Aerospace Minor
Montana State University, Bozeman offers a minor (minor for which there is no major) in aerospace called the
Aerospace Minor. This minor provides a suite of courses from a wide variety of disciplines which are relevant to
aerospace. The minor requires a minimum of 28 credits. Required courses include 16 credits in four (4) specified
courses, which are common to Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Civil Engineering,
Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Industrial Engineering at MSU Bozeman. An additional required course,
EMEC 368, Introduction to Aerospace is the cornerstone, foundational course for the Aerospace Minor. An
additional 9 elective credits (minimum of three courses) are required from a specified list which comprises the
Aerospace Elective Courses. This minor is a useful complement to majors in science or engineering for those
seeking a cross-disciplinary academic program with topics in aerospace. The required courses are carefully
selected to ensure that students seeking the Aerospace Minor at MSU have the requisite math and science
background to engage in specific applications to aerospace. The Aerospace Elective Courses were developed to
provide students with the minimum background of specific topics applicable to aerospace. These are Materials
and Structures (needed for development of aerospace systems; structures, hardware, sensors, system
packages, etc.), Thermo/Fluids (needed for an understanding of aeronautical systems, momentum equations
relevant to propulsion systems, environmental needs, etc.), and Focused Topics (a series of focused and
advanced topics applicable to aerospace. These courses include design, dynamics and control, Computer Aided
Design (CAD), space science, etc.) The Certifying Officer for the Aerospace Minor is the current MSU Lysle A.
Wood Distinguished Professor, and students with questions are encouraged to seek him/her out by contacting the
MSU Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Department.
Aerospace Minor Course of Study
Required Courses (or acceptable substitute* for Aerospace Minor courses listed below)
Course
Credits
M171
4
M172
4
PHSX 220
4
PHSX 222
4
EMEC 368
3
19 Credits
Aerospace Minor Courses
Course Category
Materials and Structures
Thermo/Fluids
Focused Topics
Credits
3-4
3-4
3-4
9-12 Credits
*acceptable substitute is defined as meeting the pre-requisites for the specific course in Aerospace Minor
Courses listed below, or as allowed by the instructor as an acceptable pre-requisite for the given Aerospace
Minor course.
The MSU Aerospace Minor = 19 required credits + 9 minimum elective credits = 28 minimum course
credits for the Aerospace Minor; In some cases, this may be accomplished within the maximum 128 credits
for certain B.S. degrees at MSU (with the Aerospace Minor inclusive). Students who have less than the 19
required course credits will fill the additional minimum 28 course credits with approved Aerospace Minor
elective course credits. (Specifically, MET or CET Majors will need two additional directed elective credits to
satisfy the 28 credit minimum.)
Aerospace Minor Courses
Materials and Structures (Students take at least one of the following)
Course
EMEC 444 Mechanical Behavior of Materials; advanced structural materials class
EMAT 463 Composite Materials; advanced materials, very important to aerospace structures
EMEC 447 Aircraft Structures; unique MSU course developed in conjunction with practicing aerospace
engineers
EMEC 405 Finite Elements; basic analysis technique for aerospace systems
PHSX 442 Novel Materials; specialty materials course
EMAT 350 Engineering Materials; specialty materials engineering course
Thermo/Fluids (Students take at least one of the following)
Course
EGEN 335 Mechanics of Fluids; fluid mechanics, applicable to aerospace and momentum equations related to
aerospace systems
EGEN 435 Fluid Dynamics; steady and unsteady flow; computer applications
EMEC 321 Thermodynamics II; engineering thermodynamics
EMEC 326 Fundamentals of Heat Transfer; heat transfer in mechanical and electrical aerospace systems
EMEC 436 Dynamics of Fluids; fluid mechanics with topics applicable to aerospace
ETME 422 HVAC; applicable to aerospace systems environmental control
ETME 430 Fluid Power Systems Design; applicable to aerospace mechanical control systems
ECHM 424 Transport Analysis, combined mass, momentum, and heat transfer phenomena
Focused Topics (Students take at least one of the following)
Course
ETME 415 Tooling; tooling for aerospace manufacturing and structures
EMEC 403 Computer Aided Design; advanced CAD principles
ETME 410 CNC/CAM computer aided manufacturing for aerospace systems
EIND 422 Introduction to Simulation; modeling methodologies, data sampling and analysis
EELE 308 Signal Analysis; analysis of system data
EELE 321 Controls; aerospace control systems
EELE 422 Modern Control; additional controls course
EELE 465 Microcontroller Hardware; control of aerospace systems with microcomputers
EELE 482 Electro-Optics; advanced aerospace sensor systems
EGEN 310 Introduction to Engineering Design; design process of aerospace structures and systems
EMEC 467 MEMS; Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems
PHSX 327 Modern Optics; aerospace optical systems
PHSX 337 Laser Applications; aerospace instrumentation, guidance and control
PHSX 435 Astro-Physics; basic problems in astro-physics
Notes: The following constraints will be imposed on Aerospace Minor Courses:
IF A COURSE (or redundant equivalent) IS A SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED COURSE FOR THE
STUDENT’S MAJOR DEGREE PROGAM, IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS AN AEROSPACE
MINOR ELECTIVE.
Additional Clarification: Elective courses in a student’s major degree program are not considered as
required courses and can, therefore, be used as Aerospace Minor electives. Pre-requisites for courses
will be enforced.
An appeal to include additional classes for the Aerospace Minor can be made if the student/instructor
can make a cogent argument as to how the course is relevant to aerospace.