Master of Applied Aeronautics

Ohio State’s online Master of Applied Aeronautics program provides specialized knowledge in advanced aerodynamics, propulsion, flight mechanics, aircraft design, and more, equipping graduates with skills that can be immediately applied in the workplace. Whether you’re an engineer looking to move into leadership, a technician aiming to expand your expertise, or a professional pilot seeking a deeper technical understanding of aeronautics, this program offers the flexibility and industry-aligned curriculum to support your career growth. Graduates are well-positioned for roles at companies like GE Aviation, NASA, Boeing, Textron Aviation, and various defense and aerospace organizations.

Yes, Ohio State’s Master of Applied Aeronautics program is designed for working professionals. All courses are delivered fully online and asynchronously, allowing students to complete coursework on their own schedule without required login times. Students can choose to take a full course load and complete the program in as little as one year or spread their coursework over two years to better balance their studies with work and other commitments.

Ohio State’s online Master of Applied Aeronautics program is primarily designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering. However, applicants with degrees in related fields may also apply, provided they have relevant industry experience. Questions regarding program eligibility? Reach out to an Enrollment Advisor to discuss your background and options.

The Ohio State University is a top 5 public research institution in the US with over 665,000 living alumni. Becoming a Buckeye means you’ll have access to the resources and support you need to be successful. The awesome alumni network is helpful for networking as you look to switch or advance careers. Learning online offers the flexibility to get your degree while working and balancing life’s priorities.

Online courses at Ohio State are different from on-campus courses. We have designed online courses to take advantage of the benefits of the virtual experience, including connecting to outside people and ideas, presenting information, and engaging in discussions with your classmates and faculty.

Required core courses (12 hours)
AE 7721 – Advanced Flight Mechanics
AE 5751 – Advanced Air Breathing Propulsion (recommended) or a 3-hour course from the Propulsion and Power elective list
AE 6560 – Advanced Aerodynamics (recommended) or a 3-hour course from the Fluid Dynamics elective list
AE 6518 – Advanced Mathematical Methods in Engineering or ME 6507 – Intermediate Numerical Methods

Technical elective courses from any of the following areas (15 hours)
Performance and Design
Propulsion and Power
Fluid Dynamics
Complimentary and Cross-Cutting

Capstone course (3 hours)
AE 8900 – A non-thesis capstone project applying program concepts to real-world aeronautical challenges

AE 5751 – Advanced Air Breathing Propulsion (recommended*) – Practical design considerations for air-breathing engines focused on turbomachinery applications, with elements of high-speed propulsion. Topics include: review of cycle analysis; non-ideal cycle analysis; diffusers, nozzles, ducts, and mixers; compressors; turbines; combustors; and off-design matching.
*or, choose a 3-hour course from the Propulsion and Power electives list

AE 6560 – Advanced Aerodynamics (recommended*) – Advanced elements of aerodynamics across the entire Mach number range, including using fundamental aerodynamic analysis tools, developing advanced numerical analysis techniques, and best practices in wind tunnel testing. Topics include: review of linearized theory and similarity; airfoil characteristics; high altitude, high angles-of-attack; transonic drag rise and lift characteristics; supersonic and hypersonic lift and drag characteristics; applications of computational aerodynamics; and best practices in wind tunnel testing.
*or, choose a 3-hour course from the Fluid Dynamics electives list

AE 7721 – Advanced Flight Mechanics – Advanced elements of flight mechanics across the entire Mach range including access-to-space and atmospheric reentry, and analyzing full representative flight mission profile characteristics and wind tunnel and fight testing results. Topics include: overview of aircraft aerodynamics, propulsion, and performance; review of static stability and trim; aircraft maneuverability, handling qualities and control responses; flight simulations; adaptive flight maneuvering; model reduction methods; best practices in wind tunnel testing and flight testing.

Choose one of the following:

AE 6518 – Advanced Mathematical Methods in Engineering – Basic principles and methods of engineering mathematics focused on the phases of problem-solving: modeling, solving, and interpreting, with emphasis on understanding the interrelations among theory, computing, and experimentation. Topics include: ordinary differential equation; Laplace transforms; matrices and linear systems; vector algebra and calculus; Fourier series and partial differential equations; introduction to complex analysis; optimization; graphs and combinatorial optimization; and probability and statistics.

