Courses
Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 501 | Survey of Space Studies I | 3 |
| SPST 502 | Survey of Space Studies II | 3 |
| SPST 504 | Research Methods in Space Studies | 3 |
| SPST 590 | Space Studies Colloquium | 1 |
| SPST 591 | Readings in Space Studies | 1-3 |
| SPST 593 | Individual Research in Space Studies | 1-3 |
| SPST 595 | Space Studies Capstone | 3 |
| SPST 996 | Continuing Enrollment | 1-12 |
| SPST 997 | Independent Study Report | 2 |
| SPST 998 | Thesis | 1-6 |
The choice of courses in the required social and technical areas outside the student's area of specialization must take into account the breadth of disciplines, which is a critical part of space studies education. Students are advised not to choose more than one course from within the same sub-discipline. In order to meet the breadth requirements within the degree options, students are required to spread their courses as per guidelines below.
The additional courses required to meet the electives in the area of specialization can, however, come from within the same sub-disciplines.
NOTE: 400-level courses with SPST 200 as a prerequisite will require a special permission number to override this requirement for graduate students. Contact the department's administrative assistant for the special permission number. This is a standard waiver for all graduate students in our programs.
Social Area
Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 508 | Quality Engineering for the Space Industry | 3 |
| SPST 540 | Space Economics and Commerce | 3 |
| SPST 541 | Management of Space Enterprises | 3 |
| SPST 542 | Risk Management of Space Organizations | 3 |
| SPST 561 | Public Administration of Space Technology | 3 |
History
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 450 | International Space Programs | 3 |
| SPST 547 | The Space Age & Popular Culture | 3 |
| SPST 551 | History of the Space Age | 3 |
| SPST 552 | History of Astronomy and Cosmology | 3 |
| SPST 553 | Space Diplomacy and Space Cooperation | 3 |
| SPST 555 | Military Space Programs | 3 |
| SPST 560 | Space Politics and Policy | 3 |
| SPST 562 | Soviet/Russian Space Program | 3 |
| SPST 581 | Field Visit to Space Centers | 1-3 |
Policy
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 450 | International Space Programs | 3 |
| SPST 545 | Space and the Environment | 3 |
| SPST 553 | Space Diplomacy and Space Cooperation | 3 |
| SPST 555 | Military Space Programs | 3 |
| SPST 557 | Space Power Theory | 3 |
| SPST 560 | Space Politics and Policy | 3 |
| SPST 562 | Soviet/Russian Space Program | 3 |
| SPST 574 | Remote Sensing in Developing Countries | 3 |
| SPST 575 | Remote Sensing Law and Policy | 3 |
| SPST 581 | Field Visit to Space Centers | 1-3 |
Law
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 545 | Space and the Environment | 3 |
| SPST 565 | Space Law | 3 |
| SPST 575 | Remote Sensing Law and Policy | 3 |
International Relations
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 555 | Military Space Programs | 3 |
| SPST 556 | Geopolitics of Outer Space | 3 |
| SPST 562 | Soviet/Russian Space Program | 3 |
| SPST 563 | China's Space Program | 3 |
Technical Area
Space Engineering
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 405 | Space Mission Design | 3 |
| SPST 500 | Introduction to Orbital Mechanics | 3 |
| SPST 505 | Spacecraft Systems Engineering | 3 |
| SPST 506 | Advanced Orbital Mechanics | 3 |
| SPST 508 | Quality Engineering for the Space Industry | 3 |
| SPST 509 | Space Propulsion Systems | 3 |
| SPST 510 | Hypersonic Aerodynamics | 3 |
| SPST 511 | Electric Space Propulsion | 3 |
| SPST 513 | Nuclear Space Propulsion | 3 |
| SPST 517 | Human Spaceflight Systems | 3 |
| SPST 525 | Technical Issues in Space | 1-3 |
| SPST 530 | Human Centered Design | 3 |
| SPST 532 | Disasters in Human Spaceflight | 3 |
Human Factors
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 410 | Life Support Systems | 3 |
| SPST 512 | Human Performance in Extreme Environments | 3 |
| SPST 515 | Human Factors in Space | 3 |
| SPST 519 | Closed Ecological Systems for Life Support | 3 |
| SPST 530 | Human Centered Design | 3 |
| SPST 531 | Applied Human Centered Design | 3 |
| SPST 532 | Disasters in Human Spaceflight | 3 |
| SPST 533 (570) | Space Architecture: Sci-Fi to Reality |
Applications
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 425 | Observational Astronomy | 3 |
| SPST 515 | Human Factors in Space | 3 |
| SPST 519 | Closed Ecological Systems for Life Support | 3 |
| SPST 526 | Advanced Observational Astronomy | 3 |
| SPST 574 | Remote Sensing in Developing Countries | 3 |
Planetary Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 460 | Life in the Universe | 3 |
| SPST 520 | Asteroids, Meteorites and Comets | 3 |
| SPST 521 | The Planet Mars | 3 |
| SPST 524 | Current Topics in Astrobiology | 3 |
| SPST 526 | Advanced Observational Astronomy | 3 |
| SPST 527 | Extraterrestrial Resources | 3 |
SPST 570
SPST 570 can be considered under any one of the sub-disciplines, depending on the content:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 570 | Advanced Topics in Space Studies | 1-3 |
Undergraduate*
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPST 200 | Introduction to Space Studies | 3 |
| SPST 220 | Space Science and Exploration | 3 |
| SPST 270 | History of the Space Age | 3 |
| SPST 300 | The Case for Space | 3 |
| SPST 310 | Introduction to Dinosaurs | 3 |
| SPST 360 | NASA | 3 |
| SPST 470 | Special Topics in Space Studies | 1-3 |
| SPST 480 | Readings in Space Studies | 1-3 |
| SPST 491 | Independent Study | 2 |
* applicable only to Space Studies Minor