the development of a mature external master’s degree

The Development of a Mature ExternalMaster's Degree Program in AeronauticalEngineering: A University/IndustryPartnership*

CONRAD F. NEWBERRY, ALI R. AHMADI, JULIE M. SCHOENUNG AND VAN H. GARNERCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768-4068, USAALICE A. LEBEL AND DAVID J. MCNALLYNorthrop Grumman Corporation, Hawthorne, California, USA

In the summer of 1984 the Northrop Grumman Corporation notified California State PolytechnicUniversity, Pomona (Cal Poly, Pomona; CSPUP) that the CSPUP proposal for an on-siteexternal Master's degree program had been accepted. This paper reviews the development of thisprogram, admission requirements, course offerings, annual quality reviews (by both NorthropGrumman and Cal Poly, Pomona), fee assessments, matriculation summaries, evolutionaryprogram changes and keys to the program's success. Since its inception in the fall of 1984, theprogram has evolved and matured in terms of curriculum development, student advising and degreerequirements into a highly successful, streamlined and focused graduate aeronautical engineeringexternal degree program. Possible changes in the program's future direction(s) are also discussed.

INTRODUCTION

OVER the years, the Northrop Grumman Corpo-ration has found that it is desirable for its engineersto be educated at least to the Master's level. TheNorthrop Grumman experience is that engineerswith a Master's degree tend to be more valuablein their area of specialty and are quicker to adaptto changing competitive technology and/or newassignment areas than are engineers with only abaccalaureate degree. The company, therefore, hasa policy of aggressively hiring at the Master's leveland, in addition, encourages employees with onlya baccalaureate degree to obtain an engineeringMaster's degree. This corporate encouragementtakes various forms, including the financialincentive of a fee reimbursement program.

Universities within the greater Los Angelesarea provide a number of high-quality after-hours Master's degree programs that are utilizedby Northrop Grumman employees. However,these programs typically have curricula that areintended to attract students with a wide range ofbackgrounds and needs, rather than incorporatingthe knowledge skills needed by a particularindustry. As a result, the Northrop Grumman Mili-tary Aircraft Division decided to explore the pos-sibility of developing an in-plant or on-site Master'sdegree program in aeronautical engineering thatwould reflect Northrop Grumman's specific needs

for advanced technical knowledge in critical skillareas, as well as provide employees with aconvenient and easily accessed classroom location.

In mid-1983 the Northrop Grumman manage-ment formed a five-member committee of com-pany specialists in the fields of aerodynamics,structures, materials and processes, flight controls,propulsion and aircraft design together with amember of the training department. The commit-tee charter was to develop a tentative curriculumthat would address the particular requirements ofthe airframe manufacturing industry. The commit-tee included members who possessed significantexperience as engineering faculty members at someof the nation's major universities.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN INITIATIVE

The committee first conducted a survey of itsengineers and learned that a minimum of 30employees would strongly consider enrolling inan on-site graduate aeronautical engineeringprogram. The committee then adopted guidelinesconsidered necessary to achieve company goals:

� The program should be 100% on-site atNorthrop Grumman training facilities.

� The program should be of high quality andshould meet normal university standards, inaddition to Northrop Grumman's specialrequirements.

� The curriculum should not be specialized to* Accepted 5 May 1997.Copyright being transferred to IJEE.

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Northrop Grumman but should meet the needsof the aircraft industry as a whole.

� The program should be open to all qualifiedapplicants and should not be restricted toNorthrop Grumman employees.

� The participating university should be encour-aged to utilize qualified industry instructors, inaddition to regular faculty.

These guidelines were considered to be suffi-ciently general for the development of an advanceddegree program in aeronautical engineering. Sucha program would encourage and easily permit theparticipation of employees of other nearby air-craft firms. With increased program enrollment, agreater variety of elective courses could be offeredfor the enrichment of all students.

University ResponseWithin this initiative framework, the committee

developed a tentative (albeit sketchy) curriculum.An informal review of this tentative curriculumwas made by a number of universities in the LosAngeles area. The result was a refined but stillsketchy Master's degree program curriculum. Withthe comments and subsequent curriculum revisionsin hand, as well as results of the Military AircraftDivision engineering workforce survey, the com-mittee developed the elements of a Request-for-Proposal (RFP) released by Northrop Grummanmanagement to Los Angeles area universities inthe winter and spring of 1984.

Program selectionFour Los Angeles area universities expressed an

interest in the Northrop Grumman RFP. Three ofthese universities submitted proposals for a fullydeveloped on-site External Master's Degree pro-gram. All three proposals were generally accept-able, but the CSPUP proposal offered the mostadvantages. On June 13, 1984, CSPUP wasnotified that its proposal had been accepted byNorthrop Grumman for the presentation of anon-site Aeronautical Master's Degree program.

CAL POLY, POMONAÐMASTER OFENGINEERING DEGREE

The Cal Poly, Pomona, College of Engineering,graduate program is interdisciplinary. The inter-disciplinary graduate program leads to a Master ofEngineering degree with an emphasis in somespecific area such as Aerospace Engineering.One strength of the program is that it is sufficientlyflexible for the graduate student, together with afaculty advisor, to create a course of study specifi-cally tailored to the individual student's talents,interests and professional goals. A minimum of 45quarter units was and is required for the degree,twenty-four of these units must be taken at the500 or 600 course level (i.e., 5th or 6th year). Amaximum of 21 units may be taken at the 400(senior) level.

Course DistributionWithin the 45 quarter-unit program, a minimum

of 15 (was 16) quarter units must be selected tomeet breadth (e.g., mathematics, science or cap-stone design) requirements. Additionally, a mini-mum of 15 (was 12) quarter units must be selectedby the student to emphasize a specific technicalarea. The remaining units are elective but arerequired to be consistent with the student's overallprofessional goals.

Upon completion of the required coursework,the student must complete a thesis (4±9 quarterunits) or pass a comprehensive examination. Agraduate writing examination must also becompleted in a satisfactory manner by the student.

The CSPUP graduate engineering program isadministered by the Director, Graduate Studieswith the support of the College of EngineeringGraduate Studies Committee. Each engineeringdepartment within the College of Engineering has arepresentative on the Graduate Studies Committee.

External degreeAn external degree has been defined as one that

is awarded to an individual on the basis of someprogram of preparation (devised either by thestudent or by an educational institution) whichis not centered on traditional patterns of resi-dential collegiate or university study [1]. Theresponse of Cal Poly, Pomona to the NorthropGrumman RFP had to be within the frameworkof the Master of Engineering degree programon-campus in order to be in compliance withCalifornia State University guidelines and pro-cedures. However, because the Master's degreeprogram developed for the Northrop GrummanCorporation is off-campus, contains some coursesspecifically addressing aircraft industry needs, andutilizes some part-time instructors from industry, itis defined as an external degree program.

At Cal Poly, Pomona, external degree pro-grams are administered through the Office ofContinuing Education by the Dean of ContinuingEducation. The diplomas awarded for satisfac-torily completing the Master of Engineeringdegree requirements are the same regardless ofwhether those requirements are completed via theon-campus program or via an external degreeprogram. Students in both types of programsmust meet equivalent graduation requirementsand standards.

INITIAL CSPUP/NORTHROP GRUMMANEXTERNAL DEGREE PROGRAM

Within the academic environment, the CSPUP/Northrop Grumman External Master's DegreeProgram required sequential approval at boththe College and University levels as well as bythe Chancellor's Office. It should be noted thatthe Northrop Grumman program was the thirdexternal Master's degree program developed by the

C. F. Newberry et al.286

CSPUP College of Engineering. The first such pro-gram (interdisciplinary) was developed for NortonAir Force Base personnel; the second (mechanicalengineering) for the Fluor Corporation.

In accordance with the provisions of ChapterIII, Section 6, subdivision K of the StandingOrders of the California State University Boardof Trustees, the Chancellor's Office fixed thevarious fees associated with the external degreeprogram. The initial (1984) and current fee struc-ture is contrasted in Table 1. The change in thefee structure represents the change in programcosts over the last twelve years. Classes were firstoffered during the Fall quarter of 1984.

The external Master of Engineering degree pro-gram with emphasis in Aeronautical Engineeringthat was developed with and for the NorthropGrumman Corporation required a minimum offorty-five quarter units of coursework. All courseswere four quarter units in size, except for theComprehensive Examination, ARO 697, whichwas one quarter unit in size. Thus, the program,then as now, required eleven subject matter coursesplus a comprehensive examination.

