Program Overview

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Certificate in Aerospace Innovation

The Certificate in Aerospace Innovation is a cross-disciplinary program launched by the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in collaboration with the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. This program aims to address the growing need for innovation through entrepreneurship in the aerospace sector.

Background

The field of Aerospace Engineering has its roots in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with the advent of heavier-than-air aircraft pioneered by the Wright Brothers. The early days of aviation were marked by individual inventors and experimentation, with relatively little government intervention or sponsorship. However, with the advent of WWI and WWII, aviation became a major contributor to the war effort. Today, the aerospace sector has returned to its original roots of innovation and entrepreneurship, driven by small and mid-size firms experimenting with electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing and electric Short Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL and eSTOL) vehicles, cutting-edge CubeSat missions, and new drone-enabled services.

Overview

The Certificate in Aerospace Innovation program comprises three main elements:

1. Coursework: Students must take at least two classes from the list of approved courses, with at least one class from the aerospace domain and one from the innovation domain, for a total of at least 18 units for Track A and at least 12 units for Track B.
2. Participation in an innovation incubator activity: Students can choose between Track A, which requires participation in the Aerospace Innovators Workshop during IAP, or Track B, which requires participation in some of the hands-on MIT summer programs in entrepreneurship and business acceleration, such as MIT delta v or the Venture Exploration Program.
3. Attendance at the Aerospace Innovation Seminar Series: Students must attend the seminar series, where speakers from the biggest names in entrepreneurial aerospace will share their experiences and answer questions about their respective paths into industry.

Program Requirements Summary

The program requirements are as follows:

• Track A:
  • Minimum 18 units of coursework
  • Participation in the Aerospace Innovation Workshop (StartMIT) during IAP
  • Attendance at the Aerospace Innovation Seminar Series
• Track B:
  • Minimum 12 units of coursework
  • Participation in some of the hands-on MIT summer programs in entrepreneurship and business acceleration
  • Attendance at the Aerospace Innovation Seminar Series

Curriculum

The following classes and organized activities are part of the certificate:

Aerospace Domain Courses

• 16.110 Flight Vehicle Aerodynamics (3-1-8 = 12 units)
• 16.445J Entrepreneurship in Aerospace and Mobility Systems (3-0-9= 12 units) (Spring) (Not offered this academic year)
• 16.453[J] Human Systems Engineering (Grad-level) (3-0-9= 12 units)
• 16.511 Aircraft Engines and Gas Turbines (3-0-9= 12 units)
• 16.71 The Airline Industry (3-0-9 = 12 units)
• 16.842 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering (2-0-4 = 6 units)
• 16.855[J] Systems Architecting Applied to Enterprises (3-0-9 = 12 units)
• 16.88[J] Prototyping our Sci-Fi Space Future: Designing & Deploying Projects for Zero Gravity Flights (not offered regularly; please consult department)
• 16.886 Air Transportation Systems Architecting (3-2-7 = 12 units) (Fall) (Not offered this academic year)
• 16.893 Engineering the Space Shuttle (3-0-9 = 12 units) (Fall) (Not offered this academic year)
• 16.895[J] Engineering Apollo: The Moon Project as a Complex System (4-0-8 = 12 units) (Fall) (Not offered this academic year)

Innovation Domain Courses

• 16.990[J] Leading Creative Teams (3-0-6= 9 units) (Fall, Spring)
• 6.9270 Negotiation and Influence Skills for Technical Leaders (2-0-4 = 6 units) (Fall)
• 6.S979 Multi-Stakeholder Negotiation for Technical Experts (2-0-4 = 6 units) (not offered regularly; please consult department)
• 15.364 Innovation Ecosystems for Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Leaders (iEco4REAL) (3-0-6 = 9 units)
• 15.368 Disciplined Entrepreneurship Lab (1-0-5 = 6 units)
• 15.369 Corporate Entrepreneurship Lab (3-0-6 = 9 units)
• 15.378 Building an Entrepreneurial Venture: Advanced Tools and Techniques (3-1-8 = 12 units)
• 15.379[J] Mobility Ventures: Driving Innovation in Transportation Systems (3-3-6 = 12 units)
• 15.390 Entrepreneurship 101: Systematic Approach to New Venture Creation (2-2-8 = 12 units) (Fall, Spring)
• 15.394 Entrepreneurial Founding and Teams (3-0-6 = 9 units)
• 15.618 Startups and the Law (2-0-4 = 6 units) (Fall, Spring)
• 15.911 Entrepreneurial Strategy (6-0-3 = 9 units, H1)

Participate in an Innovation Incubator Activity

Upon joining the program, participants will be asked to designate either Track A or Track B to fulfill this requirement.

• For Track A, students will participate in StartMIT (Aerospace Innovation Workshop during IAP).
• For Track B, students can participate in some of the hands-on MIT summer programs in entrepreneurship and business acceleration, such as MIT delta v or the Venture Exploration Program.

Aerospace Innovator’s Seminar Series

The seminar series will feature speakers from the biggest names in entrepreneurial aerospace, who will share their experiences and answer questions about their respective paths into industry. The series may also include innovation units that are part of or embedded in larger organizations.

Speakers

The following speakers have been featured in the seminar series:

• Ryan McLinko ’09, SM ’11
• Scarlett Koller ’16, SM ’23, MBA ’23
• Eddie Obropta ’13 SM ’15
• Sebastien Mannai SM ’14, PhD ’18
• Dr. Tina P. Srivastava
• Brian Yutko, SM ’11, PhD ’14
• Fady Saad
• Mike Klinker, SB ’14, SM ’16
• Preston Dunlap
• Orin Hoffman
• John Langford ’79, ’83, ’84, ’87
• Hailey Nichols ’19
• Dan Schwinn (MIT EECS ’83)
• Billy Thalheimer ’14, ’16
• Nii Armar ’06, SM ’09
• Jyotsna Budideti
• Mike Cassidy SB’85, SM’86
• Paul Cheek
• Danielle DeLatte, SB ’11
• Patrick E. Hanley, PhD ’89
• Forrest Meyen, PhD ’17
• Ryan McLinko ’09, SM ’11
• Jonathan ‘jmill’ Miller SM ’19
• Natalya Bailey, PhD’14
• Mike Cassidy SB’85, SM’86
• Anna Mraceck Dietrich SB’04, SM’06
• Paul Eremenko ’01
• David Mindell, PhD’96
• Eddie Obropta ’13 SM ’15
• Dr. Jayant Sabnis