Aerospace Engineering Graduate Program

Aerospace Engineering Graduate Program

Application Deadlines

Fall & Summer - December 1

Spring - October 1

Applications will be considered after these dates on a space available basis. To check the status of your application, please monitor MyStatus.

Requirements

To be eligible for graduate study in aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics, students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

  • Hold a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering or engineering mechanics, or in a closely related field of engineering from an accredited institution.
  • Have a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in junior- and senior-level work and in any graduate work already completed. Average GPA and GRE numbers of applicants, admitted students and entrants to our program are available at the UT Office of Graduate Admissions website
  • General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Requirement The GRE test is required for Spring, Summer and Fall admissions.
  • International applicants; Have taken the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL or IELTS). There is no minimum requirement on the English tests. To apply for exemptions visit the UT Office of Graduate Admissions website.

Application Process

The Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA) processes applications for graduate admission. Details and the online application are available at the UT Office of Graduate Admissions website.

  • Submit official transcripts from previous colleges or universities.
  • Upload a Statement of Purpose and Resume (or CV). Applicants are encouraged to reflect on prior experiences, share reasons for selecting a graduate program at UT Austin, academic and professional goals, expected role as an engineer both at UT Austin and in the wider community. The admissions committee uses the essay to assess key criteria. Each candidate will be reviewed in the following four areas:
    • Research, work experience and skill development
    • Evidence of maturity, drive and perseverance
    • Contributions to the broader impacts of ASE or EM
    • Academic preparation for graduate studies

NOTE: Documents cannot be deleted once they are uploaded to your application, so be sure to upload a single, final edited version.

  • Three Letters of Recommendation
    • Enter a valid email address for each referee.
    • Use the university domain address for each professor reference.
    • Once submitted, a notice will be sent to each referee with instructions to complete an online recommendation.
    • Three is only the minimum number of recommendations required; additional letters are accepted.

Our review of student applications is holistic: all aspects of the application are taken into account, especially academic background and evidence of relevant academic accomplishment and skill, letters of reference and applicant statements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission due to limited space, funding or faculty availability.

START YOUR APPLICATION

Application Fee Waivers

Applicant eligibility and instructions for fee waivers are available at the UT Office of Graduate Admissions website. Fee waivers are not available for international citizens. Do not pay the application fee when prompted if submitted a fee waiver. Instead, submit the application and indicate payment will be made later.

Minimum Background

The minimum background for new graduate students without ASE or EM undergraduate degrees is the following:

Aerothermodynamics
ASE 320, Introduction to Fluid Mechanics
ASE 376K, Propulsion

Controls, Autonomy & Robotics
ASE 330M, Linear System Analysis
ASE 370C, Feedback Control Systems

Orbital Mechanics
ASE 330M, Linear System Analysis
ASE 366K, Spacecraft Dynamics

Structures
EM 319, Mechanics of Solids
COE 321K, Computational Methods for Structural Analysis
ASE 365, Structural Dynamics

Typically, a student who does not have an aerospace engineering or engineering mechanics undergraduate degree and who is admitted to the graduate program without the minimum background for his or her area is required to take any missing courses and receive a letter grade of B or higher in those courses in addition to the degree requirements. Consult with your faculty advisor to see what you must take to remove any deficiencies.

Q. What type of preparation is expected of Launch Texas students?

A. This program terminates in the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, and so we expect the student to come into the program having demonstrated technical competence in the field of aerospace. The ideal student will come into the program with a bachelor’s in aerospace, although related fields, and work experience, will be considered.

Q. I have a non-technical undergraduate degree. Am I eligible for Launch Texas?

A. Launch Texas students will need to be knowledgeable about the aerospace technologies that they commercialize, and so we expect incoming students to have a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, and preferably, aerospace engineering. The less aerospace engineering competence that a student has will increase the number of remedial classes that need to be taken and will lengthen the duration of the master’s program.

Q. Do I need to have business training as an undergraduate?

A. No. However, we do have a requirement that students take undergraduate-level accounting before they graduate, but this does not count toward the M.S. degree. You can take accounting at UT, or even during the summer at your local community college. 

Q. Is the program highly competitive?

A. Success in business requires a different skill set than what would lead to success in a research career. As a consequence, we are looking for students that have demonstrated basic competence in aerospace engineering, but importantly, that have an interest in business, networking, and starting a business upon graduation. We will take a holistic view of each student’s background in the admissions process. As a general rule, Launch Texas students may have a broader spectrum of undergraduate academic performance than in traditional research-focused programs.

Q. Can I apply for the spring semester?

A. Yes, you may apply for either spring or fall. Note that the course selection will vary depending on which semester you enroll in. Enrolling in the fall is generally preferable to maximize course offerings.

Q. What are the types of entrepreneurial and technology commercialization engagements specific to Launch Texas?

A. Launch Texas students will be organized into a cohort, and will engage with startups, investors, and established Fortune 500 companies to learn about the interplay of their technical education with the nuance of business and market creation. Students will hear from aerospace student/faculty startups on their experience, attend lunch and learns with investors to get insights on startup investment strategies, and network with UT startup founders in various market sectors to widen their foundation of entrepreneurial experience.

M.S. students will follow a 10‐course non‐thesis curriculum, which is taken over three to four semesters. The degree received will be an M.S. in Engineering, which will comprise 5-6 technical courses and 4-5 business/entrepreneurship courses. We allow some flexibility on the number of business courses depending on the student’s background. For Ph.D. students, the program requires no additional technical courses but requires three courses in business and entrepreneurship.

Students engaged with Launch Texas are expected to participate in Texas Innovation Center seminars and networking events. 

 

M.S. Program Elements Requirements
Technical/Engineering Courses At least five courses (15 credit hours)
Business & Entrepreneurship Courses At least four courses (12 credit hours)
Seminar Series Attendance is mandatory
Texas Innovation Center Activities & Events Attend a minimum of three per semester

Engineering Courses

Please refer to the Aerospace Engineering catalog for available courses. At least five 3 credit hour courses are required.

Business and Entrepreneurship Courses

At most, five 3‐credit‐hour courses are required from the following list:

McComb’s School of Business

MAN 385:
Texas Venture Labs Practicum – M. Price
Opportunity Identification and Analysis – J. Doggett
Entrepreneurship and Incubation – G. Pogue
Leading Innovation and Change – A. Davern
New Venture Creation – M. Peterson
Entrepreneurial Growth – J. Doggett

FIN 394:
New Venture Finance – J. Alexander

Cockrell School of Engineering

ASE 389:
STEM Innovation and Technology Commercialization