The Department of Aerospace
and Mechanical Engineering

Department Chairman John Baillieul

Associate Chairman for Graduate Studies Ronald Roy

Department Director Jim Langell

Website: www.bu.edu/eng/ame

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The Doctoral Program

Doctoral studies may be pursued in areas of research that are active within the department. Research focuses on five principal areas: acoustics and vibrations; dynamics, control, and robotics; fluid and solid mechanics; MEMS; and nanotechnology. Some areas of specialization are aerodynamics, aeroelasticity, automatic control systems, noise control, biomechanics, theoretical fluid dynamics, photomechanical systems, structural mechanics, mechatronic systems, microelectromechanical systems, thermal processes, and turbulence. See our web pages at Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering for current project descriptions. Postbachelor’s students working for a doctorate must concurrently complete all departmental requirements for the MS degree. Post-master’s students develop a curriculum in consultation with their faculty advisor which is appropriate to their background and research program. Additional information regarding program admission, degree requirements, and financial aid may be found in the Graduate Programs section of this site.

Master of Science (MS) in Aerospace Engineering

The Aerospace Engineering program provides advanced training in aerodynamic sound, aerodynamics, flight mechanics, aeroelasticity, and structural dynamics — training that prepares the student for specialized tasks in research and development applicable to transportation systems in the atmosphere and in space. The technology of aerospace engineering is also applicable to oceangoing and ground vehicles. Graduates may work in industry or government, or they may continue their training toward a doctoral degree in aerospace engineering or a related field.

Master of Science (MS) in Mechanical Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering program is designed for students who desire advanced training in areas of mechanical engineering such as acoustics, automatic control systems, biomechanics, fluid mechanics, noise control, non-linear dynamics, MEMS and nanotechnology, robotics, structural mechanics, theoretical fluid dynamics, thermal processes, turbulence, vibrations, and wave propagation. See our web pages at Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering for current project descriptions. Graduates may work in an industrial or governmental laboratory, or continue their training toward a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering, applied mechanics, or a related field.

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Course Requirements

To receive the MS in Aerospace Engineering or MS in Mechanical Engineering, a student must complete eight courses (32 credits). All credits must be at the 500 level or higher. This requirement can be completed in a single full-time academic year. The choice of courses must form a coherent and balanced program in aerospace engineering or mechanical engineering satisfactory to the departmental curriculum committee. Beginning MS students should formulate their complete choice of courses to fulfill degree requirements at the time of their initial registration, in consultation with their faculty advisor. An appropriate curriculum may be designed from the following list of courses that have been offered in the past (or other appropriate engineering courses):

ENG AM/SC 501 Dynamic System Theory

ENG AM 502 Special Topics in Aerospace Engineering

ENG AM 503 Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering

ENG AM 504 Numerical Methods for Engineers

ENG AM 505 Engineering Analysis

ENG AM 506 Statistical-Mechanical Concepts in Engineering

ENG AM 511 Research Issues in Emerging Technologies

ENG AM 513 Compressible Aerodynamics

ENG AM 515 Vibration of Complex Mechanical Systems

ENG AM 519 Theory of Heat Transfer

ENG AM 520 Acoustics I

ENG AM/BE 521 Continuum Mechanics

ENG AM 522 Underwater Acoustics

ENG AM 524 Skeletal Tissue Mechanics

ENG AM 530 Introduction to Micro and Nanomechanics of Solids

ENG AM 540 Advanced Aerodynamics

ENG AM 541 Classical Thermodynamics

ENG AM 542 Advanced Fluid Mechanics

ENG AM 543 Advanced Experimental Techniques in Fluid Mechanics

ENG AM 560 Introduction to Robotics


ENG AM 561 Dynamics


ENG AM 562 Introduction to Non-linear Systems


ENG AM 580 Theory of Elasticity

ENG AM 581 Advanced Experimental Techniques in Solid Mechanics

ENG AM 582 Advanced Mechanical Behavior of Materials

ENG AM 700 Advanced Topics in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