The Northrop Grumman Committee andmanagement considered that their engineers weresufficiently involved in research, design and pro-posal preparation on a daily basis that the com-pletion of either a thesis or a project would notrepresent the educational experience for theiremployees that it would for the traditional gradu-ate student. Thus, with few exceptions (e.g., thosestudents who might transfer to the on-campusprogram), all students in the CSPUP/NorthropGrumman program must pass the comprehensiveexamination. In addition, without exception, theymust all receive acceptable marks on the GraduateWriting Examination (GWT).

Where possible, it was considered desirable touse existing courses from the on-campus pro-gram in the CSPUP/Northrop Grumman program.However, the specific nature of the CSPUP/Northrop Grumman program required that mostof the external degree program courses be newlydeveloped. It should be noted that the seniorauthor developed the original CSPUP proposalresponse to the Northrop Grumman RFP andthen served as both the academic coordinator andan occasional instructor and faculty advisor for theprogram for the period 1984±88. The second authorhas served as the faculty advisor, an occasionalinstructor and as the academic coordinator from1988 to the present.

The original CSPUP/Northrop Grumman pro-gram consisted of a group of specified breadthcourses totaling twenty-four quarter units andelective courses totaling twenty quarter units. Theelective courses originally could have been takenin a single specialty area or distributed in somefashion over two or more specialty areas.

Expected student backgroundThe CSPUP/Northrop Grumman external

degree program was primarily developed forstudents whose baccalaureate degree was in aero-nautical/astronautical/aerospace, mechanical orsome related engineering discipline. However, theprogram emphasis is on aeronautical engineering.Students without suitable preparation for thisgraduate program are expected to obtain thatbackground from one of the several universities(including CSPUP) in the greater Los Angeles areaor from a limited number of supplemental pre-paratory courses offered in the CSPUP/NorthropGrumman external degree program.

Graduate credit was originally allowed formost but not all of these preparatory courses.For example, Gas Dynamics (ARO 311) is ajunior level course in compressible flow. It con-tinues to be offered on a per need basis for thosestudents who have not had an equivalent course intheir undergraduate studies. No graduate creditwas or is allowed for ARO 311.

Other preparatory courses listed in Table 2 wereall senior level courses and as such were initiallyoffered for graduate credit, if similar courses hadnot been taken by the student as an undergraduate.As an example of program tailoring, ARO 470(Aerodynamics and Performance) was developedas an accelerated course in subsonic and super-sonic aerodynamics/airplane performance forthose students who had not had an equivalentcourse as an undergraduate but who had industrialaircraft experience.

BreadthThe breadth component of the initial program

consisted of six specific courses (twenty-fourunits), regardless of specialty area. In contrast,the on-campus program initially required a mini-mum of sixteen quarter units with considerablechoice of coursework (currently, a minimum offifteen quarter units are required).

The initial CSPUP/Northrop Grumman breadthrequirements are shown in Table 3(a). They

Table 1. CSPUP/Northrop Grumman external degreeprogram fees

Fee 1984 1992 1995

Course fees per Quarter Unit $95.00 $155.00 $233.00Application for Admission 35.00 55.00 35.00Application for Graduation 10.00 18.00 18.00

(Diploma Fee)Graduate Writing Test 15.00 12.00 18.00

Table 2. Preparatory coursework

ARO 311 Gas Dynamics (4)ARO 405 Aerospace Vehicle Stabilityand Control (4)ARO 406 Dynamics of Aerospace Systems (4)ARO 408 Finite Element Analysis of Structures I (4)ARO 470 Aerodynamics and Performance (4)ARO 482 Feedback Control Systems (4)

Note: Preparatory courses are scheduled only whenrequested by eight or more students.

Development of a Mature External Master's Degree Program in Aeronautical Engineering 287

included two courses in advanced mathematicsand single courses in structures, propulsion, aero-dynamics and stability and control. The breadthrequirements for the initial program were chosento enhance the general analytical capability of theindividual student and to expose the student to atleast a brief glimpse of most of the major fields ofeffort required in aircraft analysis and design.

The current CSPUP/Northrop Grummanbreadth requirements are shown in Table 3(b).The current requirements represent the maturityof the program.

ElectivesA complete list of elective courses, both initial

and current, is given in Table 4. Originally thestudent had several options in the selection ofelectives. One such option was to select electivecourses in a variety of technical areas for addi-tional breadth. A second option was to select theelective courses to provide an in-depth emphasis ina specific area. The number of elective courses wassuch that strong emphasis areas could be devel-oped in flight controls, structures, airbreathingpropulsion and aerodynamics.

Table 5 illustrates at least one way in which theseemphasis areas could be defined in the initialprogram. Other, somewhat different, arrange-ments could also be defined. A maximum oftwenty-one units of 400-level electives could beapplied toward the degree in the initial program.It should be noted that students need(ed) to paystrict attention to prerequisites, when developingtheir elective course patterns. The current pro-gram permits only three elective areas as shown inTable 5.

ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

Students in a Cal Poly, Pomona external engi-neering degree program are subject to the sameacademic regulations that govern students in on-campus graduate engineering degree programs.These academic requirements can be summarizedas follows:

1. At least 32 quarter units of upper division and/or graduate level coursework must be com-pleted in residence at Cal Poly, Pomona. CalPoly, Pomona considers that courses offered inthis program at Northrop Grumman facilitiesmeet this requirement.

Table 3. Breadth (required) courses for the external master'sdegree in aeronautical engineering

(a) Initial ProgramARO 501 Matrix Algebra, Vector Analysis,

Complex Variables (4)ARO 502 Statistics, Probability and Partial Differential

Equations (4)ARO 504 Mechanics of Composites (4)ARO 510 Airbreathing Propulsion Systems (4)ARO 515 Aerodynamics for Engineers (4)ARO 578 Aircraft Stability (4)

Note: These six courses were required of all students.Note: The numbers in brackets at the end of the course titles

indicate the quarter units allocated to the course, i.e.,all courses are four quarter units in size.

(b) Current ProgramARO 501 Methods of Engineering Analysis (4)ARO 502 Differential Equations and Transforms (4)ARO 506 Aircraft Structures (4)ARO 510 Airbreathing Propulsion Systems (4)ARO 515 Advanced Aerodynamics (4)ARO 578 Aircraft Stability (4)

Note: Depending upon the student's area of specialization,five of the above courses, totaling 20 quarter units, arerequired to satisfy the breadth requirements for thisprogram.

Table 4. Elective courses for the external master's degree in aeronautical engineering

(a) Initial Program (b) Current Program

ARO 402 Numerical Methods (4) ARO 503 Numerical Analysis for Engineers (4)ARO 405 Aerospace Vehicle Stability and Control (4) ARO 504 Mechanics of Composites (4)ARO 406 Dynamics of Aerospace Systems (4) ARO 506 Aircraft Structures (4)ARO 408 Introductory Finite Element Structures (4) ARO 508 Finite Element Analysis of Structures II (4)ARO 431 Intermediate Finite Element Structures (4) ARO 512 Airframe-Propulsion System Integration (4)ARO 470 Aerodynamics and Performance (4) ARO 515 Advanced Aerodynamics (4)ARO 476 Manufacturing Processes (4) ARO 516 Aerodynamics of Wings and Bodies (4)ARO 482 Feedback Control Systems (4) ARO 517 Unsteady Aerodynamics (4)ARO 503 Numerical Analysis for Engineers (4) ARO 518 Computational Fluid Dynamics (4)ARO 506 Aircraft Structures (4) ARO 521 Structural Dynamics (4)ARO 507 Continuum Mechanics (4) ARO 522 Fatigue and Damage Tolerance Analysis (4)ARO 509 Computer Aided Design of Structures (4) ARO 524 Advanced Aircraft Structures (4)ARO 512 Airframe-Propulsion Systems (4) ARO 525 Aeroelasticity (4)ARO 516 Wing-Body Aerodynamics (4) ARO 535 Modern Control Theory (4)ARO 518 Computational Fluid Dynamics (4) ARO 538 Advanced Topics in Flight Controls (4)ARO 525 Aeroelasticity (4) ARO 545 Aircraft Flying Qualities (4)ARO 535 Modern Control Theory (4) ARO 578 Aircraft Stability (4)ARO 537 Concepts in Integrated Control (4) ARO 595 Boundary Layer Theory (4)ARO 545 Aircraft Flying Qualities (4) ARO 598 Flight Sciences (4)ARO 691 Directed Study (1) ARO 697 Comprehensive Examination (1)

Note: The numbers in brackets at the end of the course titles indicate the quarter units allocated to the course.


2. Candidates for the external Master's degreemust earn at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average(GPA) in all graduate coursework taken in CalPoly, Pomona programs. No grade lower than a`C' may be applied toward fulfillment of degreerequirements.

