Master of Science in Space Systems
The graduate space systems (SPC) program provides its graduates with the knowledge and capability to perform in a wide variety of technical and managerial areas, in industry, academia, and government agencies involved in the space program. It is for the student who expects to plan, design, build, integrate, test, launch, operate or manage space systems, subsystems, launch vehicles, spacecraft, payloads or ground systems.
The program is offered at Florida Tech sites at NASA Kennedy Space Center and Rockledge in Florida.
The goal of the Master of Science in Space Systems is to prepare individuals for advanced leadership positions in the private, public and military sectors with specific skills and competencies in space systems.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Master of Science in Space Systems (MS/SPC) program requires a bachelor’s degree in a recognized field of engineering or physical science from an accredited curriculum. Course work must have included mathematics through differential equations and at least one year of calculus-based physics. In the case of a marginal undergraduate record (GPA less than 3.0), letters of recommendation and results of recent GRE Tests, both General (verbal and quantitative) and Subject (engineering or physics) are required and could be deciding factors. Holders of the Professional Engineer license (or Engineering Intern status for those less than five years past the Baccalaureate) need not take the GRE Subject Test.
General admission requirements and the application process are discussed in Section 1 of the University College catalog. Individuals who do not meet the stated requirements for regular admission may petition to take graduate courses for credit as a continuing education applicant.
Degree Requirements
The degree of Master of Science in Space Systems is conferred upon students who have successfully completed 33 credit hours of core and elective courses as listed on the student’s graduate program plan. It includes 24 hours of required space systems courses and nine hours of elective courses. Additional prerequisite courses may be required depending on the applicant’s undergraduate preparation. With written permission from the director of space systems graduate studies, a student may substitute six semester hours of thesis credits in place of six elective credit hours.
| Required Courses (8 courses) | CREDITS | |
| SPC 5001 | Introduction to Space Systems | 3 |
| SPC 5004 | Space Propulsion Systems | 3 |
| SPC 5005 | Space Power Systems | 3 |
| SPC 5006 | Space Communications and Data Systems | 3 |
| SPC 5012 | Spacecraft Environment | 3 |
| SPC 5013 | Space Systems Astrodynamics | 3 |
| SPC 5014 | Spacecraft Dynamics and Control | 3 |
| SPC 5080 | Space Missions* (See Note 1) | 3 |
| Electives (3 courses) (See Note 2) | CREDITS | |
| MGT 5134 | Commercial Enterprise in Space | 3 |
| SPC 5009 | Space Structures and Materials | 3 |
| SPC 5010 | Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation and Control | 3 |
| SPC 5011 | Human Space Systems | 3 |
| SPC 5017 | Aerospace Remote Sensing Systems | 3 |
| SPC 5018 | Launch and Space Mission Operations | 3 |
| SPC 5065 | Space Systems for Remote Operations | 3 |
| SPC 5066 | Spaceflight Human Physiology | 3 |
| SPC 5090 | Special Topics in Space Systems | 3 |
| SPC 5999 | Thesis | 3 |
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED 33
*Serves as the capstone for this program.
Note 1: Four-person student teams compete to develop the best proposal to carry out a specific mission in response to a Request for Proposals issued by the instructor acting as the Source Selection Official. Each team member’s grade is partially determined by the team’s competitive standing.
Note 2: Electives may be selected with the academic program chair’s approval from the appropriate graduate-level offerings in University College or other academic units (e.g., business, engineering, science).