ENG AM 702 Computational Fluid Dynamics

ENG AM 704 Adaptive Control of Dynamical Systems

ENG AM 706 Acoustics and Aerodynamic Sound

ENG AM 707 Finite Element Analysis

ENG AM 708 Waves in Fluids

ENG AM 709 Turbulent Flows

ENG AM 710 Theoretical Kinematics

ENG AM 711 Multiscale Methods in Computational Mechanics

ENG AM 713 Viscous Flow

ENG AM 718 Advanced Topics in Nano Technology

ENG AM 720 Acoustic II

ENG AM 722 Waves in Solids

ENG AM 723 Waves in Random Media

ENG AM 724 Non-linear Acoustics and Sonic Booms

ENG AM 725 Acoustic Bubble Dynamics

ENG AM 726 Special Topics in Wave Propagation

ENG AM/BE 736 Biomedical Transport Phenomena

ENG AM/MN 740 Vision, Robotics, and Planning

ENG AM 741 Fluid-Structure Interaction

ENG AM 742 Bio-fluids and Structural Mechanics

ENG AM 743 Multiphase Flow ENG AM 744 Advanced Compressible Aerodynamics

ENG AM 745 Computational Aeroacoustics

ENG AM 761 Experimental Modal Analysis and System Identification

ENG AM 762 Non-linear Control of Mechanical Systems

ENG AM 764/SC 701 Optimal and Robust Control

ENG AM 780 Perturbation Methods in Mechanics

ENG AM 782 Engineering with Microelectromechanical Devices

ENG AM 783 Precision Engineering

ENG AM 900 Research

ENG AM 901 Thesis

ENG AM 951 Independent Study

Supplementary courses may be chosen from courses in mathematics and physics, such as the following:

CAS MA 555, 556 Numerical Analysis I, II

CAS MA 562 Methods of Applied Mathematics II

GRS MA 713 Functions of a Complex Variable I

GRS MA 759 Finite Element Method

GRS MA 761 Applied Analysis

GRS MA 773 Calculus of Variations

Credit cannot be given for two or more courses having significant overlap (including overlap with courses that had been taken to fulfill the candidate’s undergraduate degree requirements).

In addition to satisfying the Graduate Committee with its overall scope and coherence, the program must meet the following specific course requirements.

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Each student must take at least two courses within one broadly defined discipline of the department as described by the two concentration area lists below. The student must have the signed approval of their advisor prior to registering for the courses which he/she intends to use to fulfill the requirement.

Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics: ENG AM 506, AM 513, AM 519, AM 520, AM/BE 521, AM 522, AM 540, AM 541, AM 542, AM 702, AM 706, AM 707, AM 708, AM 709, AM 713, AM 720, AM 723, AM 724, AM 725, AM 741, AM 742, AM 743, AM 744, AM 745

Solid Mechanics, Dynamics, and Control: ENG AM/EC 501, AM 506, AM 515, AM/BE 521, AM 524, AM 560, AM 561, AM 562, AM 580, AM 581, AM 582, AM 704, AM 707, AM 718, AM 722, AM/MN 740, AM 761, AM 762, AM 764/EC 701

Each student must take at least one course from the Concentration Area List not used to fulfill that concentration requirement. The student must have the signed approval of their advisor before registering for the course which he or she intends to use to fulfill the requirement.

Each student must take a graduate level mathematics course approved by their advisor. AME courses that have also been deemed acceptable to fulfill this requirement are AM 504, AM 505, AM 711, and AM 780.

All programs must include either a thesis (four credits of AM 900 Research plus four credits of AM 901 Thesis) or two additional AME course electives. These electives may not include either AM 900 Research or AM 901 Thesis.

Students must consult with their advisor on appropriate courses in engineering and physical sciences. (AM 900 Research and AM 901 Thesis cannot be taken to satisfy this requirement.)

Students electing the thesis option must complete at least 20 credits of structured courses including two required electives. Unstructured courses include ENG AM 900 Research; AM 901 Thesis; and AM 951 Independent Study. Those electing the nonthesis option must complete at least 24 credits of structured courses.

• All courses must be at or above the 500 level.

• At least five courses must be AM courses.

• At least six courses must be taken at Boston University.

• To graduate, a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (B) must be attained.

Of the 24 credits of structured courses taken by students electing the non-thesis option, at least two must be 700 level, AME courses. These may be fulfilled by the courses taken to satisfy the concentration, breadth, non-thesis option elective, or Engineering and Physical Science elective requirement. It cannot be fulfilled by AM 900 Research or AM 901 Thesis Writing.

A master’s thesis is optional but strongly recommended for all full-time students. The successful completion of a thesis will carry 4 credits (ENG AM 901). The substance of the thesis is typically based on 4 credits of ENG AM 900 Research.

Admission and Financial Aid

Students with undergraduate training in engineering, mathematics, physics, or other natural sciences are invited to apply for admission to the graduate programs in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. International applicants who want to be considered for admission and financial aid must submit their application no later than December 15 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. U.S. citizens and permanent residents (domestic applicants) who want to be considered for admission and financial aid must submit their application no later than January 15 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. Application deadlines for admission without financial aid are April 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester for both domestic and international applicants. Applicants who do not require financial aid are encouraged to apply by the early deadline of January 15, for consideration before department slots are filled.

