Best Online Master's Degrees In Aeronautics And Aviation

Overview

The Georgia Institute of Technology, nicknamed Georgia Tech, is one of the nation’s leading research universities that is dedicated to improving lives through science and technology. More than 25,000 students are currently enrolled at the undergraduate and graduate level. Founded in 1885, Georgia Tech was established to originally help turn the agrarian South to an industrial economy. Over the course of its long history, new research and innovation have come from the university.

Program Features

Georgia Tech’s online MS in Aerospace Engineering degree will help students understand advanced aerospace system design, development, and operation.

• Spring and fall sessions
• Fellowships and assistantships available for graduate students
• Sample Courses: Wind Engineering, Digital Systems Test, Unsteady Aerodynamics

Notables

This Master’s program that is offered through the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering is ranked #4 in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report.

Overview

Located in the city of Los Angeles, the University of Southern California is a prominent research institution that was founded in the early 1870s when the town was still forming. Today more than 45,500 students are enrolled at all levels. A new study shows that USC is one of the major economic contributor to the state’s economy, contributing more than $8 billion annually to the city of LA and the state as a whole. Its online MS in Aeronautics & Aviation is offered through its nationally recognized engineering school.

Program Features

Through the Viterbi School of Engineering, USC offers its online MS in Aerospace Engineering that is designed to give students the ability to concentrate on a specific area within the field.

Fall, summer, and spring sessions

• Sample Specializations: Propulsion, Aerospace Design, Fluid Mechanics Electives
• Sample Courses: Spacecraft System Design, Stability of Fluids, Thermodynamics for Chemical Engineers

Notables

Students can experience this degree online through the school’s DEN@Viterbi distance learning platform. Students anywhere in the world can communicate together through this innovative delivery method.

Overview

The University of Virginia was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson in an attempt to create a public university to advance knowledge and inform citizens. Today UVA is a massive research institution that has a rich community and culture. With many global centers and partnerships, students at UVA are not simply connected to their immediate communities, but with people around the world. According to the U.S News & World Report, UVA is ranked the #3 Best Public National University.

Program Features

UVA’s online ME in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering degree is designed to extend one’s knowledge of the field.

• 30 credit-hours
• No thesis required
• Sample Courses: Fluid Mechanics, Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, Engineering Mathematics

Notables

Students can take up to half of their classes through one of their partner institutions, speeding up the degree process.

Overview

Purdue University has its roots when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act in 1862, turning public land into a college. Today the university is a major research institution dedicated to developing new innovations and breakthroughs throughout different fields. With different campuses and partnerships, students around the world can experience what Purdue has to offer, including online students. Purdue Engineering Online, which offers its Master’s in Aeronautics and Aviation degree, is the #3 public engineering college in the nation.

Program Features

Purdue’s online Master of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerospace Engineering Program is one of the top programs in the field that will prepare graduates for advanced positions.

• 30 credit-hours
• Delivered through streaming and downloadable videos
• One-on-one academic advisory sessions

Notables

This program is currently tied for the #4 best aerospace graduate program by the U.S. News & World Report.

Overview

John Hopkins University is the nation’s first research university, with over 140 years of history. Over 24,000 students are enrolled at both the undergraduate and graduate level. JHU can be found engaging in research and other activities in more than 150 countries. In fact, it is the leading institution in the country for total research and development spending. According to the U.S. News & World Report, JHU’s graduate programs in engineering are considered among the best in the nation.

Program Features

The MS in Space Systems Engineering program at John Hopkins is an online degree that is ideal for engineering professionals.

• Focuses: Leadership/Management and Technical Systems/Subsystems
• Ability to complete degree over five years maximum
• Sample Courses: Small Satellite Development and Experimentation, Linear System Theory, Management of Systems Projects

Notables

The school has recently received a DELTA grant to build a faculty development program to train people in the latest and most effective online learning tools and techniques.

Overview

With over 160 years of history, the University of Florida is one of the state’s major research institutions and is a powerhouse for excellence in innovation and teaching. AT UF, there are more than 200 research, service, and education centers that students can use. The U.S. News & World Report ranks the university the 9th best public institution in the nation. It’s online Master’s in Aeronautics and Aviation is offered through its Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, which has over 100 years of experience educating students in this field.

Program Features

Students who wish to get their advanced degree while continuing their professional work can enroll in UF’s online MS in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.

• Thesis and non-thesis track
• Prepares students for the PhD track
• Sample Courses: Fluid Film Lubrication, Continuum Mechanics, Gas Dynamics

Notables

Students are required to take only a minimum of three courses during the first year of graduate study, allowing working professionals to still devote enough time to their busy schedule.

Overview

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has its roots as a problem solver and an innovator. Founded in 1867 as a land-grant institution, the university currently has over 47,000 students from around the country and the globe. It is the 14th best ranked public university in the nation thanks to its strong reputation as a world-class leader in research and teaching. Urbana-Champaign’s annual research funding consistently ranks among the top five, receiving over $600 million.

Program Features

With an online MS in Aerospace Engineering at Urbana-Champaign, students can get the knowledge they need from a nationally recognized program.

• Non-research, non-thesis
• Ability to take up to five years to complete the program
• Sample Specializations: Orbital Mechanics, Aerodynamics, Spacecraft

Notables

There are three different technical divisions that students can choose from depending on their academic interests.

Overview

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was founded originally as the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. Since then, it has evolved to become an institution that intersects technology with education. Known as the “Hokies,” over 34,000 students are currently enrolled. Virginia Tech also manages a research portfolio that is worth more than $521 million.

Program Features

Virginia Tech’s online MS in Aerospace Engineering degree offers courses using a synchronous and asynchronous method, allowing students to finish their degree on their own time.

• 30-credit hours

• Thesis and non-thesis track
• Sample Courses: Vehicle Structures, Linear Control Theory, High Speed Aerodynamics

Notables

Once a week students will have a live one-hour class where they can interact with the professor.

Overview

Known as the wolves, North Carolina State University is a vibrant public university located in the city of Raleigh. NC State began in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Since its inception, its leaders have always had the goal of transforming higher education. Over the years, the university has grown to become one that is diverse and one that values a multidisciplinary education for all. In 2018, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked NC State as having the 9th best value for in state’ students among public colleges in the nation.

Program Features

NC State’s online MS in Aerospace Engineering degree program is made for experienced students who wish to grow their knowledge in mechanical or aerospace engineering.

• Thesis and non-thesis option
• Can be completed in as little as 18 months
• Teaching assistantships may be available for thesis-track students

Notables

Full-time students only enroll in two online courses per semester, allowing working professionals a good work-life balance while completing this degree.

Overview

Missouri University of Science & Technology is a public land and space grant university that was founded in 1870. It is known for its engineering school, but students can also study other disciplines such as business and mathematics. Students of Missouri S&T are highly involved on its bustling campus, either through research or various clubs and activities. The university’s distance learning students are no different, who are able to be plugged in to the campus wherever they may be learning.

Program Features

Working professionals can earn their MS in Aerospace Engineering through Missouri S&T’s distance learning program that goes over a wide variety of engineering principles.

• Thesis and non-thesis option
• Spring, summer, and fall sessions
• Sample Courses: Aeroelasticity, Dynamics, Fatigue Analysis

Notables

Although students do not have to be in the area to enroll in this program, Missouri S&T Global which serves the greater St. Louis area with STEM graduate programs also offers online Aerospace Engineering courses.