ME 6507 – Intermediate Numerical Methods – Numerical techniques and computer algorithms to solve initial and boundary value problems relevant to engineering applications, such as heat conduction and mass diffusion. Topics include: finite-difference equations, errors in difference approximations, and application of boundary conditions; direct solution techniques; treatment of non-linearity; iterative solution techniques; convergence analysis, multi-grid methods and analysis; higher-order methods; irregular geometries; and finite-volume method and discretization on unstructured mesh.

AE 5612 – Aircraft Performance and Flight Test Engineering – Advanced elements of flight performance including developing flight operational envelopes,
performing mission analysis, and developing flight testing procedures and analyzing flight test results. Topics include: the aircraft and its flight environment; flight envelopes, maneuvers; data acquisition techniques, uncertainty analysis techniques; airspeed calibration, engine performance and noise performance; best practices in flight testing: takeoff and landing, power required and drag, climb and glide, static and dynamic longitudinal stability, stalls; pre-flight and post-flight analysis and presentation.

AE 5620 – Stability and Control of Flight Vehicles – Analysis and design of aircraft flight control systems and the associated guidance and navigation systems. Topics include: aircraft flight dynamics, equations of motion; aircraft transfer functions, state-space models with trim conditions determinations; flight control systems, stability and control augmentation systems, autopilots; flying qualities; inertial sensors and attitude determination; disturbance modeling; aircraft longitudinal and lateral autopilot design; flight path and management control systems; inertial cross-coupling; and introduction to multivariable flight control.

AE 6645 – Introduction to Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity of Aerospace Vehicles – Fundamental Concepts of Structural Dynamics, Unsteady Aerodynamics, and Aeroelasticity of Aerospace Vehicles. Topics include: principles of structural dynamics; natural modes of vibrations for continuous systems; natural modes of vibrations for discrete systems; dynamic response and normal mode transformation; static aeroelasticity; dynamic aeroelasticity and flutter; unsteady aerodynamic topics; methods for flutter wing calculations; and advanced aeroelasticity concepts: supersonic/hypersonic aeroelasticity, rotary aeroelasticity, and computational aeroelasticity.

AE 7616 – Optimal Design for Flight Vehicles – Introduction to the fundamentals and applications of multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization for aerospace vehicles and systems, including optimization under uncertainty. Topics include: engineering systems modeling for design, analysis, and optimization;
selection of design variables, objective functions and constraints; overview of principles, methods and tools; system identification; introduction to multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization methods; computational modeling and analysis; multi-objective optimization and Pareto optimality; and sensitivity, tradeoff analysis, goal programming and isoperformance.

AE 5752 – Advanced Space Propulsion – Analysis of different propulsion techniques for access to space: liquid, solid, hybrid, nuclear and electric. Topics include: basic considerations, types of engines and fuels, applications; fundamentals, governing equations; rocket propulsion metrics; thermodynamics of
nozzle flows; practical considerations, heat transfer; combustion chemistry; and rocket performance evaluation and analysis.

ME 7527 – Jet Propulsion – Characteristics and performance of air-breathing flight vehicle power plants and their components (inlets, compressors, combustors, turbines, and nozzles). Topics include: review of aircraft aerodynamics; principle and layout of jet engines, creation of thrust in a jet engine,
component characteristics; gas turbine cycle; turbomachinery; fluid mechanics of compressible gases; selection of bypass ratio; dynamic scaling and dimensional analysis; off design engine matching; lift, drag, and the effects of maneuvering; civil and combat engine design and design points; special topics in aeropropulsion.

ME 7255 -Turbomachinery Dynamics – Modeling dynamics of rotating cyclic structures found in turbomachinery, including traditional analysis methods such as cyclic analysis and small mistuning, and recent developments in modeling large mistuning, multi-stage systems, and friction damping. Topics include: turbomachinery dynamics fundamentals; modal analysis and model reduction; cyclic analysis; mistuning modeling; and advanced turbomachinery topics.

