Around a third of faculty focus on pure experimental studies, while a third focus on numerical and computational activities. The remaining one-third work on both areas. Similarly, on the type of work being conducted, a third of the faculty focus on fundamental research, a third on applied research, and the remaining on the transition region between the two.
The department also hosts two international centers of excellence: the Geophysical Flows Lab (www.ae.iitm.ac.in) and the center on Critical Transitions in Complex Flows (https://ioe.iitm.ac.in/project/critical-transitions-in-complex-systems/) , both of which play an important role in advancing the current state-of-the-art and bringing together the international community in their respective domains.
The department of Aerospace Engineering offers various educational degrees; Doctor in Philosophy (PhD), Master of Science by research (MS), Masters of Technology (M.Tech), Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech), and a Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech). In addition to the above, a web-enabled M.Tech programme for Industry and Defense Personnel is also offered (M.Tech and M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering with Specialization in Ammunition Technology).