The mission of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at San Jose State University is: to enrich the lives of its students, to transmit knowledge to its students along with the necessary skills for applying it in service to the aerospace engineering profession and industry, and to expand the base of knowledge through research and scholarship.

The curriculum provides students with an education in aerospace engineering theory and practice. It is designed to prepare students for professional careers in the several fields of aerospace engineering involving aircraft and space systems research, design, development, testing, and systems integration. The curriculum is based on a strong core of engineering science courses common to all engineering programs. It also provides excellent preparation for graduate study. By choosing electives under the guidance of a program advisor, the student may specialize in one or more of the following fields: Aircraft or Spacecraft Design, Sturctures, Dynamics and Control, Propulsion, and/or Aerodynamics.

The advanced engineering and high-technology applications generic to the modern aerospace industry are reflected in the curiculum. Laboratories equipped with modern electro-optical, electromechanical, and computer systems instrumentation support experimental work in each area of specialization.

Opportunities are available for students to participate in advanced elective courses and projects in a field of special interest and on problems of interest to industry and government. Students have the opportunity to join the student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the national professional society of the advancement of aerospace technology.