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M.Eng. in Aerospace Engineering

Cornell’s Master of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering equips students with advanced competencies in engineering science, technology, and design. The program, completed in two semesters, offers interdisciplinary study and customizable curricula. Graduates are highly sought after, commanding higher salaries compared to those with B.S. degrees.

Format

In-Person

Page Contents

Note: This page provides a general overview. For complete and accurate information, please consult the M.Eng. Student Services Coordinator. For current course offerings and information, refer to the Cornell University Registrar: Courses of Study.

Degree Requirements

To receive a Master of Engineering degree in Aerospace Engineering the following requirements must be met:

  1. A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework (5000 level or above), 28 credits of which must be taken for a letter grade. Most courses must be of a technical nature (those found in Cornell Engineering, as well as those in mathematics, physics, and other sciences, are generally considered technical courses). One or two courses that are related to your overall goals for your degree but are non-technical (for example, finance) may be approved as well.
  2. A minimum of 12 credit hours (not including the project or seminar courses) of coursework in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
  3. Courses taken must match the “Program of Courses” form, which must be submitted to the M.Eng. Office at the beginning of your program and by the end of the second week of classes. Any changes made to it must be updated by submitting a new form.
  4. A project (usually taken under MAE 6900) for at least 4 and not more than 8 credits and submitting an electronic abstract of your project report and a copy of your final report to the M.Eng. program.
  5. A minimum cumulative M.Eng. GPA of 2.5.
  6. No grade below a C-.
  7. One residence unit (at least one semester registered as a full-time student in the M.Eng. program).
  8. Registration limit of 20 credits per semester, minimum registration 12 credits per semester.

At the Sibley School, we work with you to define your goals for pursuing the degree and build you a program to attain this. Our advisors work with you to determine a focus for your program. Your focus area is usually built around one of our concentration areas – but is not restricted by them. You can easily create a custom focus by combining concentrations or adding different courses. Unsure of where you want to be when done with the program. The program is a great way to try out different areas and see what fits.

Focus Areas

  • Biomechanics

    M.Eng. students in the biomechanics focus look at mechanical forces in living beings. Students come into biomechanics from either biology (with foundation knowledge in mechanical engineering) or mechanical engineering. Engineering applications of biomechanics are orthotics, prosthetics, human computer interfaces, robotics, wearables, implants and medical devices. Engineers in biomechanics interact with doctors, surgeons, veterinarians, device makers – many go on to create their own companies. A biomechanics focus can focus on bones, tissue, blood – and be incorporated in design, simulation, analysis, robotics and engineered materials.

  • Design

    Design is critical for many aspects of mechanical engineering and spans a broad spectrum. Design helps give form to a better world and help solve problems we face. Engineers design machine components, mechanical devices, new materials, large systems, and even manufacturing or service processes. Underlying these activities lies a fundamental knowledge of the traditional areas of fluids, thermal, solids, and dynamics, but also a host of cross-cutting skills. As design often refers to the act of creating new things, engineering designers must master ideation, drawing, analysis, concept selection, prototyping, and testing. Today, almost all engineering companies view design as a primary mission focus to ensure innovation and competitiveness.

  • Energy

    Mechanical engineers are involved in the entire energy process – from its creation, transportation, and use to alternatives and its conservation. Mechanical engineers in Sibley School’s M.Eng. Energy focus have multiple opportunities to build skills in all these areas and go to work in companies focused on renewables and more traditional fields, building new and better ways to use fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

  • Engineered Materials

    The engineered materials focus is designed for students interested in the use, manufacturing and analysis of advanced materials.  Students in the program go into a variety of fields from aerospace to energy and the design of devices. The program consists of courses in solid mechanics, computational analysis and materials.

  • Robotics

    The robotics focus consists of coursework in controls, dynamics and structures, state-of-the-art human-robot interaction, micro controllers, and any variety of subtopics to get you started in your career. Robotics at Cornell lives at the intersection of mechanical, electrical, and computer science. Problems being solved involve space travel, building design, human-robot interaction, and controls. Projects in robotics integrate all these disciplines.

  • Simulation and Analysis

    Simulation and analysis are vital skills in the engineering field. Computational tools help engineers create better prototypes, predict and analyze failure and perform complex analysis of systems. At the Sibley School, the use of simulation and analysis tools transcends simply learning to use a piece of software. Our faculty engage in research into complex structural and fluids problems that provide a wealth of real-world problems for students to be involved with.

  • Spacecraft Engineering

    The spacecraft engineering-focused M.Eng. degree is all about how to build spacecraft – and why. It is designed to extend an undergraduate aerospace or mechanical engineering degree to allow students to focus on conceiving, designing, implementing, and operating satellites, rockets, and other space systems.

Technical Courses

Technical courses are taken to add depth or breadth; building the knowledge needed to advance in your chosen area. Engineering tool courses are taken to provide skills for specific applications. These could be in the areas of FEA, CFD, programming or even Six Sigma. Professional development courses are taken to enhance leadership skills, learn systems engineering, or gain exposure to entrepreneurship, to name a few of the many choices. These courses are taken outside the Sibley School and provide an opportunity to work with people from a wide variety of disciplines. A typical program consists of 4-5 technical courses in a concentration area, 1-2 engineering tool courses, 2-3 professional development courses and the M.Eng. project.

The concentration areas are a good place to start looking for courses to meet the technical requirements of the program.

M.Eng. Project

All students complete a M.Eng. project to add real world, applied experience to their portfolios. These projects are the capstone of the program, allowing you an opportunity to leverage your new and learned subject matter to highlight who you are as an engineer.

Students have a wide variety of options for projects to choose from. Our faculty offer projects through their research programs. These projects are applied in nature and built around their research area. There is an internal project site that faculty advertise projects on – providing you with an easy way to find one. We also partner with companies and other sponsors to create real world project options. These change from year to year, are posted on the projects website and announced through program emails.