3. Dropping a graduate course after the 15th dayof instruction will only be approved for seriousand compelling reasons that must be completelydocumented.

4. The external graduate degree program must becompleted within seven years of the start datefor the first course considered applicable to thedegree.

5. Those students with a GPA below 3.0 (B) aresubject to disqualification and, in fact, may bedisqualified from the program upon therecommendation of the College of EngineeringGraduate Studies Director.

6. Students are required to meet all of the aca-demic regulations of the University as set forthin the Catalog of California State PolytechnicUniversity, Pomona.

Transfer creditTransfer credit may be obtained for prior gradu-

ate coursework completed by the student atother accredited colleges and universities, providedsuch courses are acceptable as substitutes foreither required or elective courses in the CSPUP/Northrop Grumman program. Not more thanthirteen quarter units may be transferred to thestudent's CSPUP/Northrop Grumman programfrom other institutions.

Instructional staffThe instructional staff of the CSPUP/ Northrop

Grumman external degree program is comprisedof full-time faculty members from California StatePolytechnic University, Pomona, primarily fromthe Aerospace Engineering Department, and fromqualified industry-based engineers who teach pri-marily in their particular field of expertise. Anumber of these industry-based instructors havehad teaching experience in other university gradu-ate programs. All of the industry-based instructorsmust meet the requirements for teaching graduatelevel courses offered by the Cal Poly, PomonaAerospace Engineering Department.

SchedulingInitially, from one to three classes were sched-

uled each quarter. Academic quarters at CSPUPtypically have ten weeks of classroom work withan additional week for final examinations. Such aten-week quarter has forty academic hours (fiftyminutes to the academic hour) of instruction. Afour-unit class will usually meet four days a weekfor one hour (fifty minutes) at each meeting ortwice a week for two consecutive fifty-minuteperiods (with a ten-minute break between peri-ods). However, neither of these course modulesappealed to the external degree students or faculty.

With student and faculty consensus, it wasdecided that each class would meet once a weekfor three consecutive fifty-minute periods with aten-minute break between each period. Thisweekly class module required a thirteen-week`quarter' (for a total of 39 academic hours of

Table 5. Elective emphasis areas

(a) Initial Program (b) Current Program

Flight Controls Flight ControlsARO 482 Feedback Control Systems (4) ARO 503 Numerical Analysis for Engineers (4)ARO 516 Wing-Body Aerodynamics (4) ARO 535 Modern Control Theory (4)ARO 535 Modern Control Theory (4) ARO 538 Advanced Topics in Flight Controls (4)ARO 537 Concepts in Integrated Control (4) ARO 545 Aircraft Flying Qualities (4)ARO 545 Aircraft Flying Qualities (4) ARO 578 Aircraft Stability (4)

ARO 598 Flight Sciences (4)

Structures StructuresARO 408 Introductory Finite Element Structures (4) ARO 503 Numerical Analysis for Engineers (4)ARO 506 Aircraft Structures (4) ARO 504 Mechanics of Composites (4)ARO 509 Computer Aided Design of Structures (4) ARO 506 Aircraft Structures (4)ARO 516 Wing-Body Aerodynamics (4) ARO 508 Finite Element Analysis of Structures II (4)ARO 525 Aeroelasticity (4) ARO 521 Structural Dynamics (4)


Airbreathing Propulsion Aerodynamics and PropulsionARO 512 Airframe-Propulsion Systems (4) ARO 503 Numerical Analysis for Engineers (4)ARO 516 Wing-Body Aerodynamics (4) ARO 515 Advanced Aerodynamics (4)ARO 518 Computational Fluid Dynamics (4) ARO 516 Aerodynamics of Wings and Bodies (4)ARO 525 Aeroelasticity (4) ARO 517 Unsteady Aerodynamics (4)ARO 535 Modern Control Theory (4) ARO 518 Computational Fluid Dynamics (4)


AerodynamicsARO 503 Numerical Analysis for Engineers (4)ARO 516 Wing-Body Aerodynamics (4)ARO 518 Computational Fluid Dynamics (4)ARO 525 Aeroelasticity (4)ARO 545 Aircraft Flying Qualities (4)


instruction) with an additional week for final exami-nations. This somewhat unusual `quarter' seemedto be adequate during the formative years of theCSPUP/Northrop Grumman program but allowedonly three such `quarters' each academic year,rather than the usual four eleven-week quarters.

It should also be noted that a few courseswere scheduled for two meetings per week with twoconsecutive academic hours of instruction at eachmeeting. Typically the students did not like to meettwice a week, and since campus instructors had todrive to the Northrop Grumman facilities twicea week, they also were not particularly fond ofthis schedule. The CSPUP/Northrop Grummanschedule was eventually matched to the CSPUPcampus calendar.

RegistrationRegistration takes place during the first meeting

of each course. Typically, the Cal Poly, PomonaDean of Continuing Education will bring the neces-sary registration materials, as well as the textbooks,to this first class meeting. If the course instructor is afull-time Cal Poly, Pomona faculty member, theinstructor may occasionally be asked to bring thecourse textbooks and registration materials to thefirst class and, in addition, perform the registrationfunction and the necessary student advising. In anyevent, a Cal Poly, Pomona graduate student facultyadvisor was and is always available to studentsduring the registration process and, by appoint-ment, at selected other times during the year.

RecruitmentAt Northrop Grumman, course offerings are

always announced in the `After-Hours, ContinuingEducation Programs', bulletin published quarterlyby Northrop Grumman [2]. The Cal Poly, PomonaOffice of Continuing Education also advertises theprogram and individual course offerings in themonthly newsletter of the Los Angeles Section ofthe American Institute of Aeronautics and Astro-nautics (AIAA) [3]. Continuing students also receivescheduling information by mail (from NorthropGrumman) and are asked to return a form toNorthrop Grumman indicating their intent toenroll in specific courses before each quarter.

An appropriately designed one-page brochuredescribing the program in general as well as thespecific course offerings was prepared and distrib-uted to its employees by Northrop Grumman [4].The admission criteria, overall curriculum, sche-duling information and telephone numbers to callfor additional program information were includedin the brochure.

A more complete multipage brochure was pre-pared and released in July of 1986 by the CalPoly, Pomona Office of Continuing Education.This brochure contained the external degree curri-culum, admission criteria, academic regulations,complete course descriptions and telephone num-bers, both at Northrop Grumman and at Cal Poly,Pomona, that students or prospective students

could call for additional information. This brochureis updated aperiodically to reflect the changes andimprovements to this dynamic program [5].

Some employees from firms near NorthropGrumman have already taken advantage of theCSPUP/Northrop Grumman external Master'sdegree program. To date, employees from someten companies in the Los Angeles area haveparticipated in the program.

Program evaluation infrastructureAt a meeting near the end of each course, the

instructor distributes course evaluation formswhich the students complete and return, in asealed envelope, to the instructor at the end ofthe class meeting. This evaluation considers boththe student's perception of the instructor's effec-tiveness and an assessment of their own expecta-tions for the course. The evaluation forms are sentto the Office of Continuing Education for analysisby the Dean of Continuing Education and his/herstaff, with copies to the Faculty Advisor, instructorand Northrop Grumman administrator for reviewand follow-up, if required.

Periodically, representatives of both the North-rop Grumman Engineering and Training Depart-ments meet with the students enrolled in theexternal degree program to discuss their percep-tions of the overall program. Discussion at thesemeetings is focused on effective course organi-zation and teaching methods, use of computerfacilities, instructor effectiveness, use of appropri-ate textbooks, use of available technical literatureand program administrative effectiveness.

The original Northrop Grumman Committee,recommending the establishment of the externaldegree program, was made a permanent corporateCommittee responsible for providing oversightreports to Northrop Grumman management.This Committee, which has experienced somechange in personnel over the years, meets periodi-cally with a similar oversight committee from CalPoly, Pomona. This Joint Advisory Committeereviews progress and, as needed, determinespolicy changes to meet both Northrop Grummanand CSPUP goals. The Cal Poly, Pomona Com-mittee includes representatives from the Office ofContinuing Education, the College of Engineeringand the Aerospace Engineering Department.

Thus, course and program evaluation is con-ducted at several management levels to ensure thatstudent and program needs are being met, highacademic standards are being maintained and arelevant service is being offered to the aerospacecommunity.

EVOLUTION AND MATURATION OF THEPROGRAM

The above narrative summarizes the initialdevelopment of the CSPUP/Northrop Grummanexternal Master's degree program with some


indication of its present format. Newberry andHunt [6] provide a complete discussion, includingall initial course descriptions, of the original pro-gram. The following narrative describes thechanges that have occurred in the program, itspresent status and its possible future direction.

