Designated Engineering Representative (DER) applicants substituting an undergraduate engineering degree for four years of required experience may also substitute a Master of Science degree in Airworthiness Engineering (MS-AWE) for an additional year of experience. The MS degree must be accepted by the FAA before credit can be taken for the one year of experience.

Universities offering a MS Degree in Airworthiness Engineering must be accredited by an organization listed on the U.S. Department of Education's list of Regional and National Institutional Accrediting Agencies.

The FAA expects participating universities to develop and administer the MS curriculum consistent with university policy for development and maintenance of other degree programs.

Submitting Degree Program Information

For an MS degree program to be accepted, the university must submit the following information to the FAA for review:

For the degree program:

• Program structure including:
  • Listing of required and elective courses
  • Total credit hours
  • Resume of each course presenter/instructor establishing the individual's competence in the subject matter
• The university's procedure for ensuring that course material remains consistent with the latest FAA policy, guidance and regulations, including a system to identify the currency of course information as indicated by tracking creation and revision materials by date and content.

For each course included in the degree program:

• Course Title
• Course Length
• Number of Credits
• Description of the course including:
  • Course goals and objectives
  • Key reference material
  • Statutes and agency orders and guidance that form the basis of the course material
  • Course delivery method (instructor led, web-based, in-residence, distance learning, etc.)

The following must be available to the FAA on request:

• Training materials, including but not limited to presentation slides, reference guides and additional resources
• Test materials or documentation of how the provider measures participant understanding of material or implementation or application of technical competency
• FAA employee access to the courses as presented for purposes of reviewing course content and presentation

The university is responsible for keeping each individual course current by revising or updating the course material or content as necessary.

Annually, each participating university must submit a report addressing the significant changes made or planned for each of the MS degree courses. Significant changes should include changes to the course scope or objectives, as well as any new FAA policy or policy changes incorporated since the last report. If no significant changes are planned, or made, that information should also be included.

After initial acceptance, the degree program will remain acceptable until its administration is discontinued, or the FAA determines it will no longer be recognized.

Where to Send Information to the FAA about the MS-AWE Degree Program

All information and communications about the Master of Science in Airworthiness Engineering degree program should be sent to the FAA at the following address:

Email: 9-AMC-Aircraft-Certification-Designees@faa.gov

Mail:
Policy and Innovation Division, AIR-600
Delegation and Organizational Procedures Branch, AIR-6F0
6500 S MacArthur Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

Phone: 405-954-4776