Since the Master of Science in Aerospace Medicine opened to applicants beyond UTMB's aerospace medicine residents, the program has received a steady stream of questions from clinicians, researchers, and U.S. military professionals across the country and abroad. The questions tend to cluster around the same handful of topics. The most common ones are collected below, with two live information sessions scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2026, led by Program Director Amy J. Kreykes, MD, MPH, FAsMA, for anything not covered here.

Who the program is built for

The MS is designed for licensed clinicians, doctoral-level professionals, and U.S. military members working in fields that intersect with aviation and human spaceflight. Recent inquiries have come from nurses, paramedics, audiologists, pharmacists, engineers, dentists, psychologists, and doctoral-level researchers in disciplines. Most of these backgrounds are eligible, and admissions decisions are made on the strength of the overall application rather than a specific degree type.

For physicians specifically, the MS does not substitute for ACGME-accredited postgraduate medical education training in aerospace medicine. Physicians working toward board certification in aerospace medicine still need to complete an accredited residency. For non-physician applicants, the MS offers a formal academic pathway into aerospace medicine that, until recently, was available almost exclusively to residency-trained physicians.

International applicants with equivalent credentials are welcome to apply and are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Schedule, format, and location

The program is a 34-credit-hour, 12-month, in-person degree based in the Galveston and Houston area. Classes run Monday through Friday, roughly 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enrolled students should plan to live in the Galveston or Houston area for the duration of the program.

There is no part-time option, no remote option, and no deferral available once admitted. Because of the full-time schedule, working full-time alongside coursework is generally not feasible, and applicants balancing employment should factor that into their planning.

How the MS differs from the aerospace medicine residency

The residency and the MS are two separate programs with different audiences. The aerospace medicine residency is an ACGME-accredited postgraduate medical education program for physicians, open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have completed the required prerequisite training. The MS in Aerospace Medicine is a CEPH-accredited academic degree, open to licensed clinicians, doctoral-level professionals, and U.S. military members from a wide range of disciplines. International applicants with equivalent credentials are considered on a case-by-case basis.

For physicians in UTMB's aerospace medicine residency, the MS is the academic component of that training and is completed concurrently. For everyone else, the MS stands alone as an academic pathway into the field.

Application process and prerequisites

Applications are submitted through SOPHAS. Required materials are official transcripts, a CV or resume, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation, with at least one from a current supervisor. There are no specific undergraduate or graduate prerequisites, no minimum grade requirements, and no required years of professional experience. Admissions decisions weigh the full application, and the applicant pool is expected to be competitive.

International applicants may need a World Education Services (WES) course-by-course evaluation of their academic credentials, along with English proficiency scores such as TOEFL. Questions about F-1 visa sponsorship and related documentation are handled by UTMB's enrollment services team rather than by the program directly.

The MS is not offered as part of a dual degree with another graduate or professional program. Students interested in additional research or clinical training beyond the MS can explore those options after enrollment.

UTMB employees asking about tuition assistance should check with UTMB's benefits office for eligibility under existing staff education programs.

Career directions after graduation

Graduates may apply the degree differently depending on their professional background. For example, audiologists may contribute to occupational hearing monitoring for crewmembers who operate in high-noise environments like high-performance aircraft, rockets, and the International Space Station. Flight nurses and paramedics may support spaceflight crew recovery, including helicopter recovery from splashdown sites in both government and commercial programs, and fixed-wing medical evacuation for operations in extreme environments. Other professions may apply their expertise to human health and performance work. Doctoral-level researchers may have opportunities move related to crew-health and environmental testing roles. 

Dr. Kreykes conducts follow-up assessments with each graduating class after they have spent at least a year in the workforce, and the curriculum is updated annually based on what alumni report needing once they are working in the field.

Learn more about the MS in Aerospace Medicine