Master of Science in Space Studies (MSSpS) Degree
Program Learning Outcomes for the MSSpS Degree
Upon completing the MSSpS Degree, students will be able to:
- Achieve advanced science, engineering, and computational skills and a broad understanding of the methodologies applied in the space industry.
- Gain real life experience in solving technical problems in a science and technology environment.
- Develop business and communication skills to bridge the gap between science and business.
Requirements for the MSSpS Degree
The MSSpS degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the MSSpS degree must complete:
- A minimum of 15 courses (39 credit hours) to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (coursework at the 500-level or above).
- A minimum of 24 credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
- A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of part-time graduate study at Rice University.
- A 3-6 month internship. Instead of a thesis, at the conclusion of their internship, students must present their internship project in both oral and written form as part of the Professional Master’s Seminar. Part-time students who already work in their area of study may request approval to fulfill the internship requirement by working on a specific, pre-approved project with their current employer.
- A minimum overall GPA of 2.67.
- A minimum GPA of 2.67 in required coursework.
Note: Some of the listed courses are not offered every year, and some may also have prerequisites or require instructor permission.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor, or where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the department or program's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MSSpS Degree | 39 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Core Technical Courses | ||
| ASTR 570 | SOLAR SYSTEM PHYSICS | 3 |
| MECH 572 | AEROSPACE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING | 3 |
| STAT 605 | R FOR DATA SCIENCE | 3 |
| Core Science and Engineering Courses | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| ASTROPHYSICS OF THE SUN | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| METABOLIC ENGINEERING | ||
| EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE | ||
| GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL FLUID DYNAMICS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS | ||
| DESIGN FOR AEROSPACE ENVIRONMENTS | ||
| Core Statistics/Computation Courses | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| NUMERICAL ANALYSIS I | ||
| ENGINEERING ECONOMICS | ||
| REMOTE SENSING | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS | ||
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | ||
| NEURAL MACHINE LEARNING I | ||
| MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS | ||
| REGRESSION AND LINEAR MODELS | ||
| Cohort Courses | ||
| NSCI 501 | PROFESSIONAL MASTER'S SEMINAR | 1 |
| NSCI 502 | SPACE STUDIES SEMINAR | 1 |
| NSCI 511 | SCIENCE POLICY, AND ETHICS | 3 |
| NSCI 512 | PROFESSIONAL MASTER'S PROJECT | 1 |
| NSCI 610 / ENGI 610 | MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | 3 |
| Three to Six Month Internship | ||
| A three to six month internship is required 2 | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select a minimum of 9 credit hours from 1 of the following areas, depending on the student's individual interests and career goals: 3 | 9 | |
| Engineering | ||
| ATOMSPHERIC PARTICULATE MATTER | ||
| ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES | ||
| STRUCTURAL DYNAMIC SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS | ||
| LEADING TEAMS AND INNOVATION | ||
| LEARNING HOW TO INNOVATE? | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS | ||
| GAS DYNAMICS | ||
| DESIGN FOR AEROSPACE ENVIRONMENTS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO AERONAUTICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FLIGHT MECHANICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HYPERSONIC AERODYNAMICS | ||
| Sciences (Astro Science/Earth Science/Life Sciences) | ||
| NEBULAR ASTROPHYSICS | ||
| ASTROPHYSICS OF THE SUN | ||
| PROTOSTARS AND PLANETS | ||
| COMPACT OBJECTS | ||
| MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY | ||
| METABOLIC ENGINEERING | ||
| ADVANCED CONCEPTS AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS IN MODERN DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY | ||
| ADVANCED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS | ||
| COMPUTATION WITH BIOLOGICAL DATA | ||
| PROTEIN ENGINEERING | ||
| EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE | ||
| TOPICS IN PLANETARY DYNAMICS AND MAGMATIC PROCESSES | ||
| GEOMECHANICS | ||
| EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING: NUMERICAL TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| LIFE SCIENCE ENTREPRENEURSHIP & ROLES OF FOUNDERS & VENTURE CAPITAL IN HIGH-TECH STARTUPS | ||
| Management and Entrepreneurship | ||
| LEADING TEAMS AND INNOVATION | ||
| LEARNING HOW TO INNOVATE? | ||
| FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS | ||
| COMPLEXITIES OF PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | ||
| BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT | ||
| LIFE SCIENCE ENTREPRENEURSHIP & ROLES OF FOUNDERS & VENTURE CAPITAL IN HIGH-TECH STARTUPS | ||
| APPLIED RISK MANAGEMENT | ||
| TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 39 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Depending on the background, other courses can be chosen with permission of advisor. |
| 2 | Practical experience is offered via a three to six month immersion. The internship will be under the guidance of a host company, government agency, or non-profit organization. At the conclusion of the internship, students must present a summary of their internship project in both oral and written form for the cohort course NSCI 512. Part-time students who already work in their area of study may fulfill the internship requirements by working on an approved project with their current employer. |
| 3 | Courses vary. Some listed courses may not be offered every year, and others may be offered that satisfy the requirements with pre-approval. Students should consult with their academic advisors before enrolling. |
Policies for the MSSpS Degree
Space Studies Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, Space Studies publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: http://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2018_19/Professional_Science_Masters_Handbook.pdf
Admission
Admission to graduate study in Space Studies is open to qualified students holding a bachelor’s degree in a related science or engineering program that included course work in general physics, chemistry, calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. Good scores from the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE), good critical thinking and communication skills, and strong quantitative abilities. Statistics, introductory economics, and computer skills preferred. Department faculty evaluate the previous academic record and credentials of each applicant individually and make admission decisions.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Space Studies website: https://profms.rice.edu/
Opportunities for the MSSpS Degree
Fifth-Year MSSpS Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students
Rice undergraduate students have an option to pursue the MSSpS degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four undergraduate years of science studies. Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing may apply to the graduate program during their junior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking required core courses of the Space Studies program during their senior year. A plan of study based on their particular focus area will need to be approved by the PSM (Professional Science Masters) program director and the MSSpS advisor.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete the requirements for their bachelor's degree and the MSSpS degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
- should be aware that there could be financial aid implications, if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate-level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Space Studies website: https://profms.rice.edu/