There have been some evolutionary and matur-ing changes in the external degree program since itsinception in 1984. Some course titles were changedto reflect course content more accurately. Some ofthe courses were deleted and others were added tothe curriculum. Course descriptions for the currentprogram are provided in the Appendix. In someinstances, course content was revised to improvecoverage of essential course topics. It must beremembered that most of the courses proposedfor this curriculum were new and had not beenvalidated by the rigors of the classroom. It is oftennecessary to teach a course two or three times todetermine the amount of time required to properlycover a given sequence of topics. Thus, some timehas been required for course and curriculum `shakedown'. Time has also been required for a realisticassessment of the extent of student interest inspecific areas and to develop a schedule of courseofferings to meet the fiscal `breakeven' enrollmentminimum of eight students per course. Studentenrollment planning has also been facilitated bythe annual publication of the schedule of on-siteclasses to be offered.

Preparatory courseworkInitially, a maximum of twenty-one 400-level

courses could be counted in the individualstudent's graduate program, in keeping with CalPoly, Pomona's on-campus graduate school policy.However, Northrop Grumman wanted a morestringent program, one which would provide thestudent with more coursework at the 500 and 600-level. The flexibility of the on-campus programpermitted this increase in 500- and 600-levelcourses.

The current CSPUP/Northrop Grumman exter-nal degree program does not give the studentexternal degree credit for preparatory coursework. The required preparatory courses are listedin Table 2. All of these courses are available in theinstructional program for this external degree, ifeach course is requested by a sufficiently largeenough (i.e., eight or more) group of students. Ifadditional preparatory coursework is required, thestudent must use their own initiative to seek suchcoursework elsewhere at any of the Los Angelesarea universities.

Required coursesARO 501, Methods of Engineering Analysis,

and ARO 502, Differential Equations and Trans-forms, have been revised in both title and contentto better satisfy program goals. ARO 504,Mechanics of Composites, was replaced by ARO506, Aircraft Structures, to provide a more fun-damental breadth background in structures. A

change was made in the title of ARO 515,Advanced Aerodynamics, to reflect slight changesin course content. Coverage of the thrust equations,ramjets and overall propulsion system performancetopics has been added to ARO 510, AirbreathingPropulsion Systems. The Aircraft Stability course,ARO 578, has remained unchanged in terms oftitle and course content.

ElectivesTable 4 illustrates the course title comparison

in the elective course offerings. A total of eightclasses have been added whereas three courseswere deleted. Overall, the current program hasmore elective freedom than the original program.

The additional electives have been added, inpart, to provide more complete course selectionin the specialization areas. The current programrequires that the student select one of three areasfor specialization:

1. Aerodynamics and Propulsion2. Flight Controls3. Structures.

While this represents less flexibility than the initialprogram, it better utilizes available resources andthereby provides more certainty as to when courseswill be offered.

Some possible initial elective and currentrequired course specialization groupings are illus-trated in Table 5. It should be noted that the actualcourse groupings are at the individual student'selection. There is considerable flexibility availableto the student when selecting specific courses inany given emphasis area. Care must, however, beexercised to make sure that prerequisites areobserved. To this end, flow charts have beenprepared for each of the three emphasis areascurrently allowed.

Figure 1 illustrates the ramifications and obfus-cations associated with elective selections in theStructures Emphasis Area. Similar flow charts areavailable for the Flight Controls Emphasis Areaand the Aerodynamics and Propulsion EmphasisArea. Figure 2 illustrates the Program of StudyApproval Form that must be completed for eachstudent. It should be noted that Fig. 2 was devel-oped for the Structures Emphasis Area. Similarforms are available for the other two emphasisareas.

Current program logisticsInitially the program was offered only at the

Military Aircraft Division training facility inHawthorne. Shortly thereafter, sufficient interestwas generated at the B-2 Division in Pico Riverato warrant classes being offered there as well.Northrop Grumman engineering staffing require-ments have recently been such that all classes arenow being offered at the Military Aircraft Divisiontraining facilities in El Segundo. It should alsobe noted that a number of qualified NorthropGrumman employees have served as instructors


in this program, although most of the instruction issupplied by Cal Poly, Pomona professors.

During 1991, some fifty or more students wereregistered in some phase of the external degreeprogram. This enrollment easily supported threeclass offerings per quarter. However, enrollmenthas now dropped to roughly 35±40 students. Thislevel of enrollment will adequately support onlytwo classes per quarter. Table 6 indicates the recentpast and current course offerings by quarter. TheAppendix presents the current course descrip-tions of all courses offered in the external degreeprogram.

The once-a-week, extended (14-week) quarterformat for classes that appeared to be appropriateearly in the development of the program hasproven to be an untenable format. Classes nowmeet for four hours (four consecutive fifty-minuteperiods separated by ten-minute breaks) once aweek. The length of the quarter is now elevenweeks, including the final examination week, andis consistent with the Cal Poly, Pomona on-campus program. Although the four-hour sessioncan be tiring, it enables students to more easilyenroll in two classes each quarter, if they so desire.Furthermore, the shorter quarter enables studentsto take classes during all four quarters of the year.A majority of both students and faculty membersprefer the new class format over the old format.Courses are now scheduled for four quartersthroughout the academic year. This markedlyshortens the total calendar time for graduation.

Site facilitiesThe principal site for program course offerings

is dependent upon where the greatest number of

Northrop Grumman students are located. Thus,the initial courses were offered at the NorthropGrumman Hawthorne plant. Eventually, (around1989) instruction also evolved to the Pico RiveraB-2 Division. Currently, all classes are held at theMilitary Aircraft Division plant in El Segundo. Itshould be noted that regardless of the NorthropGrumman location for course offerings, students(engineers) from most Northrop Grumman plantlocations and from other local aerospace firms willbe found in attendance.

Very comfortable Northrop Grumman class-room facilities exist at the Hawthorne, PicoRivera and El Segundo plant locations. All threesites have a number of centrally located classroomsof varying sizes equipped with adequate white-board space, overhead projectors and, if required,video equipment. Depending upon the particularclassroom, from 12 to 35 students can be nicelyaccommodated in seating provided by typical uni-versity classroom furniture. Northrop Grumman/CSPUP students have access to PC terminals.Northrop Grumman employees also haveaccess, through company procedures, to com-pany mainframe computer facilities, as needed.Non-Northrop Grumman employees in theprogram are expected to arrange for PC andmainframe computer access at their particularcompanies, as required.

Reimbursement policyIt should be noted that Northrop Grumman

employees also have access to a significant feereimbursement program. Currently, upon thesuccessful completion of each course (B gradeor better), each Northrop Grumman employed

Fig. 1. Structures emphasis area flow chart.


student is reimbursed 100% of all fees (includingtextbook charges) for that course. Reimbursementfor CSPUP/Northrop Grumman students, who are

not Northrop Grumman employees, is in accord-ance with the policies of the companies for whichthe students work.

LEAN INSTRUCTION

The downsizing of the US aerospace industryhas had an adverse impact on aerospace engineer-ing employment in the Los Angeles area in generaland on the Northrop Grumman/CSPUP graduate

Fig. 2. Structures emphasis area approval form.


aeronautical engineering program in particular.This impact is observed in the values of averageclass size per quarter, number of seats occupied peracademic year, number of courses per academicyear and number of graduates per year as illus-trated in Figs. 3 through 6, respectively. Accord-ingly, both Northrop Grumman and Cal Poly,Pomona have sought to find a way to maintainprogram viability with small student enrollments.The resulting program format might be called leaninstruction.

The current program has been slightly restruc-tured to accommodate small enrollments withoutsignificant reductions in the overall number ofcourse offerings. The restructured program isachieved with a total of sixteen graduate courses,exclusive of the comprehensive examination. Thelist of the sixteen courses is identified in Table 7,which also indicates the number of times eachcourse has been offered since the inception of theprogram, as well as the average class size. Thesesixteen courses were selected on the basis of theirfundamental value, usefulness and popularity (inroughly that order).

The three areas of specialization are retained:aerodynamics and propulsion, flight controls, andstructures. The modified specialization tracks oroptions are identified in Table 8. For each specia-lization track or option there are five breadthcourses, four specialization courses and two `free'electives, exclusive of the comprehensive exami-nation. The electives are `free' in the sense thatthe student can choose to enroll in any two of theremaining seven courses (of the sixteen total).

This restructured program was implementedduring the 1992±93) academic year (AY). Thesuccess of the program is illustrated by theacceptable class size, seats occupied, course offer-ing and graduation data presented in Figs 3through 6, respectively.

