Stevens to Launch Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering in Fall 2027

Fueled by clear and growing interest in its aerospace minor and Master of Aerospace Engineering programs, which debuted in Fall 2026, Stevens has announced the expansion of its aerospace offerings with a bachelor’s degree starting in Fall 2027.

This latest addition to the Department of Mechanical Engineering will allow students to continue at Stevens from undergraduate aerospace fundamentals and hands-on design through advanced graduate study and research. Undergraduate students can also pursue the Accelerated Master’s Program to more quickly work toward their graduate degree.

“Stevens has both the longstanding mechanical engineering expertise and the technological foundation to expand into this field,” said Souran Manoochehri, Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering. “This new bachelor’s program creates a more complete academic path for the ever-increasing number of students who want to make aerospace engineering the focus of their undergraduate education.”

Building the skills to take aerospace ideas from concept to reality

This comprehensive new curriculum is designed to build progressively from a strong mechanical engineering foundation to specialized aerospace expertise.

In their first and second years, students will develop core engineering competencies in areas such as mechanics, materials, structural engineering, and fluid mechanics.

During their third and fourth years, they will advance through increasingly specialized aerospace coursework and laboratory experiences. The program’s 10 aerospace-specific courses cover areas such as aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics and control, and aircraft and spacecraft design and technology.

A key component will be the senior capstone experience, in which students will spend a year taking an aerospace concept from the early stages of design through development, testing and prototyping with projects featuring industry sponsorship.

“This multidisciplinary progression is important, because it will prepare students to integrate concepts from structures, fluids, controls, materials, propulsion and systems engineering,” Manoochehri said. “Our future aerospace engineers will be equipped to have both the breadth to understand complex systems and the depth to handle the practical design, testing and problem-solving required for real-world design and development.”

Putting aerospace engineering concepts into practice

Aerospace engineering at Stevens will be about much more than rigorous, strategically targeted coursework. As a defining feature of the program, students will be able to work directly with aerospace hardware, conduct experiments in dedicated laboratories and apply what they learn to actual engineering challenges, including work connected to industry.

To that end, Stevens is investing in dedicated laboratory capabilities that will give students opportunities to work with the types of hardware and testing environments used in the aerospace industry. New capabilities include a wind tunnel, propulsion test cell, aircraft structural testing equipment and a flight-control drone testing facility. These facilities will allow students to move beyond simulations and classroom theory to design, build, prototype, test, evaluate and refine aerospace components and systems.[BS1]

“Factors including the miniaturization and accessibility of space and drone technologies, the emergence of alternate power and propulsion sources and a push into higher-speed flight regimes are rewriting the industry playbook,” noted Daanish Maqbool, who recently joined Stevens as Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Aerospace Program. “In creating this program, we have the opportunity to make it uniquely contemporary, emphasizing modern tools and technologies to address the challenges of tomorrow.”

Preparing to tackle the next challenges in aerospace engineering

Stevens is hiring additional faculty for the aerospace engineering program to expand its expertise across key technical areas and build a holistic program of research, design and testing.Students will also benefit from Stevens’ close connection to aerospace industry leaders such as NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Office of Naval Research, Lockheed Martin and RTX.

“It’s exciting to combine our new faculty, facilities and educational experiences with Stevens’ established strengths educating engineers, advancing scientific knowledge and developing technologies that have had an impact well beyond the university,” Manoochehri said. “We are creating an environment where students can learn the fundamentals, work with advanced technologies and take on challenging aerospace problems. The goal is to prepare the next generation of aerospace engineers not simply to enter the industry, but also to contribute to where the industry is going.”