Campuses:
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Twin Cities Campus
Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics Ph.D.Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics
College of Science and Engineering
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, 107 Akerman Hall, 110 Union Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-625-8000; fax: 612-626-1558)
Email:
aem-dgs@umn.edu
Website: https://cse.umn.edu/aem
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the
General Information section of
this
website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics offers a PhD degree program which emphasizes engineering sciences that are basic to fluid mechanics, aerospace systems, and solid mechanics. Theoretical, analytical, experimental, and computational aspects of these fields are covered by the courses and research opportunities offered by the department.
Program Delivery
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program
is 3.20.
A four-year BS degree in an engineering, basic science, or mathematics program is required.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
Admission depends primarily on the applicant's undergraduate record, personal statement, and letters of recommendation.
Special Application Requirements:
GRE scores are not required but are strongly recommended for students applying for graduate fellowships. In all cases, these test scores are taken into account if provided. Students are admitted fall semester only. Only under unusual circumstances are students allowed to begin their studies at another time during the academic year.
The application deadline is December 15.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
Key to test
abbreviations
(TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the
General Information section of this
website.
Program Requirements
12 to 30
credits are required in the major.
12 to 30 credits are required outside the major. 24 thesis credits are required.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 3.00
is required for students to remain in good standing.
No more than 8 credits in 4xxx-level courses and no more than 13 credits taken as S/N are allowed.
The program requires 42 course credits which must include a minimum of 12 credits in AEM courses at the 5xxx or 8xxx level.
Four semesters of seminar attendance are required.
Required Courses (6 credits)
Select one 2-course sequence in fluids, solids, or dynamics
Additional Major Courses (6-24 credits)
In consultation with advisor, select a minimum of 6 credits from the following to meet the required 12 credits in AEM courses. Students may take up to 24 credits from the list. One credit of AEM 8000 may be applied to degree requirements.
AEM 4305 - Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control
(3.0 cr)
AEM 4321 - Automatic Control Systems
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5247 - Hypersonic Aerodynamics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5253 - Computational Fluid Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5321 - Modern Feedback Control
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5333 - Design-to-Flight: Small Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5401 - Intermediate Dynamics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5451 - Optimal Estimation
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5501 - Continuum Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5503 - Theory of Elasticity
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5581 - Mechanics of Solids
(3.0 cr)
AEM 5651 - Aeroelasticity
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8000 - Seminar: Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
(1.0 cr)
AEM 8201 - Fluid Mechanics I
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8202 - Fluid Mechanics II
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8203 - Fluid Mechanics III
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8207 - Hydrodynamic Stability
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8211 - Theory of Turbulence I
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8212 - Theory of Turbulence II
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8213 - Turbulent Shear Flows
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8221 - Rheological Fluid Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8231 - Molecular Gas Dynamics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8232 - Physical Gas Dynamics and Molecular Simulation
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8241 - Perturbation Methods in Fluid Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8251 - Finite-Volume Methods in Computational Fluid Dynamics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8253 - Computational Methods in Fluid Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8261 - Nonlinear Waves in Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8271 - Experimental Methods in Fluid Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8400 - Seminar: Aerospace Systems
(1.0 cr)
AEM 8411 - Advanced Dynamics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8421 - Robust Multivariable Control Design
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8423 - Convex Optimization Methods in Control
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8426 - Optimization and System Sciences
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8442 - Aerospace Positioning, Navigation and Timing
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8451 - System Identification: Theory and Applications
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8500 - Research Seminar in Mechanics of Materials
(1.0 cr)
AEM 8523 - Elastodynamics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8525 - Elastic Stability of Materials
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8531 - Fracture Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8533 - Theory of Plasticity
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8541 - Mechanics of Crystalline Solids
(3.0 cr)
AEM 8551 - Multiscale Methods for Bridging Length and Time Scales
(3.0 cr)
Outside Courses (12-30 credits)
Select between 12 and 30 credits from the list. Consult with the advisor for course selection or additional course options.
BMEN 5321 - Microfluidics in Biology and Medicine
(3.0 cr)
BMEN 8101 - Biomedical Digital Signal Processing
(3.0 cr)
CEGE 8401 - Fundamentals of Finite Element Method
(3.0 cr)
CEGE 8521 - The Atmospheric Boundary Layer
(4.0 cr)
CHEM 8541 - Dynamics
(4.0 cr)
CHEM 8565 - Chemical Reaction Dynamics
(2.0 cr)
CSCI 4041 - Algorithms and Data Structures
(4.0 cr)
CSCI 5304 - Computational Aspects of Matrix Theory
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 5451 - Introduction to Parallel Computing: Architectures, Algorithms, and Programming
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 5512 - Artificial Intelligence II
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 5521 - Machine Learning Fundamentals
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 5525 - Machine Learning: Analysis and Methods
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 5551 - Introduction to Intelligent Robotic Systems
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 5552 - Sensing and Estimation in Robotics
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 8314 - Sparse Matrix Computations
(3.0 cr)
EE 5231 - Linear Systems and Control
(3.0 cr)
EE 5235 - Robust Control System Design
(3.0 cr)
EE 5239 - Introduction to Nonlinear Optimization
(3.0 cr)
EE 5531 - Probability and Stochastic Processes
(3.0 cr)
EE 8215 - Nonlinear Systems
(3.0 cr)
EE 5571 - Statistical Learning and Inference
(3.0 cr)
MATH 4242 - Applied Linear Algebra
(4.0 cr)
MATH 5587 - Elementary Partial Differential Equations I
(4.0 cr)
MATH 5651 - Basic Theory of Probability and Statistics
(4.0 cr)
MATH 8401 - Mathematical Modeling and Methods of Applied Mathematics
(3.0 cr)
MATH 8402 - Mathematical Modeling and Methods of Applied Mathematics
(3.0 cr)
MATH 8431 - Mathematical Fluid Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
MATH 8441 - Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing
(3.0 cr)
MATH 8442 - Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing
(3.0 cr)
MATH 8445 - Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations
(3.0 cr)
MATH 8446 - Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations
(3.0 cr)
MATH 8601 - Real Analysis
(3.0 cr)
ME 8285 - Control Systems for Intelligent Vehicle Applications
(3.0 cr)
ME 8361 - Molecular Gas Dynamics
(3.0 cr)
ME 8446 - Advanced Combustion
(3.0 cr)
Thesis Credits (24 credits)
Take 24 credits after passing preliminary oral exam.
AEM 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral
(1.0-24.0 cr)
|
|
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 4321/EE 4231 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 4247/AEM 5247 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Spring Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 4253/AEM 5253 |
Prerequisites: | [4201 or equiv], [CSci 1113 or equiv], CSE grad student |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 5321/EE 5231 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 5451/EE 5251 |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 4581/AEM 5581 |
Typically offered: | Fall Odd Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 8231/ME 8361 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 12.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 8551/SCIC 8551 |
Prerequisites: | Basic knowledge of [continuum mechanics, atomic forces], familiarity with partial differential equations, grad student in [engineering or mathematics or physics] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Prerequisites: | 4411 or # |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Prerequisites: | CSE or COAFES grad student or # |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Chem 5541/8541 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | CSci 4041/CSci 4041H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | CSci 5512W/CSci 5512 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Math 4242/Math 4457 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Math 5651/Stat 5101 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AEM 8231/ME 8361 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 1.0 -24.0 [max 100.0] |
Grading Basis: | No Grade |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |