AE 598

Spring 2026 Part of Term 1

Part of Term 1
Jan 20-May 6

Special Topics

SHOW FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE

Credit: 1 TO 4 hours.

Subject offerings of new and developing areas of knowledge in aerospace engineering intended to augment existing formal courses. Topics and prerequisites vary for each section. See Class Schedule or departmental course information for both.

May be repeated in the same or separate terms if topics vary to a maximum of 12 hours.

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AE 598 class schedule data for spring 2026
CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
56785	Online	ARO	ARRANGED	n.a.	n.a.	Bretl, T	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Section Title: Advanced Robotic Planning Section Info: Computational approaches to robot motion planning, configuration space, algebraic decompositions, artificial potential fields, retraction, approximate decompositions, planning under uncertainty, grasp planning, and task-level planning. Prerequisite: ECE 470. Restricted to online non-degree, online MCS, online MSME, online MSCEE, and online MSAE students with instructor approval. Restriction(s): Restricted to MS: Civil Engr - Online - UIUC, MS:Industrial Engr Online-UIUC, MS:Mechanical Engineerng -UIUC, MS:Env Engr CivilEngr ONL-UIUC, NDEG:Engineering GR ONL - UIUC, MS: Aerospace Engr-Online-UIUC, MENG:Engr:Energy Sys Onl-UIUC, MENG:Mech Engineering Onl-UIUC, MENG:Elec & Comp Eng ONL -UIUC, MENG:Engr:AeroSys Online- UIUC, MENG:ENGR:Digital Ag ONL- UIUC, or MENG:Engr:ChemEngLead ONL-UIUC.
43789	Lecture-Discussion	ARP	2:00PM -3:20PM	TR	410C1 Engineering Hall	Bretl, T	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Advanced Robotic Planning Section Info: Computational approaches to robot motion planning, configuration space, algebraic decompositions, artificial potential fields, retraction, approximate decompositions, planning under uncertainty, grasp planning, and task-level planning. Prerequisite: ECE 470. Time conflict overrides will not be given for this section.
62469	Online	GDO	ARRANGED	n.a.	n.a.	Smart, J	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Generative Design Synthesis Section Info: This course covers the use of generative models for design synthesis and optimization. Topics covered include optimization theory and problem formulation, autoencoding deep neural architectures, as well as the testing and validation of generated design results via model-based simulation. Pre-Requisites: AE 498 Data-Driven Modeling and Optimization. Restricted to online non-degree, online MCS, online MSME, online MSCEE, and online MSAE students. For more details on this course section, please see http://engineering.illinois.edu/online/courses/. Non-Degree students may enroll on a space-available basis with consent of the Graduate Program Coordinator (ae-grad@illinois.edu). Restriction(s): Restricted to MS: Civil Engr - Online - UIUC, MS:Industrial Engr Online-UIUC, MS:Mechanical Engineerng -UIUC, MS:Env Engr CivilEngr ONL-UIUC, NDEG:Engineering GR ONL - UIUC, MS: Aerospace Engr-Online-UIUC, MENG:Engr:Energy Sys Onl-UIUC, MENG:Mech Engineering Onl-UIUC, MENG:Elec & Comp Eng ONL -UIUC, MENG:Engr:AeroSys Online- UIUC, or MENG:Engr:ChemEngLead ONL-UIUC.
62423	Lecture-Discussion	GDS	10:30AM -11:50AM	TR	410C1 Engineering Hall	Smart, J	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Generative Design Synthesis Section Info: This course covers the use of generative models for design synthesis and optimization. Topics covered include optimization theory and problem formulation, autoencoding deep neural architectures, as well as the testing and validation of generated design results via model-based simulation. Pre-Requisites: AE 498 Data-Driven Modeling and Optimization
66378	Lecture-Discussion	LOD	10:00AM -10:50AM	MWF	106B3 Engineering Hall	Kearney, S	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Laser & Optical Diagnostics Section Info: 4 credit hours. This is a course for graduate students interested in laser-based spectroscopy and imaging of reacting and compressible flows systems. Topics include laboratory tools such as laser sources, frequency conversion, detection systems, basic optics. Background physics include review of statistical mechanics and basic molecular/atomic structure and light-matter interaction. Techniques for temperature and species measurements include Rayleigh/Raman scattering, laser-induced fluorescence, and four-wave mixing and CARS, with an emphasis on recent advancements using ultrashort-pulse fs/ps laser pulses and high-speed burst-mode systems. Methods for velocimetry in reacting flows include femtosecond molecular tagging (FLEET), four-wave mixing, filtered Rayleigh scattering, and spectroscopic approaches. This course will feature a laboratory demonstration with subsequent data analysis and reporting and two small projects. Prerequisites: Thermodynamics (ME200), Compressible Flow (AE312), Incompressible Flow (AE311) or equivalent.
70884	Lecture	MAF	3:00PM -3:50PM	MWF	403A Engineering Hall	Saxton-Fox, T	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Modal Analysis of Fluid Flow Section Info: 4 Credit Hours Students in this course will learn to apply modal analysis techniques to represent multi-scale velocity data. Topics covered include proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), and spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD), in addition to analytical techniques including stability theory and resolvent analysis. Students will learn the fundamentals behind these techniques and will apply them to fluid dynamics data sets to build reduced-order models and gain insight into the physics of the flow. The term project will culminate in the writing of a conference-style paper that students can choose to submit for publication.
61087	Online	MAO	ARRANGED	n.a.	n.a.	Saxton-Fox, T	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Credit: 4 hours Section Title: Modal Analysis of Fluid Flow Section Info: 4 Credit Hours. Students in this course will learn to apply modal analysis techniques to represent multi-scale velocity data. Topics covered include proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), and spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD), in addition to analytical techniques including stability theory and resolvent analysis. Students will learn the fundamentals behind these techniques and will apply them to fluid dynamics data sets to build reduced-order models and gain insight into the physics of the flow. The term project will culminate in the writing of a conference-style paper that students can choose to submit for publication. Restricted to online non-degree, online MCS, online MSME, online MSCEE, and online MSAE students. For more details on this course section, please see http://engineering.illinois.edu/online/courses/. Non-Degree students may enroll on a space-available basis with consent of the Graduate Program Coordinator (ae-grad@illinois.edu). Restriction(s): Restricted to MS: Civil Engr - Online - UIUC, MS:Industrial Engr Online-UIUC, MS:Mechanical Engineerng -UIUC, MS:Env Engr CivilEngr ONL-UIUC, NDEG:Engineering GR ONL - UIUC, MS: Aerospace Engr-Online-UIUC, MENG:Engr:Energy Sys Onl-UIUC, MENG:Mech Engineering Onl-UIUC, MENG:Elec & Comp Eng ONL -UIUC, MENG:Engr:AeroSys Online- UIUC, or MENG:Engr:ChemEngLead ONL-UIUC.