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Current Students

Opportunities for aerospace engineering graduate students are broad and diverse. Our faculty and staff are eager to help you navigate degree requirements, discover new research opportunities, and build relationships with industry and agency partners.

Graduate Program GuideFive-Year PlanCoursesNew Grad Student ChecklistScholarships & FellowshipsForms

UMD’s 2020 winning graduate entry—Elico—in the Vertical Flight Society’s (VFS) 37th Annual Student Design Competition “Leonardo’s Aerial Screw: 500 Years Later.”

Below you will find resources and information to help you as a graduate student in the Aerospace Engineering Department.

All department polices for our graduate program can be found in our Graduate Program Guide, linked above. All students are responsible for knowing and abiding by these departmental policies and procedures.

University of Maryland students register for classes through Testudo, the online registration system. Through Testudo you can view a complete Schedule of Classes, add courses, drop courses, choose grade methods, and monitor waitlist status.

Prior to registering for each semester, please consult with your advisor and review courses in Testudo. Advising blocks must be removed each semester in order to register for class.

The Graduate School uses a unit system in making calculations to determine full-time or part-time student status. Please note that graduate units are different from credit hours. The number of graduate units per credit hour is calculated in the following manner:

  • Courses in the series: 400-499 carry 4 units per credit hour
  • Courses in the series: 500-599 carry 5 units per credit hour
  • Courses in the series: 600-897 carry 6 units per credit hour
  • Master's Research course: 799 carries 12 units per credit hour
  • Pre-candidacy Doctoral Research courses: 898 carries 18 units per credit hour
  • Doctoral Dissertation Research: 899 carries 18 units per credit hour. All doctoral candidates must pay candidacy tuition for which they will be registered for six (6) credit hours of 899; this defines all currently registered doctoral candidates as full-time. All doctoral candidates must pay the flat candidacy tuition for which they will be registered for six (6) credit hours of 899; this defines all currently registered doctoral candidates as full-time.
Course Series
  400-499 600-897 799 898 899
1 cr. 4 units 6 units 12 units 18 units 18 units
2 cr. 8 units 12 units 24 units 36 units 36 units
3 cr. 12 units 18 units 36 units 54 units 54 units
4 cr. 16 units 24 units 48 units 72 units 72 units
5 cr. 20 units 30 units 60 units 90 units 90 units
6 cr. 24 units 36 units 72 units 108 units 108 units
7 cr. 28 units 42 units   126 units  
8 cr. 32 units 48 units   144 units  
9 cr. 36 units 54 units      

To be certified as full time, a graduate student must be officially registered for a combination of courses equivalent to 48 units per semester.

  • Graduate assistants holding regular appointments have full-time status if they are registered for at least 24 units in addition to the assistantship
  • Holders of half-time assistantships are considered full-time if registered for 36 units

Audited courses do not generate graduate units and cannot be used in calculating full-time or part-time status. Refer to the University of Maryland Graduate Catalog for more information on registration and credit information.

Graduate students must register for at least one credit in each consecutive fall and spring semester of their residency at the University of Maryland. When a fall or spring semester is missed, the student will be flagged for dismissal if they do not register within the first 10 days of the following semester. Students who feel they must miss one or more semesters of study should consider completing the Petition for Waiver of Continuous Registration form.
 
Note: If a student does not register for any credits during a spring semester, the student will receive a notice from the Graduate School stating they will be dismissed if they do not register for any credits within the first 10 days of the following fall semester. 

You can pay any charges to your University student account through the Office of the Bursar. You can also make inquiries into your account from this site.

If you have missed a required Graduate School deadline for a given semester (for Approved Program Forms, Application for Graduation, Nomination of Thesis or Dissertation Committee), you need to file a Petition for Waiver of Regulation. This Petition needs to be signed by your program's Director of Graduate Studies and then forwarded to the Graduate School for approval. Note: Petitions will only be granted when considering reasonable extenuating circumstances; simply having forgotten the deadline does not qualify.

It is very important to verify that you have met all the necessary graduate school requirements before graduation. Graduation is now handled by the Office of the Registrar. Please contact this office for questions about graduation requirements.

Contact

For additional inquiries regarding graduate studies at the Department of Aerospace Engineering you may contact:

Dr. Kenneth Yu
Director
Graduate Studies Aerospace Engineering
yu@umd.edu
301-405-1333

Leslie Davis
Program Coordinator, Student Services
3179 Glenn L. Martin Hall
ldavis17@umd.edu
301-405-0190

Student Suggestions

Do you have a suggestion for improving the student experience in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Maryland? Submit it below.

DEPT. OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING SUGGESTION FORM

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