MS in Aerospace Engineering

Delve further into aircraft and spacecraft design, aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, combustion science and more to take your career to the next level.

aerospace engineering student working on quadcopter

Degree: Master of Science (MS)
Major: Aerospace Engineering

Take your understanding of aerospace engineering even further with a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University, where you’ll explore aerostructure design, flow dynamics and thermal dynamics. Position yourself to be the designer of new aviation structures and aircrafts with this degree, which offers a deeper dive into structural mechanics, thermodynamics and heat transfer. 

Our program offers a very practical training that is quickly translatable to the real-world engineering problems you’ll be asked to solve in the aerospace industry. Our focus is applying what you’ve learned in courses and exploring recent aeronautics developments to create new aviation structures. 

Case Western Reserve has a long history of working with the aerospace industry and has a close collaboration with NASA Glenn Research Center, one of the top institutions for aerospace engineering. In fact, many NASA Glenn research scientists also teach in our program, and our students regularly assist on their projects. And our location in Cleveland, Ohio—a hub of the aerospace industry—puts you in good company and positions you for internships and research collaborations with top-tier institutions. 

Plus, we make it easy for you to go further in your career in the way that works best for you. Our master’s program is available in three different formats, allowing you to tailor your education to best meet your needs:

  • Our course-only master of science degree program lets you earn your degree in just a year-and-a-half through full-time study, allowing you to move ahead in your career faster. Completed in just three semesters, we encourage you to choose your elective courses from across the engineering school’s various departments, allowing you to enhance interdisciplinary opportunities and craft a degree just right for your interests.  

  • Our project-focused master of science degree program allows you to align your final capstone project with your personal interests or even a professional project you are working on at your company, allowing you to bring your learning to life on the job even before you graduate. Whether you’re working on a team project to develop the next generation of lightweight aircraft or UAVs, our leading-edge coursework and flexible final project lets you learn in ways that are most relevant to your career.

  • Our research-focused master of science degree program combines the coursework of our other two programs with a personalized research project and thesis—letting you delve deeper into an area of aerospace engineering that contributes in meaningful ways to the advancement of the field. Many of our students’ research projects partner them with real projects currently being explored by NASA and aerospace companies, meaning your academic research is giving you real-world work experience at the same time. Choose to study full time or part time, if you are already working in industry. Plus, unlike many other programs, our admissions policies allow you to transition into our PhD program at the completion of your MS if you choose to continue your research and academic endeavors.

We explore the latest developments in materials, computer science, manufacturing, control and electrical engineering to improve the design of advanced aircraft structures with a goal to enhance efficiency, improve transportation, reduce cost and increase the safety of air travel. 

The current state of aerospace technology is ripe for a revolution. Learn the skills you need to help make hypersonic flights a reality, develop the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles and usher in a new era of novel air structures.

Explore degree requirements, courses and more in the university's General Bulletin