<p>The Engineering site, when its up, has an interesting video of Chuck Karr talking about UA Engineering in general, but the rest of the site is really blah. I really think it might be due to the fact that some of UA Engineering’s facilities are outdated. But it wouldn’t be too hard for the College to post more info about how the Science and Engineering Complex will impact the Engineering experience at UA. Auburn’s Engineering site has a lot of info about the impact of their new Shelby complex on their students.</p>
<p>Bad timing for the website to be down, there are a lot of kids in the process of deciding where are they going…These websites are a good source to help them with their decisions.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Good point about decision making. Has anyone emailed the dept to ask why it’s down?</p>
<p>This guy probably knows and he responds QUICKLY.</p>
<p><a href=“mailto:kwhitaker@eng.ua.edu”>kwhitaker@eng.ua.edu</a>
Dr. Kevin Whitaker, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Engineering,</p>
<p>where are the engineering degree plan flowcharts??</p>
<p>i know i have seen them before … but not now!!</p>
<p>: )</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>They may have been taken down since Dr. Whitaker said that they’re being revised to include the new Frosh Engineering program.</p>
<hr>
<p>Were these always on the Engineering website for </p>
<p>Aerospace Engineering?</p>
<p>[Department</a> of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics - Research and Facilities](<a href=“http://aem.eng.ua.edu/research/laboratories.asp]Department”>http://aem.eng.ua.edu/research/laboratories.asp)</p>
<p>Electrical Engineering (click on each: Devices and Materials | Electromechanical Systems | Embedded Systems | Laboratories ) </p>
<p>[Electrical</a> and Computer Engineering - Research and Facilities](<a href=“http://ece.eng.ua.edu/research/index.asp]Electrical”>http://ece.eng.ua.edu/research/index.asp)</p>
<p>MechE</p>
<p>[Department</a> of Mechanical Engineering - Research and Facilities](<a href=“http://me.eng.ua.edu/research/index.asp]Department”>http://me.eng.ua.edu/research/index.asp)</p>
<p>wow, those web pages ARE very dry</p>
<p>where are pics of the new buildings, and the upcoming phase 3 and 4 of the S and E Complex? </p>
<p>And neither of those links contained info about the buildings in which these research facilities are housed in.</p>
<p>Good points…</p>
<p>Did you email the dean/ass’t dean? If not, you might want to include those comments, too.</p>
<p>m2ck- They have had the links you are refering to. I visited Alabama over spring break and when I can home I rechecked the website and I found those links. I wanted to compare Alabama with VT which I had also visited.</p>
<p>My family had a great tour of Alabama’s aerospace dept. Learned lot of things and saw the wind tunnels, water tunnel etc. There was never any mention of Shelby and of course I forgot to ask. I have not toured any other colleges labs so I really cannot compare. But what I did see on Virginia Tech and Purdue’s websites was pretty nice.</p>
<p>I wish a student from engineering was on here to tell us out of the loop parents how things really are at Bama. My son really liked the school and would be a top student there. I was very impressed with the faculty we met and the opportunites for internships available, but I get a nagging feeling that something is just not right. Maybe they just don’t showcase themselves well. And you cannot beat the scholarship opportunities, which I think maybe clouding my decision. Along with Alabama, my son is interested in Virginia Tech, Purdue, and Minnesota. He wants to study aerospace. We are Virginia residents. He will be applying to Bama. Roll Tide!!</p>
<p>Hokiefan: I’ll send an e-mail to one of my son’s friends, who is a semi-regular on CC. She is an aerospace major. Perhaps she can answer some of your questions.</p>
<p>*I wish a student from engineering was on here to tell us out of the loop parents how things really are at Bama. *</p>
<p>My son is a chemical engineering major.</p>
<p>m2ck- I thought your son was a computer engineering. So I guess you are in the loop!</p>
<p>momreads - That would be great if youcan contact the aerospace major and just see how things are going. Pors and Cons.</p>
<p>truthfully, I don’t have too many questions about Alabama. We spent two days there and when we got in the carto start that long drive back to Virginia, my husband, son and I were almost giddy with how much we liked everything. We visited VT on the heels of Bama and while we all liked that, it wasn’t the same. I know part of the reason we liked Alabama so much was all the person atention we received. And that was made possible by my son sending a few emails and Voila we have appointments with the head of aerospace and music. I was impressed and still am.</p>
<p>I think all the nay saying comes from the othe threads about higher rank schools and better education. And it doesn’t help matters that I live in an area full of VT and UVA grads. They think we are nuts to consider Bama. </p>
