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

Apr 01, 2025

USC Catalogue 2022-2023

The Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering prepares students for engineering careers in the space industry, for research and development in industry and government centers and laboratories, and for graduate study. The program combines a core in the fundamentals of engineering, specialized work in astronautics and space technology, and technical electives to broaden and/or deepen the course work.

The requirement for this degree is 129 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 also the common requirements for undergraduate degrees section.

Composition/Writing Requirements

WRIT 130 Analytical Writing Units: 4
WRIT 340 Advanced Writing Units: 3, 4

Total units: 8

General Education

General education Units: 24 * +

Required Lower Division Courses

AME 201 Statics Units: 3
AME 204 Strength of Materials Units: 3
ASTE 101L Introduction to Astronautics Units: 4
ASTE 280 Foundations of Astronautical Engineering Units: 3
CHEM 105aLg General Chemistry Units: 4 or
CHEM 115aLg Advanced General Chemistry Units: 4 or
MASC 110L Materials Science Units: 4
ENGR 102 Engineering Freshman Academy Units: 2
ITP 168 Introduction to MATLAB Units: 2
MATH 125g Calculus I Units: 4
MATH 126g Calculus II Units: 4
MATH 226g Calculus III Units: 4
MATH 245 Mathematics of Physics and Engineering I Units: 4
PHYS 151Lg Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics Units: 4 *
PHYS 152L Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism Units: 4
PHYS 153L Fundamentals of Physics III: Optics and Modern Physics Units: 4

Required Upper Division Courses

AME 301 Dynamics Units: 3
AME 308 Computer-Aided Analyses for Aero-Mechanical Design Units: 3
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 441aL Senior Projects Laboratory Units: 3
ASTE 305 Astronautical Gas Dynamics Units: 4
ASTE 331a Spacecraft Systems Engineering Units: 3
ASTE 331b Spacecraft Systems Engineering Units: 3
ASTE 404 Computational Programming and Numerical Methods Units: 3
ASTE 421x Space Mission Design Units: 3
ASTE 470 Spacecraft Propulsion Units: 3
ASTE 480 Spacecraft Dynamics Units: 3
Technical electives Units: 8 **

Total units: 129

*Satisfies GE Category III requirement (for students following the previous GE Program).

**Technical electives consist of (1) any upper division course in engineering except CE 404 , CE 412 and ISE 440 , or (2) an upper division course in chemistry, physics or mathematics and MATH 225 . No more than 3 units of 490 course work can be used to satisfy the technical elective requirement.

+The university allows engineering majors to replace the GE Category IV with a second course in Categories I, II or VI (for students following the previous GE Program).