ME 7384 – Principles of Electrification for Vehicle Propulsion Systems – Fundamentals of advanced propulsion vehicles (HEV, PHEV, BEV, FCV), covering motivation, architectures, taxonomy and components, energy analysis, modeling, simulation, optimization, and supervisory control/energy management principles. Topics include: energy consumption of vehicles; motivation for advanced propulsion vehicles; review of energy conversions systems (engines, fuel cells, electric machines), energy storage systems (chemical fuels, batteries, supercapacitors, flywheels); review of transmission systems; energy modeling of
advanced propulsion vehicle systems; design optimization of hybrid electric vehicles; and advanced propulsion supervisory control.

AE 5775 – Hypersonic Flows – Introduction to hypersonic inviscid and viscous flows, Newtonian theory, high-temperature effects and heat transfer. Topics include: unique features of hypersonic flows; classical theories; viscous-inviscid interactions in hypersonic flows; hypersonic transition and turbulence; statistical thermodynamics and concept of non-equilibrium; high-temperature effects: thermo-chemical nonequilibrium; reentry physics, including radiation, ablation, ionization; modern topics; electromagnetic flow control; scramjet and rocket propulsion; gas surface interactions.

ME 6501 – Gas Dynamics – A study of one-dimensional and two-dimensional steady and one-dimensional unsteady compressible flows. Topics include: compressible flows; conservation equations; wave propagation and normal shocks; flows with friction & heat transfer (Rayleigh and Fanno
flows); oblique shock waves and expansion waves; nozzle and diffuser flows; numerical methods conservation equations in differential form; unsteady wave motion; velocity potential equation.

ME 6510 – Intermediate Heat Transfer – Principles governing heat transfer with an emphasis on formulation of problems. Mass transfer is also introduced. Topics include: modes and constitutive relations, conductivity tensors; conservation laws; 1-D and 2-D conduction; convection, thermal energy balance; boundary layer theory; viscous dissipation; heat transfer in internal flows; mass transfer; thermal radiation, gas radiation; and radiation exchange between surfaces and enclosures.

AE 7875 – Introduction to Turbulence – Introduction to turbulence in fluid mechanics with emphasis on understanding the physical mechanisms involved. Topics include: definition of turbulence, non-dimensional variables, scales; governing equations, statistical tools, correlations, spectra; homogeneous turbulence, implications of more complex flows; boundary layers, free shear flows, wakes; theoretical models, and computational and experimental results.

AE 5624 – Estimation Theory for Aerospace Systems – Fundamental concepts of estimation theory, least squares estimation, estimation frameworks including minimum variance, maximum likelihood, maximum a posteriori, etc. Topics include: elements of probability theory, conditional probability, Bayes rule, continuous random variables; least squares estimation, projection theorem, Wahba’s problem, constrained least squares, sequential least squares; elements of dynamic systems and measurement models, applications in aircraft and spacecraft tracking; estimation theory architectures, e.g., maximum likelihood, maximum a-posteriori, information theoretic estimation; sequential state estimation for linear systems: the Kalman filter in aerospace applications.

ME 7250 – Vibration of Discrete Systems – Concepts of undamped and damped vibrations of single and multi-degree of freedom discrete systems. Principles of modal analysis, analytical dynamics and approximate methods. Topics include: summary of free and forced vibration analysis of damped single degree of
freedom systems; viscous and Coulomb damping; response to periodic and arbitrary excitations; principle of virtual work and Lagrange’s equations of motion; damped multi-degree of freedom systems, complex eigenvalue problem, orthogonality of modes; response to initial and external excitations by modal analysis; approximate methods (Rayleigh’s quotient); and case studies on vibration modeling of real-life systems.

ME 7383 – Energy Conversion and Storage Systems for Electrified Propulsion – Electrochemical energy storage (batteries) and conversion (fuel cells) systems for automotive applications covering state of the art principles of operations and modeling. Topics include: review of principles of electrochemistry; introduction to secondary battery cells for automotive applications; introduction to capacitors; modeling of electrochemical battery cells; control of battery systems; fuel cell stacks; fuel cell systems; fuels for fuel cell systems; modeling of fuel cell systems; and low-level control of fuel cell systems.

AE 6193 & AE 8193 – Individual Studies in Aerospace Engineering – Special topics within applied aeronautics. Instructor consent required. 3-5-credit hours. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 credit hours.

AE 8900 – Aerospace Engineering Experiential Learning Masters Project – Independent capstone project in applied aeronautics focused on industry best practices with analytical estimations, data collection and analysis, and technical documentation. Faculty advisor and instructor consent required.