BUILD THE INSTRUMENTS THAT CAPTURE AND ELUCIDATE ON THE REMARKABLE BEAUTY AND SERENITY OF THE WORLD OF SPACE.

Space Sciences & Engineering (CLaSP)

Space sci·en·ces and en·gi·neer·ing

The designing, building, operating, and analyzing data from instruments to explore the space environments of our Earth and other planets.

Also Known As: Planetary Scientist, Space Plasma Physicist, Astrochemist, Space Engineer, Rocket Scientist, Space System Dynamicist, Geospace Scientist, Space Instrumentation Engineer, +10,000 more

A series of optical lenses are gathered around a purple light source in a lab

WHY CLaSP AT MICHIGAN?

Big research: Students work with world-renowned faculty on research topics ranging from the Sun and the solar system to exoplanetary systems around other stars.

Small community: The relatively small class size means that students get a lot of attention and hands-on experience in the classroom and form close connections to their peers as well as faculty.

Diverse environment: Our students, faculty, and staff come from all over the world. We strive for inclusivity and value all individuals, perspectives, contributions, and ideas.

Students construct a Mars Habitat in the basement of the Space Research Building.

What do Space Science Engineers do?

We study planetary atmospheres and how the solar wind beats the planets and their atmospheres, and the space environments surrounding the solar system bodies. It’s not just about observation- we also build instruments to collect data to be analyzed that will help us better understand what these space entities are all about. We travel through space and unlock the mysteries of planets in our solar system and the other stars that dot our night sky.

ACADEMIC CONCENTRATIONS

Space Science

Explore perhaps the most important relationship in our existence- that between the Sun and the Earth. Use the elementary laws of physics and develop your quantitative, theoretical, and computational skills to explain our planet’s treacherous yet vital relationship with our most important star.

Courses: Waves, Heat, & Light, Radiative Transfer, Electricity & Magnetism, Plasmas, Modern Physics
Space Instrumentation

Observe the delicate elegance with which our solar system operates through a foundation of the Earth and Space Systems with technical, laboratory, and project-based learning. Design and build the intricate space instrumentation required to capture and analyze data from the beyond.

Courses: Small Satellite Design, Astrophysics Engineering, Space Sciences Instrumentation, Space Weather Modeling
Concentration in Space Sciences and Engineering are mandatory to declare and will be indicated on your transcript.

Concentration in Space Sciences and Engineering are mandatory to declare and will be indicated on your transcript.

Explore Minors

ENGINEERING MINORS OTHER MINORS

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Studies Program (SUGS)

Complete your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in only five years with SUGS by taking some graduate-level classes during your undergraduate years, so you can save yourself one semester and complete the masters with only two additional semesters.

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Sample Course List

First-Year

Fall Semester
- CoE Core Calculus I (Math 115)
- CoE Core Engineering 100
- CoE Core Chemistry (125/126/130 or 210/211)
- Elective Intellectual Breadth
Winter Semester
- CoE Core Calculus II (Math 116)
- CoE Core Engineering 101
- CoE Core Physics (140/141)
- Elective Intellectual Breadth

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester
- CoE Core Calculus III (Math 215)
- CoE Core Physics (240 and 241)
- Major Requirement Earth & Space System Evolution (SPACE 320)
- Elective Intellectual Breadth
Winter Semester
- CoE Core Differential Equations (Math 216)
- Major Requirement Earth & Space System Dynamics (SPACE 321)
- CoE Core Earth System Analysis (SPACE 323)
- Elective Intellectual Breadth

Junior Year

Fall Semester
- Major Requirement Solar-Terrestrial Relations (SPACE 370)
- Major Requirement Concentration Course
- Major Requirement Concentration Course
- Major Requirement Instrumentation for Atmospheric & Space Sciences (SPACE 324)
- Elective General Elective
Winter Semester
- Major Requirement Concentration Course
- Major Requirement Concentration Course
- Major Requirement Technical Elective
- Elective General Electives

Senior Year

Fall Semester
- Major Requirement Space Environment (SPACE 478)
- Major Requirement Concentration Course
- Major Requirement Concentration Course
- Major Requirement Technical Elective
- Elective General Elective
- Major Requirement Data Analysis & Visualization (SPACE 423)
- Major Requirement Upper Atmosphere & Ionosphere (SPACE 495/595)
- Major Requirement Concentration Course
- Major Requirement Technical Elective

Individualized schedules will be made by students in consultation with an advisor who will tailor their classes to better fit the student's needs.

EDITABLE SAMPLE SCHEDULE ENGINEERING COURSE LIST U-M COURSE GUIDE

Practice Your Purpose

Apply the skills you are learning in class to the real world.

Student Design Teams

4 students wearing MRover shirts smile while carrying the rover, a machine platform with 4 tires and a robotic arm.

MRover - Michigan Mars Rover

MASA - Michigan Aeronautical Science Association

BLiSS - Bioastronautics and Life Support Systems

A large metal box with a metal ring around it labeled “P-Pod 3” with 4 smaller boxes with colorful wires within it

The Michigan Exploration Laboratory

Professional Development

Michigan Geophysical Union

GUStO - CLaSP Graduate and Undergraduate Student Organization

Students For Exploration And Development of Space

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space

Research

Purple light emitted from a series of lenses and large metal ducts

Research Overview

Streaks of yellow light against a red background

Justin Kasper & Enrico Landi: Parker Solar Probe

Susan T. Lepri: Solar Orbiter, Solar & Heliospheric Physics

A satellite with blue wings orbiting the red giant- Mars

Sushil Atreya & Nilton Renno: Mars Express & Juno-Jupiter Polar Orbiter

Xianzhe Jia & James A. Slavin: Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer

Mark Moldwin: Magnetometer Sensor Development

A computer model of a rock covered with a rainbow of colors and prisms to map its dimensions

Mike Liemohn, Tuija Pulkkinen, Aaron Ridley, & Shasha Zou: CSEM

Each of these alumni are real people who were once in your shoes, deciding a major. Explore their path and how a Michigan education set their life in motion.

- Alex Mednick
- Physical Sciences Inc.
- Emanuela Della Bosca
- Airbus
- Ezekiel Willett
- Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems
- Kelly Korreck
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
- Manish Mehta
- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
- Manan Kocher
- Insight Silicon Valley
- Lois Smith
- Facebook
- Samuel Lopez
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center
- Steven McCarty
- NASA Glenn Research Center, Mission Architecture and Analysis Branch
- Wayne Lester
- Lockheed Martin

Alex Mednick

Physical Sciences Inc.

Emanuela Della Bosca

Airbus

Ezekiel Willett

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems

Kelly Korreck

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Manish Mehta

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Manan Kocher

Insight Silicon Valley

Lois Smith

Facebook

Samuel Lopez

National Air and Space Intelligence Center

Steven McCarty

NASA Glenn Research Center, Mission Architecture and Analysis Branch

Wayne Lester

Lockheed Martin

A series of optical lenses are huddles together with a bright white light shining through

Industries & Occupations

Federal Government Agencies like NASA, NOAA, AFOSR, DOD, DOE, etc.
Scientific Research Laboratories
Technical/ Business Consulting
Planetary Sciences
Astronomy
Space Weather
Atmospheric Sciences

A professor works on a space exploration vessel in a lab donned with UM and NASA logos and the US flag

Companies

Intelsat
Lockheed Martin
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Blue Origin
United States Antarctic Program
National Science Foundation
Boeing
SpaceX
The Aerospace Corporation

Find salary information at the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Bureau of Labor Statistics