B.S. in Earth and Space Exploration with a concentration in Exploration Systems Design
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Major Maps: 2011-2012 | 2010-2011
Course pre-requisites sheet (Not yet complete)
Exploration Systems Design Concentration
The B.S. degree in Earth and Space Exploration with a concentration in Exploration Systems Design prepares students for providing key roles in space research and technology development, environmental and geologic engineering, earth resource exploration, and water and environment use policy. The degree will allow students to gain knowledge in planetary science, geological science, and aerospace engineering to help fuse science and engineering and to better the next generation of geoscientists and aerospace engineers.
The exploration system design concentration is designed to offer students a fundamental grounding in geology, physics and astrophysics, chemistry, math and engineering, while providing the tools to enable them to design and build hardware and software to achieve specified goals. With this foundation, students will gain knowledge in hardware design, instrument assembly and ultimately how to knit these components together when conceiving the requirements needed for a mission or project destined for space or another planet.
As part of this degree, each student will have the opportunity to learn about how projects and missions are designed and planned, starting with the scientific drivers and from there defining engineering specifications. Students will be trained in design, assembly and testing of hardware, as well as critical assessment of systems once constructed. There are opportunities for individual specialization, with additional electives in programming, practical electronics, robotics, numerical analysis methods, the astronomical sciences and scientific data reduction. Each student will be expected to complete a senior project that takes a desired scientific measurement and realizes the technological solution to achieve the observation. Emphasis will be placed on identifying challenging issues in project planning and solving the problem with the best and most cost effective approach. The students will emerge from this program ready to materially contribute to the next generation of terrestrial and space-based explorers.
The BS degree in Earth and Space Exploration, Concentration in Exploration Systems Design requires the following core courses (24 units):
SES 100 Introduction to Exploration (3)
SES 101 Earth, Solar System, and Universe I (3)
SES 102 Earth, Solar System, and Universe II (3)
SES 103 Earth, Solar System, and Universe Laboratory I (1)
SES 104 Earth, Solar System, and Universe Laboratory II (1)
SES 210 Engineering Systems (3)
SES 310 Concepts of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Design (3)
SES 330 Practical Electronic and Instrument Assembly (4)
SES 405 Exploration Systems Engineering (3)
In addition, three elective courses must be taken (9 units). Suggested courses include:
SES 394 Numerical Methods (3)
SES 490 Robotics for ESE (3)
SES/AST 490/598 Ast. Inst. and Data Analysis (3)
AST 321 Intro to Planetary and Stellar Astronomy (3)
AST 322 Intro to Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy (3)
SES 311 Essentials of Astrobiology (3)
GLG 321 Mineralogy (3)
GLG 424 Petrology (3)
CEE 440 Engineering Hydrology (3)
GLG404 Fundamentals of Planetary Geology (3)
In addition, there are 6 units of capstone:
SES 410 Senior Exploration Project I (3)
SES 411 Senior Exploration Project II (3)
Required courses in other related fields include the following (24 units):
CHM 114 General Chemistry for Engineers (4)
MAT 265 Calculus for Engineers I (3)
MAT 266 Calculus for Engineers II (3)
MAT 267 Calculus for Engineers (3)
MAT 275 Modern Differential Equations (3)
PHY 121 University Physics I: Mechanics SQ1 (3)
PHY 122 University Physics Laboratory I SQ1 (1)
PHY 131 University Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism SQ2 (3)
PHY 132 University Physics Laboratory II SQ2 (1)
1Both PHY 121 and 122 must be taken to secure SQ credit.
2Both PHY 131 and 132 must be taken to secure SQ credit.
Notes:
• Students must receive C’s or better in all of the above courses in order for them to count toward the major
• This course listing is unofficial. The major map represents the official catalog for the degree.