The Aerospace Engineering (AE) Department offers a Bachelor of Science, which is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. A Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering is also offered. The program is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of basic engineering concepts, as well as the contemporary skills required by industry. The foundation courses provide students a basis for professional competence and the knowledge required to focus on a particular specialization upon graduation, either in the work environment or through pursuing advanced degrees. Courses that develop contemporary skills provide students an ability to be immediately competitive and productive as they begin their professional careers. The coursework includes extensive laboratory experiences and many opportunities for students to complete applied projects and designs.
Within the degree programs, either undergraduate or graduate, coursework can be selected to focus in one or more of the following areas:
Aircraft or Spacecraft Design
Structures
Dynamics and Control
Propulsion
Aerodynamics
The curriculum is based on a strong core of engineering courses and science courses common to all engineering curricula. The required science courses include physics, chemistry, and mathematics.
Recognizing that the quality of its curriculum is directly related to the knowledge and skills of its faculty, the Aerospace Engineering Department supports continuing scholarship and research of its faculty.
All of this coursework is designed to provide engineering fundamentals and theory, modern applications, experience in problem solving, and hands-on experience with pertinent equipment in laboratories. Students are equipped with thorough engineering knowledge and modern applications as a basis for professional competence. To this end they will make significant contributions in the service of the engineering profession and industry; they will further the base of engineering knowledge through research and scholarship; and they will utilize their lifelong learning skills to carry their service beyond the limits of industry and academe.
The University Library serves as the main information and research source for the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The SJSU Library collection is augmented by consortial agreements with CSU+ and Interlibrary Services. A large number of university, college, and public libraries are located nearby in the Bay Area, providing a rich source of library resources available to SJSU engineering students and faculty. Many local industrial and government institutions have ongoing research with our engineering faculty and allow their resources to be accessed by our students and faculty as well.
There is a coordinated effort between the collection development and management for the Aerospace Engineering Department and the other SJSU engineering departments, as well as with many of the science disciplines, most notably Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. It may also be necessary to maintain a coordinated effort with some areas of the social sciences and arts.
The Library's printed collections and electronic resources in aerospace engineering are both strong in general. The basic and essential engineering materials are maintained to support the curriculum, teaching, and research. The continuous subscriptions to engineering online databases, including Engineering Village, IEEE Xplore, SPIE Digital Library, Jane's All the Worlds Aircraft, and ASME Digital Collection, as well as, science and technology databases: Academic Search Complete, ScienceDirect and Web of Science provide study and research capability for students and faculty. The collection is enhanced by the addition of ASTM Standards & Engineering Digital Library. The library subscribes to single journal access for Aerospace Engineering research, including AIAA Journal and Journal of Aircraft.
A. Academic Senate Policy
According to Academic Senate Library Policy S15-10, periodic evaluations of the print collection are required to maintain the high quality of the academic collection, with the primary goals of improving the effectiveness of browsing and providing space for new acquisitions. The objectives include relocating materials, and weeding duplicate materials and materials that support discontinued programs or are no longer relevant for current programs.
B. Evaluation Plans
Development of the Aerospace Engineering collection requires a concerted effort in working with the engineering faculty to identify changes in the curriculum and to review the library collection to ascertain that the appropriate research materials are available at a level comprehensive enough to support new areas and to update materials for existing areas of study. Access to a greater number of key resources in full text will be emphasized, particularly items such as journals, technical reports, and standards.