Graduate Program | Aerospace Engineering, Wichita State University

The Department of Aerospace Engineering at Wichita State University (WSU) is among the oldest in the country. The department was originally established in 1928 and has been operating since that time, with a brief interruption between 1935 and 1943. Since its inception, the department has educated many engineers who have strongly supported the general aviation industry in Wichita. Today, over 27% of all engineers employed in Wichita have been educated at WSU. Every semester, the department enrolls about 45 to 50 students at the Masters level and 10 to 15 students at the Doctoral level.

The Department of Aerospace Engineering offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in the following areas of specialization:

• Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
• Structures and Solid Mechanics
• Flight Dynamics and Control
• Multi-Disciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization

A variety of financial assistantships are available for qualified graduate students. Graduate students receiving any type of stipend are required to be enrolled as full-time students.

Upon recommendation of a faculty advisor and subject to availability of funds, a graduate student can be appointed as a GRA for a stipend of up to $2,400 per semester. These appointments qualify the recipient for waiver of out-of-state tuition that can exceed $4,500 annually and can be renewed subject to availability of funds and satisfactory research progress in the opinion of the faculty advisor. Currently, over 30 students receive such assistantships.

Faculty members who have research grants or contracts hire their own research assistants. The stipends for these assistantships vary from $5,000 to over $18,000 annually. These appointments are made competitively and qualify the recipients for waiver of out-of-state fees which can exceed $4,500 annually.

A number of teaching assistantships are available to qualified graduate students. These appointments are for 10 hours of work per week and qualify the recipients for waiver of out-of-state tuition which can exceed $4,500 annually, plus partial waiver of the in-state fees. International students recommended for teaching assistantship for the first time must pass the Test of Spoken English satisfactorily. This test is administered on the campus of WSU.

Interested individuals are invited to contact the Graduate School for application materials at the following address:

Wichita State University
Graduate School
Wichita, KS 67260-0004
Phone: (316) 978-3095

All applications need to be made directly to the Graduate School. Additional information about graduate studies in Aerospace Engineering can be obtained from:

Dr. Charles Yang
Graduate Coordinator, M.S. and Ph.D. Programs
Wichita State University
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Wallace Hall, Room 200
1845 North Fairmount
Wichita, Kansas 67260-0042