Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is similar, but deals with the electrical side of aerospace engineering.

Aeronautical engineering was the original term for the field. As flight technology advanced to include craft operating in outer space (astronautics), the broader term "aerospace engineering" has largely replaced it in common usage. Aerospace engineering, particularly the astronautics branch, is often colloquially referred to as "rocket science"

Some of the elements of aerospace engineering are:

• Radar cross-section – the study of vehicle signature apparent to Radar remote sensing.

• Fluid mechanics – the study of fluid flow around objects. Specifically aerodynamics concerning the flow of air over bodies such as wings or through objects such as wind tunnels Astrodynamics – the study of orbital mechanics including prediction of orbital elements when given a select few variables. While few schools in the United States teach this at the undergraduate level, several have graduate programs covering this topic (usually in conjunction with the Physics department of said college or university).

• Statics and Dynamics (engineering mechanics) – the study of movement, forces, moments in mechanical systems.

• Mathematics – in particular, calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra.

• Electrotechnology – the study of electronics within engineering.

• Propulsion – the energy to move a vehicle through the air (or in outer space) is provided by internal combustion engines, jet engines and turbomachinery, or rockets. A more recent addition to this module is electric propulsion and ion propulsion.

• Control engineering – the study of mathematical modeling of the dynamic behavior of systems and designing them, usually using feedback signals, so that their dynamic behavior is desirable (stable, without large excursions, with minimum error). This applies to the dynamic behavior of aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion systems, and subsystems that exist on aerospace vehicles.

• Aircraft structures – design of the physical configuration of the craft to withstand the forces encountered during flight. Aerospace engineering aims to keep structures lightweight and low-cost, while maintaining structural integrity.

• Materials science – related to structures, aerospace engineering also studies the materials of which the aerospace structures are to be built. New materials with very specific properties are invented, or existing ones are modified to improve their performance.

• Solid mechanics – Closely related to material science is solid mechanics which deals with stress and strain analysis of the components of the vehicle. Nowadays there are several Finite Element programs such as MSC Patran/Nastran which aid engineers in the analytical process.

• Aeroelasticity – the interaction of aerodynamic forces and structural flexibility, potentially causing flutter, divergence, etc.

• Avionics – the design and programming of computer systems on board an aircraft or spacecraft and the simulation of systems.

• Software – the specification, design, development, test, and implementation of computer software for aerospace applications, including flight software, ground control software, test & evaluation software, etc.

• Risk and reliability – the study of risk and reliability assessment techniques and the mathematics involved in the quantitative methods.

• Noise control – the study of the mechanics of sound transfer.

• Aeroacoustics – the study of noise generation via either turbulent fluid motion or aerodynamic forces interacting with surfaces.

• Flight test – designing and executing flight test programs in order to gather and analyze performance and handling qualities data in order to determine if an aircraft meets its design and performance goals and certification requirements.

• Harbin Institute of Technology is one of the one of the top 9 key universities in China, with science, engineering and research as its core.

• Offers a broad interdisciplinary curriculum

• Summer vacation short-term internship program, combine academic communication with culture experience activities

• Recognized as a world-class research and teaching institution

• 9 national key primary disciplines, and 50 national & provincial (ministerial) key labs

• As one of the key universities in China, it enjoys the Chinese Government Scholarship for the International students.

  
  

1. Passport photo

A recent passport-sized photo of the applicant

2. Photocopy of valid passport

With name, passport number & expiration date, and photo included

3. Notarized copy of Master’s degree (Chinese or English)

If applicants are university students or already employed, they should provide pre-graduation certificate or employment certificate.

4. Notarized master transcript (Chinese or English)

5. English Proficiency Test

Applicant whose native language is not English should submit an English-proficiency score, a score of at least 550 on the TOEFL Internet-based exam or 5.5 on the IELTS.

6. Two letters of recommendation

In Chinese or English from professors or associate professors.

§ Question: What is the cost of applying through ACASC?

Answer: ACASC charges a service fee of 50$ for using its online application portal. Applying through ACASC into Chinese universities attracts a service fee of $50.

· Question: Can I apply to the university directly?

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· Question: How to deal with a pending application?

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The main cause of a pending application is usually incomplete application documents. As a result you will be requested by the school’s admission office to re-check and modify all submitted application documents or perhaps even add extra documents and then re-submit them.

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· How long does it take to process my application?

Processing time varies for different applications. For example to process a degree program application requires more time than a Chinese language application. Confirmation for Chinese language application by the admission office usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. However, time for degree programs application differs. For example fall semester application processing is after March, and it takes a period of 1 to 2 months. This also depends on your qualification and the number of applicants.