Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

Return to: USC Viterbi School of Engineering  

Student Affairs Office
Olin Hall of Engineering
Room 500
(213) 740-4303
FAX: (213) 740-7774
Email: ame@usc.edu

Business Office
Olin Hall of Engineering
Room 400
(213) 740-8762
FAX: (213) 740-8071
Email: ame@usc.edu
ame.usc.edu

Chair: Paul Ronney, ScD

Faculty

Gordon S. Marshall Early Career Chair in Engineering: Niema Pahlevan, PhD

Henry Salvatori Early Career Chair: Mitul Luhar, PhD

Arthur B. Freeman Professorship in Engineering: Andrea Hodge, PhD

Hughes Professorship: Assad Oberai, PhD

William E. Leonhard Professor of Engineering: Fokion Egolfopoulos, PhD

Smith International Professor of Mechanical Engineering: Satyandra K. Gupta, PhD

WiSE Gabilan Assistant Professors: Neda Maghsoodi, PhD; Alejandra Uranga, PhD

Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow in Engineering: Eva Kanso, PhD

Professors: Yong Chen, PhD (Industrial and Systems Engineering); Julian Domaradzki, PhD**; Fokion Egolfopoulos, PhD*; Krishna Garikipati, PhD; Satyandra K. Gupta, PhD (Computer Science); Yan Jin, PhD; Eva Kanso, PhD; Paul K. Newton, PhD (Mathematics); Assad Oberai, PhD; Carlos Pantano-Rubino, PhD; Ishwar Puri, PhD (Biomedical Engineering); Paul Ronney, ScD; Satwindar S. Sadhal, PhD (Ophthalmology); Geoffrey Spedding, PhD*; Bingen Yang, PhD

Associate Professors: Ivan Bermejo-Moreno, PhD; Wen Chen, PhD; Mitul Luhar, PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Niema Pahlevan, PhD; Geoffrey Shiflett, DEng, PE*

Assistant Professors: Neda Maghsoodi, PhD; Quan Nguyen, PhD (Computer Science); Paul Plucinsky, PhD; Alejandra Uranga, PhD; Rui Xu, PhD; Hangbo Zhao, PhD (Biomedical Engineering)

Professor of Engineering Practice: M. Oussama Safadi, PhD*

Associate Professors of Engineering Practice: Inna Abramova, PhD; Matthew Gilpin, PhD; Yann Staelens, PhD

Senior Lecturers: BoCheng Jin, PhD; Akshay Potnuru, PhD; Takahiro Sakai, PhD; Ramtin Sheikhhassani, PhD

Lecturers: Saakar Byahut, PhD; Emma Singer, PhD

Joint Appointments: Keenan Albee, PhD (Astronautical Engineering); Daniel Erwin, PhD* (Astronautical Engineering); Amin Ghadami, PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Roger Georges Ghanem, PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Mike Gruntman, PhD (Astronautical Engineering); Andrea Hodge, PhD (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science); Petros Ioannou, PhD (Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Industrial and Systems Engineering); Mihailo Jovanovic, PhD (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Berok Khoshnevis, PhD (Astronautical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Industrial and Systems Engineering); Peter Kuhn, PhD (Biological Sciences); Jay H. Lee, PhD (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Industrial and Systems Engineering); Stephen C-Y Lu, PhD (Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Computer Science); Azad Madni, PhD (Astronautical Engineering, and Education); Gregory Magee, MD (Keck School of Medicine); Sami F. Masri, PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Steven Nutt, PhD (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science); Thomas Petersen, PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Feifei Qian, PhD (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Constantinos Sioutas, PhD (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Francisco Valero-Cuevas, PhD (Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy); Joseph Wang, PhD (Astronautical Engineering)

Adjunct Research Associate Professor: Adam Fincham, PhD

Adjunct Research Assistant Professors: Ananya Balakrishna, PhD; Hossein Gorgi, PhD; Abbas Moghhaddam, PhD

Adjunct Professors of Engineering Practice: Marty Bradley, PhD; Vinal Goyal, PhD; Jayanth Kudva, PhD

Adjunct Associate Professors of Engineering Practice: Boris Fritz, MA; Davis Lazzara, PhD; Kamal Shweyk, MSc

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Engineering Practice: Anita Penkova, PhD

Emeritus Professors: Ron Blackwelder, PhD*; Fred Browand, PhD; Charles Campbell, PhD;  Henryk Flashner, PhD; Clarke Howatt, MS, PE; Terence Langdon, PhD; Larry G. Redekopp, PhD*; Donald Shemansky, PhD; Firdaus E. Udwadia, PhD

*Recipient of university-wide or school teaching award.

