Master in Aerospace Control Engineering UiT The Arctic University of Norway

The Aerospace Control Engineering Masters Program provides students with specific skills necessary to model, design, and control the dynamic behavior of aerospace systems, including fixed-wing UAVs, rotorcraft, and satellites.

The master program is suitable for students with an interest in learning, developing, and applying state-of-the-art control technology for aerospace-related purposes. The type of technology has also large similarities with technologies for extreme environments, such as in arctic regions and subsea, and students with interest in the development of technologies in such fields will find this program as relevant.

Program description

• Duration: 2 years
• Credits (ECTS): 120
• Admission requirements: A relevant undergraduate Bachelor Engineering program within electronics or space technology with a minimum of 25 credits mathematics, 5 credits statistics, and 7,5 credits physics
• Degree Name: Master of Science in Technology/Sivilingeniør
• Application code:
  • Norwegian and Nordic applicants: 4605
  • International applicants: 9009

The master program in Aerospace Control Engineering at IVT-faculty, UiT Narvik Campus provides a unique education in Norway, where you as a student will learn about the most relevant technologies necessary for design, construction, and utilization of control systems in aerospace applications. Through the two-year program, important theoretical preliminaries such as applied mathematics, digital system, and signal theory, embedded systems, navigation, and automatic control are covered, as well as more specialized topics on system identification, artificial intelligence, and modeling, guidance, and control.

Through a multidisciplinary program, students learn the relevant methods and skills in various technological fields, with a commonality through its application in aerospace-related systems. The program involves lectured courses, as well as a high degree of problem-based education (i.e. learning by doing), where the students spend their time working on relevant projects under the supervision of highly qualified staff. The project topics are chosen from ongoing internal research projects, as well as national and international aerospace-related projects that UiT participates in. Therefore, several projects have ended in results at a high international level, published in international scientific journals. The students have also been able to present their results for international audiences at scientific conferences and workshops. In the last few years, such projects have included:

Attitude determination and control system design for the European Student Earth Orbiter (ESEO) and European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO) spacecraft under the SSETI-project initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA).

• Development of an Aerosol detector rocket payload for the collection of ionized dust particles, under the ESPRIT project by NASA.
• Design, implementation, and testing of all subsystems (ground station, power supply, data handling, control, communication, and payload) in UiTs own spacecraft HiNCube.
• Mathematical modeling, synchronization, and coordinated control of small spacecraft in formation, in cooperation with internal PhD-students and supervisors.
• Mathematical modeling, guidance, and control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in cooperation with internal PhD-students and supervisors.

To provide a high-quality education with relevance to industry, UiT is cooperating with the national universities in Oslo (UiO), Bergen (UiB), Trondheim (NTNU), as well as European Space Agency, Norwegian Space Centre, and the Norwegian Centre for Space-related Education (NAROM).

Program structure

Teaching and assessment

Refresher course:

In Week 33 a two-day refresher course in linear algebra is offered. In this course, central concepts and methods from previous linear algebra courses will be repeated. Experiences from previous years are that students who participate in this refresher course benefit greatly from this in SMN6190 Linear Algebra II.

All teaching on this program takes place in English.

The program involves lectured courses, as well as a high degree of problem-based education (i.e. learning-by-doing), where the students spend their time working on relevant projects under the supervision of highly qualified staff. The project topics are chosen from current and future national and international space projects, which UiT participates in, as well as ongoing internal research projects. In the last few years, such projects have included:

• Attitude determination and control system design for the European Student Earth Orbiter (ESEO) and European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO) spacecraft under the SSETI-project initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA).
• Development of an Aerosol detector rocket payload for collection of ionized dust particles, under the ESPRIT project initiated by NASA. Ground station and electric power supply development in the Norwegian student satellite project NCube 1 and NCube 2.
• Design, implementation, and testing of all subsystems (ground station, power supply, data handling, control, communication, and payload) in UiTs own spacecraft HiNCube.
• Mathematical modeling, synchronization, and coordinated control of small spacecraft in formation, in cooperation with internal PhD-students and supervisors.
• Mathematical modeling, guidance, and control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in cooperation with internal PhD-students and supervisors.

To provide a high-quality education with relevance to industry, UiT is cooperating with the national universities in Oslo (UiO), Bergen (UiB), Trondheim (NTNU), as well as ESA, Norwegian Space Centre, and the Norwegian Centre for Space-related Education (NAROM). UiT has also a policy for advocating international cooperation, and several students have over the last years performed (parts of) the master project at well-known universities abroad.

Most courses are based on lectures, self-study, and assignments, or small projects, individually or in groups. Each 5 ECTS course usually includes 40 lectures, plus supervision time. The handouts can be voluntary or mandatory. Mandatory lab exercises are includes in some topics. Scientific theory application and analysis are emphasized in assignment and project solution. The different course descriptions provide additional information.

Form of assessment

Different assessment methods are applied through the study program. In most cases, the assessment is based on a written exam. In some cases an overall assessment is applied, combining a written exam with assignments or projects, or a final report combined with an oral exam. The different course descriptions provide additional information.

The final master thesis (diploma) will be performed in close collaboration with industry partners, and/or based on existing research and development projects. The work is usually performed individually, with regular supervisory meetings throughout the entire project period. The diploma will be evaluated solely on the basis of a final written report.

Mandatory safety training in health, security, and environment (HSE)

All students must complete mandatory safety training before they are allowed access and given permission to work in laboratories, workshops, and the like. This also goes for participation in fieldwork/research cruises and similar. Please contact your immediate supervisor for a list of mandatory courses.

Access to further studies

After graduation from the master's program in Aerospace Control Engineering, the candidates may pursue Ph.D. studies at UiT campus Narvik in within the field of Engineering Science and Technology - or other faculties at UiT within fields such as engineering cybernetics, communications, or aeronautics.

Exchange

It is possible to study parts of the master's program at other universities. An individual plan must be made in accordance with the study coordinator.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

• has advanced knowledge within the academic field of mathematics, physics, and engineering, and specialized insight in a limited area within the field of aerospace engineering.
• has a thorough knowledge of different theories and methods in the field of control engineering.
• can apply knowledge in electronics, automatic control, and systems engineering to areas within aerospace engineering.
• can analyze academic problems within aerospace control engineering on the basis of the history, traditions, distinctive character, and place in the society of the academic field.

Skills

• can analyze and deal critically with various sources of information and use them to structure and formulate scholarly arguments.
• can analyze existing theories, and interpretations in the field of satellite engineering and work independently on practical and theoretical problems.
• can use relevant methods for research and scholarly work in an independent manner.
• can carry out an independent, limited research or development project under supervision and in accordance with applicable norms for research ethics.
• can develop the cooperation skills to work in interdisciplinary projects and to work in a team.

General competence

• can analyze relevant academic, professional, and research ethical problems.
• can apply the knowledge and skills within aerospace control engineering in new areas in order to carry out advanced assignments and projects.
• can communicate extensive independent work and master language and terminology of the academic field of aerospace engineering.
• can communicate about academic issues, analyses, and conclusions in the field of aerospace control engineering, both with specialists and the general public.
• can contribute to new thinking and innovation processes.

Job prospectives

Successfully qualified candidates can acquire jobs in a range of Norwegian businesses that contribute technical products and services within aerospace technology, but also within fields as subsea engineering, systems engineering, or robotics and automation. The program also provides a basis for working with project management and marketing or teaching in technical subjects at Bachelor's level. The program also qualifies for doctoral studies in related fields.