MS Degree with Thesis - on campus only

MS with Thesis - on campus only

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate program is consistently ranked in the top-10 schools nationally. When you pursue a master's degree at Illinois, you'll learn from world-renowned professors and benefit from state-of-the-art facilities on campus.

Earning a master's degree from Illinois allows you to build on what you were passionate about as an undergraduate student and take it to the next level as a speciality--one that can open doors to jobs that demand more expertise or lead to continuing your education by earning a doctorate. If the latter is your goal, a master's degree with a thesis is a good start.

Degree requirements

The MS with thesis degree requirements are summarized in the table below.

Applicants for the MS with thesis program must have a research advisor. It is intended to be completed on campus. Candidates for the MS with thesis degree are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of graded course work and 8 hours of thesis credit.

• AE 590 (Departmental Seminar) must be taken every semester
• About independent study courses (i.e. 497 or 597):
  • None may be counted towards the MS with Thesis degree.
  • Up to 4 hours may be counted towards the MS Non-thesis degree.
• All students in the MS with Thesis option must complete a breadth requirement by taking one course from two of the three areas listed among the Aerospace Engineering Breadth Requirements. The courses listed among Aerospace Engineering Breadth Requirements cover fundamental concepts and are prerequisites for more advanced courses.
• Graduate students are expected to exhibit competence in applied mathematics. MS students may meet this requirement by taking a minimum of 3-4 hours of courses listed among Mathematics Requirements.
• A master's thesis for a minimum of 8 hours credit in AE 599 must be submitted. Only 8 hours of credit in AE 599 counts towards the MS degree even if the student registers for more AE 599 hours during the program.
• Students should seek out faculty members with research interests similar to their own and explore possible thesis topics as early as possible. In many cases, faculty members will advise students to read various articles or to take specific courses in order to obtain the necessary background for conducting research in their areas of interest. Recommended courses for various areas of research are also listed in the Suggested Program Tracts.
• The MS with Thesis Check List needs to be completed in consultation with your advisor to plan your program. A DARS Audit is an unofficial audit of progress toward the undergraduate student degree that reflects courses currently in progress.

Checklists

All MS degree candidates must complete Check Lists with their advisors to plan their programs.