Ordinarily, all students who are admitted with financial aid will be supported to the completion of their degree. Financial aid consists of tuition, fees, and a cost-of-living stipend. Continuing support is contingent upon the student’s progress and performance. Students are expected to apply for all external scholarships for which they are eligible.

Applications for admission to these graduate programs may be obtained from the College of Engineering, Graduate Programs Office, 48 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215; Tel: 617-353-9760; e-mail: enggrad@bu.edu; or College of Engineering Graduate Programs. An electronic application is available at College of Engineering Admissions Application.

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Research Interests of the Faculty

S. Andersson, PhD: control in scanning probe microscopy, robotics, geometric mechanics and control theory.

J. Baillieul, PhD: robotics; control of mechanical systems; mathematical system theory; network science, networked control systems, information-based control.

P. Barbone, PhD: theoretical and computational (bio) mechanics; (bio) acoustics; medical imaging; inverse problems; asymptotics; FEM.

C. Belta, PhD: verification and control of hybrid systems, robot motion planning and control, multi-agent systems, gene and metabolic networks.

J. Bethune, EdD: computer application to technical drawing and design (CAD).

T. Bifano, PhD: microelectromechanical systems (mems). micro-mirror devices, adaptive optics, manufacturing of optical components, opthalmic imaging systems, fluidic microsystems, optical component manufacturing for telecommunication systems, ion beam machining, bioarray synthesis.

W. Carey, PhD: sound transmission and scattering from bubbly liquids; shallow water acoustics; spatial array processing.

R. Cleveland, PhD: nonlinear acoustics; cavitation; shock wave lithotripsy; and shock wave propagation.

P. Dupont, PhD: image-guided minimally invasive surgery, robotics, control systems; structural dynamics, modeling of frictional contacts.

K. Ekinci, PhD: nanotechnology; NEMS; nanomechanics; scanning probe microscopy (SPM).

T. Fritz, PhD: space physics; satellite research; heavy ions.

S. Grace, PhD: unsteady aero/hydrodynamics; aeroacoustics; inverse problems; computational fluid dynamics; applied mathematics.

G. Holt, PhD: acoustic cavitation and bubble dynamics, biomedical ultrasound, HIFU and therapeutic ultrasound, sonoluminescence, liquid drip dynamics, acoustic levitation, aqueous foam dynamics and rheology.

M. Howe, PhD: fluid mechanics; acoustics; random vibration; structural mechanics.

M. Isaacson, PhD: experimental fluid mechanics; transport processes; environmental flows; energy and environmental policy; undergraduate education.

J. G. McDaniel, PhD: structural acoustics; vibrations of complex media and structures; foam rheology; causality; vibrational instabilities; biological and biomedical vibrations and acoustics; MEMS.

E. Morgan, PhD: orthopaedic biomechanics; developmental biomechanics; micromechanics of multiscale media.

T. Murray, PhD: nanoscale metrology, optical techniques in nondestructive evaluation, biomedical sensing and imaging, elastic wave propagation.

R. Nagem, PhD: structural dynamics; random vibration; wave propagation; inverse problems.

A. Pierce, PhD: aerodynamic sound, ocean engineering, wind turbines, vibrations, acoustics, porous media, underwater sound.

Tyrone Porter, PhD: ultrasound and polymers; development of targeted ultrasound contrast agents for image enhancement; ultrasound-enhanced transport of drugs and genes across cell membranes, tissue response to acousto-mechanical forces at the biomolecular level (apoptosis, wound healing, gene expression, and others).

R. A. Roy, PhD: physical acoustics, acousto-optics, ultrasonics, underwater sound, bubbles and cavitation, biomedical ultrasound.

H. Wang, PhD: nonlinear dynamics and control, networked intelligent and complex systems, robotics.

D. Wroblewski, PhD: experimental fluid mechanics and heat transfer; thermal spray heat transfer; atmospheric turbulence; turbulent boundary layers.

V. Yakhot, PhD: turbulence theory, modeling and large-scale simulations of engineering flows; kinetic theory; lattice Boltzmann methods; numerical acoustics; theoretical and numerical nano technology.

X. Zhang, PhD: microelectromechanical systems (MEMS); nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS); specific issues related to materials science, micro/nanomechanics and micro/nanomanufacturing technologies motivated by practical applications in MEMS/NEMS and emerging bio/nanotechnologies.

Y. K. Zhang, PhD: mechanical behavior of soft biological tissues, cardiovascular mechanics, multi-scale modeling of biological composites, micro- and nano-mechanics of thin film and thin film coatings.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215

10 September 2007
Boston University
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