AeroAstro Professional Areas Showcase spotlights pathways for undergraduate studies

The inaugural AeroAstro Professional Areas Showcase brought undergraduate students together with faculty, TAs, and department leadership for a review of the Professional Area Subjects (PAS) that form the backbone of Course XVI’s undergraduate curriculum. The event was a collaboration between department leadership and the AIAA student chapter leadership, offering students a comprehensive look at the academic pathways available post-Unified Engineering.

In the first half of the showcase, faculty delivered short lightning pitches introducing their PAS, giving students a concise overview of each class and its focus. The second half shifted to an open-floor poster session, where students could engage in more informal, one-on-one discussions with professors and TAs about the specific subjects that sparked their interest during the presentations.

The event provided particular guidance for students in the flexible degree program (Course 16-ENG), who rely heavily on PAS to fulfill concentration requirements. By hearing directly from course staff, students gained a more informed and structured understanding of their options, and increased visibility into the depth and variety of AeroAstro’s upper-level offerings.

Featured PAS Subjects:
16.100 Aerodynamics
16.20 Structural Mechanics
16.30 Feedback Control Systems
16.35 Real-Time Systems & Software
16.36 Communication Systems & Networks
16.50 Aerospace Propulsion
16.90 Computational Modeling & Data Analysis
16.400/453 Human Systems Engineering
16.410/413 Autonomy & Decision Making
6.2050 Digital Systems Laboratory I