Master of Science Degrees (MS FTE and MS FT&E)

Non U.S. Citizens who enroll in the Master of Science program are advised that they may be required to maintain continuous enrollment while at NTPS in order to satisfy United States Visa and immigration requirements.

Master of Science Degrees
The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) is an accredited institution of higher education and offers Master of Science degrees in Flight Test Engineering (MSFTE) and Flight Test and Evaluation (MSFT&E).  Students who have an undergraduate engineering degree from an ABET or equivalent university program are eligible to receive the MSFTE degree. Students with other backgrounds are eligible for the MSFT&E degree.  The MSFTE degree is also accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Program Educational Objectives
Within a few years of graduation, NTPS Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering alumni can be expected to:

• Demonstrate increasingly highly specialized communications skills required to execute safety-critical tests in flight and in the control room.
• Successfully integrate the roles of a Flight Test Engineer throughout the aircraft/system design, development, and testing process.
• Validate the airworthiness and mission capability of an air vehicle and/or system.
• Attain positions with increasing responsibilities in managing developmental flight test projects.
• Advance the flight test and evaluation discipline through reports, professional papers, journal articles, and/or symposia presentations.

Academic Outcomes
NTPS has adopted the ABET required academic outcomes for an engineering Master’s Degree.  Students graduating should have:

1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
3. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs with realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
4. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
5. An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems
6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
7. An ability to communicate effectively
8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
9. A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning
10. A knowledge of contemporary issues
11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

Each of these required academic outcomes are cross-correlated to individual NTPS course modules’ Learning Outcomes as shown in the following link:

Student Outcomes Map.

Pre-requisites
The prerequisites for enrollment in the Master's programs are a Baccalaureate degree in engineering, physical or computer science, mathematics, technical management, or related subject. Students presenting other credentials will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Curriculum and Modalities

In order to graduate, students must take the core curriculum and select a specialty track to complete (FW/RW Performance & Flying Qualities or Systems). See the NTPS Catalog to view the various track options. Courses are offered in both on-campus and distance learning modalities with the exception of the flying laboratories which much be completed on-campus. 

The culmination of the master’s degree is the capstone project. This project serves as a comprehensive project that covers much of the material taught during the entire course. The capstone project can consist of the traditional test pilot school flying project, a flight test related research project, or other flight test related specialized projects. The student will submit a capstone project proposal to the Chief Academic Officer and obtain approval prior to starting the capstone project.

The NTPS Master’s courses can be taken in the on-campus classroom modality, the distance learning modality, or a combination of both. The learning objectives and course material covered in each modality is virtually the same except as modified to accommodate the specific requirements of the modality.

Scheduled course dates for both modality types are listed on the NTPS website under Information - Course Schedule and Costs. Course descriptions are available through the course links on the website and in the NTPS catalog.

A typical course module in the on-campus classroom modality is 5 days long with 6-8 hours of class per day. A written exam is normally taken on the last day of the course.

A typical course module in the distance learning modality is anticipated to be done on a part-time basis and is therefore normally 6 weeks long with each week covering approximately the same material as one day of on-campus class. Students will do a combination of video lectures, course readings, self-study, and tutorials on a schedule of their choice during the week. A weekly instructor interface is scheduled for the entire class. Instructors can also be reached via email. One or two written exams and a course paper can be anticipated during the distance learning module.

Tuition

Tuition for the current academic year is posted on the NTPS website (Course Schedule & Costs).

All tuition and fees as specified in US Dollars (USD). The minimum charge for attendance and completing a master’s degree in the NTPS is valued at approximately $$46,430 USD at the current date. This charge is also estimated as the total charges for the entire master’s degree educational program. A detailed example breakdown of the charges (price for the year 2022) can be found below.
For more detailed information about tuition and fees, contact Student Services at (661) 824-2977 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For detailed information download the online catalog.

National Test Pilot School
P.O Box 658
Mojave, CA  93502-0658
Phone: +1 (661) 824-2977
Fax: +1 (661) 824-2943
Email: Student Services at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.