Course FAQs

What kind of formats does AIAA offer for short courses?

AIAA offers courses in three formats:

• Upcoming, Live, Online Short Courses: AIAA offers over 40 live instructor-led online short courses annually to help you stay sharp and improve your knowledge base. View available upcoming short courses at learning.aiaa.org.
• On-Demand Short Courses: Study at your own pace with on-demand courses to optimize your learning experience. Broaden your horizons today and choose from over 60 courses. Visit learning.aiaa.org and select On-Demand to register for available courses.
• Private Courses: AIAA short courses can be delivered privately to your team, either in person at your facility or virtually online. View our full list of courses here (those with upcoming public offerings are noted). To discuss options and pricing, please email Jason Cole, AIAA Education Director at jasonc@aiaa.org.

How do I know a course is appropriate for me?

• The audience section of each course page discusses whom the course is intended for.
• Any knowledge prerequisites or recommended reading will be listed in the course description. There are no required course prerequisites.
• Courses are open to the public, ranging from students to experienced professionals.

How can I earn a certificate of completion?
AIAA courses allow students to earn Continuing Education Units/Professional Development Hours after completing the course by attending the lectures or watching lecture recordings. A PDF certificate of completion will be emailed when a course is completed.

Can the course count toward a degree?
AIAA is not an accredited university. However, our courses can count toward professional licensure requirements that need Continuing Education Units/Professional Development Hours such as a Professional Engineer license.

Are there any tests, quizzes, assessments, in-class exercises or homework required to earn a certificate of completion?
No assessments are required to participate in a course and earn a certificate of completion. Any in-class exercises, homework, or projects provided by the instructor(s) are recommended, but ultimately optional.

When are courses generally scheduled?
AIAA courses are typically scheduled 5-8 months in advance and posted online, open for registration at learning.aiaa.org. Courses are added regularly, so please check back every few weeks for new learning opportunities.

How do I access online short course lectures?

• Live lectures from online short courses are typically hosted on Zoom. Test your connection here: zoom.us/test
• Students will receive access instructions via email 1-2 business days before the course begins, which will include a Zoom registration link for the live lectures.
• After registering, you will receive the Zoom join link via email.

Do I have to attend the live lectures?

• Attendance during live lectures is not required.
• AIAA courses provide flexibility for professionals to participate in online learning by joining live lectures or watching recorded lectures, if available.

How do I access course materials?

• For live courses, course notes and any reference materials provided will be available to download within 1-2 days of the live lectures at learning.aiaa.org/diweb/mylearning
• Click on the course page, scroll down to the bottom and click on the Launch button to download the course materials or view in a pop-up window. Please enable pop-ups in your browser.

How long can I access course materials?
Lectures can be streamed online; course notes and any provided reference materials can generally be downloaded for 2 years after the live course concludes.

Will the instructor be available for questions?
The instructor(s) will be available for technical questions in between lectures via email.

Are courses recorded?

• Most AIAA courses are recorded. You can confirm if a course is recorded within the Course Materials & Delivery section toward the bottom of each course page.
• Recorded lectures are generally available within 1-2 business days of the live lectures.

Can I register for a course after the live lectures conclude?
If the course is recorded, typically it will become available to register for as an on-demand course after the live course concludes.

I am interested in a private course, but I do not see it listed as an upcoming live online short course nor on-demand course. Is there a possibility that it could be hosted live?
Yes, potentially a course may be scheduled as a live upcoming short course in the future year. Please inquire with Lisa Le, LisaL@aiaa.org for questions regarding future courses.

How do I access the on-demand short course that I purchased?
View access instructions here for On-Demand short courses. On-Demand Short Courses can be accessed at learning.aiaa.org/diweb/mylearning

How long can I access course materials?
Course notes can be viewed/downloaded, and lectures can be streamed online for:

• 2 years (on-demand short courses)
• 1 year (on-demand webinars)

Do I have to complete the lecture recordings within a certain time frame to earn my certificate of completion?
Yes, you must complete the lecture recordings within 1 year for webinars or 2 years for short courses. Extension requests can be submitted to Lisa Le, LisaL@aiaa.org.

