, space systems engineering, plasma physics, and humans in space.

Computing Sector

Most aerospace systems critically depend upon, and continue to be transformed by, advances in computing. The missions of many aerospace systems are fundamentally centered on gathering, processing, and transmitting information. Aerospace systems rely on computing-intensive subsystems to provide essential on-board functions, including navigation, autonomous or semi-autonomous guidance and control, cooperative action (including formation flight), and health monitoring systems. Computing technologies are also central to communication satellites, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and satellites, planetary rovers, global positioning satellites, transportation systems, and integrated defense systems. Almost every aircraft or satellite is one system within a larger system, and information plays a central role in the interoperability of these subsystems. Equally important is the role that computing plays in the design of aerospace vehicles and systems.

Faculty members in the Computing Sector teach and conduct research on a broad range of areas, including guidance, navigation, control, autonomy and robotics, space and airborne communication networks, air and space traffic management, real-time mission-critical software and hardware, and the computational design, optimization, and simulation of fluid, material, and structural systems. In many instances, the functions provided by aerospace computing technologies are critical to life or mission success. Hence, uncertainty quantification, safety, fault-tolerance, verification, and validation of large-scale engineering systems are significant areas of inquiry.

The Computing Sector has linkages with the other sectors through a common interest in research on autonomous air and space operations, methodologies for large-scale design and simulation, and human-automation interactions in the aerospace context. Moreover, the sector has strong links to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Schwarzman College of Computing through joint teaching and collaborative research programs.

Research Laboratories and Activities

The department's faculty, staff, and students are engaged in a wide variety of research projects. Graduate students participate in all the research projects. Projects are also open to undergraduates through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Some projects are carried out in an unstructured environment by individual professors working with a few students. Most projects are found within the departmental laboratories and centers. Faculty also undertake research in or collaborate with colleagues in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; Draper Laboratory; Laboratory for Information and Decisions Systems; MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Operations Research Center; Research Laboratory of Electronics; Institute for Data, Systems, and Society; and the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, as well as in interdepartmental laboratories and centers listed in the introduction to the School of Engineering.

Undergraduate Study

Undergraduate study in the department leads to the Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (Course 16), or the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Course 16-ENG) at the end of four years.

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (Course 16)

This program is designed to prepare the graduate for an entry-level position in aerospace and related fields and for further education at the master's level; it is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The program includes an opportunity for a year's study abroad.

The formal learning in the program builds a conceptual understanding in the foundational engineering sciences and professional subjects that span the topics critical to aerospace. This learning takes place within the engineering context of conceiving-designing-implementing-operating (CDIO) aerospace and related complex high-performance systems and products. The skills and attributes emphasized go beyond the formal classroom curriculum and include modeling, design, the ability for self-education, computer literacy, communication and teamwork skills, ethics, and—underlying all of these—appreciation for and understanding of interfaces and connectivity between various disciplines. Opportunities for formal and practical (hands-on) learning in these areas are integrated into the departmental subjects through examples set by the faculty, subject content, and the ability for substantive engagement in the CDIO process in the department's Learning Laboratory for Complex Systems.

The curriculum includes the General Institute Requirements (GIRs) and the departmental program, which covers a fall-spring-fall sequence of subjects called Unified Engineering, subjects in dynamics and principles of automatic control, a statistics and probability subject, a subject in computers and programming, professional area subjects, a laboratory subject, and a capstone design subject. The program also includes subject 18.03 .

Unified Engineering is offered in sets of two 12-unit subjects in two successive terms. These subjects are taught cooperatively by several faculty members. Their purpose is to introduce new students to the disciplines and methodologies of aerospace engineering at a basic level, with a balanced exposure to analysis, empirical methods, and design. The areas covered include statics, materials, and structures; thermodynamics and propulsion; fluid mechanics; and signals and systems. Several laboratory experiments are performed and a number of systems problems tying the disciplines together and exemplifying the CDIO process are included.

Unified Engineering is usually taken in the sophomore year, 16.09 in the fall of the sophomore year, and the subjects 16.07 and 16.06 , respectively, in the first and second term of the junior year. Subjects 6.100A and 6.100B or 16.C20 can be taken at any time, starting in the first year of undergraduate study, but the fall term of the sophomore year is recommended.

The professional area subjects offer a more complete and in-depth treatment of the materials introduced in the core courses. Students must take four subjects (48 units) from among the professional area subjects, with subjects in at least three areas. Students may choose to complete an option in Aerospace Information Technology (IT) by taking at least 36 of the 48 required units from a designated group of subjects specified in the degree chart. While it does not appear on the MIT transcript or diploma, a student who completes the IT option may choose to list it on their CV and graduate school applications.  

