Program Overview

Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering is a four-year degree program that provides students with a comprehensive education in the field of aerospace engineering. The program is designed to equip students with the technical expertise and hands-on experience to design aircraft, launch spacecraft, and engineer the future of flight.

Program Options

• BS in Aerospace Engineering: A four-year degree program that provides a comprehensive education in aerospace engineering.
• BS/MS in Aerospace Engineering: An accelerated five-year program that allows students to complete both a bachelor's and master's degree in aerospace engineering.

Customize Your Path

Students can build their unique expertise through strategic elective choices, focusing their studies on areas that align with their career goals and personal interests. Potential minors that can strengthen an aerospace engineering degree include:

• Business
• Computer Science
• Mathematics
• Physics

What Makes WPI's Aerospace Engineering Degree Distinct

The program offers immersive seven-week terms and hands-on project work, allowing students to pursue pathways to:

Design

Real flight systems using the same tools as SpaceX and Boeing engineers.

Test

Designs in wind tunnels and space simulators to prove they work.

Launch

Actual projectsfrom high-altitude balloons to CubeSats.

Build

A professional portfolio of completed projects at one of WPI's 50+ project centers worldwide.

Customize

Expertise by choosing a mix of electives or a concentration to match interests.

Collaborate

With teams across disciplines to develop solutions for today's complex challenges.

Resources & Tech You'll Tap Into

• Low-speed wind tunnel and aerodynamics lab
• Vacuum chambers and space environment testing
• Controls and flight simulation lab

Research & Partnership Opportunities

• Fluid dynamics for supersonic flight
• Composite materials for lighter spacecraft
• Orbital mechanics and trajectory planning
• Rocket and jet propulsion systems
• Autonomous flight control systems

Project-Based Learning Experiences

Apply aerospace engineering theory and practice from day one. Build a professional portfolio with real work that matters. Complete increasingly advanced projects for industry partners and community organizations, both local and global.

Global Aerospace Engineering Solutions

Students have developed a cloud service platform concept and business plan for coordinating drone delivery operations in China's low-altitude economy.

Local Community Partnerships

Students have analyzed air quality data and recommended pollution mitigation strategies for the Department of Housing and Community Development in Chelsea, Mass.

Industry-Sponsored Projects

Students have designed and built a 1:10 scale autonomous aircraft prototype for the U.S. Army to deliver 100250 kg payloads over 200500 km ranges.

Skills You'll Gain

With WPI's aerospace engineering degree, you'll gain the technical expertise and hands-on experience to design aircraft, launch spacecraft, and engineer the future of flight. Explore opportunities to build skills such as:

• Aircraft & Spacecraft Structural Design
• Propulsion Systems Analysis & Testing
• Flight Dynamics & Control Systems
• Professional Excellence

Aerospace Engineering Career & Salary Outlook

Career Path | Industry Sector | Entry Level (05 years) | Mid-Level (510 years) | Senior Level (10+ years) ---|---|---|---|--- Aircraft Design | Aerospace & Defense | Aerospace Engineer $135K | Senior Aerospace Engineer $202K | Director of Aircraft Design $270K Propulsion Systems | Aerospace & Defense | Propulsion Engineer $120K | Lead Propulsion Engineer $180K | Chief Propulsion Officer $276K Flight Testing | Aerospace & Defense | Flight Test Engineer $115K | Senior Flight Test Engineer $173K | Director of Flight Test Operations $265K Spacecraft Systems | Space Technology | Spacecraft Systems Engineer $130K | Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer $195K | Director of Spacecraft Engineering $299K Avionics & Controls | Aerospace & Defense | Avionics Engineer $110K | Lead Avionics Engineer $165K | Director of Avionics Systems $253K Autonomous Aerial Systems | Emerging Tech | UAV Systems Engineer $105K | Senior Drone Systems Engineer $158K | Director of Autonomous Systems $242K

Financing Your Future

College is a great investment in your future. Explore WPI's cost of attendance and learn how the Office of Financial Aid can guide you through options for funding your education.