Grad Profiles - Auburn University Aerospace Engineering

Overview
Auburn University was originally founded in 1856 and was later rechartered in 1872 to become the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, the state's land-grant university. Over the years, Auburn University gained recognition for its high academic standards and competitive spirit. Student enrollment increased, and award-winning faculty members from around the world were added. In 1960, the University adopted the name of its home, and Auburn University came to be. The University is on the semester system, with semesters starting in August, January, and May.

The University, a comprehensive research institution, has an enrollment of more than 23,000 students, of whom more than 3,600 are in the College of Engineering, making it the second-largest college in the University. The graduate enrollment is 3,104 for the University, 656 for the College of Engineering, and 25 for the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

Graduates of the master's and doctorate programs have been employed by virtually every major aerospace firm in the United States and by most of the technically oriented government agencies, including NASA, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Air Force. Many graduates of the master's program have risen to high-level management positions in these organizations. Other graduates of the master's program have gone on to doctoral programs both at Auburn and at other schools. Graduates of the doctoral program have been employed at high levels of responsibility by aerospace companies, universities, and government laboratories as engineers, managers, faculty members, and administrators.

The Location and Community
Referred to as "the loveliest city on the plains", the city of Auburn is a growing community that retains a relaxing college-town atmosphere. Auburn and Auburn University have always had a healthy symbiotic relationship in which both the city and the University benefit from each other. The community of Auburn has a population of more than 40,000 and, at 723 feet above sea level, enjoys a moderate climate. Recreation of all types, including a variety of amateur and nationally prominent intercollegiate teams, is a part of campus life. Major golf courses blanket the area. There is also a full calendar of concerts, plays, and nationally recognized guest speakers, which provides a strong cultural stimulus. For those who enjoy a metropolitan atmosphere, the cities of Montgomery and Birmingham in Alabama and historical Atlanta and Columbus in Georgia are all within a 120-mile radius. The Gulf of Mexico, with its miles of beaches and deep-sea fishing, is about four hours away by automobile. Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport is less than 90 minutes from Auburn.

The Department of Aerospace Engineering offers three graduate degree programs: the Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Aerospace Engineering (M.A.E.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The graduate program prepares students for careers in the aerospace industry, in government laboratories, and in academia. Studies for the Ph.D. also are designed to produce research scholars.

For the M.S., the student must complete an approved program of at least 30 credit hours in aerospace engineering or closely related supporting subjects, with a minimum of 20 credit hours at the 7000 level or above. The M.S. degree requirements include the completion of a thesis under the supervision of a major professor and an advisory committee.

The M.A.E. is a nonthesis degree for which the student must complete an approved program of at least 32 credit hours of course work with a minimum of 22 credit hours at the 7000 level or above. A suitable project in aerospace engineering, culminating in a final written report approved by the students advisory committee, may be substituted for 3 credit hours of course work. An oral presentation is also required for the M.A.E. degree.

For the Ph.D., the student must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. A plan of study is arranged on an individual basis, and students may elect to specialize in the general areas of aerodynamics, astrodynamics, control theory, flight dynamics, propulsion, structures, or structural dynamics. A written qualifying examination and a general doctoral examination, with both written and oral parts, are required of all doctoral candidates. An oral defense of the doctoral dissertation is also required of each student. There is no language requirement for the master's or Ph.D. degrees.

Facilities & Resources
Specialized equipment and facilities available for student use include a low-speed (130 mph) wind tunnel with a 3-foot by 4.5-foot test section, including a dedicated computer with data acquisition software; a Mach 2 wind tunnel with a 1-inch by 3-inch test section; an instructional Mach 1.5-3.5 supersonic tunnel with a four-inch by four-inch test section; a seven-inch by seven-inch supersonic wind tunnel capable of testing discrete Mach numbers from 1.01 to 3.28; a structures and structural dynamics laboratory for experiments in structures, dynamics, and vibration classes; a propulsion laboratory containing gas turbine engines and a supersonic nozzle flow test bed; a composites and materials laboratory that houses freezers for composite materials storage and a four-foot by five-foot computer-controlled oven for composites processing; a design laboratory housed in two rooms for computer aided design and presentations in senior design courses; and two departmental computing laboratories with PCs and Macintosh computers.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition for full-time study is $2,825 per semester for residents. Books and supplies cost about $500 per semester.

Financial Aid:
Students with superior records may qualify as graduate research assistants (GRAs) or graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). GRAs work with faculty members on sponsored research projects. GTAs assist faculty members with teaching duties, teach in laboratory sections, and occasionally teach elementary courses. GRA and GTA stipends vary with the student's stage in graduate school and other qualifications. Tuition waivers are provided to most students receiving GTA and GRA appointments of one-quarter time or more. Many job opportunities for students' spouses exist at the University and with other businesses in the surrounding community.