The restructured program was achieved byessentially deactivating seven courses in the 1992AY program. These seven courses will be reac-tivated and others added when student enroll-ments increase sufficiently. In the meantime, theoverall program remains viable and popular withaerospace engineers in the Los Angeles area.

EVALUATION

The individual course evaluation process, CalPoly, Pomona assessment, and Northrop Grumman

Table 6. External degree program course schedule

1990±91Fall 1990 Winter 1991 Spring 1991 Summer 1991ARO 501 ARO 502 ARO 506 ARO 504ARO 504 ARO 512 ARO 538 ARO 515ARO 510 ARO 535

1991/92Fall 1991 Winter 1992 Spring 1992 Summer 1992ARO 501 ARO 502 ARO 503 ARO 506ARO 510 ARO 508 ARO 598ARO 578

1992/93Fall 1992 Winter 1993 Spring 1993 Summer 1993ARO 501 ARO 510 ARO 504 ARO 518ARO 578 ARO 521 ARO 515 ARO 535

1993/94Fall 1993 Winter 1994 Spring 1994 Summer 1994ARO 502 ARO 503 ARO 578 ARO 545ARO 516 ARO 506 ARO 598




Fig. 3. Average class size per quarter.


Fig. 4. Number of seats occupied per academic year.

Fig. 5. Number of courses per academic year.

Fig. 6. Number of graduates per academic year.


Corporation assessment infrastructure describedabove has been ongoing for nearly twelve years.Student comments on all aspects of the programare actively sought, through the distribution of anannual Northrop Grumman survey used to gatherboth planning and program evaluation data.

A statistical evaluation that clarifies some of theassessment issues has been made of the CSPUP/Northrop Grumman external degree program.Class size, classroom seats occupied per academicyear, number of total courses offered per academicyear and the number of graduates per year permita reasonable assessment of the effectiveness of andinterest in the overall program.

Class sizeThe average class size distribution is shown in

Fig. 3. It can be seen that the average class size isapproximately twelve students. Since all studentsare required to complete the breadth courses,enrollment in these courses is typically higherthan in the more specialized courses. It will be

noted that a class size minimum occurred duringthe 1990 academic year, increased during the 1991academic year, only to decrease to a new minimumof five students during the summer quarter of 1993(and again during the summer quarter of the 1994AY). Class size increased somewhat during thefall quarter of the 1995 academic year. Continuedprogram operation is feasible at the currentaverage class size.

Although as many as 75 students have enrolledin one or more classes during the 1995 AY, only 25students are estimated to be seeking a Master'sdegree. The current reduced enrollment levels(compared to enrollments during the late 1980s)are probably indicative of current aerospace work-force employment levels in the Los Angeles areain particular and the US aerospace industry ingeneral.

It should be noted that a minimum of fivestudents are typically required to conduct anygiven class. A class with fewer than five studentswill be conducted only in extraordinary circum-stances. As noted above, a minimum of eightstudents per course is required for a fiscalbreakeven enrollment.

SeatsFigure 4 indicates the number of classroom seats

occupied per academic year. A low value of 42seats occupied per academic year was reached in1994±95 and the high value was 153 in 1988±89.Figure 4 appears to suggest that the CSPUP/Northrop Grumman external degree program hasachieved a measure of stability during the currentdownsizing of the aerospace industry in the LosAngeles area.

CoursesAccording to Fig. 5, at least five courses have

been offered each year, while a maximum ofeleven courses was offered in 1989±90. Sincethen, there has been a slight reduction in thenumber of courses offered per academic year.However, even with the current reduced enroll-ments seven courses have been offered in each ofthe last two academic years. It appears that sevencourse offerings per year may be the steady-statenumber for sometime into the future (see Table 6also).

The number of courses offered per academic yearis dependent upon overall external degree programenrollment. If overall enrollment increases, thenumber of courses offered per academic yearseems likely to increase, based upon the historicaldata shown in Fig. 5.

GraduatesFigure 6 represents one significant measure of

success of the external degree program. Morethan 60 students have completed the program.Most have been Northrop Grumman employeesalthough some, including the very first graduate,

Table 7. Course class size and frequency

Course Avge. class size No. of times offered

ARO 501 15 9ARO 502 12 9ARO 503 10 7ARO 504 12 6ARO 506 12 8ARO 508 6 2ARO 510 14 7ARO 515 13 8ARO 516 14 4ARO 518 11 2ARO 521 9 3ARO 535 9 5ARO 545 10 3ARO 578 11 9ARO 598 11 3ARO 614 n/a ±

Table 8. Lean instruction specialization options

Aerodynamicsand Flight

Propulsion Control Structures

Five breadth courses: ARO 501 ARO 501 ARO 501ARO 502 ARO 502 ARO 502ARO 510 ARO 510 ARO 510ARO 506 ARO 506 ARO 515ARO 578 ARO 515 ARO 578

Four emphasis courses: ARO 515 ARO 578 ARO 504ARO 516 ARO 535 ARO 506ARO 518 ARO 545 ARO 521ARO 598 ARO 598 ARO 598

Two electives: ARO 521 ARO 516 ARO 508ARO 503 ARO 503 ARO 503ARO 615 ARO 614 ARO 614

Or any other emphasis orelective course

Comprehensive ARO 697 ARO 697 ARO 697examination:


were employees of aerospace firms near NorthropGrumman's Hawthorne and Pico Rivera facilities.

It will be noted that the annual number ofgraduates increased to a maximum of fourteenduring the 1989 and 1990 academic years. Thedecrease to three graduates during the 1991 aca-demic year and two graduates during the 1994academic year is thought to be due to studentenrollment phasing and to Los Angeles aerospaceengineering employment levels.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

The overall success of the CSPUP/ NorthropGrumman external degree in aeronautical engi-neering is illustrated in Fig. 6. Over a period oftwelve years, some 200 students have participatedin this program; in excess of 60 students havegraduated from the program. In excess of 100courses have been offered.

As noted above, the program currently involvessome sixteen graduate courses. Although some 75students enrolled for one or more courses duringthe 1995 AY, only twenty-five are estimated to beseeking a graduate degree in aeronautical engi-neering. The others are simply using the programfor unstructured professional developmentÐalaudable end in itself. Finally, although theprogram was originally developed to meet theneeds of Northrop Grumman employees, studentsfrom as many as ten other Los Angeles-basedaerospace companies have participated in the pro-gram. It should be noted that the appeal of theprogram to non-Northrop Grumman employeeswas an initial goal of both Northrop Grummanand CSPUP.

Keys to program's successThere would seem to be no question that the

CSPUP/Northrop Grumman external degree pro-gram has been a success. This is a tribute tocombined efforts of the partnership of the Com-pany and the University. There appear to be atleast five key issues that account for this success:

� Advisory committee. The first key is the NorthropGrumman/ Cal Poly, Pomona Joint AdvisoryCommittee. This group keeps a close watch onemployee interest, currency of the curriculum,integration of the coursework, instructoreffectiveness, advising and other programfeedback.

� Advising. The effectiveness of individualstudent advising is considered to be a vitalkey to the success of the program. One-on-one student-faculty advising enables the studentto know exactly what she/he needs to do andthe timeframe in which it must be done. Suchadvising also permits the students to tailor theprogram to their own particular needs andinterests within the constraints of the degreeguidelines. The emphasis area flow charts and

the Program of Study sheets enhance theadvising process.

� On-site location. Company on-site course offer-ings provide a great convenience for students.Time is not lost in going from plant to class-room. This can easily save at least one and one-half hours of travel time per class meeting,attendant parking costs and delays, trying tofind something for dinner before class andgeneral wear and tear on the student's nervoussystem associated with frequent driving from theplant to the classroom at the end of a day ofwork. The on-site aspect of the program allowsthe student to be in a much better learning frameof mind than would otherwise be the case.

� Student evaluation. Student evaluation of eachcourse and instructor provides (by academicstandards) almost instant feedback to both pro-gram administrators and instructors. Instruc-tional effectiveness, course content, classroomfacilities and textbooks are but a few of thefactors that can be addressed by such feedback.

� Teaching Excellence. Teaching excellence fromboth full-time faculty and part-time faculty fromindustry is highly valued. Recommendationsfrom the Joint Advisory Committee guide theinstructor selection process. First-time instruc-tors (new to the on-site program) are extensivelybriefed by the faculty coordinator in order toacquaint them with the unique aspects of theirassignments and to set expectations about theexperience.

