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Aerospace Engineering, BS

As an aerospace engineering major, you’ll learn how to build the technologies that make flight possible—from aircraft and spacecraft systems to propulsion and flight simulation. You’ll gain hands-on experience and work alongside faculty who are shaping the future of flight and space. With opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research, you’ll graduate ready to lead and innovate—prepared to launch a career that can take you from Madison to the skies and beyond.

Design your academic journey

The major

Your primary field of study, which defines your core technical curriculum and the degree you earn.

Sample Degree/Major Plan

Fall semester (15 credits)
  • E M A 200 OR Engr Comm 1 3
  • MATH 221 – CALCULUS AND ANALYTIC GEOMETRY 1 5
  • CHEM 103 OR CHEM 104 OR CHEM 109 4
  • Liberal Studies 3
Spring semester (16 credits)
  • Engr Comm 1 OR M E 201 3
  • E M A 201 – STATICS 3
  • M E 231 – GEOMETRIC MODELING FOR DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING 3
  • MATH 222 – CALCULUS AND ANALYTIC GEOMETRY 2 4
  • Liberal Studies 3
Fall semester (16 credits)
  • E M A 202 – DYNAMICS 3
  • PHYSICS 202 – GENERAL PHYSICS 5
  • MATH 234 – CALCULUS–FUNCTIONS OF SEVERAL VARIABLES 4
  • COMP SCI 220 – DATA SCIENCE PROGRAMMING I 4
Spring semester (16 credits)
  • E M A 303 – MECHANICS OF MATERIALS 3
  • E M A/M E 307 – MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LAB 1
  • M E 361 – THERMODYNAMICS 3
  • MATH 320 – LINEAR ALGEBRA AND DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS 3
  • E M A/E P 471 – INTERMEDIATE PROBLEM SOLVING FOR ENGINEERS 3
  • Liberal Studies 3
Fall semester (15 credits)
  • M E 363 – FLUID DYNAMICS 3
  • E M A 406 3
  • MATH 321 – APPLIED MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS 1: VECTOR AND COMPLEX CALCULUS 3
  • M E 340 – DYNAMIC SYSTEMS 3
  • E M A 405 – PRACTICUM IN FINITE ELEMENTS 3
Spring semester (15 credits)
  • STAT 324 – INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 3
  • E M A/M E 425 3
  • E M A 421 – AERODYNAMICS 3
  • E M A 442 3
  • INTEREGR 397 – ENGINEERING COMMUNICATION 3
Fall semester (18 credits)
  • E M A 450 3
  • Tech Elective 3
  • Tech Elective 3
  • E M A 351 3
  • E M A 426 3
  • Liberal Studies 3
Spring semester (18 credits)
  • E M A 422 3
  • E M A 423 3
  • E M A 352 3
  • Tech Elective 3
  • Tech Elective 3
  • Liberal Studies 3
An accelerated engineering master’s program is a great choice if you’d like to earn your master’s degree by adding as little as a single year of study at UW-Madison.
View all accelerated programs

Investing in your future

Value and costs

Based on an average of 12-18 credits per semester for the 2025-26 academic year from bursars office tuition rates workbook.
Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance at UW-Madison.  For more information on the cost of attendance, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.
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Wisconsin resident

$7,683

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Minnesota reciprocity

$10,346

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Non-resident

$23,695

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Non-resident international

$24,195

Scholarships

Our scholarships aren’t just about financial support; they’re about investing in your potential and helping you focus on what matters most: your education and your future as a leader in engineering.
Engineering scholarships
4.4M
scholarships awarded
1,200
undergrad recipients
1,550
scholarships awarded, made possible by the generous support of donors

Your path to admission

Freshman

Starting college for the first time?

Learn more
Transfer student

Coming from another college or university?

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Cross-campus student

Already at UW–Madison?

Learn more
Reentry student

Took time off?

Learn more

Your built-in network

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As an undergrad, you can help pioneer new knowledge or technologies on your own or as a researcher in a professor’s lab. It’s a great opportunity to apply what you’re learning in class, explore a field or topic that interests you, and gain insight into what it’s like to be a graduate student.

Undergraduate research
undergraduate showing research technique in structures lab.

Explore, get involved, try new things and soak up everything our campus and the surrounding environs have to offer.

Student life

The College of Engineering offers services specifically for engineering students, in addition to the services offered campus-wide.

Student services
Four students pose and smile with Dr. Ebony McGee in the IEDE Student Center
undergraduate showing research technique in structures lab.
Our eight renowned academic departments form the heart and personality of our college.
Mechanical engineering department

Life as a Badger engineer

See what it’s actually like to live, learn and grow here through the stories of the people who know us best.
“I think aerospace engineering is such a versatile degree. It’s not just about planes and rockets, it’s about so many more concepts.”
Julia Ludick aerospace engineering major
Julia Ludick

Why should you choose UW-Madison for engineering? Find out what it’s like to major in aerospace engineering.

Teaching specialist Aidan Butula operates the new flight simulator

Regents approve new aerospace engineering major

Badger Engineers are cleared for takeoff. The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents voted to approve the creation of…

Read the Full Story
Brad Moore ERB cryostat

Spotlight on Badger Alumni: Mechanical Engineer Brad Moore

Liquid engine rocket blasting from far viewpoint

Wisconsin Space Program Completes Liquid Engine Hotfire

EMA Senior, Nicholas Rienstra, named Astronaut Scholar for 2025

ABET accreditation

This program will seek accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Application for accreditation will be made at the earliest opportunity, in 2028, with an ABET decision in 2029. If accreditation is awarded, it may be retroactively applied to those who graduated beginning December 2027.

Program Educational Objectives for the Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering

We recognize that our graduates will choose to use the knowledge and skills that they have acquired during their undergraduate years to pursue a wide variety of career and life goals, and we encourage this diversity of paths. Whatever path our graduates may choose, we expect them to be meeting the following objectives at least three to five years after graduation: 

  1. They will exhibit a fundamental understanding of broader engineering disciplines with strong skills in aerospace engineering, problem solving, leadership, teamwork, and communication. 
  2. They will use these skills to contribute to their organizations and communities. 
  3. They will make thoughtful, well-informed decisions in their career and life. 
  4. They will demonstrate a continuing commitment to and interest in their own and others’ education. 

Learning Outcomes

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Still exploring?

We have 13 engineering undergrad majors—so you can find the field that’s the best fit for you (even if you decide to switch later).

Compare majors

Select up to three majors to compare.

Questions?

Email questions to our College of Engineering team at FutureEngineers@engr.wisc.edu and someone will get back to you soon.