Professional area subjects in the four areas of fluid mechanics, materials and structures, propulsion, and computational tools represent the advanced aerospace disciplines encompassing the design and construction of airframes and engines. Topics within these disciplines include fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, heat and mass transfer, computational mechanics, flight vehicle aerodynamics, solid mechanics, structural design and analysis, the study of engineering materials, structural dynamics, and propulsion and energy conversion from both fluid/thermal (gas turbines and rockets) and electrical devices.

Professional area subjects in the four areas of estimation and control, computer systems, communications systems, and humans and automation are in the broad disciplinary area of information, which plays a dominant role in modern aerospace systems. Topics within these disciplines include feedback, control, estimation, control of flight vehicles, software engineering, human systems engineering, aerospace communications and digital systems, fundamentals of robotics, the way in which humans interact with the vehicle through manual control and supervisory control of telerobotic processes (e.g., modern cockpit systems and human-centered automation), and how planning and real-time decisions are made by machines.

The capstone subjects serve to integrate the various disciplines and emphasize the CDIO context of the AeroAstro curriculum. They also satisfy the Communication Requirement as Communication-Intensive in the Major (CI-M) subjects. The vehicle, system design, and autonomy subjects require student teams to apply their undergraduate knowledge to the design of an aircraft or spacecraft system. One of these three subjects is required and is typically taken in the second term of the junior year or in the senior year. The completion of at least two professional area or concentration subjects is the prerequisite for capstone subjects 16.82 and 16.83 . The prerequisite for the new autonomy capstone—16.85 —is 16.405  and the corequisite is 16.35  or 16.410 . The rest of the capstone requirement is satisfied by one of four 12-unit subjects, as outlined in the Course 16 degree chart; each of these four subjects fulfills the Institute Laboratory requirement as well as the CI-M requirement. In 16.821 and 16.831 students build and operate the vehicles or systems developed in 16.82 and 16.83 . In 16.405 , students specify and design a small-scale yet complex robot capable of real-time interaction with the natural world. In 16.811 , students design, fabricate and test high-speed rotating machinery for propulsion using advanced manufacturing modalities. 

To take full advantage of the General Institute Requirements and unrestricted electives, the department recommends the following: 3.091 for the chemistry requirement, the ecology option of the biology requirement, a subject in economics (e.g., 14.01 ), and elective subjects such as additional HASS subjects, a mathematics subject (e.g., 18.06 , 18.075 , or 18.085 ), a School-Wide Elective 16.676 , or additional professional area subjects in the departmental program. Please consult with the Course 16 Undergraduate Administrator Marie Stuppard for other elective options.

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Course 16-ENG)

Course 16-ENG is an engineering degree program designed to offer flexibility within the context of aerospace engineering and is a complement to our Course 16 aerospace engineering degree program. The program leads to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering. The 16-ENG degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Depending on their interests, Course 16-ENG students can develop a deeper level of understanding and skill in a field of engineering that is relevant to multiple disciplinary areas (e.g., robotics and control, computational engineering, mechanics, or engineering management), or a greater understanding and skill in an interdisciplinary area (e.g., energy, environment and sustainability, or transportation). This is accomplished first through a rigorous foundation within core aerospace engineering disciplines, followed by a six-subject concentration tailored to the student's interests, and completed with hands-on aerospace engineering lab and capstone design subjects.

The core of the 16-ENG degree is very similar to the core of the 16 degree. A significant part of the 16-ENG curriculum consists of electives (72 units) chosen by the student to provide in-depth study of a field of the student's choosing. A wide variety of concentrations are possible in which well-selected academic subjects complement a foundation in aerospace engineering and General Institute Requirements. Potential concentrations include aerospace software engineering, autonomous systems, communications, computation and sustainability, computational engineering, embedded systems and networks, energy, engineering management, environment, space exploration, and transportation. AeroAstro faculty have developed specific recommendations in these areas; details are available on the AeroAstro website. However, concentrations are not limited to those listed above. Students can design and propose technically oriented concentrations that reflect their own needs and those of society.

The student's overall program must contain a total of at least one and one-half years of engineering content (144 units) appropriate to their field of study. The required core, lab, and capstone subjects include 102 units of engineering topics. Thus, concentrations must include at least 42 more units of engineering topics. In addition, each concentration must include 12 units of mathematics or science.

