New undergraduate curriculum for Smead Aerospace

Jeff Zehnder — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:27:57 +0000

New undergraduate curriculum for Smead Aerospace Jeff Zehnder Mon, 10/05/2026 - 10:27

New Courses

ASEN 1030: Aerospace Computing
ASEN 2401: Statics
ASEN 2402: Thermodynamics
ASEN 2403: Dynamics
ASEN 2501: Introduction to Astronautics
ASEN 2502: Introduction to Aeronautics
ASEN 3401: Aerospace Structures
ASEN 3402: Aerospace Heat Transfer
ASEN 3403: Aerodynamics
ASEN 3404: Aerospace Dynamics and Control
ASEN 3405: Astrodynamics
ASEN 3406: Aircraft Dynamics
ASEN 3501: Aerospace Experimental Methods
ASEN 3502: Aerospace Computational Methods
ASEN 3503: Aerospace Electronics
ASEN 4401: Aerospace Communication Systems
(Starting AY 27-28)
ASEN 4402: Aerospace Materials and Structural Analysis
(Starting TBD)
ASEN 4404: Applied Aerodynamics
(Starting AY 27-28)
ASEN 4xxx (number pending): Aeroelasticity
(Starting AY 27-28)

Aerospace classes and labs are getting an overhaul at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences is in the midst of a multi-year rollout of a new undergraduate curriculum, updating courses, assignments, and hands-on experiences to meet new demands of research, education, and employers.

“The old curriculum was very ambitious when it was developed and made a lot of sense at the time, but it’s important to review your curriculum every so often, modernize it, and adjust it to the workforce and pressing issues,” said Charles Hoke, associate chair for undergraduate studies.

The new curriculum rollout began for first year students in academic year 2024-2025. It is advancing annually as those students progress. The sophomore curriculum started in 2025-2026 and the new junior curriculum began with the current fall semester.

It has brought significant changes to classroom instruction.

“We introduced five new sophomore courses last year and in August we began rolling out nine new junior courses,” said John Evans, professor and chair.

With new classroom instruction also comes new labs, including orbital trajectory projects, a flight simulation studio, construction and testing of gliders, radio signal orienteering, and hands-on experiences with direct application to real events.

“Intro to Astronautics starts with a lab that is a replica of the CO2 scrubbers from Apollo 13. Students have to fit a round peg into a square hole and try to save the astronauts,” Evans said.

A major additional benefit of the new curriculum is more flexibility and streamlined options for students transferring from other majors and universities.

“We used to teach Intro to Thermodynamics and Fluid Dynamics as a single course. Those are separate classes in most programs. That meant that if you had taken one of them in the mechanical engineering department and transferred to aerospace, even though we’re on the same campus, it didn’t map to our curriculum and you’d lose those credits,” Hoke said.

The new curriculum is also designed for scalability. The previous undergraduate program was developed in 1997, and while it has been updated repeatedly, it was intended for a much smaller student body.

“At that time, we had graduating class sizes that were around 50-60. This fall we have well over 300 first year students,” Evans said.

In designing the new curriculum and courses, faculty reviewed offerings at peer universities and changing industry needs, particularly surrounding artificial intelligence.

“Graduating students need to be AI forward,” Evans said. “They need to understand the opportunities it creates, but they also need the judgment to know when to use it. AI can be an extraordinary tool for learning, but sometimes you need to struggle with a problem long enough to build real understanding. Students need to recognize when AI can help them move forward and when they need to work through something for themselves."

Aerospace classes and labs are getting an overhaul at the University of Colorado Boulder. Smead Aerospace is in the midst of a multi-year rollout of a...

Off

Traditional

White

New flight simulator lab for engineering education

Jeff Zehnder — Mon, 18 May 2026 18:39:35 +0000

New flight simulator lab for engineering education Jeff Zehnder Mon, 05/18/2026 - 12:39

Jeff Zehnder

The flight simulators in use, including one with virtual reality goggles. In the background, a discussion with Schaden (seated).

Flying the (virtual) skies

Jackson Clark pushes to full throttle, pulls back on the yoke, and eases into the right rudder pedal as he soars through the sky on a clear day – all without leaving the Aerospace Building.

In a room packed with the latest in flight simulator technology, students are testing out virtual aircraft, not to become licensed pilots, but to study the engineering of aircraft design.

The Undergraduate Flight Simulation Studio is a new facility at the University of Colorado Boulder, giving students in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences hands-on aeronautical experience.

“You can teach with a book or on a MatLab plot, but students don’t really understand until they fly it,” said Charles Hoke, an associate teaching professor who led development of the center.

Funded with major support from aerospace engineer, attorney, and passionate ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� advocate Richard F. Schaden, the facility has seven simulator bays stocked with flight yokes, rudder pedals, and aircraft throttles, complete with the myriad switches, buttons, and lights that comprise actual plane cockpits.

Students also have the option of wearing virtual reality headsets for a 360-degree experience.

“As a pilot, I have flown in flight simulators over the past 35 years to demonstrate compliance with the performance, stability and control of aircraft as they were designed,” said Schaden, who visited the lab for an official unveiling May 7. “Now, here in the lab, students can experiment with design changes to see the effects on the performance, stability and control as modified by them as engineers. This allows the students to experience immediate engineering feedback in ways that may be more precise than they could achieve through wind tunnel tests ”

The lab allows students the chance to test classroom projects and new aircraft concepts. It also offers the ability to show how small changes in existing planes alter their airworthiness.

You can teach with a book or on a MatLab plot, but students don’t really understand until they fly it." - Charles Hoke

“Standard flight simulators are for pilot training,” Hoke said. “That’s not useful for engineers. We want to get into the guts of these things, change the parameters, and learn about aircraft dynamics.”

The lab will be a standard component of sophomore-level courses, impacting over 300 students per year. It will also be available for clubs and other projects.

Students have already been able to use the facility to test plane designs they developed as part of spring semester capstone senior projects. By loading 3D models of their aircraft into the simulator, they were able to collect high fidelity data on drag and aerodynamic performance for analysis

“It has been really cool to see senior project teams come in and use the tools,” said Clark, an aerospace master’s student who helped build the facility. “It’s incredibly immersive and shows the vision for this lab is immediately being applied.”

Hoke also emphasized the simulator’s value as a learning tool.

“When teams design an airframe, they get the chance to fly at Boulder Model Airfield, but you’re lucky to get 1-2 flights. With this simulator, they could fly their designs for hours and hours and get more data for analysis. When I came to ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��, I made it my mission to create a facility like this. It’s very exciting to see it come to life.”

Jackson Clark pushes to full throttle, pulls back on the yoke, and eases into the right rudder pedal as he soars through the sky on a clear day – all without leaving the Aerospace Building...

Off

Traditional

White

Charles Hoke News

New undergraduate curriculum for Smead Aerospace

New Courses

Off

New flight simulator lab for engineering education

Off