Housing/Living Expenses:
A limited number of University-owned apartments are available for married as well as single students. There are also a large number of private apartment complexes in the area, ranging from one- to three-bedroom apartments. A listing of off-campus housing facilities may be obtained by writing the Offices of Housing and Residence Life, Admissions, or Student Affairs.

How to Apply / Application
All applications must be submitted to the Graduate School. All application should include a Resume and a statement of academic/professional goals. The deadlines for the financial assistance application is March 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester.

Who to Contact
Aerospace Engineering Department
211 Aerospace Engineering Building
Auburn University, Alabama 36849-5338

334-844-6820

E-mail: aegrad@eng.auburn.edu

Aerospace Engineering Home Page

Faculty and Research

• A. Ahmed, Ph.D. (aerospace engineering), Wichita State. Experimental aerodynamics as fluid, experimental aerodynamics, model vortex dynamics, boundary layers.

• R. Barrett, Ph.D. (aerospace engineering), Kansas. Aerodynamics, design adaptive aerostructures.

• J. E. Burkhalter, Ph.D. (civil engineering), Texas at Austin. Aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, missile design.

• D. A. Cicci, Ph.D. (aerospace engineering), Texas at Austin. Astrodynamics, orbit determination, guidance and control, numerical analysis.

• J. E. Cochran Jr., Ph.D. (aerospace engineering), Texas at Austin. Dynamics, flight dynamics and control, spacecraft attitude dynamics and control, legal aspects of engineering.

• W. A. Foster Jr., Ph.D., (aerospace engineering), Auburn. Numerical structural analysis, solid rocket propulsion, engineering computer applications.

• R. S. Gross, Ph.D. (engineering mechanics), Clemson. Elasticity, experimental mechanics, composite materials.

• R. J. Hartfield Jr., Ph.D. (mechanical and aerospace engineering), Virginia. Nonintrusive flow diagnostics and propulsion, missile design.

• Aerodynamics: Auburn University actively conducts both basic and applied research in areas of interest to government agencies and private companies. Aerodynamics encompasses the kinematics and kinetics of fluid motion and its effects on objects in contact with the fluid. Recent research efforts at Auburn include theoretical studies of innovative lifting devices and aerodynamic optimization using neural networks and genetic algorithms. Experimental aerodynamic research includes characterization of lifting surfaces at low Reynolds numbers, including unsteady phenomena; the generation of vorticity; and high-speed mixing using both computational fluid dynamics and nonintrusive optical diagnostic techniques.

• Adaptive Aerostructures and Composite Materials: Auburn is currently conducting several major research efforts related to the use of adaptive structural components and composite materials in aerospace vehicles. Specific projects include the development of a VTOL micro aerial vehicle (MAV), projectiles, and the development of a new class of adaptive hypersonic interceptor flight control devices.

• Astrodynamics: Astrodynamics (astronautics) research includes attitude of dynamics and control of spacecraft orbital mechanics, mission analysis, and the design of devices and equipment to be used in space. Current projects focus on the development of mathematical models and algorithms for the detection, state estimation, and motion prediction; multibody modeling of spacecraft; development of algorithms for utilizing the Global Positioning Satellite System (GPSS) in navigation and in orbit and attitude determination; tethered satellite detection; formations; and numerical methods for solving ill-conditioned slate estimation problems.

• Flight Dynamics and Control: The mathematical modeling, simulation, stability analysis, and control of the motion of flight vehicles are areas that provide many opportunities for research. Recent projects include the development of multiple rigid-body models of the main rotor head of a helicopter and simulation of its operation; the modeling, control, and simulation of towed vehicles; and the development and testing of guidance algorithms for missiles using six-degree-of-freedom simulations.

• Intermodal Transportation: Research in the area of modeling and simulation of intermodal (airway, railway, highway, and waterway) transportation systems includes simulation of the terminals that provide the interfaces between the four modes of transportation. Systems theory and the application of resources such as the GPSS have been used in the development of real-time simulations of terminal operations and the development of control systems for future intermodal terminals.

• Propulsion: The generation of propulsive forces can be accomplished using a wide array of devices, including liquid, solid, and hybrid chemical rockets; various aerodynamic devices, including propellers, turbojets, ramjets, and scramjets; and various electric and thermal devices proposed for extended space travel and other applications. Recent propulsion research has included studies of ignition phenomena for large solid-rocket motors, combustion stability in hybrid motors, experimental and analytical investigations of various electric thrust generators mixing "o" combustion in scramjets, and vibration suppression techniques for gas turbine-based propulsion devices.

• Solid Mechanics, Structures, and Structural Dynamics: Solid mechanics research at Auburn includes finite-element modeling of aerospace structures, the development of composite materials and composite material applications, adaptive aerostructures, aeroelasticity, and vibrations.