Program: Aerospace Engineering (BS) - University of Southern California

Apr 01, 2025

USC Catalogue 2022-2023

The requirement for this degree is 128-131 units. A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required in all upper division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken. See the section.

Composition/Writing Requirement

WRIT 150 Writing and Critical Reasoning–Thematic Approaches Units: 4
WRIT 340 Advanced Writing Units: 3, 4

General Education

Units: 24 +

Pre-Major Requirements

Major Requirements

Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Core

AME 105 Introduction to Aerospace Engineering Units: 4
AME 201 Statics Units: 3
AME 204 Strength of Materials Units: 3
AME 261 Basic Flight Mechanics Units: 4
AME 301 Dynamics Units: 3
AME 302 Dynamic Systems Units: 3
AME 308 Computer-Aided Analyses for Aero-Mechanical Design Units: 3
AME 309 Dynamics of Fluids Units: 4
AME 310 Engineering Thermodynamics I Units: 3
AME 341aL Mechoptronics Laboratory I and II Units: 3
AME 341bL Mechoptronics Laboratory I and II Units: 3
AME 436 Energy and Propulsion Units: 3
AME 441aL Senior Projects Laboratory Units: 3
AME 451 Linear Control Systems I Units: 3
AME 481 Aircraft Design Units: 4
MASC 310L Materials Behavior and Processing Units: 4

Astronautics

ASTE 280 Foundations of Astronautical Engineering Units: 3

Information Technology Program

ITP 168 Introduction to MATLAB Units: 2

Tracks (Choose one)

Standard Track (9 units)

AME 404 Computational Solutions to Engineering Problems Units: 3
Technical Electives* Units: 6

Note:

*Technical electives consist of most upper-division courses in engineering, chemistry, physics or mathematics.

Aeronautics Track (8 units)*

AME 443 Control Systems Laboratory Units: 3
or
AME 459 Flight Mechanics Units: 3
AME 460 Aerodynamic Theory Units: 3
Free elective 2 units

Aerospace Structures Track (9-11 units)

AME 403 Stress Analysis Units: 3
or
AME 420 Engineering Vibrations I Units: 3
AME 408 Computer-Aided Design of Mechanical Systems Units: 3
or
CE 458 Computational Structural Analysis Units: 4
AME 485 Aerospace Structures I Units: 3
or
CE 358L Elementary Theory of Structures Units: 4

Aerospace Controls Track (9 units)

AME 420 Engineering Vibrations I Units: 3
or
AME 453 Engineering Dynamics Units: 3
AME 443 Control Systems Laboratory Units: 3
AME 459 Flight Mechanics Units: 3
or
ASTE 480 Spacecraft Dynamics Units: 3

Aerospace Design Track (9 units)

AME 459 Flight Mechanics Units: 3
or
ASTE 480 Spacecraft Dynamics Units: 3
Choose two from the following:
AME 408 Computer-Aided Design of Mechanical Systems Units: 3
AME 430 Thermal Systems Design Units: 3
ASTE 421x Space Mission Design Units: 3

Thermal Systems Track (9-10 units)*

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Aerospace Engineering (BS)