Criterion 5. Curriculum

CRITERION 5. CURRICULUM

ABET states that the program must provide an integrated educational experience that develops the ability of graduates to apply pertinent knowledge to solving problems in the engineering technology specialty. The orientation of the technical specialization must manifest itself through program objectives, faculty qualifications, program content, and business and industry guidance. The program objectives, faculty qualifications, and constituent guidance is documented under other criteria. The program content is briefly described here.

Total Credits The Baccalaureate program consists of a total of 132 semester hours. A sample 8 semester program is shown at the web site: http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/colleges/coe/ae/ugrad/bsae/bsae.php

Our program meets and exceeds the minimum ABET requirement of 124 semester hours.

Communications ABET recommends that the communications content must develop the ability of graduates to: a. plan, organize, prepare, and deliver effective technical reports in written, oral, and other formats appropriate to the discipline and goals of the program, b. incorporate communications skills throughout the technical content of the program, c. utilize the appropriate technical literature and use it as a principal means of staying current in their chosen technology, and d. utilize the interpersonal skills required to work effectively in teams.

This requirement is being met in the BSAE program in the following ways.  At the freshman level, the students take AE 1350 which requires the students to work on a group design project. The students present this work to the instructor and the entire class through written reports and an oral presentation.  At the sophomore level, many of the required AE courses include essay questions and discussions.  At the junior level, AE students take a technical communications course (LCC 3401) where formal technical communication skills are re-emphasized. The lab courses (AE 3051, AE 3145) have written reports that are graded for content as well as writing, and a final oral examination where the student is asked to design an experiment and present it to his/her peers and the instructor.  At the senior level, the capstone design sequence (Design I and II in the fall and spring terms, respectively) gives ample opportunity for the students to practice their writing skills and oral communication and presentation skills.  The AE program has 10 hours of free electives. Many students take courses such as Freshman Seminar (GT 1000), Design-Build-Fly Competitions (AE 1355/2355/3355/4355) where students function in a vertically integrated environment and practice writing and oral communication skills, and undergraduate research (AE 2699 or AE 2699). Samples of the student work have been collected for these courses, and are periodically assessed using standard rubrics, to evaluate the improvement in the student’s oral and written communication skills from the freshman year through the senior year. These rubrics, the assessment data, and samples of the student work are documented at a companion web site. Mathematics ABET requires that “the level and focus of the mathematics content must provide students with the skills to solve technical problems appropriate to the discipline and the program objectives. Algebra, trigonometry, and an introduction to mathematics above the level of algebra and trigonometry constitute the foundation mathematics for an associate degree program. Integral and differential calculus, or other appropriate mathematics above the level of algebra and trigonometry, constitutes the foundation mathematics for baccalaureate programs.”

This requirement is satisfied in the BSAE curriculum with two full years (16 credit hours) of calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.

Physical and Natural Science ABET states that the basic science content can include physics, chemistry, or life and earth sciences that support program objectives. This component must include laboratory experiences which develop expertise in experimentation, observation, measurement and documentation.

This requirement is satisfied in the BSAE program by requiring classical physics (Physics 2211), Modern Physics (Physics 2212), and Chemistry (Chemistry 1310). These courses all have a lab component. Students are also required to take a science elective (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Biology, etc) or a technical elective (typically an AE course).

Social Sciences and Humanities ABET requires that the social sciences and humanities content must support technical education by broadening student perspective and imparting an understanding of diversity and the global and societal impacts of technology.

In the BSAE program, the humanities requirement is being satisfied by requiring 12 hours of humanities: English 1101, English 1102, plus two courses chosen from http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/students/hum.php#c . The social sciences requirement is being satisfied by constitution requirement (History 2211/2212 or POL 1101 or INTA 1200), economics (ECON 2101, 2105 or 2106), plus 6 hours of courses chosen from http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/students/socialscience.php#e .

Technical Content ABET requires that the technical content of a program must focus on the applied aspects of science and engineering in that portion of the technological spectrum closest to product improvement, manufacturing, construction and engineering operational functions. The technical content must develop the skills, knowledge, methods, procedures, and techniques associated with the technical discipline and appropriate to the goals of the program. The technical content develops the depth of technical specialty and must represent at least 1/3 of the total credit hours for the program. In order to accommodate the essential mathematics, sciences, communications, and humanities components, the technical content is limited to no more than 2/3 the total credit hours for the program. a. The technical content of the curriculum consists of a technical core and the increasingly complex technical specialties found later in the curriculum. The technical core must provide the prerequisite foundation of knowledge necessary for the technical specialties. b. Laboratory activities must develop student competence in the use of analytical and measurement equipment common to the discipline and appropriate to the goals of the program. c. Technical courses must develop student knowledge and competence in the use of standard design practices, tools, techniques, and computer hardware and software appropriate to the discipline and goals of the program. d. Capstone or other integrating experiences must draw together diverse elements of the curriculum and develop student competence in focusing both technical and non-technical skills in solving problems.

