Space Technologies and Rocketry (STAR) team members at an L1 certification launch in October 2021. (Photo by Jenya Pryadkin, courtesy STAR/Berkeley Engineering)New aerospace major launched
In response to a growing demand for researchers and developers in the fields of aviation, defense and space exploration, Berkeley Engineering has added a new aerospace engineering major to its portfolio of academic disciplines. Building on the existing undergraduate minor, the new program will include a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering.
Launching in fall 2022, the program will have an inaugural cohort of 40 students and could expand to 200 students within four years. Student interest in the subject is already high, with at least 300 actively involved in aerospace-related clubs on campus. Even without a formal program, Berkeley Engineering currently ranks at #14 in U.S. News & World Report’s ratings of aerospace and aeronautical programs nationwide.
The new major is designed for students who aspire to become leaders in an emerging era of aerospace technologies that include sustainable aviation, autonomous flight and space exploration. The program will be built around a dual focus of space exploration and low-altitude air mobility. “Our students will benefit from a cutting-edge UC Berkeley education at a time when interest in aerospace engineering rivals that of the Apollo era,” said Panos Papadopoulos, professor of mechanical engineering and faculty lead of the aerospace engineering baccalaureate program.
Learn more: Berkeley Engineering launches aerospace major