The aerospace engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
To uphold the university and college missions, the aerospace engineering faculty, in consultation with its constituents, established the following program educational objectives:
Graduates of the aerospace engineering program will (within a few years of graduation):
- Meet or exceed the expectations of employers of aerospace engineers;
- Continue to contribute to their professional development by pursuing advanced study, if desired; and
- Continue their professional development by pursuing leadership positions in their profession and/or communities.
Aerospace engineering students participate in an academic program of study in technical areas such as aerodynamics, performance, propulsion, flight mechanics and structures. After developing a background of skills in these technical areas, senior students complete a two course sequence in aerospace design.
The aerospace engineering curriculum also gives students the opportunity to develop a comprehensive foundation in mathematics, physics, general engineering, digital computations, written and oral communication, and humanities and social sciences.
Students have access to an excellent array of laboratory facilities including: an astronautics lab, four wind tunnels, a water tunnel, a flight simulation lab, a structural testing lab, a small-aircraft prototype lab, a propulsion lab and a controls lab. These facilities and those shared with the National Institute of Aviation Research are among the finest found in academic institutions.
The aircraft industries in Wichita include Airbus, Bombardier Aerospace, Spirit AeroSystems, and Textron Aviation (including Beechcraft and Cessna). The presence of these companies has a strong positive influence on WSU’s aerospace engineering program.