The Bachelor of Science
in Aeronautical Engineering degree was approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in 1941. In 1961, the department name was changed to "Aerospace Engineering"
to reflect its expanded program. Since the first graduating class in 1944, the department has graduated over 1000 students. The Aerospace Engineering
BS degree is accredited by the Enginering Accreditation Commission of
ABET:
111 Market Place, Suite 1050
Baltimore, MD 21202-4012
telephone: (410)347-7700.
The review by the Accreditation Board assures the quality of the program.
The Department also offers graduate programs at both the Master and Doctoral levels. The Department programs are annually reviewed by the Aerospace Engineering Department Advisory Board composed of representatives from industry and government. This review assures that graduates of our programs meet the needs of the profession. The Master and Doctoral Programs in the Department of Aerospace Engineering were approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in 1969. These programs complement the nationally recognized Bachelor of Science Program in Aerospace Engineering.
The Department faculty and graduate students, working through the Flight Research Laboratory, conduct approximately $500,000 of funded research annually. This is complemented by numerous unfunded research projects. During the ten year period 1984 to 1994, the Department granted more than 60 Masters degrees and more than 30 Doctoral degrees.
| 1918-19 |
Courses in aeronautical subjects, including "General Theory of Flight" and "Internal Combustion Motors for Aeroplanes", were offered during World War I. |
| 1928 |
The first engineering courses were offered in aeronautics as "technical options" in the mechanical engineering degree program. The courses were in aerodynamics and aircraft design. |
| 1929-31 |
KU's first wind tunnel was constructed under Memorial Stadium. For many years, the tunnel was the only precision measurement instrument in the central region of the United States. |
1941 |
The Bachelor of Science degree program in aeronautical engineering was authorized by Board of Regents. |
1944 |
The first graduates in the aeronautical engineering degree program (six men) received their diplomas. |
1949 |
The undergraduate program received accreditation. |
1962 |
The department name was changed to aerospace engineering in response to the space race. Aerospace and mechanical engineering were combined to form the Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering. |
1967 |
The Department of Aerospace Engineering was made a separate department. |
1968 |
The Master of Engineering degree program established. |
1969 |
The Doctor of Engineering program established. |
1972 |
Space Technology Laboratory (Nichols Hall) was dedicated. Built with the support of NASA and a $2.3 million research endowment, Nichols Hall housed the Flight Research Laboratory. The department's research facilities included two large laboratory complexes in Learned Hall, including three wind tunnels, the FRL in Nicholls Hall, and the KU Hangar at the Lawrence Airport. |
1982 |
The Mal Harned Propulsion Laboratory was built at the KU Hangar with the support of alumnus Malcolm Harned, senior vice-president of Cessna Aircraft Co. |
1998 |
Brizendine-Garrison-Mulally Design Room was dedicated. |
1999 |
Nineteen B.S. degrees, five M.S. degrees, and one Ph.D. degree were awarded. |
2001 |
Twenty B.S. degrees, four M.S./M.E. degrees and one doctorate were awarded. |
