Rice to offer professional master’s in space studies

University working with NASA to train next generation of aerospace professionals

The Rice University Faculty Senate has approved a master’s degree track for space studies as one of five Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs at the Wiess School of Natural Sciences.

The degree will create new options for engineering and science students interested in working in space technology industries and related government entities, including NASA, as well as government relations positions in nonprofit organizations, industry and academic institutions.

There is a critical need for qualified professionals interested in the new paradigm for space exploration and utilization, said Dagmar Beck, PSM program director at the Wiess School. Johnson Space Center and the aerospace industry are focused on translating space technologies to energy, medicine and other areas and on reemphasizing research and development. NASA, which signed a Space Act Agreement with Rice last year, is working more closely with universities and entrepreneurs, she said.

The track includes advanced engineering, biological and physical science classes and introduces students to economics, public policy and management disciplines.

Space science, Earth science, solar physics and astrophysics courses will focus on phenomena in the universe, the observational targets of many space missions that drive their engineering designs.

Courses in solar and space science and engineering will help students understand the challenges of developing hardware and instrumentation for orbit.

Life science courses will provide background in systems biology with applications in long-duration missions and biological experimentation, a mainstay of science at the International Space Station.

Computational courses will provide students with the skills to complement their science and engineering expertise and to introduce them to the economics of engineering management, a key component of the PSM program.

The program is a collaboration between the Wiess School and Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering. David Alexander, director of the Rice Space Institute and a professor in physics and astronomy, and Andrew Meade, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, helped develop the new track and will join the oversight faculty committee.

“It’s a way of broadening awareness of space-related activities across campus and the reputation we have for space-related research and education beyond campus,” Alexander said. “There’s a lot of interest in this program, and I hope we can develop it to one of the best in the country over the next few years.”

The degree will require 40 credit hours to complete and will require a three- to six-month internship. Applications for fall 2012 are being accepted.

For more on the PSM program at Rice, visit www.profms.rice.edu or contact the program at profms@rice.edu.