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Undergraduate curriculum

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The Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering offers a bachelor of science degree in aerospace and ocean engineering.

Students in the department may major in either aerospace engineering or ocean engineering. These degrees share many course requirements because the two curricula cover a broad range of common interests and offer a wide range of technical electives.

Students with an interest in both majors may enroll in a double major program—aerospace with ocean engineering or ocean with aerospace engineering.

The Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering also offers a multidisciplinary minor in naval engineering, which is open to non-AOE students.


Specialization

Students have the opportunity to specialize in core areas and key topics related to aerospace and ocean engineering, such as aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, etc. This provides students with the flexibility to tailor their degrees to their interest. They have the ability to mix and match courses from nine technical tracks, which span the core areas in both aerospace and ocean engineering. Students are required to take a minimum of 9 credits from one of the approved Technical Tracks.

Note:  AOE sometimes offers special study courses (AOE 4984 Special Study), which may count for particular tracks.  Look at the note associated with a special study on the timetable of courses to determine if the course will count in a technical track.

Technical Tracks

Checksheets

Policy 91

To remain in the AOE Department, students must maintain satisfactory progress towards the completion of their degrees as outlined on the checksheets.  Read more about AOE Policy 91 criteria

AOE undergraduate courses

View the complete listing of undergraduate AOE courses.

Prerequisites & course offering

For current prerequisites for a particular course, and to view current course offerings, see the Virginia Tech Course Timetables.

Double majors

Aerospace with ocean engineering

AE primary majors with an OE secondary major may substitute (4065-4066 or 4165-4166) for 4265-4266 and 4105-4106 for 4205-4206 in their secondary OE major.*

Refer to the checksheets for more details.

Ocean with aerospace engineering

OE primary majors with an AE secondary major may substitute 4265-4266 for (4065-4066 or 4165-4166) and 4205-4206 for 4105-4106 in their secondary AE major.*

Refer to the checksheets for more details.

*These substitutions are permitted for double majors but not dual degrees


AOE for non-majors

Naval engineering minor   

The naval engineering minor includes engineering and sciences applied in the research, design, and development of marine craft, aircraft, and vehicles used by the Navy for the nation’s defense. This multidisciplinary minor enables undergraduate students throughout the College of Engineering to better prepare for and aspire to this critical profession.

Logo for ABET

Both the B.S. program in Aerospace Engineering and the B.S. program in Ocean Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org