**Recipient of university-wide or school research award.

Mechanical Engineering Honor Society: Pi Tau Sigma

Aerospace Engineering Honor Society: Sigma Gamma Tau

Degrees and Requirements

Educational Mission 

The degree programs of the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering provide the educational foundation for success in all walks of life whether or not one’s career path includes employment as a professional engineer, work in a field outside of engineering, or pursuit of further education.

Undergraduate Program Educational Objectives 

Graduates of the undergraduate programs in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering are expected to attain the following objectives within a few years after graduation:

• Work as professionals within engineering or a related area in both small- and large-scale businesses; and/or
• Pursue further education through graduate school or professional development courses; and/or
• Become leaders within their chosen profession whether it be industry, academia or service.

Aerospace Engineering Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering

The program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering provides graduates with a knowledge of aerodynamics, aerospace materials, structures, propulsion, flight mechanics, and stability and control. The program also provides graduates with a design competence that includes integration of aeronautical topics.

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering

The programs leading to a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering prepare the student to practice engineering at an advanced level in a specialization within aerospace engineering and to recognize the benefit of solving problems using expertise from other engineering disciplines. Students improve their skills in posing and solving problems using contemporary tools and leveraging interaction with both peers and practicing professionals.

PhD in Aerospace Engineering: See Aerospace Engineering (PhD)  

Mechanical Engineering Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering requires students to apply principles of engineering, basic science and mathematics (including multivariate calculus and differential equations); and model, analyze, design and realize physical systems, components or processes. It also prepares students to work professionally in both thermal and mechanical systems areas.

Minor in Music Recording

A minor in music recording is offered through the USC Thornton School of Music to provide undergraduate students with the background necessary to enter the field of recording engineering and to familiarize them with the design needs of modern recording equipment. The minor is recommended to mechanical engineering majors with extensive musical training who would like to combine their technical and musical abilities while learning the engineering applications of physical and mathematical principles to the art of music recording. See the listing under the USC Thornton School of Music .

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The field of mechanical engineering is incredibly broad. To accommodate both the breadth of the field and students’ interests, the department offers several options for students pursuing the MS in Mechanical Engineering. These options include several tracks through the general MS program as well as several named emphases. Tracks, both topical and traditional, through the general MS in Mechanical Engineering program are intended to guide students through a particular area of specialization.

Advanced manufacturing is an example of a topical specialization. The use of Advanced Manufacturing is key to increasing the competitiveness of manufacturing in the United States. The Advanced Manufacturing Track within Mechanical Engineering educates and trains multidisciplinary professionals to pursue careers in manufacturing companies as designers, manufacturing engineers, and engineering managers. This program covers modeling of physical manufacturing processes, development and utilization of computational tools, and modeling and optimization of manufacturing systems. It includes recent developments in manufacturing such as collaborative robotics, additive manufacturing, smart manufacturing, and Industry 4.0. This degree provides the graduate student with a broad, well-rounded, advanced education that can be applied to many different industries in which advanced manufacturing plays a role. For more information about the Advanced Manufacturing track within the MS in Mechanical Engineering program, please contact the faculty adviser for this track, Prof. S.K. Gupta (guptask@usc.edu).

Master of Science in Product Development Engineering (Technology Track): See the listing under Product Development Engineering .

PhD in Mechanical Engineering: See Mechanical Engineering (PhD)  

Programs

Bachelor’s Degree

• •  Aerospace Engineering (BS)
• •  Mechanical Engineering (BS)

Master’s Degree

• •  Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) (MS)
• •  Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Computational Fluid and Solid Mechanics) (MS)
• •  Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Dynamics and Control) (MS)
• •  Aerospace Engineering (MS)
• •  Aerospace Engineering/Engineering Management (MS)
• •  Mechanical Engineering (Energy Conversion) (MS)
• •  Mechanical Engineering (MS)
• •  Mechanical Engineering (Nuclear Power) (MS)
• •  Mechanical Engineering (Quantitative Medical Engineering) (MS)
• •  Mechanical Engineering/Engineering Management (MS)
• •  Smart Manufacturing (MS)

Doctoral Degree

• •  Aerospace Engineering (PhD)
• •  Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Courses

Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

• •  AME 101L Introduction to Mechanical Engineering
• •  AME 105 Introduction to Aerospace Engineering
• •  AME 150L Introduction to Computational Methods
• •  AME 201 Statics
• •  AME 204 Mechanics of Materials and Structures
• •  AME 208 Computational Methods in Engineering
• •  AME 232L Manufacturing Processes
• •  AME 261 Basic Flight Mechanics
• •  AME 291 Undergraduate Design Projects I
• •  AME 301 Dynamics
• •  AME 302a Systems
• •  AME 302b Systems
• •  AME 303 Dynamics of Machinery
• •  AME 305 Mechanical Design
• •  AME 308 Computer-Aided Engineering
• •  AME 309 Dynamics of Fluids
• •  AME 310 Engineering Thermodynamics I
• •  AME 341aL Mechoptronics Laboratory
• •  AME 341bL Mechoptronics Laboratory
• •  AME 390 Special Problems
• •  AME 403 Stress Analysis
• •  AME 404 Computational Solutions to Engineering Problems
• •  AME 405 Functional Approach to Computational Methods
• •  AME 408 Computer-Aided Design of Mechanical Systems
• •  AME 409 Senior Design Project
• •  AME 410 Engineering Design Theory and Methodology
• •  AME 412 Molecular Theory of Gases
• •  AME 414 Engineering Thermodynamics II
• •  AME 415 Turbine Design and Analysis
• •  AME 416 Mechanics and Transport in Medicine and Biology
• •  AME 420 Engineering Vibrations I
• •  AME 423L Loudspeaker and Sound System Design
• •  AME 428 Mechanics of Materials
• •  AME 430 Thermal Systems Design
• •  AME 431 Heat Transfer
• •  AME 436 Automotive and Flight Propulsion
• •  AME 441aL Senior Projects Laboratory
• •  AME 441bL Senior Projects Laboratory
• •  AME 443 Control Systems Laboratory
• •  AME 451 Linear Control Systems I
• •  AME 453 Engineering Dynamics
• •  AME 455 Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems
• •  AME 456 Bio-inspired Robotics
• •  AME 457 Engineering Fluid Dynamics
• •  AME 459 Flight Mechanics
• •  AME 460 Aerodynamic Theory
• •  AME 461 Formation Data Sensing with Well Logs
• •  AME 462 Economic, Risk and Formation Productivity Analysis
• •  AME 463L Introduction to Transport Processes in Porous Media
• •  AME 464L Modeling and Simulation of Subsurface Flow Systems
• •  AME 465L Drilling Technology and Subsurface Methods
• •  AME 481 Aircraft Design
• •  AME 485 Aerospace Structures I
• •  AME 486 Mechanics of Composite Materials for Modern Structures
• •  AME 490x Directed Research
• •  AME 491 Undergraduate Design Projects II
• •  AME 499 Special Topics
• •  AME 501 Innovative Conceptual Design for New Product Development
• •  AME 502 Modern Topics in Aerospace Design
• •  AME 503 Advanced Mechanical Design
• •  AME 504 Mechatronics Systems Engineering
• •  AME 505 Machine Learning for Engineering Applications
• •  AME 506 Continuum Mechanics
• •  AME 507 Mechanics of Solids I
• •  AME 508 Machine Learning and Computational Physics
• •  AME 509 Applied Elasticity
• •  AME 510 Advanced Computational Design and Manufacturing
• •  AME 511 Compressible Gas Dynamics
• •  AME 513a Fundamentals and Applications of Combustion
• •  AME 513b Fundamentals and Applications of Combustion
• •  AME 515 Thermal and Biological Transport Phenomena I
• •  AME 516 Thermal and Biological Transport Phenomena II
• •  AME 517 Radiation Heat Transfer
• •  AME 518 Emerging Manufacturing Technologies
• •  AME 520 Modeling of Bio-Systems
• •  AME 521 Engineering Vibrations II
• •  AME 522 Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Vibrations, and Chaos
• •  AME 523 Random Vibrations
• •  AME 524 Advanced Engineering Dynamics
• •  AME 525 Linear Algebra in Engineering Science
• •  AME 526 Partial Differential Equations for Engineering Applications
• •  AME 527 Elements of Vehicle and Energy Systems Design
• •  AME 528 Finite Element Analysis
• •  AME 529 Aircraft Structures Analysis
• •  AME 530a Dynamics of Incompressible Fluids
• •  AME 530b Dynamics of Incompressible Fluids
• •  AME 532 Flight Vehicle Stability and Control
• •  AME 533 Multi-Phase Flows
• •  AME 534 Nuclear Thermal-Hydraulics
• •  AME 535a Introduction to Computational Fluid Mechanics
• •  AME 535b Introduction to Computational Fluid Mechanics
• •  AME 536 Biofluid Mechanics: Transport and Circulatory Systems
• •  AME 537 Microfluidics
• •  AME 538 Low Reynolds Number Hydrodynamics and Biotransport Phenomena
• •  AME 539 Multi-body Dynamics
• •  AME 540 Probability and Statistics in Engineering Science
• •  AME 541 Linear Control Systems II
• •  AME 542 Theory of Plates and Shells
• •  AME 543 Structural Instability and Failure
• •  AME 544 Computer Control of Mechanical Systems