Space Engineering Institute Texas A&M Texas A&M's Dwight Look College of Engineering
Space Engineering Institute


Home - Welcome to SEI
About the SEI Program
How to Apply
Requirements
Team Projects
Team Presentaions
Seminars / Training
SEI Outreach
SEI Students
Competitions
Conferences
Links
Links of Interest






Welcome to the SEI


If you are interested in being a part of any of our existing SEI team projects please send the documents listed below to Mrs. Lagoudas. For more information on how to apply please click on the How to Apply link.

  • Incoming Freshman - resume, official High School transcript ( that includes SAT scores and ranking )
  • The deadline for applications is June 30, 2009
  • You will be informed of the status of your application by July 31, 2009

Here is what our 2008-09 freshman students say about the SEI program:

Question 1: Has this experience been positive in your development as an engineering student?

  • Yes.
  • Yes this experience has shown me how to work with a team of engineers, given me more experience in time management, and increased my knowledge and skills relating not only to my current major, but the majors and fields of my teammates as well.
  • Very much so!
  • Yes.
  • Yes it has because it has allowed me to gain some insight and knowledge from the older more experienced students in the engineering field.
  • It has definitely shown me that working as part of an engineering team is something I want to do as a work experience.
  • Very positive.
  • Yes, I have learned alot.
  • Yes, it has definitely been a positive experience. I feel like I have learned alot from being in this program.
  • Yes, The upperclassmen had already gone through everything I was about to go through and so the advice they gave was very beneficial.

Question 2: How has the SEI Program impacted your career plans thus far?

  • It is a foothold for the beginning of my engineering career.
  • It has shown me that engineering is a subject that I would like to continue my education in.
  • It has shown me how continuing to graduate school can have a huge impact on future job opportunities.
  • SEI has not necessarily helped me to know which career path is right for me, but it has enabled me to learn which part of the industry I am definitely not interested in.
  • It has allowed me to see some of what the space industry is like, and has made the space industry one of my top choices to possibly work in once I graduate from college.
  • It has shown me that engineering is something I want to do as a career.
  • Made me realize that engineering is the right field for me.
  • Although I do not yet know what I specifically want to do following my graduation, thanks to SEI I do know that I want to continue pursuing engineering.
  • SEI made my career plans less concrete as I am now considering a career in the space industry as well as national defense

Question 3: Please explain why SEI did or did not impact your decision to remain in engineering?

  • It has further encouraged my pursuit of engineering.
  • SEI showed me that despite what all the engineers complain about in class, many of the concepts that we are learning are actually relevant and will be useful when I get out into the real world.
  • It's real world.
  • It has showed me that if I put forth some real effort into what it is that I am doing I can see creditable results. That if I do not slack off and be lazy, good things can come from it. Also, the interesting projects that I have seen have caught my attention and have swayed me in some way to remain an engineer.
  • It has shown me that there are alot of real world problems that are not seen in a classroom, and SEI has shown that engineers always have a place in the solution to theses problems.
  • Showed me career paths, as well as successful engineers.
  • The classes just give you work, but this gives you a project and something to be excited about.
  • I was able to see what I should expect from my upper level classes and from majoring in engineering. It was extremely beneficial because I now have a better idea as to what a job as an engineer entails.
  • Freshman courses at A&M have very little to do with engineering. SEI helped keep me focused, and reminded me of why I am in engineering.

SEI IN THE NEWS


Space Engineering Research Center

  • The Space Engineering Institute (SEI) is now associated with the Space Engineering Research Center (SERC).
    More infromation about the Space Engineering Research Center can be found at the following link:
    http://serc.tamu.edu/

Overview

The Space Engineering Institute (SEI) Program at Texas A&M University's Spacecraft Technology Center is an exclusive partnership with NASA that is focused on providing an opportunity for students to work in the space industry. Throughout the school year, selected students will have hands-on projects and practical training in various fields of engineering. This is a unique opportunity for a first-year student at Texas A&M to work on projects that aid NASA in its development of the International Space Station (ISS), Space Shuttle, or human exploration of the solar system. The projects are multi-disciplinary and require expertise from aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineering to computer science and other STEM disciplines. No matter what your engineering interest, there is a place for you in the SEI program! Students receive compensation starting at $7.5/hour.

SEI Goals

  • Increase the participation of underutilized groups pursuing careers in Space Engineering
  • Improve student retention in engineering
  • Enhance the engineering education of undergraduates
  • Produce high quality technical output for the sponsors

SEI Approach

  • Engage SEI students in outreach activities to high schools, teacher summits and career fairs.
  • Engage freshman in applied projects to explain the engineering discipline early on and provide them with upperclassman, graduates, faculty & industry mentors
  • Engage students in interdisciplinary team projects sponsored by NASA & industry where they have to solve real engineering problems. Provide students with engineering & professional development training.