<p>In the end I get the feeling my son would enjoy the school and do well because he is a hard worker and finds opportunities were available. We are going to visit Minnesota and Purdue this summer but I have a feeling Alabama has a special place in my son’s heart. And it is really hard to ignore the scholarship opportunities. We can afford instate tuition in Virginia but what a nice savings for grad school.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your input.</p>
<p>Good day to everyone!! I am the friend momreads was referring to :). I’m actually a Mechanical engineering major, but my passion lies in the aerospace field (go constellation anyone?). Given that ME and Aero are based in the same building (and have some overlap between majors), I will try my hardest to answer any questions y’all may have 'bout our lovely little program here. </p>
<p>First, a bit about where I am coming from that may relate to questions y’all have. Im originally from Dallas, Texas, and very nearly attended Texas A&M like the rest of my family. I’m National Merit, a member of the CBHP (which, btw, is AWESOME!!!), and a Mech. Eng and History double major (for the time being).</p>
<p>Let me first say I had my doubts about the engineering program at Bama. I was mainly worried about rankings (I mean, we aren’t nearly as highly ranked as some other state schools like the Aggies, except in football. RTR!!!). I was especially nervous, considering the fact that I want to go to a top grad school for my masters in Aero, and I was afraid Bama’s low ranking and lack of national recognition on the part of the eng. program would hurt me. </p>
<p>One of the first problems that I encountered here was the emphasis put on co-ops here. I interviewed in the fall and got 4 offers/guarantees of offers out of the 5 companies I interviewed with. I very nearly took one, a dream offer from AMRDEC up on Redstone Arsenal. For family reasons, i passed. So i needed to find an internship in Dallas this summer. I got VERY LITTLE help from the career center in my search, but that is because my desired working area is 650 miles away. This was incredibly frustrating for me. But when I got a possible offer, all I had to do was email my advisor and she wrote me 2 recs that morning to help me out. If you chose to come here, be prepared for an emphasis to be placed on co-ops and working in Bama, as this is where most of the school alumni reside.</p>
<p>BUT…
The engineering program here is not about scaring you to death, making 40 a passing grade (although my thermodynamics class has been pretty doggone hard), or saying “look to the left, look to the right. In 2 years, 2 of you won’t be here.” They try their hardest to make it NOT that way. Of course, they don’t always succeed. But it’s engineering. If you choose it for your major, you better know that with it comes a lot of hard HARD work.</p>
<p>While Bama isn’t exactly sky high in the ratings department, their top students here really do produce. Look at the number of USA Today Academic All Americans, Goldwater and Hollings Scholars. That’s what the top students here do. That’s what I hope to do in the coming years. </p>
<p>Bama recruited me in their strong effort to attract National Merits to the university. Like hokiefan, one of the things that attracted me was the personal attention (i mean, who doesn’t like to have their ego stroked once in a while?). Let me assure you, if you continue put in the effort, they will continue to pay attention. If you are targeted as a top student, and chose to attend Bama - THEY WANT YOU TO SUCCEED!!! I can still get meetings with people whenever I need them. </p>
<p>Some classes may be super hard, some may be super easy (GES 145 was for me, but they are cutting that now), and there will be classes all in between. Personally, one of the things that frustrated me was that when I needed help scheduling my classes, I didn’t get much help from the advisor who came to my class. Then i talked to my advisor (Dr. Todd) and <em>BAM</em>, I had emails, advice coming from multiple people and departments about what to take. whether or not I should switch my major to aero, etc. The personal attention that brought me here has continued. </p>
<p>On the point of rankings, I have a brother who is a BRILLIANT EE major at Texas A&M. He was national merit, 1600 and all that jazz. However, his 1st year (he’s a junior now, gonna be a senior) went remarkably similar to mine from the way he tells it. It’s all about how much effort you chose to put into your schoolwork. Rankings wont matter in the end. The education is what you make of it. And for grad school, its GPA, GRE and research (check out those forums).</p>
<p>@hokiefan, if your son is indeed a hard worker, and chooses to make the most of the opportunities to get involved here, by all means the personal attention that impressed you the most will continue. I’m involved in several professional societies (SWE and ASME, AIAA next year), and it’s all about making the connections between you and the professors. The top students are recognized for sure, because they are the ones who go the extra mile to get the A.</p>