Cal Poly, Pomona perspectiveThere is some flexibility in the current program

that is not immediately obvious. Courses in theexternal degree program that are also in the on-campus programÐand there are a few of themÐmay be taken on-campus by the external degreeprogram students within the same eleven-weekquarter format. A maximum of 13 credit hoursof such course work may be taken on-campus.Such flexibility may trade convenience of courseofferings for convenience of site location. How-ever, such a trade may enable a student to graduateearlier than would otherwise be possible and/ortake a prerequisite in a more timely fashion. North-rop Grumman program students taking on-campuscourses increase the enrollment of such classes andbring their industrial experience to class discussions.

Northrop Grumman perspectiveThat the on-site Master's course continues to

be a vital program in the face of mammothchanges in the Southern California aerospaceindustry, is a tribute to all involved both atCSPUP and Northrop Grumman; the former forbeing responsive to Northrop Grumman's sug-gested course changes/amendments while ensuringthat the resulting advanced degree is of the highestquality; and the latter for providing the necessarysupport, both financial and directional from theoriginal concept proposal through lean enrollment


times to the present. A major contribution to thissuccess has been the Training Department atNorthrop Grumman's Military Aircraft Divisionwhich is responsible for establishing and main-taining the excellent interface which now existsbetween the University, the students and theCorporation. This function was originally per-formed by the Training Department of the AircraftDivision in Hawthorne, then transferred to theTraining Department of the B-2 Division in PicoRivera and is now the responsibility of the Train-ing Department of the Military Aircraft Divisionin El Segundo. All of these locations are withinthe confines of the greater Los Angeles area. Theseshifts in the location of Training Departmentresponsibility have been coincident with corporateengineering responsibilities and student interest inthe program.

From Northrop Grumman's point of view, thestructure of the program and its administrationoffers many advantages that include:

� Tailoring courses to current needs of bothstudents and the Corporation through thecontinuing review and recommendations ofthe Joint CSPUP and Northrop GrummanAdvisory Committee.

� Providing qualified Northrop Grumman andother industry-based lecturers in specific areasto ensure that students are exposed to currentpractices as much as possible.

A good example of the latter is the area ofpropulsion integrationÐwhich is a dynamic tech-nical area, particularly for modern high perfor-mance aircraft. (This has been something of adouble-edged sword since the people who mayhave the most relevant experience and may bethe right choice for the lecturer are frequentlylocked into heavy work commitments and can'tspare the time).

Frequently students who join the Corporationafter obtaining their baccalaureate degree wouldlike to have obtained an advanced degree but a)were unsure what their specialty should be, b)could not afford to stay at college any longer, orc) decided that work experience before continuinggraduate work would be useful. The ready avail-ability of this on-site program allows them time tocarefully assess their personal interest and needsand overcomes the financial hurdle. Clearly bothNorthrop Grumman and the students have beenbeneficiaries in the short and in the long term; thishas been confirmed by informal, anecdotal data.

Student perspectiveIt is expected that the CSPUP/Northrop

Grumman Master's program will continue tothrive as it adapts to the changing environmentin the aerospace industry. Part of this adapta-tion will undoubtedly include more participatingstudents from other companies in nearby areas tobroaden the available base. While television-basedinstruction to satellite sites and similar techniques

offer cheaper alternatives, it is our belief that theprogram, as offered, provides the most benefit toall involved, resulting in part from the directstudent/lecturer interface. This belief and thestructure/flexibility of the current program thathas evolved during our twelve years of experiencewith the program will, in our opinion, ensure itscontinuing viability.

Regular annual surveys of students enrolled inthe program, student advising and recent surveysof our graduates show that the overwhelmingmajority of our students rate the programfavorably to very favorably. In particular, theyappreciate:

� the convenience of on-site instruction;� being able to interact with the instructorÐin

personÐin a moderate-sized class;� the ready availability of one-on-one academic

advising;� the excellence of instruction.

The students have voiced the most concernwhen a course they need is either not scheduledor scheduled and subsequently canceled due toinadequate enrollment. Course cancellations havebeen infrequent. This concern is being addressedby getting information from students via annualsurveys of new academic needs, providing thestudents with a course planner (list of all coursesplanned for the academic year) and one-on-oneacademic advising.

FUTURE DIRECTION(S)

There are a number of factors that will influencethe future direction of this program. These factorsshould attract new students as a consequence ofseveral possible actions.

� Broader base. Although some students in theprogram are currently employed by firmsother than Northrop Grumman, non-NorthropGrumman employees still represent a vastuntapped pool of prospective students. Agreater student enrollment would allow morecourses to be offered each quarter and shouldresult in a greater course selection for allstudents. More students should also result inan increased class size average and therebybetter utilize resources expended upon the pro-gram. A broader student base should reducecourse cancellations with the attendant studentinconvenience.

� Accessibility. Ways should be pursued thatwill allow students without aeronautical and/ormechanical engineering backgrounds easierentry into the program, if they so desire.Finding ways to offer more preparatory coursesmay resolve this concern, e.g., using the Cal Netinteractive television system. Ways could also beexplored that would increase the present effort


to inform employees of firms near NorthropGrumman about the availability of the program.

� Astronautics. If there is sufficient studentdemand, the program could be expanded toinclude an external degree in astronautical engi-neering. Such a program could utilize a numberof existing courses within the present program,e.g., ARO 501 and ARO 502 (the mathematicscourses). The numerical analysis, feedback con-trol and mechanics of composites courses mightalso be utilized within an astronautics program.

� Degree designation. Future efforts may lead to astudy of the feasibility and possibility of chang-ing the title of the degree from a Master ofEngineering with emphasis in Aeronautics to aMaster of Science in Aeronautical Engineeringdegree. Such a title change might broaden thestudent base of the program.� Short Courses. Short courses in specialized areas

may enhance the current program. Usable creditfor such courses may present a potential prob-lem area. However, such courses, e.g., SystemsEngineering, Concurrent Engineering, and/orTaguchi Methods in Design, could be developedinto full quarter length courses, if there wassufficient student interest.

CONCLUSIONS

1. The External Master of Engineering degreewith an emphasis in Aeronautical Engineeringis a successful, viable program. The sixty-plusgraduates since 1984 attest to this fact.

2. Student participation is sufficient to justify atleast two, and sometime three course offeringseach quarter.

3. The eleven-week quarter is preferable to theextended fourteen-week quarter, allowing thescheduling of four quarters per year.

4. Both Northrop Grumman and Cal Poly,Pomona consider the external degree programto be a successful industry/university partner-ship venture in graduate engineering education.

5. Thesuccess of this program suggests it could forma suitable model for other aerospace or non-aerospace industry/university collaborations.

AcknowledgmentsÐMany people have contributed to thesuccess of this external Master of Engineering degree program.Space is simply not available to list all of their names. However,the authors particularly want to thank the following individualsfor their constant sustaining contributions to the program:Kelly Wynne, and Brian L. Hunt of Northrop Grumman;Leland M. Nicolai, previously of Northrop Grumman; andEdward C. Hohmann, D. W. Williams, Wendy K. Wanderman,Carl E. Rathmann, Rodney D. Sutherland and Paul A. Lord ofCal Poly, Pomona.

APPENDIX

Course descriptions for the current ExternalMaster's Degree in Aeronautical EngineeringKey: BÐBreadth

AÐAerodynamics and Propulsion speciali-zation

CÐFlight Controls specializationSÐStructures specializationOÐOpen electiveARO 3XXÐUpper division undergraduate

coursesARO 4XXÐUpper division undergraduate

coursesARO 5XXÐGraduate coursesARO 6XXÐAdvanced graduate courses

Example: ARO 525 Aeroelasticity (4, S, A). This isa 4-unit graduate elective for the Structures as wellas the Aerodynamics and Propulsion area ofspecialization.

ARO 311 Gas Dynamics (4)Thermodynamic processes. One-dimensional

compressible flow. Area change, friction, heat addi-tion. Normal and oblique shock waves. Nozzleand diffuser theory. Four lectures. Prerequisites:undergraduate courses in fluid mechanics andthermodynamics.

ARO 405 Aerospace Vehicle Stability and Control(4)

Static longitudinal stability and control; stick-fixed, stickfree. Maneuvering flight, V-n diagram,stick force, c.g. travel. Directional stability;rudder fixed, rudder free, rudder power. Lateralstability; dihedral effect, damping. Dynamic stabi-lity; longitudinal, lateral, directional. Transferfunctions. Four lectures. Prerequisites: under-graduate courses in subsonic aerodynamics, super-sonic aerodynamics and performance (ARO 470,or equivalent).

ARO 406 Dynamics of Aerospace Systems (4)Generalizations of vector derivatives. Multiple

reference frame kinematics. Euler transformationand rate equations. Particle system dynamics: New-tonian, Lagrangian, Euler-Newtonian, Euler-Lagrangian. Rigid body system dynamics:Newtonian, Lagrangian, Euler-Newtonian, Euler-Lagrangian. Four lectures. Prerequisites: under-graduate course in engineering mechanics(dynamics), undergraduate course in vector analysisor ARO 501.

