Information for Prospective Graduate Students
Prospective graduate students should visit the Graduate School website at
http://www.graduate.ua.edu
for on-line application materials and additional
information.
International and domestic students that wish to receive paper applications for graduate school should follow the instructions and e-mail the appropriate contact listed on the following link:
http://www.graduate.ua.edu/contact.html.
Research and Teaching Assistantships are usually available and are offered on a competitive basis to students that are in residence at the University and are working toward a thesis or dissertation. These assistantships typically pay a stipend, tuition and
University fees. When your application is received, you will be evaluated for consideration of available financial assistance.
The AEM Department participates in the
QUEST (Quality University Extended Site Telecourses) program by teaching basic
mechanics courses at the undergraduate level, and most of the advanced courses in the AEM graduate program. Additionally, the
master of science in aerospace engineering is offered via QUEST.
Frequently Ask Questions by Prospective Graduate Students
- What are the admission requirements?
- If I send my transcripts to the Graduate Program Director, can he tell me if I will be admitted?
- I want to apply to the MSAE QUEST program, but I don't have an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering. What courses will I need to take?
- How long does it take for application decisions to be made?
- Can I take a course without applying for admission to the MSAE program?
Answers to Frequently Ask Questions
This section contains the questions and responses to questions frequently asked by
prospective graduate students.
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What are the admission requirements?
Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for the minimum admission requirements specified by the University. The University minimum GRE score is 1000 based on the Verbal and Analytical portions of the exam. The Department requirements may be higher than those minimums, and often change as determined by the applicant pool.
For admission into the MSAE QUEST program, you will need to have an undergraduate degree in engineering, physics, or mathematics, or a closely related degree.
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If I send my transcripts to the Graduate Program Director, can he tell me if I will be admitted?
No--only the Dean of the Graduate School can admit graduate
students. When you apply to the Graduate School and your
application package is complete, your application package is
sent to the AEM Department for review. Your application
will be reviewed and an admission recommendation will be
made, and any background courses that you will need before
you start your graduate degree will be identified.
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I want to apply to the MSAE QUEST program, but I don't have an undergraduate degree in
aerospace engineering. What courses will I need to take?
Students will be asked to take the following courses if they have not already taken them (or courses with an equivalent content) as part of their undergraduate degree program:
AEM 201 Statics
AEM 250 Mechanics
AEM 264 Dynamics
AEM 311 Fluid Mechanics
MA 238 Differential Equations
These courses represent a minimum amount of knowledge in basic mechanics and mathematics
that the student will be expected to know in introductory graduate courses. Additional courses or requirements
are at the discretion of the student's advisor and supervisory committee. These courses may be taken at a local
university or college. Graduate credit will not be awarded for these courses.
Additionally, for students that do not have an undergraduate degree in aerospace
engineering or have not taken
an undergraduate aerodynamics course, AEM 614 Airfoil and Wing Theory will be required as part of the degree program.
It is recommended that AEM 614 be taken after the required course AEM 500 and before the required course AEM 668.
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How long does it take for application decisions to be made?
A student's application is sent from the Graduate School to the department when the appropriate transcripts and paperwork are received by the
Graduate School. To check the status of your application, visit
this page on the
Graduate School website.
For QUEST students or students that have external funding,
admission recommendations are usually made within one week of the
receipt of the application by the AEM Department. If the student will be accepted into the program, the department will then send a letter to the student indicating the departmental recommendation to the
Graduate School. Official notification is sent by the graduate school.
For resident students that are being considered for assistantships,
admission recommendations and assistantship decisions are made during faculty discussions on the following dates:
- the second week of February for students seeking admission to the fall semester, and
- the second week of September for students seeking admission to the spring semester.
The department will send a letter to the student indicating the admission recommendation and assistantship offer, if applicable.
Applications not meeting the deadlines will be considered for any remaining assistantships,
and may be admitted based on the standards used at the meetings.
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Can I take a course without applying for admission to the MSAE program?
Yes. You may register as a Non-Degree Student (NDS). As an NDS, you may take up to 12 hours that can be credited to a degree program at a later time. However, acceptance as an NDS will have no effect on eligibility for admission into the graduate school or the MSAE program. Click here for information from the Graduate School.