Hi all, I’m gonna be a first year engineering student at Rutgers this Fall. I was hoping you guys could help me pick my major and specialization track. I’m interested in aerospace/flight/space, especially military. I’m actually fairly interested in all military systems/vehicles, etc, my deal dream job would probably be working on a fighter jet or something to that end. That being said, the limit in location and job availability as an Aerospace Engineer is a little alarming to me. Rutgers also has the Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Aerospace path. I was wondering what I could do in both the industries as a mechanical or aerospace major, and what major you think sounds best for me given all this info?
The only limit with an Aerospace degree is that it is highly specialized and not as versatile as a mechanical engineering degree. Their are many jobs out there for both aerospace and mechanical. Mechanicals probably have some small edge due to the broad nature of their studies. If you were to ask me, only do Aerospace engineering if you are truly passionate about and cannot see yourself working in any other industry. Do mechanical engineering if you would like to be able to go into different areas ranging from medical devices to automobiles to oil to aerospace/defense. The mix of solid mechanics, fluid/thermal sciences, control system courses, and electrical course really prepares you well to handle a multitude of real world engineering problems. Of course, I am biased as I am a senior mechanical engineering student. However, I too possess a passion for all things astronautical and aeronautical and space vehicles. I saw that I can still do that with a mechanical engineer and still be able to pursue other fields should I not like that industry. I knew being a aerospace engineer would have been limiting mainly to the aerospace/defense industry granted you may be able to get a job in other fields. I had input from my family in my decision as my mom is a chemical engineering and father a mechanical engineer as well as twin and older brother being chemical engineers.
Push come to shover my vote is to get a mechanical engineer degree and then seek a masters (preferably payed for by a job) in Aerospace engineering. Trust that many aerospace and mechanical engineering courses overlap so you will be fine in regards to courses.
I like to say " don’t confuse career path with major". For example, aerospace companies hire aerospace engineers to be sure but they also hire mechanical, structural, chemical, electrical, materials, process and just about any field of engineering you can think of. It is a team of specialists that get the work done.
I will be a freshman next year. In my research and campus visits with professors I have learn the following. To double major in both disciplines your talking about a couple more classes. Not anything that is overloading for a college student. Look at the curriculum and see how many classes are overlapping. If you don’t want to take the additional class or 2 go with mechanical. Mechanical is the glue for all engineering fields. My plan of now is double major.
Good luck and have fun!
If I were you, I would stick to mechanical engineering and utilize electives to take aerospace courses that highly relevant to the career path you desire. I have a hard time seeing how a double major would make even the slightest difference in your career prospects within the industry you want to pursue.
Quadrupole how is that not double majoring? Have you done any research of the curriculum of each? They are very similar. The difference is more options. I won’t go into the other details, but have a full report on this. Might want to check into bls.gov and get a full perspective
You may want to get your masters too in AE
Imo, the best route would be to get a bachelors in ME and a masters later in AE. Prestige does matter if you want to land a decent job as an AE, due to minimal job openings. But that can be saved for grad school, depending on how well you perform on your undergrad degree.
If it can amount to a double major by taking few extra courses, then it makes me at least question why the university even allows for a double major in those disciplines to begin with.
Looking at BLS.gov again shows that the aerospace industry is populated by engineers of all types. From personal experience knowing some people in this industry, it is at least clear to me that electrical, mechanical, and civil engineers also play an integral role in overall design projects.
If all of these engineering disciplines are involved in this industry, how does the double major provide more options? If it only takes few classes to double major, then there isn’t going to be an immense skill gap between mechanical and aerospace engineers that will prohibit particular options as far as a career, especially when we are talking at an undergraduate level.
If double majoring is simply that easy to do in this case, then taking a few extra courses to get it wouldn’t hurt you, but I would have to be convinced about the idea that there is any value added by doing so especially when the amount of extra work required is so low when compared to other double majoring scenarios.
And finally when reading the OP, it seems the mechanical engineering dept. at his school already accounts for the fact there are people in mechanical that have interest in aerospace (as shown by a specialization). If there is a specialization already in place, that at least makes me question if the university even offers a double major in aerospace and mechanical in the first place. Therefore, a specialization would be exactly along the lines of what I was saying. Take some extra courses that provide relevant skills to pursue the industry.
As a former engineering manager (now retired) who hired many college applicants over the years, it didn’t matter to me what the title on the degree was, or whether one had one, two or even three titles at the top of it. I would always ask for a transcript and look at the specific classes taken. That’s what mattered. And I was checking to see what grades you got.
So, if you can double major and still get out in the 4 years and that is a goal of yours, go for it. If your grades suffer because you overloaded your schedule or you took more than 4 years for that double degree, then it isn’t worth it.
BTW; my degree was in civil engineering with a specialization in structural engineering. I spent my entire career working in aerospace as a structural engineer, first on the space shuttle and then on the space station.
@HPuck35 Do you think it’s wise to do a BS in ME and
a BS in MBA or something along those lines? Just as backup if anything should go wrong, a plan B.
Thanks for all the great responses guys. From all that I think I’ll do a Mech major and maybe get the specialization in Aerospace. Do you think that would limit my options in other fields though? Say it’s hard to find a job in the aero industry?
Also, it’s way early, but since we’re talking about Master’s might as well bring it up. Do you think to move up the ladder and get a better, higher paying job it’s better to get an MBA or a Master’s in Engineering?
What is a “BS in MBA”? An MBA is a post-bachelor’s professional degree.
If you mean adding a second major in business, it can be seen by some engineering employers as a signal that the soon-to-be-new-graduate is not really interested in engineering except as a stepping stone to management, so the soon-to-be-new-graduate would be seen as less desirable by such employers, compared to others who are more focused on engineering.
(In practice, engineers and others can and do go into management without needing to get business degrees.)
@ucbalumnus Yeah, that’s what I meant. Is doing a double major wise if the job market is small for engineering?
See the rest of reply #13.
Since you asked @HPuck35 , his/her opinion about adding lots of business courses can be found in past posts like the following:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/15559987#Comment_15559987
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/15153094#Comment_15153094
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/15205580#Comment_15205580
@ucbalumnus Thanks.
Schools can have different policies on double majoring in engineering, especially between ME and AE. Some schools will not allow it, while others have designed the ME and AE programs to facilitate a double major.
If you’re thinking of spending an extra year in college, your time may be better spent earning a master’s than a second degree.
ucbalumnus has given you some links to my extensive collection of opinions on dual engineering and business majors. That dual set of degrees is the best way NOT to become an engineer.
I also can’t see why anybody would encourage you to dual degree in anything. It doesn’t gain you anything. A few extra classes, OK. But that usually isn’t enough for a dual degree. (and if it was, then I would question the value of the dual degree anyways if it was that easy to get.)
To me, the only ones I can see promoting dual degrees are professors who want to see the school get more of your money. I guess I liken it to getting your driver’s license in an automatic drive Honda and the deciding to get another driver’s license in a manual drive Toyota. What’s the point (and it can’t be done anyways)? You already have your driver’s license, just a lesson or two in the manual and you’re on your way.
College teaches you the basics of engineering. You learn so much more on the job. I have been at engineering for 40 years and I’d estimate that 90% of my engineering knowledge I learned on the job. I also see it in my two kids who are young engineers. They are learning and have learned so much on the job that it just amazes me. Get your degree and find a job that pays and teaches you more.