ARO 408 Finite Element Analysis of Structures I(4)

An introduction to finite element methods.Matrix operations. Discretization of the domain.Interpolation polynomials. Boundary value prob-lem formulation. Torsion of noncircular sections.Time dependent field problems. Computer imple-mentation of finite element methodology. Fourlectures. Prerequisite: an undergraduate course instructural mechanics.

ARO 470 Aerodynamics and Performance (4)The atmosphere. Fluid mechanics: incompres-

sible, compressible. Potential theory. Forces andmoments on aircraft. Thin airfoil theory. Finitewing theory. Supersonic aerodynamics. Propellers


and propulsion. Aircraft performance in steadyflight; straight and level, climbing, energy tech-niques. Aircraft performance in acceleratedflight; takeoff, landing, climb, range and endur-ance. Standardized performance. Four lectures.Prerequisites: undergraduate courses in fluidmechanics and gas dynamics as required in anABET accredited curriculum.

ARO 482 Feedback Control Systems (4)Mathematical models of systems. Feedback

control systems: characteristics, performance,stability. Root locus method. Frequency responsemethods. Stability in the frequency domain. Timedomain analysis. Design and compensation offeedback control systems. Four lectures. Pre-requisites: undergraduate courses in dynamicsand differential equations.

ARO 501 Methods of Engineering Analysis (4, B)Matrix algebra; determinants, matrix opera-

tions, systems of linear equations, eigenvalues,eigenvectors. Complex variables; complex num-bers, functions of a complex variable, infiniteseries in the complex plane. Statistics. Probability.Statistical inference. Four lectures. Prerequisite:mathematics equivalent to an ABET accreditedcurriculum.

ARO 502 Differential Equations and Transforms(4, B)

Partial differential equations: elliptic, hyperbolic,parabolic. Solutions of partial differential equa-tions: separation of variables, wave equation,Laplace's equation, Bessel's equation, Legendre'sequation. Asymptotic expansions. Calculus of vari-ations. Four lectures. Prerequisite: mathematicsequivalent to an ABET accredited curriculum.

ARO 503 Numerical Analysis For Engineers(4, O)

Advanced interpolation and approximationmethods. Advanced numerical integration con-cepts. Numerical solutions of ordinary differentialequations; systems of ordinary differential equa-tions. Numerical solutions of partial differentialequations; systems of partial differential equations.Four lectures. Prerequisites: ARO 502 and anundergraduate course in numerical methods orequivalent.

ARO 504 Mechanics of Composites (4, S)Design and analysis of composite aerospace

vehicle materials. Fatigue properties. Fracturecharacteristics. Joints. Cutouts. High temperaturecomposites. Analysis of anisotropic and visco-elastic composite materials. Producibility andoptimum design techniques. Four lectures. Pre-requisites: undergraduate courses in strength ofmaterials and structural mechanics.

ARO 506 Aircraft Structures (4, B, S)Aircraft structural design procedures. Analysis

of wing and fuselage sections under flight imposedloads. Design and sizing of aircraft structuralcomponents. Semimonocoque structures: loaddistribution, shear flow, multicell box structures.Structural design: flexural and torsional stiffness,skins, longerons, spars, stringers. Buckling charac-teristics. Margins of safety. Virtual work, Rayleigh-Ritz procedures and introduction to finite ele-ments. Four lectures. Prerequisites: undergraduateengineering mechanics, strength of materials, andstructural mechanics courses.

ARO 508 Finite Element Analysis of Structures II(4, S)

Structural dynamics, structural stability andadvance elements in the finite element method.Elasticity. Higher order triangular, tetrahedraland quadrilateral elements. Use of Galerkin'smethod. Development of computer methodology.Use of commercial finite element programs. Fourlectures. Prerequisite: ARO 408 or equivalentintroduction to finite element or matrix computermethods.

ARO 510 Airbreathing Propulsion Systems(4, B, A)

Thermodynamic cycle analysis of ideal and realengines. Design and performance of inlets, combus-tors and nozzles. Analysis of compressors andturbines. Engine component matching and pre-diction of performance. Thrust equations. Ramjets.Overall propulsion system performance. Four lec-tures. Prerequisites: upper division undergraduatecourses in thermodynamics and compressible fluiddynamics.

ARO 512 Airframe Propulsion System Integration(4, A)

Air induction systems: subsonic and supersonic.Exhaust systems: converging nozzle, converging/diverging nozzle, thrust reversing and thrustvectoring. Method of characteristics. Airframepropulsion system integration. Integrated flight/propulsion control systems. Installed performanceestimates. Computer simulation of engine systems.Ram drag, spillage drag, afterbody drag. Inlet-engine matching. Case studies. Four lectures.Prerequisite: ARO 510 or equivalent.

ARO 515 Advanced Aerodynamics (4, B, A)Aerodynamic field equations. Pressure distribu-

tions; forces, moments. Potential flow theory.Complex mappings. Chordwise pressure distri-butions: Kutta Joukowski transformation, thinairfoil theory, thick airfoil theory, transonicapproximations, supersonic approximations.Finite wing theory; symmetric and asymmetricspanwise loading, high lift devices. Incompressibledisplacement and momentum thicknesses. Fourlectures. Prerequisites: ARO 470 or equivalent


and mathematics equivalent to an ABET accreditedcurriculum.

ARO 516 Aerodynamics of Wings and Bodies(4, O)

Incompressible flow: small disturbances, wingsand thin airfoils in steady motion, oscillating thinairfoils. Compressible flow: wings and airfoils insteady subsonic, supersonic motion; oscillatingairfoils in subsonic, supersonic flow; indicial air-foil motions in supersonic flow. Wing-body com-binations: sweep effects, low aspect ratio wings,area rule, wave drag. Slender body theory. Fourlectures. Prerequisites: ARO 501, ARO 502, andARO 515.

ARO 517 Unsteady Aerodynamics (4, O)Aerodynamics of fixed airfoils and wings in

unsteady potential flow and oscillating airfoilsand wings in uniform flow. Methods for predictingthe pressure distribution and aerodynamic loadson airfoils and wings. Some discussion of reducedfrequency, 3-D and compressibility effects. Experi-mental results. Applications of unsteady aero-dynamics. Four lectures. Prerequisites: ARO 501,ARO 502 and ARO 515.

ARO 518 Computational Fluid Dynamics (4, A)Current computer methods used in the field of

fluid mechanics. Fundamental theoretical andnumerical approaches. Panel methods. Method ofCharacteristics. Computational techniques andtheir application to aeronautical problems. Smallscale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) prob-lems will be coded. Four lectures. Prerequisites:ARO 503 and ARO 515.

ARO 521 Structural Dynamics (4, S)Concepts of the dynamics of elastic bodies.

Longitudinal, transverse and torsional vibrationsof structural elements. Vibrations of plates andshells. Approximate methods in dynamics ofstructures. Four lectures. Prerequisites: under-graduate courses in structural analysis, dynamicsand vibrations, and ARO 501.

ARO 522 Fatigue and Damage Tolerance Analysis(4, S)

Fundamentals of linear elastic fracturemechanics for static and fatigue loadings. Topicscovered include: stress intensity factors, strainenergy release rates, crack growth resistance, J-integral crack growth analysis, fatigue lifeimprovement techniques and introduction to fati-gue and fracture of composites. Four lectures.Prerequisites: ARO 501, ARO 502 and ARO 506.

ARO 524 Advanced Aircraft Structures (4, S)Fundamentals of 2-D and 3-D theory of elasti-

city and continuum mechanics, theory of platesand shells and elastic stability including bucklingof columns and plates. Additional topics mayinclude structural optimization and applications

of commercial finite element codes. Four lectures.Prerequisites: ARO 408 and ARO 506 or equivalentknowledge of finite elements.

ARO 525 Aeroelasticity (4, S, A)Introduction; historical background. Deforma-

tions of airplane structures under static loads.Deformations of airplane structures underdynamic loads. Approximate methods of com-puting natural mode shapes and frequencies.Static aeroelastic phenomena. Flutter. Dynamicresponse phenomena. Aeroelastic model theory.Model design and construction. Testing tech-niques. Four lectures. Prerequisites: ARO 506and ARO 516 (or ARO 517).

ARO 535 Modern Control Theory (4, C)Mathematical models of physical systems.

