The information and program qualifications related to the Astronautical Engineering Master of Science Program, under the Department of Astronautical Engineering of the Graduate School, are summarized below.
Information About The Program
The Istanbul Technical University Astronautical Engineering Master's Program with Thesis is a graduate program focused entirely on the development of technology and science related to space and spacecraft. The program is conducted by the Department of Astronautical Engineering, part of the ITU Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which has been the only state institution in Turkey offering undergraduate education in astronautical engineering since 1986. Instruction is delivered 100% in English and the program is open to international students.
The program aims to provide engineers who will work in industry, academia, and policy-making institutions related to space technologies with up-to-date and advanced knowledge while expanding their research capabilities. The core areas of study include spacecraft design and architectures, launch vehicle design, space propulsion systems, spacecraft dynamics and control, satellite technologies and communication systems, and the space environment and space physics.
The curriculum includes courses in Engineering Mathematics, Spacecraft Dynamics, Space Propulsion, Spacecraft Architectures and Subsystems Design, Space Structures and Mechanisms, High Speed Flows, Spacecraft Thermal Control, Celestial and Applied Orbital Mechanics, Spacecraft Navigation, Plasma Theory for Space Applications, and Space Physics, all of which are oriented towards Astronautical Engineering.
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Registration Requirements
Active Student Count
Information about the number of students could not be obtained.
Program Profile
The ITU Astronautical Engineering Master's Program with Thesis is the first independent graduate program in Turkey dedicated entirely to space engineering, covering spacecraft, launch vehicle, and satellite technologies as well as space sciences. The program is conducted by the Department of Astronautical Engineering within the ITU Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and all instruction is delivered in English.
The primary objective of the program is to train engineers and researchers who are capable of taking active roles in industry, academia, and policy-making institutions related to space technologies, who can follow current scientific and technological developments, and who possess the competency to conduct independent research. Graduates are expected to assume leadership roles by effectively applying their engineering skills, to become recognized experts or pioneering academics who develop solutions to challenging engineering problems, and to engage in continuous professional and academic development.
The curriculum addresses spacecraft design and architectures, launch vehicles, space propulsion systems, spacecraft dynamics and control, satellite technologies, the space environment, and space physics from both theoretical and applied perspectives. Structured around an interdisciplinary approach, the program encourages students to synthesize knowledge across engineering disciplines and to produce original research contributions.
With the rapid growth of the domestic space sector, the demand for qualified human resources in this field has increased significantly. This program directly responds to that need by providing a dedicated academic environment for training the researchers and engineers who will contribute to the advancement of the national space program and to the global body of knowledge in astronautical engineering.
Program Learning Environments
The ITU Astronautical Engineering Master's Program with Thesis provides students with a comprehensive learning experience encompassing both theoretical and applied dimensions. The program is conducted making full use of the existing physical and academic infrastructure of the ITU Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Courses are delivered in a face-to-face format, incorporating not only the transmission of theoretical knowledge but also activities aimed at developing problem-solving, discussion, and analytical thinking skills. Computer laboratories are actively utilized in courses that require computational methods and engineering software.
Research activities are carried out in the research laboratories of the ITU Department of Astronautical Engineering. Within these laboratories, students conduct experimental and numerical research in areas such as spacecraft design, propulsion systems, structural analysis, dynamics and control, and the space environment as part of their thesis work. Throughout the thesis process, students receive individual guidance and advisory support from faculty members who are specialists in their respective fields.
The program also provides applied learning environments through national and international research projects and industry collaborations, offering students exposure to real-world engineering problems. Through these projects, students gain experience working within interdisciplinary teams. Scientific seminars, workshops, and conference participations form an integral part of the program's learning environment, contributing to the development of students' competencies in academic writing, presentation, and scientific communication.
English Proficiency
Regulations and Guidelines
Academic Calendar
Course Plans
Course Schedules
Course Adjustment and Exemption Procedures
Program Educational Objectives
Graduates of the ITU Astronautical Engineering Master's Program with Thesis are expected to achieve the following objectives through the education they receive and the research they conduct.
Graduates are expected to assume technical and managerial leadership roles in their professional environments by effectively applying the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired at the graduate level in astronautical engineering. In this context, they are expected to develop in-depth expertise in areas such as spacecraft design, propulsion systems, structures, dynamics and control, satellite technologies, and the space environment, and to translate this knowledge into professional practice.
Graduates are expected to comprehend and analyze complex, multidisciplinary problems encountered in astronautical engineering, and to generate original solutions using theoretical, numerical, and experimental research methods. Accordingly, they are expected to possess the competency to work independently and creatively in both academic research and industrial applications.
Graduates are expected to become qualified specialists capable of responding to the needs of the Turkish space sector and the international space industry, and to contribute to the strategic goals of Turkey in the field of space. In this regard, they are envisaged to take on effective roles in industry, research centers, universities, and public institutions.
Graduates are expected to continuously update their knowledge by following current developments and emerging technologies in astronautical engineering, and to effectively communicate their scientific work in written and oral form at national and international platforms. Furthermore, they are expected to conduct their professional activities in adherence to social, scientific, and ethical values.
Measurement and Evaluation
Evaluating Student Success
The student success is evaluated considering Articles 56, 57, 58, and 59 of the Istanbul Technical University Graduate Education and Training Regulation Senate Principles.