As in the Course 16 degree program, the culmination of the 16-ENG program are our aerospace laboratory and capstone subjects. The capstone subjects serve to integrate the various disciplines and emphasize the CDIO context of our engineering curriculum. They also satisfy the Communication Requirement (CI-M). A full description of the 16-ENG degree program is available on the AeroAstro website. 

Double Major

Students may pursue two majors under the Double Major Program. In particular, some students may wish to combine a professional education in aeronautics and astronautics with a liberal education that links the development and practice of science and engineering to their social, economic, historical, and cultural contexts. For them, the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Program in Science, Technology, and Society offer a double major program that combines majors in both fields.

Other Undergraduate Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

To take full advantage of the unique research environment of MIT, undergraduates, including first-year students, are encouraged to become involved in the research activities of the department through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Many of the faculty actively seek undergraduates to become a part of their research teams. Visit research centers' websites to learn more about available research opportunities. For more information, contact Marie Stuppard in the AeroAstro Academic Programs Office, Room 33-322, 617-253-2279.

Advanced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

Juniors and seniors in Course 16 may participate in an advanced undergraduate research program, SuperUROP, which was launched as a collaborative effort between the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. For information about SuperUROP in Course 16, please contact Marie Stuppard.

Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program

The Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program (UPOP) is a program sponsored by the School of Engineering and administered through the Office of the Dean of Engineering. Open to all School of Engineering sophomores, this program provides students an opportunity to develop engineering and business skills while working in industry, nonprofit organizations, or government agencies. UPOP consists of three parts: an intensive one-week engineering practice workshop offered during IAP, 10–12 weeks of summer employment, and a written report and oral presentation in the fall. Students are paid during their periods of residence at the participating companies and also receive academic credit in the program. There are no obligations on either side regarding further employment.

Summer Internships

Summer internships provide undergraduates in the department the opportunity to apply the skills they are learning in the classroom in paid professional positions with employers throughout the United States and abroad through the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI). During recruitment periods, representatives from firms in the aerospace industry will visit the department and offer information sessions and technical talks specifically geared to Course 16 students. During employer visits, interviews may be conducted for summer internships as well as long-term employment. Employers wishing to offer an information session or seeking candidates for openings in their company may contact Marie Stuppard or Beata Tunik.

Students are also encouraged to take advantage of other career resources available through the MIT Career Advising and Professional Development Office (CAPD) or through MISTI. AeroAstro students can also apply through MISTI to participate in the Imperial College London-MIT Summer Research Exchange Program. CAPD coordinates several annual career fairs and offers a number of workshops, including workshops on how to navigate a career fair as well as critique on résumé writing and cover letters.

Year Abroad Program

Through the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) students can apply to study abroad in the junior year. In particular, the department participates in an academic exchange with the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and with Imperial College, United Kingdom. In any year-abroad experience, students enroll in the academic cycle of the host institution and take courses in the local language. They plan their course of study in advance; this includes securing credit commitments in exchange for satisfactory performance abroad. A grade average of B or better is normally required of participating AeroAstro students.

For more information, contact Marie Stuppard. Also refer to Undergraduate Education for more details on the exchange programs.

Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium

MIT leads the NASA-supported Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium (MASGC) in partnership with Boston University, Bridgewater State University, Harvard University, Framingham State University, Middlesex Community College, Mount Holyoke College, Northeastern University, Olin College of Engineering, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts (Amherst, Dartmouth, and Lowell), Wellesley College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Williams College, Worcester State University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Boston Museum of Science, the Christa McAuliffe Center, the Maria Mitchell Observatory, and the Five College Astronomy Department. The program has the principal objective of stimulating and supporting student interest, especially that of women and underrepresented minorities, in space engineering and science at all educational levels, primary through graduate. The program offers a number of activities to this end, including support of undergraduate and graduate students to carry out research projects at their home institutions, support for student travel to present conference papers, and summer workshops for pre-college teachers. The program coordinates and supports the placement of students in summer positions at NASA centers for summer academies and research opportunities. MASGC also participates in a number of public outreach and education policy initiatives in Massachusetts to increase public awareness and inform legislators about the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math education in the state.

For more information, contact Michael Harrison, Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium Program Administrator.

Inquiries

For additional information concerning academic and undergraduate research programs in the department, suggested four-year undergraduate programs, and interdisciplinary programs, contact Marie Stuppard.

Graduate Study

Graduate study in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics includes graduate-level subjects in Course 16 and others at MIT, and research work culminating in a thesis. Degrees are awarded at the master's and doctoral levels. The range of subject matter is described under Sectors of Instruction. Departmental research centers' websites offer information on research interests. Detailed information may be obtained from the department Academic Programs Office or from individual faculty members.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, applicants to the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics should have a strong undergraduate background in the fundamentals of engineering and mathematics as described in the Undergraduate Study section.

