M.S. in Engineering Physics

Introduction

The Master of Science in Engineering Physics degree program provides graduate-level education and training in space science and space systems engineering. The goal is to provide graduates with the skills that will allow them to make an immediate contribution to space-related industries or to proceed to doctoral studies in a wide variety of disciplines. This program’s objectives are:

Fundamental understanding of scientific and engineering approaches to conceiving and designing complex spacecraft systems.
Development of the diverse set of research skills required to evolve the state of the art in the areas of space science and engineering.

The program specifically emphasizes scientific instrumentation, applied optics, remote sensing, spacecraft subsystems (power, attitude, and thermal control), and a wide variety of topics in space science and engineering.

This program is heavily research oriented, with a majority of the faculty in the Department of Physical Sciences actively involved in scholarly activities in the space sciences and engineering. The research areas include experimental programs with satellite systems, sounding rockets, ground-based remote-sensing experiments, and a parallel program of theoretical studies in the areas of space systems engineering, upper atmospheric physics, space physics, and plasma and magnetospheric physics.

Admissions Criteria

Students will:

Solve space science and engineering problems.
Apply advanced numerical methods for engineers and scientists.
Apply advanced space physics concepts.
Apply experimental methods in space science.

Degree Requirements

The curriculum consists of 15 credits of required coursework, with an additional 15 credits of electives and/or thesis research.

The core courses emphasize the heavily technical nature of the space sciences and require an undergraduate degree in Physics, Engineering, or a related field (such as Mathematics or Chemistry) for preparation.

Master of Science in Engineering Physics

Masters Option
Option	Core Courses	Electives	Thesis	Total
Thesis	15	6	9	30
Non-Thesis	15	15	0	30

Core Courses
EP 501	Numerical Methods for Engineers and Scientists	3
EP 505	Spacecraft Dynamics and Control	3
EP 509	Advanced Space Physics	3
EP 600	Experimental Methods in Space Science	3
EP 605	Spacecraft Power and Thermal Design	3
Electives (others available on a rotating basis)
AE 508	Intermediate Heat Transfer	3
AE 514	Introduction to the Finite Element Method	3
AE 520	Perturbation Methods in Engineering	3
AE 524	Rocket Engine Propulsion Systems	3
BA 511	Operations Research	3
EP 696	Graduate Internship in Engineering Physics	3
EP 699	Special Topics in Engineering Physics	3
MA 502	Boundary Value Problems	3
MA 504	Theory of the Potential	3
MA 506	Probability and Statistical Inference	3
MA 510	Fundamentals of Optimization	3
SE 500	Software Engineering Discipline	3
SE 545	Specification and Design of Real-Time Systems	3
SE 585	Metrics and Statistical Methods for Software Engineering	3
SE 610	Software Systems Architecture and Design	3
SE 655	Performance Analysis of Real-Time Systems	3
Thesis
EP 700	Thesis	1-9