Basic automatic control with applications to aero-space problems. Frequency response analysis.State space representation, matrix analysis, con-trollability, and observability. Stability analysisincluding nonlinear and discrete time systems.Introduction to optimal control and introductionto system identification. Four lectures. Pre-requisite: ARO 482 or equivalent course in linearcontrol systems, or consent of the instructor.

ARO 538 Advanced Topics in Flight Control(4, C)

State-space representation of dynamic systems,principles of structured and unstructured uncer-tainty, optimal controller and observers, randomprocess, Kalman filter, singular value decomposi-tion, robust control basics, analysis and synthesis,model reduction for robust control, PC-based casestudies. Prerequisites: ARO 535 and ARO 598.

ARO 545 Aircraft Flying Qualities (4, C)Aircraft classification. Flight phase categories.

Requirements: general, longitudinal, lateral, direc-tional, miscellaneous, primary control system, sec-ondary control systems, atmospheric disturbances.Handling qualities. Pilot workload assessment.Piloted simulation. Four lectures. Prerequisite:ARO 578.

ARO 578 Aircraft Stability (4, B, C)General equations of unsteady motion. Stability

derivatives. Stability of uncontrolled motion; long-itudinal, lateral. Response of the vehicle to actua-tion of the controls. Flight in turbulent air.Automatic stability and control. Specialization tomissiles. Simulation. Transfer functions. Fourlectures. Prerequisites: ARO 405 and ARO 470or equivalent courses.

ARO 595 Boundary Layer Theory (4, A)Treatment of Newtonian and non-Newtonian

fluids in the laminar and turbulent regimes. Posi-tive and negative pressure gradients. Developmentof the thermal boundary layer. Some exact and


inexact solutions. Wedge flow. Four lectures. Pre-requisite: ARO 470 or consent of the instructor.

ARO 598 Flight Sciences (4, O)Basic subsonic and supersonic aerodynamics of

airfoils/wings and bodies-of-revolution. Basicpropulsion-design and integration (inlet, engine,nozzle). Structural requirements and aeroelasticinteractions. Principles of stability and controland basic flying qualities. Basic aircraft sizing(empennage and wing). Elements of aircraft per-formance. Four lectures. Prerequisites: ARO 506,ARO 510, ARO 515 and ARO 578.

ARO 614 Aircraft Design (4, O)Design requirements development. Require-

ments flow down to functions including structures,

flight controls, propulsion, aerodynamics, mater-ials, avionics, vehicle management system, andsubsystems. Develop physical configuration withmanufacturing plan and support systems. Tradestudies using competing concepts. Design itera-tions and development of preferred configuration.Four lectures. Prequisites: Completion of graduatebreadth classes.

ARO 697 Comprehensive Examination (1)An examination of the subject areas of the

student's breadth and technical specialty course-work listed on the Program of Study. May berepeated once. Students must register through theEngineering Graduate Studies Office. Offeredduring Winter and Spring quarters only. Advance-ment to Candidacy required.

REFERENCES

1. Cyril O. Houle, The External Degree, Jossey Bass Publishers, San Francisco, 1974, pp. 14±15.2. ÐÐ, After Hours, Continuing Education Programs, Northrop Corporation, Aircraft Division,

Winter, 1986.3. ÐÐ, `An Expanded External Degree Program in: Master of Engineering, Offering Curriculum

Emphasis in: Aeronautical Engineering'; AIAA Los Angeles Section Newsletter, volume 16,number 7, July/August 1985, p. 3.

4. ÐÐ, `An Expanded External Degree Program, Master of Engineering, Offering CurriculumEmphasis in: Aeronautical Engineering', After Hours Program, Northrop Corporation, AircraftDivision, Fall 1985.

5. ÐÐ, Graduate Study in Aeronautical Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona,Office of Continuing Education, July, 1986 (this brochure is reissued periodically).

6. ÐÐ, C. F. Newberry and B. L. Hunt, An External Masters Degree Program in AeronauticalEngineering That Meets the Requirements of Both Industry and Academia, Preprint AIAA-86-2753,AIAA/AHS/ ASEE Aircraft Systems, Design and Technology Meeting, Dayton, Ohio, October20±22, 1986.

Conrad F. Newberry: BEME (Aeronautical Sequence) University of Southern California,1957; MSME (Fluids Option), California State University, Los Angeles, 1971; MAEd(Learning Evaluation), 1974; D.Env., UCLA, 1985. P.E. (CA, KS, NC, TX). Approxi-mately 18 years with North American Aviation, Atlantic Research, Lockheed, Celesco,Northrop and Rockwell International with assignments in aerodynamics, propulsion, flighttest and hypervelocity heat transfer. Two years with US Environmental Protection Agencyon air pollution control assignments. Professor Emeritus (Aerospace Engineering Depart-ment, 26 years), California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Research interests are inusing energy, quality function deployment, and optimizations methodologies to improveaircraft, engine, missile and spacecraft design. Chairman of the ASEE Aerospace Engi-neering Division 1979±80; Chairman of the Ocean and Marine Engineering Division 1993±95; Chairman of PIC II 1995±97. Member: ASEE, AIAA, AHS, NSPE, SNAME, RAeS,BIS, USNI, ASNE, SAE, AWMA, WEF, SAWE, The Planetary Society, AUVS, NAEP,IES, EAA, ASME and AMS. Dr Newberry is currently Professor of Aeronautics andAstronautics at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.

Ali R. Ahmadi holds PhD and SM degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology and a BS degree in Aerospace Engineering fromCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona. After completing his graduate work, DrAhmadi joined the consulting firm of Bolt, Bernek and Newman, where his work includedatmospheric pollution dispersion, wind engineering, rotor aerodynamics and noise, andunsteady aerodynamics. He is now Professor of Aerospace Engineering at California StatePolytechnic University, Pomona, where he also serves as the coordinator of the ExternalGraduate Program in Aeronautical Engineering which is the subject of the present paper.

Julie M. Schoenung earned her PhD and MS degrees in Materials Engineering from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, and she holds a BS degree in Ceramic Engineeringfrom the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After completing her dissertation, DrSchoenung worked as a project manager for IBIS Associates in Wellesley, MA, where she


specialized in developing cost models for ceramic raw material synthesis and ceramic partsfabrication. She has since become Professor and Department Chair in Chemical andMaterials Engineering at Cal Ply, Pomona, where she continues her studies in the synthesis,processing and economics of advanced ceramic materials.

Van H. Garner's tenure as Dean of Continuing Education at California State PolytechnicUniversity, Pomona, has seen the growth of the College of the Extended University from afull-time staff of five to thirty-one. The College of the Extended University now offersdegree programs. From 1991, Dr Garner has served as an elected member of theCommission on the Extended University, the policy body for extended education in theCalifornia State University System. As a member, he has served on various task forces andcommittees dealing with system-wide issues such as international education, the uses oftechnology and education equity. Dr Garner holds a PhD in history from U.C. SantaBarbara, and has produced many publications in the area of Native American land rightsand in the areas of continuing education and distance education.

Alice A. LeBel gained her AB (Political Science) in 1951, MA (Political Science) 1967, PhD(Education, Higher Education Administration) 1981, at University of California, LosAngeles. Approximately 11 years with University of California Extension and 11 yearswith Northrop Grumman Corporation with assignments in continuing, legal and technicaleducation. Recipient of the Award for Innovation Programming `Attorney AssistantTraining', presented by the National University Extension Association (1973). Participatedin the development of a variety of educational and training programs for NorthropGrumman Corporation, including the on-site Cal Poly, Pomona/Northrop GrummanExternal Master's Degree Program in Aeronautical Engineering. Northrop GrummanContinuing Education Specialist (ret).

David J. McNally commenced his career in the aircraft industry with a five-year apprentice-ship at Hunting Percival Aircraft (later absorbed by British Aerospace) in Luton, England.During this time he acquired a Higher National Certificate (BS equivalent) in AeronauticalEngineering and was awarded the Hunting Scholarship for two years advanced study at theCollege of Aeronautics, Cranfield, which resulted in the award of the college's Diploma(MS equivalent) in Aerodynamics. He returned to the Hunting Group, working for boththe Aircraft and Engineering divisions as an aerodynamicist for a number of years. In 1966he was recruited by Northrop Aircraft of Hawthorne, California, as a senior aero-dynamicist involved in the F-5 program. This was followed by a period in the advancedesign organization with involvement in the YF-17 and F-18 aircraft programs. During thistime he was appointed manager of the F-18 aerodynamics organization. His next assign-ment was as manager of the Aerosciences Technology organization, during which time hebecame involved with the Cal Poly/Northrop on-site graduate program. This involvementcontinued through his final assignment as manager of Advanced Design Engineering (ret).


the development of a mature external master’s degree

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