International students whose language of instruction has not been English in their primary and secondary schooling must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 100 out of 120, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 7 out of 9 to be considered for admission to this department. TOEFL waivers are not accepted. No other exams fulfill this requirement.

New graduate students are normally admitted as candidates for the degree of Master of Science. Admission to the doctoral program is offered through a two-step process to students who have been accepted for graduate study: (1) passing performance on a qualifying examination (QE) and (2) a faculty review consisting of an examination of the student's achievements, including an assessment of the quality of past research work and evaluation of the student's academic record considering the performance on the QE, and the timely completion of an SM thesis.

The Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics requires that all entering graduate students demonstrate satisfactory English writing ability by taking the Graduate Writing Examination offered by the Comparative Media Studies/Writing (CMS/W) Program. Th examination is usually administered in June, and all entering candidates must take the examination electronically at that time. Students with deficient skills must complete remedial training specifically designed to fulfill their individual needs. The remedial training prescribed by the CMS/W Program must be completed by the end of the first Independent Activities Period, following initial registration in the graduate program or, in some cases, in the spring term of the first year of the program.

All new incoming graduate students whose native language is not English are additionally required to take the Department of Humanities English Evaluation Test

in the week before the fall semester begins. This test is a proficiency examination designed to indicate areas where deficiencies may exist and recommend specific language subjects available at MIT.

Degree Requirements

All entering students are provided with additional information concerning degree requirements, including lists of recommended subjects, thesis advising, research and teaching assistantships, and course and thesis registration.

Degrees Offered

Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics

The Master of Science (SM) degree is a one- to two-year graduate program with a beginning research or design experience represented by the SM thesis. This degree prepares the graduate for an advanced position in the aerospace field, and provides a solid foundation for future doctoral study.

The general requirements for the Master of Science degree are cited in the section on General Degree Requirements for graduate students. The specific departmental requirements include at least 66 graduate subject units, typically in subjects relevant to the candidate's area of technical interest. Of the 66 units, at least 21 units must be in departmental subjects. To be credited toward the degree, graduate subjects must carry a grade of B or better. In addition, a 24-unit thesis is required beyond the 66 units of coursework. Full-time students normally must be in residence one full academic year. Special students admitted to the SM program in this department must enroll in and satisfactorily complete at least two graduate subjects while in residence (i.e., after being admitted as a degree candidate) regardless of the number of subjects completed before admission to the program. Students holding research assistantships typically require a longer period of residence.

In addition, the department's SM program requires one graduate-level mathematics subject. The requirement is satisfied only by graduate-level subjects on the list approved by the department graduate committee. The specific choice of math subjects is arranged individually by each student in consultation with their faculty advisor.

Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics Fields

AeroAstro offers the doctor of philosophy and doctor of science (PhD and ScD) degrees in aeronautics and astronautics and in other fields of specialization. The doctoral program emphasizes in-depth study, with a significant research project in a focused area. The admission process for the department's doctoral program is described previously in this section under Admission Requirements. The PhD or ScD degree is awarded after completion of an individual course of study, submission and defense of a thesis proposal, and submission and defense of a thesis embodying an original research contribution.

All doctoral students must fulfill MIT's General Degree Requirements. The general program requirements for the PhD and ScD degrees in aeronautics and astronautics are outlined in this degree chart. Additional information is available on the department website. After successful admission to the doctoral program, the doctoral candidate selects a field of study and research in consultation with the thesis advisor and forms a doctoral thesis committee, which assists in the formulation of the candidate's research and study programs and monitors their progress. Demonstrated competence for original research at the forefront of aerospace engineering is the final and main criterion for granting the doctoral degree. The candidate's thesis serves in part to demonstrate such competence and, upon completion, is defended orally in a presentation to the faculty of the department, who may then recommend that the degree be awarded.

Interdisciplinary Programs

The department participates in several interdisciplinary fields at the graduate level, which are of special importance for aeronautics and astronautics in both research and the curriculum.

