I’m not sure if I truly understand what ‘Aerospace Engineering’ is. I am interested in the science behind aircraft, spacecraft and all- and space science but I just feel uncertain about it. (Uncertain about Aerospace Engineering. Not my interests). Is it possible to go for Engineering Physics then major in Aerospace? Will I be limiting my choices if I go for ‘Aerospace’ specifically? Would going for Engineering Physics have more opportunities?
I’m currently applying as an undergraduate student.
Aerospace is mostly applied mechanical engineering. If you do a mechanical engineering major with some aerospace classes on the side, then you can work as an aerospace engineer.
Engineering physics requires you to take more math and theoretical physics classes than the typical engineer. Then for grad school, you can either go into engineering or pure physics.
I assure you, this isn’t urgent at all. Early on, at most programs, you can move between engineering physics, ME and AE. There are two caveats. If you think you want AE, you’d be best to start at a school with AE. Most everyone has ME, but there are only about 50 ABET accredited AE programs. Then, you can settle on one of the three. The other caveat…a few schools make changing majors a little more difficult. Again, not urgent. There’s lots of overlap.
@eyemgh I mean it’s urgent for me. My deadline is approaching soon and I still can’t decide whether AE or Engineering Physics.
OP: Is it possible to go for Engineering Physics then major in Aerospace? Will I be limiting my choices if I go for ‘Aerospace’ specifically? Would going for Engineering Physics have more opportunities?
I would say that go sign up for Eng. Physics then upon graduation you can go for AE for masters. Or, another choice is go for Mechanical Engineering at undergraduate level and take some classes in AE as electives or concentration in AE. Then take AE for masters (graduate school).
The first two years, you will take Gen Ed classes and you can feel for yourself if you are really like to do AE or Engineering Physics. Lots of kids will change their mind (change their major).
It’s not generally a good idea to set yourself on a path that will require you to get a graduate degree in engineering. Engineering is difficult and time-consuming and there is no guarantee that OP would even have the GPA required or even the desire to go straight to graduate school after finishing a BS. If they don’t go to grad school right away, then getting into their choice career is going to be much more difficult since they now have a degree that isn’t necessarily the most relevant to their career goal.
That sounds like a pretty good description of the things you will learn in aerospace engineering.
I am not entirely sure what you mean here. Do you mean study engineering physics as an undergraduate and then do aerospace engineering as a graduate degree? If so, then yes it is certainly possible (and not all that uncommon), but see my above response to @Good-times-r-here for why I think that’s a bad idea. If instead you mean start out in engineering physics and then switch, then yes that is also possible, but it may or may not be difficult to switch depending on the specific requirements at each school.
Compared to what? Aerospace engineering is very closely related to mechanical engineering, and compared to that degree, aerospace engineering is generally somewhat more limiting. Compared to engineering physics, though, it shouldn’t be more limiting. Engineering physics is a broader discipline in the sense that it is more fundamental, but that also means it isn’t going to have as much opportunity for specialization and is going to leave out some of the core engineering courses that would make aerospace engineers valuable to their companies right away. If anything, engineering physics would be more limiting.
@Good-times-r-here “Mechanical Engineering at undergraduate level and take some classes in AE as electives or concentration in AE.”
If you are uncertain at all, I would consider this option that @Good-times-r-here suggested. The reason is that Aerospace engineering is a specialty area of Mechanical Engineering. The Mech E covers a wide range of potential jobs, including Aerospace engineering. Especially if you take a few AE electives.
I understand that your deadline is approaching. What I’m trying to help you understand is that either way, your decision doesn’t have to be final. As @boneh3ad said, what you describe sounds like AE. That’s where I’d start. That doesn’t mean you can’t switch once you know more if you feel like it wasn’t the right choice.
OP, I believe to be on the safe side, just sign up for Mechanical Egineering (and take elective courses or concentration in AE) and if you don’t like it, you can always change your major between now and sophomore. Mech. Eng and Aerospace Eng. are closely related like brother and sister in One Big Happy Family. And the beauty of it, if you don’t like Aerospace Eng., your degree in ME is stand alone degree and can be used to find jobs in aerospace industry, HVAC, medical, automotive, etc. while the Engineering Physics is sort of limited in nature (the opportunities to find work/jobs). Have you talked to any of Engineering Physics professors/instructors regarding the opportunity with this college degree after college?
Moreover, The Mech Eng. is like the A+ certification, the first step in doing Networking then you will take N+, Cisco cert., etc, etc. However, if you don’t like that networking, it is ok since A+ can be used for your benefits too. Therefore, Mechanical Engineering (this is engineering major not STEM like Engineering Physics) is the best bet and you can not go wrong. Then, you can go for grad school and cross the bridge by doing AE.
As @boneh3ad said, never plan on graduate school in high school. LOTS can change. You may run out of money. You may get burned out. You may have health issues. You are always better off starting with a degree you are happy with and expanding on it if you choose. As for AE and ME, remember there are 314 ABET accredited ME programs, but only 66 AE programs. If AE is on the radar, you should pick a school with it. They’ll most likely have ME and Physics, but the converse isn’t likely to be true. Good luck.
OP, I am assuming that you are a high school student. If true, then note that the majors you put down on your college application is NOT binding in any way. At Umich, every engineering student enters undeclared, and I am sure that it is that way at most schools. For you to declare a major in the College of Engineering at Umich, you need to first complete certain prerequisites as an actual Umich student.
It is not at all uncommon for students to end up pursuing something different than what they assumed in high school. For example, at Umich, half the freshmen come in saying that they are premed (so roughly 3000 students), but in the end only roughly 500 of those students will end up applying to med school. The others either found something else that they are interested in, or they found out that they just weren’t cut for it.
Tl;dr: If you are just applying to college now, don’t sweat it if you are not 100% sure what you want your major to be. Chances are your ability to declare a major will be based on how you do academically while in college.
This is where you are wrong. It is becoming more common than it was in the past for programs to start students off in an undeclared engineering program or pre-engineering program of sorts, but this is still only the case in the minority of schools. Most schools admit you based on the major you select at the time of application and if you get accepted to that major, it’s not impossible but often difficult to switch before starting the program.
At Cal Poly they take it one step further. Not only are you admitted to your major, but you only compete with others who choose the same major.