Graduate degree will prepare UTSA students for high-demand careers in aerospace engineering

Chris Combs, Dee Howard Endowed Assistant Professor in Aerodynamics, works with students in the UTSA Hypersonics Lab.

AUGUST 19, 2022 — Starting this fall semester, the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design at UTSA (the Klesse College) will offer a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. It is the college’s 13^th master’s program.

The Aerospace Engineering graduate program, which comprises 30 credit hours, will give students theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills necessary for success in the rapidly growing aerospace industry. San Antonio is a significant market in the aeronautics space with several private companies and a strong military presence.

Students in the program will have access to the UTSA Hypersonics Lab, which features a 60-foot Mach 7 Ludwieg Tube Wind Tunnel, one of fewer than six tunnels capable of Mach 7 speed at a U.S. academic institution.

The laboratory runs under the direction of Christopher Combs, Dee Howard Endowed Assistant Professor in Aerodynamics. Laboratories with these capabilities are designed to measure aerodynamic effects experienced by such items as rockets, missiles, high-speed aircraft and propulsion systems.

“Aerospace engineering is an area of rapid growth and tremendous importance to both governmental and private industry sectors.”

Combs and his student research team use their findings to help advance the design of aerospace systems traveling at hypersonic speeds—about 3,500 miles per hour or 1 mile per second.

“Since I started here in 2018, we have seen such strong student demand for aerospace engineering degree programs at UTSA,” said Combs. “Given the robust job market and current industry trends, this was a clear area of need for the community. We also feel like this program will be able to leverage the cutting-edge aerospace research that’s already underway at UTSA. We are thrilled to be able to announce this program and can’t wait to get started.”

"Aerospace engineering is an area of rapid growth and tremendous importance to both governmental and private industry sectors," said JoAnn Browning, dean of the Klesse College. "UTSA is proud to offer students the skills, facilities and resources needed to chart their course toward a rewarding career in the field."

The Klesse College is San Antonio’s leading producer of research and instruction in engineering and design disciplines. Hosting nationally and world-renowned faculty, industry leading facilities and curricula developed with a focus on hands-on experiential learning, the college is committed to identifying and solving grand challenges where humanity intersects with the physical world.

UTSA is a Tier One research university and a Hispanic Serving Institution specializing in cyber, health, fundamental futures, and social-economic transformation. With an emphasis on transdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship, UTSA is leveraging its research and development capabilities to benefit the San Antonio community and the world beyond.

— Rory Dew