Aeronautics, Astronautics, and Statistics

The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Statistics provides training in statistics, including classical statistics and probability as well as computation and data analysis, to students who wish to integrate these valuable skills into their primary academic program. The program is administered jointly by the departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Economics, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and Political Science, and the Statistics and Data Science Center within the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. It is open to current doctoral students in participating departments. For more information, including department-specific requirements, see the full program description under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

Air Transportation

For students interested in a career in flight transportation, a program is available that incorporates a broader graduate education in disciplines such as economics, management, and operations research than is normally pursued by candidates for degrees in engineering. Graduate research emphasizes one of the four areas of flight transportation: airport planning and design, air traffic control, air transportation systems analysis, and airline economics and management, with subjects selected appropriately from those available in the departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Economics, and the interdepartmental Master of Science in Transportation (MST) program. Doctoral students may pursue a PhD with specialization in air transportation in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics or in the interdepartmental PhD program in transportation or in the PhD program of the Operations Research Center (see the section on Graduate Programs in Operations Research under Research and Study).

Biomedical Engineering

The department offers opportunities for students interested in biomedical instrumentation and physiological control systems where the disciplines involved in aeronautics and astronautics are applied to biology and medicine. Graduate study combining aerospace engineering with biomedical engineering may be pursued through the Bioastronautics program offered as part of the Medical Engineering and Medical Physics PhD program in the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) via the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST).

Students wishing to pursue a degree through HST must apply to that graduate program. At the master's degree level, students in the department may specialize in biomedical engineering research, emphasizing space life sciences and life support, instrumentation and control, or in human factors engineering and in instrumentation and statistics.

Computational Science and Engineering

MIT offers several interdisciplinary graduate programs in computational science and engineering: the Master of Science in Computational Science and Engineering for students interested in the development, analysis, and application of computational approaches to science and engineering; the standalone Doctoral Program in Computational Science and Engineering, which offers specialization in fundamental, methodological aspects of computational science via focused coursework and a thesis; and the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Computational Science and Engineering, which allows students to specialize in a computation-related field of their choice through focused coursework and a thesis through one of the participating host departments in the School of Engineering or School of Science.

Information on these programs is available under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs and on the Center for Computational Science and Engineering website.

Joint Program with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The Joint Program with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is intended for students whose primary career objective is oceanography or oceanographic engineering. Students divide their academic and research efforts between the campuses of MIT and WHOI. Joint Program students are assigned an MIT or WHOI faculty member as academic advisor; thesis research may be advised by MIT or WHOI faculty. Pre-candidacy, students are typically in residence at MIT.  Once they achieve candidacy, they are expected to live near the same campus as their advisor (MIT or WHOI). Students in the applied ocean science and engineering discipline follow a program similar to that of other students in their home department. MIT-WHOI Joint Program students in other disciplines follow the curriculum set out in their discipline's handbook. The program is described in more detail under Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

Leaders for Global Operations

The 24-month Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program combines graduate degrees in engineering and management for those with previous postgraduate work experience and strong undergraduate degrees in a technical field. During the two-year program, students complete a six-month internship at one of LGO's partner companies, where they conduct research that forms the basis of a dual-degree thesis. Students finish the program with two MIT degrees: an MBA (or SM in management) and an SM from one of eight engineering programs, some of which have optional or required LGO tracks. After graduation, alumni lead strategic initiatives in high-tech, operations, and manufacturing companies.

System Design and Management

The System Design and Management (SDM) program is a partnership among industry, government, and the university for educating technically grounded leaders of 21st-century enterprises. Jointly sponsored by the School of Engineering and the Sloan School of Management, it is MIT's first degree program to be offered with a distance learning option in addition to a full-time in-residence option.

Technology and Policy

The Master of Science in Technology and Policy is an engineering research degree with a strong focus on the role of technology in policy analysis and formulation. The Technology and Policy Program (TPP) curriculum provides a solid grounding in technology and policy by combining advanced subjects in the student's chosen technical field with courses in economics, politics, quantitative methods, and social science. Many students combine TPP's curriculum with complementary subjects to obtain dual degrees in TPP and either a specialized branch of engineering or an applied social science such as political science. See the program description under the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.

Financial Support

Financial assistance for graduate study may be in the form of fellowships or research or teaching assistantships. Both fellowship students and research assistants work with a faculty supervisor on a specific research assignment of interest, which generally leads to a thesis. Teaching assistants are appointed to work on specific subjects of instruction.

A special relationship exists between the AeroAstro department and the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. This relationship affords fellowship opportunities for SM and PhD candidates who perform their research as an integral part of ongoing projects at Draper. Faculty from the department maintain close working relationships with researchers at Draper, and thesis research at Draper performed by Draper Scholars can be structured to fulfill MIT residency requirements. Further information on Draper can be found in the section on Research and Study.

Inquiries

For additional information concerning admissions, financial aid and assistantship, and academic, research, and interdisciplinary programs in the department, contact the AeroAstro Student Services Office.