Could an on-demand course be offered as a live upcoming online short course in the future?
Yes, potentially a short course could be offered live again in the future depending on demand and instructor availability. Inquire with Lisa Le, LisaL@aiaa.orgfor more information.

How can I register for a course?

• Individuals can register themselves at learning.aiaa.org after logging in with their AIAA.org account. Member pricing will appear after logging in.
• Groups of 5+ participants from the same organization can apply for a group registration discount by emailing Lisa Le, LisaL@aiaa.org, with a request.

How do I register a colleague for a course?
Registering on behalf of a colleague? Email Lisa Le, LisaL@aiaa.org to request a registration invoice.

Is there a minimum number of registrants required for a short course to proceed?

• All short courses are subject to a minimum threshold of registrants for a short course to proceed, usually 5-8 registrants.
• Any cancellations for a course will be communicated via email with the option to fully refund the registration fee or to credit toward a future course registration.

Is there a limit on the number of available seats for a course?
Unless noted on the course page, registration is not limited to a maximum number of participants.

By when do you recommend students register before a course starts?

• Generally, AIAA recommends students register 3 business days before an online short course begins to allow timely access to the course materials. Students will receive a welcome email 1-2 business days before the course begins with access instructions.
• Some courses may require students to register by a certain date to process validation with the software administrator. Registration deadlines will be posted on the course page.
  

Can I register late after the online short course begins?

• Yes, students can register late after the course begins. Registration remains open throughout the short course.
• Students can catch up by watching recorded lectures.

Can I register via invoice?

• Yes, AIAA can register a student via invoice for a course.
• Contact Lisa Le, LisaL@aiaa.org, to request a registration invoice. Please provide the student's name, email address, work address, billing contact, billing address and any other information required on the invoice such as a Purchase Order number, Tax Identification Number, or Government Document Number.
• Students will be granted access to the course after the invoice has been paid.
• Professional development funds may be available from your organization for your use. Inquire with your manager or human resources department.

What kind of registration discounts are available for short courses?

• Special pricing is available for AIAA members and student members, as well as group discounts for five or more individuals from the same organization.
• To view special member pricing, sign into your AIAA.org account at learning.aiaa.org.
• Group registration discounts for 5+ students are also available. Email Lisa Le, LisaL@aiaa.org, for more information.

What is the cancellation policy for online short courses?

• For live, online short courses, a refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 7 days before the start of the event. After that time, no refunds will be provided.
• On-demand short course purchases are non-refundable.

Why should I consider hosting a private course with AIAA at my organization?
You can realize substantial savings by bringing an AIAA short course directly to your organization. Our short courses are taught by worldwide experts in their field and available to be taught in person at your workplace as well as virtually online.

Can I tailor the private course content to our organization's specific training needs?
Private courses can be customized in length and content to best meet your organizational training needs. View our full list of courses here (those with upcoming public offerings are noted).

How do I inquire about the availability of a private course?
To discuss options and pricing, please email Jason Cole, AIAA Education Director, at jasonc@aiaa.org.

There are topics my organization is interested in pursuing training for, but I do not see it available on your private course listing. Can I inquire about the training options?
Yes, AIAA routinely develops new course topics and is happy to discuss any of your organization's training needs.

Can I teach a course with AIAA?
AIAA is always looking to contract with Instructors with expertise in their field to teach courses to benefit the aerospace workforce. Visit the Teaching with AIAA webpage to learn more about the course approval process.

What kind of workshops are offered by AIAA?
Organized by AIAA Technical Committees, workshops are held in person at AIAA Forums and are open to anyone to participate/contribute/attend. Go to the AIAA Workshops page and click on the individual workshops for more details and contact information.