Working professionals in the aerospace and space industries looking to expand their expertise will soon be able to take advantage of expanded, flexible, career-focused graduate education at the University of Maryland (UMD). In partnership with the Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering program, the Department of Aerospace Engineering is working to expand aerospace engineering graduate study opportunities for working professionals.

The department is aiming to make it easier for current and new MAGE students to take graduate Aerospace Engineering courses by offering online sections for all graduate classes without required in-person lab components–making it easier for students to advance education and career goals while balancing work and life commitments.

Whether professionals are looking to deepen their specialization or expand their working knowledge, the department is developing coursework opportunities and graduate certificates tailored to today’s industry demands.

“Expanding our graduate offerings in flexible formats is critical to meeting the evolving needs of today’s aerospace engineering professionals,” said Alison Flatau, chair and professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. “These programs allow engineers already working in the field to deepen their expertise, stay current with emerging technologies, and better position themselves for leadership in an increasingly complex and competitive industry.”

Beyond general course offerings, students can pursue Graduate Certificates in Engineering in focused areas of space systems, rotorcraft, and hypersonics. All courses are taught by expert faculty with deep industry and research experience, and most classes are small, with fewer than 30 students.

This fall, graduate courses in astrodynamics, near-Earth object exploration, space power and propulsion, space robotics, engineering optimization, optical remote sensing, near-space navigation, linear system dynamics, estimation and control of stochastic systems, and planetary surface robotics will be available.

Whether you’re interested in Earth-orbiting missions or exploring asteroids, there is a class for you.

MAGE programs are ranked top ten in the nation for online engineering programs by U.S. News and World Reports. And as part of UMD’s ecosystem of high-quality research, innovation, and learning, these programs are designed to help students be engaged problem-solvers while building technical skills that directly translate to real-world aerospace challenges and innovation.

With registration deadlines approaching on July 31, now is the time to apply and secure space for Fall 2025 courses.

For more information, and to apply, visit mage.umd.edu/aerospace.