In the AE curriculum, this is satisfied by requiring a total of 63 hours of engineering topics (Approximately 51.5% of the curriculum). These include  12 hours of engineering topics: Computer science (CS 1371), engineering graphics (CE/ME 1770), material sciences and engineering (MSE 2001), Circuits theory (ECE 3710), circuits lab (ECE 3741).  10 hours of structural analysis including lab skills: statics (COE 2001), deformable bodies (COE 3001), aerospace structural analysis (AE 3125), and structures lab (AE 3145)  8 hours of aerodynamics including lab skills: low speed aerodynamics (AE 2020), high speed aerodynamics (AE 3021), fluids lab (AE 3051)  6 hours of thermodynamics (AE 3450), and jet and rocket propulsion (AE 4451)  6 hours of dynamics (AE 2220) and aeroelasticity (AE 4220)  10 hours of system dynamics and control (AE 3515), flight dynamics and control (AE 3521), and controls lab including control system design (AE 4525)  11 hours of design topics including Introduction to AE (AE 1350), Aerospace vehicle Performance (AE 3310), Senior design project I (AE 4350/4356/4358), senior design project II (AE 4351/AE4357/AE4358).

Cooperative Education ABET requires that cooperative education credit used to satisfy prescribed elements of these criteria must include an appropriate academic component evaluated by the program faculty. In our program, co-operative experience is not counted towards the 132 hours of required course work.

 Flow Chart Please see http://www.ae.gatech.edu/academics/undergraduate/forms/Sem-05A1.pdf for a sample flow-chart of our 132 hour curriculum.  Course Syllabi Please see the appendix for all required, and most of the elective coursework in our program. Table 5-1 Curriculum BSAE (Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering)

Category (Credit Hours) Engineering Topics Check if Year; Contains Semester or Course Math & Basic Significant General Quarter (Department, Number, Title) Sciences Design (ü) Education Other Sem1, Yr 1 Math 1501, Calculus I 4 ( ) English 1101: English Composition I ( ) 3 Chemistry 1310: General Chemistry 4 ( ) CS 1371: Computer Science I ( ) 3 HPS 1040/1061/1062/1063: Wellness ( ) 2

Sem 2, Yr 1 Math 1502, Calculus II 4 ( ) English 1102: English Composition II ( ) 3 Physics 2211: Physics I 4 ( ) HIST 2111, POL 1101, PUB 3000 or INTA ( ) 3 1200 AE 1350: Introduction to AE 2(ü )

Sem 1, Yr 2 Math 2401: Calculus III 4 ( ) Physics 2212: Physics II 4 ( ) COE 2001: Statics 2( ) ME/CE 1770 ENGINEERING GRAPHICS 3( ) & VISUALIZATION MSE 2001 PRINCIPLES & 3( ) APPLICATIONS OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS

Sem 2, Yr 2 Math 2403: Differential Equations 4 ( ) AE 2020: Low Speed Aerodynamics 3( ) AE 2220 : Dynamics 3( ) Science/Technical Elective 3 ( ) ECON 2100 or 2105 or 2106 or 2101 ( ) 3

Sem1, Yr 3 COE 3001: deformable Bodies 3( ) AE 3515: System Dynamics & Control 4( ) AE 3450: Thermodynamics & Compressible 3( ) Flow ECE 3710 CIRCUITS & ELECTRONICS 2( ) LCC 3401 TECHNICAL ( ) 2 COMMUNICATION PRACTICES AE 3310 : INTRODUCTION TO 3( ) AEROSPACE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE) TABLE I-1. BASIC-LEVEL CURRICULUM (CONTINUED) AEROSPACE ENGINEERING Category (Credit Hours)

Engineering Topics Check if Year; Math & Contains Semester or Course Basic Significant General Quarter (Department, Number, Title) Science Design (ü) Education Other Sem2, Yr 3 AE 3021: High Speed Aerodynamics 3( ) AE 3125: Aerospace Structural Analysis 4( ) AE 3521 : Flight Dynamics 4( ) Humanities Elective ( ) 3 AE 3145: Structures Lab 1( ) AE 3051 EXPERIMENTAL FLUID 2( ) DYNAMICS

Sem 1, Yr 4 AE 4451: Jet & Rocket Propulsion 3( ) Humanities Elective ( ) 3 Senior Design project I 3(ü ) ECE 3741: Instrumentation &Electrical 1( ) Lab Social Science Elective ( ) 3 Free Elective ( ) 4

Sem 2, Yr 4 AE 4220 Aeroelasticity & Structural 3( ) Dynamics AE 4351: Design Project II 3(ü ) AE 4525 : Control System Design Lab 2(ü ) Social Science Elective ( ) 3 Free Elective ( ) 6

TOTALS-ABET BASIC-LEVEL REQUIREMENTS 31 63 36 2 OVERALL TOTAL 132 FOR DEGREE PERCENT OF TOTAL 24% 48% 27% 1% Totals must Minimum semester credit hours 32 hrs 48 hrs satisfy one set Minimum percentage 25% 37.5 %