ARTICLE 56 - Before the enrollment for the courses begins, the faculty member who offers the course informs the Program Executive Committee about the types, number and contribution percentage to the final grade of the studies within the semester, as well as requirements for a right to take the semester final exam. These requirements shall be finalized by approval of the Program Executive Committee and approval of the chair of the department, who declares them to the student and informs the Graduate School.
ARTICLE 57 - A student may appeal the final grade of a course within one week following the announcement of the grades. Appeals must be submitted to the Graduate School in writing. The relevant faculty member shall re-evaluate the student's success status and submit the result to the Graduate School within one week. Appeals not submitted within the prescribed time frame shall not be considered by the Graduate School.
ARTICLE 58 - Courses in graduate programs shall be evaluated according to the following grading system.
| Grade Description |
Grade |
Scale |
| Excellent |
AA |
4.00 |
| Very good plus |
BA+ |
3.75 |
| Very good |
BA |
3.50 |
| Good plus |
BB+ |
3.25 |
| Good |
BB |
3.00 |
| Conditional Pass |
CB+ |
2.75 |
| Conditional Pass |
CB |
2.50 |
| Conditional Pass |
CC+ |
2.25 |
| Conditional Pass |
CC |
2.00 |
| Fail |
FF |
0.00 |
| Fail(No Exam) |
VF |
0.00 |
ARTICLE 59 - Students who wish to improve their cumulative grade point average may retake courses during the course-taking period. The most recent grade will be counted for the repeated courses.
Internship
There is no internship in this program.
Graduation Requirements
The graduation requirements for the ITU Astronautical Engineering Master's Program with Thesis are determined by ITU within the framework of the ITU Graduate Education and Instruction Regulations and the ITU Graduate Education and Instruction Regulations Senate Principles.
The total number of credits required to obtain a master's degree is 24, consisting of 8 courses in total. Four of these courses are compulsory (12 credits) and four are elective (12 credits).
For graduation, a minimum weighted cumulative grade point average of 3.00 is required and the thesis must be completed successfully. The student is required to defend their thesis orally before a jury, provided that the thesis has been prepared in accordance with the writing guidelines determined by the ITU Senate and approved by the thesis advisor.
Students whose undergraduate degree is in a field other than Astronautical Engineering are required to take the courses determined by the program-academic advisor as part of a scientific preparation program and must complete these courses within the first two semesters.
The Awarded Degree and Title
Degree : Master of Science Title : -
Program Employment Opportunities
Graduates of the ITU Astronautical Engineering Master's Program with Thesis have access to a wide range of employment opportunities at both national and international levels, in a period when the space sector is experiencing rapid global growth.
At the national level, graduates can pursue careers as engineers and researchers in public and private sector organizations such as the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, TUBITAK Space Technologies Research Institute (TUBITAK SPACE), FERGANI, TURKSAT, STM Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc., and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), working in areas including spacecraft design, propulsion systems, satellite technologies, spacecraft dynamics and control, and structural analysis. Defense industry companies and advanced technology development centers also represent significant employment opportunities for graduates.
At the international level, graduates can find career opportunities at research centers affiliated with ESA (European Space Agency), NASA, JAXA, and other national space agencies, as well as at global space and defense companies. In addition, the growing number of new generation space companies active in satellites, launch vehicles, and space exploration missions offer further international employment prospects for graduates.
Number of Graduates
There are no graduates from 2025 or earlier. The 2026 graduate numbers have not yet been transferred to this page.
Program Outcomes
P.O.1 Developing and intensifying knowledge in the Astronautical Engineering area, based upon the competency in the graduate level; assessing the specialistic knowledge and skill gained through the study with a critical view and directing his/her own learning process.
P.O.2 The ability to use the expert-level theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in the Astronautical Engineering area; understanding, analyzing and solving the problems faced in the Aerospace Engineering by making use of the theoretical, numerical and experimental research methods.
P.O.3 Grasping the inter-disciplinary interaction related to AstronauticalEngineering area; being conscious of importance and necessity of team work in a product oriented study, interpreting and forming new types of knowledge by combining the knowledge from the area and the knowledge from various other disciplines or using the knowledge and the skills for problem solving and/or application (which are processed within the area) in inter-disciplinary studies.
P.O.4 The ability to carry out a specialistic study related to Astronautical Engineering area independently; developing new strategic approaches to solve the unforeseen and complex problems arising in the practical processes of Astronautical Engineering area and coming up with solutions while taking responsibility.
P.O.5 Having proficiency in a foreign language and establishing written and oral communication with that language, systematically transferring the current developments in the area and his/her own work within the national and international environments orally, visually and in written forms.
P.O.6 Paying regard to social, scientific, cultural and ethical values during the collecting, interpreting, practicing and announcing processes of the area related data and the ability to teach these values to others.
P.O.7 Using the programming languages and computer software together with the information and communication technologies efficiently and according to the needs of the Astronautical Engineering.
P.O.8 Fulfilling the leader role in the environments where solutions are sought for the problems related to the Astronautical Engineering; Ability to see and develop social relationships and the norms directing these relationships with a critical look and the ability to take action to change these when necessary; developing strategy, policy and application plans concerning the subjects related to the Astronautical Engineering and the ability to evaluate the end results of these plans within the frame of quality.
Program Coordinator
Program Coordinator
Application requirements, application dates, and quotas are updated in real-time from the Application System.
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