Get a Master's in Aerospace Engineering

Aerodynamics and fluid dynamics, aerospace structures and materials, and combustion and propulsion are the three areas of concentration at Florida Tech for students seeking a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Located in the heart of Florida’s Space Coast near Kennedy Space Center, Florida Tech was founded in support of the space program, and since 1958 has offered students a comprehensive aerospace and aeronautics education.

The aerospace engineering master’s program prepares students for a challenging professional career or for further graduate study in the doctoral program, putting emphasis on advanced knowledge, problem-solving expertise, and rigorous scientific research beyond that normally obtained during an undergraduate engineering education.

Leading Research Facilities

As a leading research university, graduate students earning a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Florida Tech pursue research in a wide range of areas that align with their interests and career goals. The university is home to several aerospace engineering-related research centers and laboratories including:

• Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation, Center for Space Commercialization
• Aerospace Systems and Propulsion Laboratory
• Wind and Hurricane Impacts Research Laboratory

Florida Tech is surrounded by thriving aerospace organizations/companies like NASA/Kennedy Space Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Embraer, GE, Harris, and Piper Aircraft—all of whom provide internship and employment opportunities to students working towards a master’s degree in aerospace engineering.

Students looking for the best aerospace engineering graduate programs need to look no further than Florida Tech. The university’s ideal location, in the heart of Florida’s Space Coast near Kennedy Space Center, allows close interaction between graduate students and faculty with scientists and engineers of the US space program.

Additionally, many major high-tech engineering companies such as Harris Corp., Siemens USA, Boeing Company, and Northrop Grumman are nearby, often providing internships, assistantships, and even employment.

Distinguished Faculty—and Low Student-to-Faculty Ratio

Florida Tech’s faculty is highly distinguished with research interests in propulsion, flight mechanics and control, mechatronics, robotics, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, computational methods, composite structures, lasers, and hurricane and wind damage, among others. Florida Tech’s low student-to-teacher ratio allows students working toward a master’s degree in aerospace engineering to work closely with professors who mentor their success. NASA, DARPA, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, the State of Florida, and the US Department of Energy have funded recent faculty research.

One of the reasons so many students choose Florida Tech when researching aerospace engineering graduate programs is the academic environment. The low student-to-teacher ratio allows professors to work closely with graduate students on advanced research projects. Because many students are already working professionals, peer collaboration and faculty-led research adds valuable learning experiences. Florida Tech is one of the most culturally diverse educational and research institutions in Florida with a strong international presence.

Leaders in Cutting-Edge Aerospace Research

Professors at Florida Tech share a special dedication to teaching and working with students. Their many years of aerospace systems experience and leadership in the industry brings a depth of knowledge and “real-world” expertise to students in the classroom. Florida Tech is home to several aerospace-oriented research centers and laboratories where students can further their knowledge in four areas of specialization. Research projects and relevant hands-on workshops in the classroom involve concepts and systems at the forefront of engineering on a wide range of topics in aerodynamics, aerospace structures, combustion, propulsion, flight mechanics, and more.

Florida Tech also has outstanding experimental facilities: wind tunnels to study scaled models of airplanes and aerospace parts, shock tubes for high speed and high temperature flow studies, a rocket and gas turbine engine thrust stand, a variety of apparatuses for structural and materials testing, and modern, state-of-the-art software for computer-aided design.

Students at Florida Tech can work side-by-side with professionals in some of the most prestigious names in engineering through challenging aerospace engineering internships in system/system design, manufacturing and testing, computational fluid dynamics and simulation, research, and the development of complex systems for extraterrestrial operation. Some of these organizations include:

• NASA
• Boeing
• Northrop Grumman
• Harris Corp.
• Embraer
• Piper Aircraft
• Patrick Air Force Base

These aerospace engineering internships and assistantships allow graduate students to get hands-on experience at leading aerospace companies and government laboratories in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics, aerospace structures and materials, space flight dynamics and controls, and combustion and propulsion.

Research

Outside of aerospace engineering internships, conducting advanced research is a hallmark of every program at Florida Tech. Faculty members are engaged in a wide range of research topics which graduate students can participate and contribute including:

• Aerodynamic testing and wind engineering
• Experimental and CFD analyses of non-stationery complex flows
• Crashworthiness of composite materials
• Astrodynamics
• Trajectory and mission design organization
• Spacecraft guidance navigation and control
• Graphic processing unit (GPU) computing
• Solid, liquid and hybrid rocket propulsion system design

In addition, students often present their research at leading national and international technical conferences, or submit research findings for publication in engineering journals such as Aerospace America, American Society of Mechanical Engineering, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, and more.

Students have an opportunity to work with regional and international research organizations including NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Florida Department of Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Florida Tech is also home to a wealth of research centers and laboratory facilities that support aerospace engineering internships and research projects:

• Wireless Center of Excellence
• National Center for Hydrogen Research
• College of Engineering Center for Space Commercialization
• Laser, Optics, and Instrumentation Laboratory
• Wind and Hurricane Impacts Research Laboratory
• Dynamic Systems and Controls Laboratory
• Robotics and Spatial Systems Laboratory
• Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation
• Center for Remote Sensing
• Center for Aviation Human Factors
• Institute for Materials Science and Nanotechnology
• Institute for Energy Systems

Graduate research scholarships are available from:

• NASA
• National Science Foundation
• Boeing
• University Graduate Scholarship
• Society of Women Engineers

Aerospace engineers hold jobs in industries that employ workers to design or build aircraft, missiles, systems for national defense, research and development, and the federal government. An aerospace engineering career involves the use of sophisticated computer equipment, modeling, simulations, and evaluation.

Employers seek out graduates with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Florida Tech. Those choosing to enter the workforce after graduation can expect to find an abundance of job opportunities in design and development, field service, marketing, software development, and research at leading aerospace firms.

Career Outlook

Many Florida Tech master’s graduates seek higher degrees in aerospace engineering at Florida Tech and other prestigious universities. Those choosing to enter the workforce after graduation can expect to find an abundance of job opportunities in design and development, field service, software development, and research at leading aerospace firms.

An aerospace engineering career is often related to national defense and demands a security clearance, which keeps jobs in the United States. As policies on noise pollution and better fuel efficiency continue to increase, there will be a rising demand for aerospace engineers. In addition, as governments refocus their space exploration efforts, private companies outside of standard space agencies are taking a leadership role in space exploration, which will expand opportunities for an aerospace engineering career.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides information about specific jobs including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things. Check the handbook for information on the outlook for an aerospace engineering career.

Other Career Options

• Aerospace engineer
• Aircraft design
• Satellite and missile design
• Aerodynamics
• Aerospace materials specialist
• Combustion and propulsion specialist
• Flight mechanic
• Mechanical engineer
• Computer hardware engineer
• Aerospace product and parts designer
• Researcher

Potential Employers

Employers that have hired Florida Tech graduates include:

• NASA
• Raytheon
• Northrop Grumman
• Boeing
• Harris Corp.
• GE
• Pratt and Whitney
• US Army
• US Navy
• US Air Force
• Mainstream engineering firms

Other potential employers for an aerospace engineering career includes:

• US Department of Defense
• Lockheed Martin
• SpaceX
• Federal Department of Transportation
• Department of Homeland Security
• Federal defense contractors

Doctoral Program

Not all aerospace engineering graduate programs offer a PhD degree, but Florida Tech’s does. The program is designed for students who wish to pursue advanced, independent scientific research. Most of these research programs are sponsored by government agencies or industry, and candidates work closely with a committee of advisors on their research project.