What does an Aerospace Engineering student study?
I graduated from MIT class of 2016 with my bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and it took a diverse set of classes including Biology, Control Systems, Shakespeare to get me there. Contrary to the common belief that an engineer just needs to be good at math and science, I appreciated the MIT approach to graduation requirements. No matter what your major was, you would be exposed to everything from the technical mechanics of the physical world to the critical dissection of the arts in the hopes that you would emerge well-rounded and capable of communicating your grand ideas to the world. Since some students ask me which classes they should expect to take as an aerospace engineer, I figured this blog would be dedicated to sharing my educational path.
Core STEM Classes
At MIT, every student at the time was responsible for taking core science classes that counted towards graduation. No matter your major, these were general institute requirements that everyone needed to take. Looks like I was already exhausted from the work freshmen year, little did I know it was just getting started:
Introductory Biology
Intro to Solid-State Chemistry
Calculus I and Calculus II
Physics I (Classical Mechanics)
Physics II (Electromagnetism and Electrostatics)
Requirements for my Major 🛰️
The first class I ever took in my major was Introduction to Aerospace Engineering. I was a freshmen who had been convinced by upperclassmen to try out an introductory engineering course since that was what MIT was known for.
On the first day the professor went over the syllabus and revealed nonchalantly that not only had he worked for NASA, but he had was a former astronaut who had helped fixed the Hubble Telescope! It was in that moment that I decided that this would be my future; it doesn’t get cooler than that.
After that, the first classes that I had to take as an Aerospace Engineering major covered the basics that just about any type of engineer should know:
Thermodynamics and Propulsion
Signals and Systems
Materials and Structures
Fluid Mechanics
These were a part of an infamous course known as Unified Engineering that every aerospace major at MIT had to take before moving on to the more advanced and specialized classes. Unified did not come easy for me; I had to work hard to understand concepts that were almost entirely new to me. We had tests or labs due just about every week, and lecture was every morning from 8-10am. It was, like most of MIT, a firehose of information. But I particularly enjoyed the lab portion of the class where we had the opportunity to build a remote-control airplane and fly high altitude balloons with payloads including movie tickets for Gravity (which I loved).
After completing Unified Engineering I took many classes that were either elective or core courses that met the requirements of my major:
Dynamics - this was a great introduction to orbital mechanics; it applies physics to the space environment
Statistics and Probability - something all engineers should learn (even if it was quite tough for me)
Principals of Automatic Control
Differential Equations (which included some linear algebra)
Feedback Control Systems - I remember that we ran Simulink control loops on a quadcopter which was cool
Human Systems Engineering - we studied human factors and reviewed case studies from famous accidents (Challenger, Columbia, aircraft accidents, etc.)
Communication Systems and Networks - this class dug into how we actually communicate with space systems from Earth
Introduction Computer and Engineering Problem Solving - this was the first time coding really clicked for me. It was taught with JAVA but I am mainly a Python user now.
Real-time Systems and Software - this was a great introduction to requirements writing and software design. By the end me and my partner built a game!
Electives: A Chance to Choose Your Own Path
Besides the classes that were required, I loved taking additional classes that allowed me to develop skills outside of what was required of my major and get a better feel for what I was truly passionate about:
Electronics Project Laboratory - taught in MIT’s Edgerton Center, this class offered hands-on experience to understand, design and build electronics projects using equipment such as oscilloscopes, solder, meters and signal generators.
Introduction to Digital Electronics - also in the Edgerton Center, this is where I learned how to design circuits and covers logic gates, memory, and finite-state machines. Still have my toolbox today!
Gordan Engineering Leadership program — this program offers classes that teach you all the things you will need to lead teams as an engineer that you aren’t taught in technical courses including:
Engineering Leadership Lab
Engineering Innovation and Design
Paradox and Infinity ♾️ - this was a theoretical mathematics class disguised as a philosophy class. It was interesting learning about cardinality, Gödel's Theorem, game theory, and the different types of infinity (yes, there are many).
Operations Research and Math - this was a seminar by my advisor at the time. I was convinced I would become a theoretical mathematician at this point.
Intro to Psychological Science 🧠 - learning about how the brain works and getting an introduction to cognitive sciences was pretty cool.
Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program - a “a yearlong professional development program for sophomores focused on building the relevant and critical skills necessary for a career in industry, research, or academia”.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program - I worked on the avionics system of a CubeSat project to monitor weather for credit instead of pay through this program.
Engineers Need to be Effective Communicators
Aside from your technical and required courses, at MIT there is belief that being able to communicate hard concepts is an essential skill that all engineers should have. For this reason, communication intensive courses are a requirement for all majors and usually materialize in the form of capstone classes. You need to take them for at least two semesters, but as you will see below, I opted to take an electrical engineering capstone out of curiosity.
An electrical engineering capstone class that taught me all about Verilog, programming FPGAs and writing 30-page technical papers on a device I had never even heard of before. Those long nights in the lab (that I only left when it closed at midnight) taught me that I could solve any problem and overcome any challenge that came my way.
Meastro Project in Action
My team created an FPGA-powered theremin project (which is an electronic musical instrument) called Maestro which comprised of motion tracking, sound generation and visualization (which I worked on!).
Space Systems Engineering - I was on the subsystem team that designed the avionics component for a CubSat project as part of a lunar NASA competition.
Space Systems Development - This class was focused on building an Antarctic Penetrator Probe that was designed by the previous class. Since I was on the testing team, I got to travel with other team members and our professors — one of which was the same professor who taught me introduction to Aerospace Engineering — to drop the penetrator in snow piles. Check out the video below to see it in action!
Engineers need the Humanities? 📚
Along the same vein, the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) classes at MIT were also a requirement. I welcomed this though, as I always had a love for reading and writing and never have considered myself a purely logically-driven or scientific person. I took classes in whatever interested me and eventually concentrated on Shakespeare and classical literature studies. Most of the books that I read for these classes still sit on my shelf today.
Reading Seminar in Social Science - topics such as ethical leadership and behavior were discussed.
Special Subject in Political Science - this class was centered around conversations you can’t have on campus like race, ethnicity, gender and identity. Great discussions took place and I remember students from other schools attending as well.
The Ancient World: Greece — we read the Iliad, the Odyssey, and other adventures stories that pull in one of my favorite things — greek mythology. Also got the chance to travel to Greece but since you had to pay your way I didn’t end up going.
Studies in Film — I remember this class being once a week from 7-10pm. We watched Bladerunner, Hitchcock and other classics.
Shakespeare — Exactly as it sounds. I got to read so much Shakespeare that I would have otherwise never got around to such as Titus Andronicus, Othello, All’s Well That End’s Well, and others. Sparked my love for Shakespeare
Shakespeare on Film and Media — A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Maqbool (an Indian version of Macbeth), Twelfth Night through the lens of film. The delivery of the lines guarantees that even if you don’t think you’d understand Shakespeare, you will.
Studies in Drama - this was all about the drama of revenge. Great reads
What? We have to take P.E.???
Surprise! Did you know it is a requirement to take at least 4 physical education classes plus pass a swim test or take a swim class in the case that you can’t? While at times going to the gym to play indoor soccer or do palates was the last thing I wanted to be doing, I am glad that we were required to pay attention to our physical well-being through this requirement. Looking back, I wish I had taken further advantage of the chance to take super cool classes such as sailing, archery, SCUBA, golf, and fencing! You can even get your pirate certificate 🏴☠️.
Graduation! You made it.
Woohoo, graduation at last! It was a tough 4 years but I made it. I can say that the journey to getting my degree was not easy, but certainly rewarding. And if I learned anything it was to be confident, embrace a challenge, and solve your way through interesting problems.
By senior year I only needed 6 more classes to meet graduation requirements, so I spent the majority of my free time giving back to the community and leading space projects through my extracurricular clubs.
Would I do it all over again if I could? Absolutely. Would it be challenging? Yes. Long nights? Yes. Imperfect grades? Yes. But I know that I could persevere, especially with the help of my classmates, professors, and teaching assistants. If I have any advice regarding classes, its this — don’t stick to the script prescribed to you. College is the perfect opportunity to branch out and discover your passions so take advantage of the time and never be afraid to ask for a helping hand.
P.S. For those wondering:
Favorite/Most Useful Class: Space Systems Engineering
Most Challenging Class: Digital Systems Laboratory
Most Unusual Class: Paradox and Infinity
