As a major department within the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, we are excited and proud to be among the top aerospace engineering programs in the United States.
Our Origins
Texas A&M introduced its first aeronautical courses to prepare students for modern aviation careers. This opening into the field led to the creation of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering in 1940. By 1963, as the nation was in the midst of the space race and dreamed of exploring the universe, the department expanded to include astronautics and was renamed the Department of Aerospace Engineering (AERO).
Our Vision
Our department is prepared to meet the challenges of a new space renaissance and a flourishing civilian and defense aerospace industry. We will develop the next generation of well-educated, research-trained aerospace leaders by addressing the three fundamental pillars: education, research, and community, leadership, and legacy.
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We aim to deliver high-quality education at scale for aerospace and space engineers, to deliver a responsive curriculum that meets the changing needs of the aerospace and space engineering fields and industry, and to remain current with effective teaching methods for changing populations and technology. Our goals for the next five years are to:
- Increase our recognition as a leading aerospace department that focuses on fundamentals and critical thinking to deliver high-quality education
- Focus on experiential learning via labs, technical and design electives, and student organizations
- Have a hiring rate of 100% for graduates within 12 months of graduation
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We aim to conduct innovative, basic, and impactful applied research critical to our nation (as reflected by its funding agencies’ portfolios and our industrial partners), and to train top researchers and engineers who become leaders in academia, industry, and government. Our goals for the next five years are to:
- Increase our research impact (e.g., publications, graduate students, and grants)
- Attract and recruit top students
- Recruit and retain excellent new professors at all levels
- Maintain and expand our experimental and computational capabilities
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We aim to create an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are respected and welcomed in our AERO community, to nurture the value of giving back in our students and graduates, and to prepare future leaders for the Aerospace and Space Engineering Fields. Our goals for the next five years are to:
- Have our graduates grow into key positions in industry, government, and academia
- Attain positive trends in surveys from students and graduates from completed surveys (starting in 2025)
- Increase our endowment and pass-through
Student Experience
Undergraduates
Our undergraduate curriculum prepares students for a successful career by equipping them with essential knowledge in the classroom and culminating with a hands-on capstone design, build and fly sequence. The industry-inspired experience engages our students' education and interests by offering them their first opportunity to choose between airplanes, helicopters, rockets and space missions. Extracurricular activities are also available for students to design, build and fly solar planes, competitive airplanes and satellites. Additionally, opportunities exist for real-world experiences such as studies abroad, internships, student work cooperatives (co-ops) and departmental research.
Graduates
Our graduate students and post-doctoral scientists are exposed to an advanced curriculum, current events through an active seminar series, and state-of-the-art research supported by our faculty's externally funded research programs. This research supports assistantships and internships, and furnishes our laboratories with modern facilities, instrumentation and computing resources.
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- Crewed and uncrewed aircraft
- Satellites and constellations
- Aerospace sciences
- Propulsion and energy
- Robotics and sensing
- Rotorcraft
- Hypersonic vehicles
- Autonomous morphing vehicles
- Advanced materials and structures