Graduate Program

M.S. in Technology with Aviation Emphasis

The Master of Science in Technology is offered by the School of Technology with each academic department providing courses specific to their disciplines in support of the M.S. core requirements.

In Aviation Technology, available graduate coursework includes human factors and safety.  Additional areas being considered include aerospace manufacturing, logistics, reliability and, supportability.

The M.S. in Technology currently requires 30 credit hours of coursework and 3 credit hours of Directed Project.  Working with their major professor, each student customizes a Plan of Study following the course distribution structure with courses that allow him or her to meet their individual educational goals and needs.

Each Plan of Study must be laid out as follows:

Primary Area

• Core Courses: 9 cr.  (TECH 507 or STAT 501, TECH 508, and TECH 646)
• TECH prefix courses: 15 cr. minimum.  (can include the 9 cr. core)

Related Area

• 6 cr. minimum.  (may include TECH or non-TECH courses)

Directed Project

• 3 cr.  (1 cr. for proposal, 2 cr. for project completion)

The Primary and Related Areas may include applicable courses from any academic area of the university.

Masters Committee

Upon acceptance, each student may request (or be assigned if no such request is made) a temporary major professor.  The major professor will help to identify what courses are appropriate for each student's needs and is the lead resource for directed project.  Course registration and general guidance are done with the major professor.  Two additional faculty round out the committee and are generally selected based on the directed project. 

Areas of Study

The great strength of the Master's in Technology is the ability for each student to design a unique plan of study that meets their individual needs.  Over time, a number of concentration areas have emerged that students interested in a career in aerospace and/or air transportation have found beneficial.  These are not intended to be complete plans of study but guides to aid students when considering what direction their plan of study should take.

• Engineering Support
• Manufacturing
• Support & Reliability
• Human Factors & Safety
• Business & Management
• Airline Operations

The M.S. and Technical Certification

Perspective students who wish to work in a technical environment but do not have extensive technical skills, might wish to consider pursuing the courses for the FAAÕs Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) technicianÕs certificate while pursuing a masters degree at Purdue.    Purdue has the ability to offer these undergraduate level courses as a stand-alone certificate program.

About 1% of the Graduate students in the School of Technology program at Purdue who have an emphasis in aviation, have elected this program.   Feedback from graduates and employers about this addition to the program is very positive.  Considering a technical certificate program along with an advanced degree would have been virtually unheard of twenty years ago.  However, in todayÕs competitive business climate, industries are looking for professional managers and leaders who have a high degree of applied technical knowledge along with their advanced degrees.

Students who have completed the program report a high degree of self-confidence when pursuing careers where it may be necessary to lead both blue-collar workers and technical white-collar workers.  As reported back by graduates, an understanding of the details of the technical environment has proved attractive especially to female students who might otherwise have been intimidated by the stereotypes of working in a technical environment. 

The fact that Purdue has a program allowing a student with no previous technical background, to gain a hands-on familiarity with aircraft systems, while at the same time pursuing an advanced degree is unique.   What makes this program even more attractive is the fact that the technical courses are specifically tailored to the student who has never had any previous technical or hands on experience.  For college graduates who were never exposed to basic hands-on skills knowledge, this is an exceptional opportunity to increase your first hand knowledge about aerospace vehicles and practices, while at the same time developing highly prized leadership skills.   Masters graduates with this combination are highly sought after by both airlines and by aircraft manufacturers.  

This program when combined with the School of Technology masters degree takes approximately three years to complete, however career prospects for graduates with this combination have proven to be exceptional.