Aeronautics and Astronautics Program
Stanford's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics undergraduate major program provide students with the fundamental principles and techniques necessary for success and leadership in the conception, design, implementation, and operation of aerospace and related engineering systems. Courses in the major introduce students to engineering principles. Students learn to apply this fundamental knowledge to conduct laboratory experiments, and aerospace system design problems. Courses in the major include engineering fundamentals, mathematics, and the sciences, as well as in-depth courses in aeronautics and astronautics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, autonomous systems, computational engineering, embedded programming, fluids engineering, and heat transfer. The major prepares students for careers in aircraft and spacecraft engineering, autonomy, robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, space exploration, air and space-based telecommunication industries, computational engineering, teaching, research, military service, and other related technology-intensive fields.
Completion of the undergraduate program in Aeronautics and Astronautics leads to the conferral of the Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Gateway to AA
Freshmen and sophomores interested in Aeronautics and Astronautics should consider taking one of our freshmen or sophomore seminars to get an early introduction to the major. These courses can be taken freshmen or sophomore year and do not have any prerequisites.
| Course | Title | Units |
| AA 115N | The Global Positioning System: Where on Earth are We, and What Time is It? | 3 |
| AA 107N | How to Shoot the Moon | 3 |
| AA 114Q | Large Spacecraft Structures | 3 |
| AA 100 | Introduction to Aeronautics & Astronautics | 3 |
PROGRAM SHEETS: Excel & pdf versions are now posted, as are 4-Year Plans
Program Requirements 2024-25
(Major, Minor and Honors degree programs are listed in ExploreDegrees)
All courses taken for the major must be taken for a letter grade if that option is offered by the instructor.
Minimum Combined GPA for all courses in Engineering Topics (Engineering Fundamentals and Depth courses) is 2.0.
Transfer credits in Math, Science, Fundamentals, and the Technology in Society course must be approved for use in the major by the School of Engineering Dean's office.
| 2 | MATH 19/20/21 or equivalent (10 units AP BC, or transfer credit) with placement into MATH 51/CME 100 is also allowed. If 6-8 units AP or IB credit are used, must take Math 21 (21 may not be skipped using Math Diagnostic Placement results). |
| 3 | It is recommended that the CME series (100, 102, 104) be taken rather than the MATH series (51, 52, 53). It is recommended that students taking the MATH series also take CME 192 Introduction to MATLAB. |
AA Coterm Application (contact is Patrick Ferguson): |
Instructions for Declaring Major in Aeronautics & Astronautics
1. Download the Aero/Astro Program Sheet from the School of Engineering web site. Complete the Program Sheet indicating how you plan to fulfill the major requirements. (Your program proposal may change as you progress in the program: Submit revisions in consultation with your faculty advisor. Submit a final Program Sheet to your major department student services office at least two quarters before you graduate.)
2. Complete the program sheet, and email Aero/Astro Student Services Specialist Jenny Scholes at jscholes@stanford.edu to assign you an Aero/Astro faculty member to be your advisor.
3. Meet with your faculty advisor over zoom to go over your program sheet. Have your Aero/Astro faculty advisor electronically sign your program sheet.
4. Email the signed program sheet to Aero/Astro Student Services Specialist Jenny Scholes at jscholes@stanford.edu
5. Declare the Aero/Astro major on Axess!
6. Email Aero/Astro Student Services Specialist Jenny Scholes if you have any questions at jscholes@stanford.edu