<p>In summary, Bama engineering, while not highly ranked, consists of the same classes at other universities. I mean, all engineers across the country have to take physics, statics, thermodynamics, etc. The quality of education that rankings claim to portray actually depends on the effort of the student. If you work hard, get involved and show that you are indeed a top student here, it is recognized and rewarded, both in terms of actual awards and in a higher quality of education because YOU put in the time to master the material. It will be rewarded come senior project time (which I CANNOT wait for, being the nerd I am :)!!!) While I’m personally not a fan of how so much emphasis is put on the flow chart, a lot of people here like it that way. Also, the co-op issue annoys me still, but if you are driven and motivated to find something on your own, you can use networking and Google to find positions. And I’m lucky to get one as a freshman. </p>
<p>PROS: personal attention, AWESOME DORMS!!!, emphasis on teamwork, emphasis on success being rewarded, you get out of it what you put into it.</p>
<p>CONS: emphasis on flowchart, outdated buildings (SOON TO CHANGE!), emphasis on co-op and staying in the South. </p>
<p>Sorry for the long and rambling post, but I hope I answered a few questions you had. please ask me anything you want to know, and I’ll do my best to answer it myself or find someone who knows the answer. Roll Tide Roll!!!</p>
<p>m2ck- I thought your son was a computer engineering. So I guess you are in the loop!</p>
<p>The confusion is probably because one son is in Computer-Based honors and the other is in Chemical Engineering (pre-med).</p>
<p>some may be super easy (GES 145 was for me, but they are cutting that now),</p>
<p>Yes, both my kids found that class to be too easy, so I’m glad they’ve eliminated it and have replaced it with a once a week 3hour course of hands-on experience (Eng 131).</p>
<p>*emphasis on co-op and staying in the South. *</p>
<p>Ha ha! The emphasis on co-op or internships is good. The emphasis on staying in the south is to keep your smart brains here. 
There are a lot of excellent jobs in Huntsville; if you haven’t visited, you may be surprised how “like home” it can be.</p>
<p>Ah see I found the exact opposite to be true of Huntsville. When i visited, it seemed incredibly different than home. Of course, im used to a city of millions in Dallas. Which is where my “smart brains” will be returning to shortly, praise the LORD!</p>
<p>Wow, that was quick. You did answer lots of questions I have. I did get the impression from Dr. Jones that the cream does rise to the top at Alabama and the better students are nicely rewarded. I guess my concern is how do I know if my son falls into that catagory? Can I assume he does because his SAT’s are good, not great and his GPA is outstanding? He works hard at school and is involved in lots of things, especially marching band and concert band.</p>
<p>I also got the impression from my visit as you verified that most job offers will be in the south. I have contacted the career center myself and she was most helpful seending me the names of companies that recruit at your school. I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing but the other schools my son is considering probably draws recruiters from all over the US.</p>
<p>I am one not easy swayed by rankings and such but I want to be sure my son gets equal opportunities whereever he attends. Can I ask you why you are a mech. engineering student when your interests lie in aero? I personally think my son should study mechanical and fill electives with aerospace classes but he wants aerospace. He is also thinking about grad school. Of course, he is only a junior in high school so that is a long way off.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your comments. I am assuming you are a first year student just like momreads son. It is impressive that you have had so many internship opportunities already.</p>
<p>Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I am a freshman technically, but a second semester junior by hours. The reason i am in ME instead of aero is because of the limited job field that exists for an aero undergrad. MEs work on the same projects as aeros a lot of the time. Heck, a civil engineer is currently in charge of propulsion at Marshall. My main interest lies in design/system integration, which fits an ME. A more general undergrad with a focused masters makes me more attractive to a place like NASA or Lockheed, because I could move around on projects. I intend to do as you want your son to do, and fill my electives with aero classes (aircraft design, etc). </p>
<p>If your son is receiving personal attention from UA, like meetings at the drop of a hat, rest assured, they want him and he will be a top student here. Involvement in leadership positions is something that stands out here. Your son sounds incredibly similar to a friend of mine in the me dept. He is in million dollar band and concert band, and had a great GPA with decent SATs. He just won academic ME freshman of the year. Im sure your son could do the same thing. </p>
<p>And with the co-op/internships being focused so much in the south, Im hoping to play that to my advantage and apply for an internship at Marshall next year. If your resume is strong enough, it will stand out even when you are applying from a school that the company doesn’t recruit at. At least, thats what one of the places I applied told me.</p>
<p>MS24- You sound like you definitely have it together. Did you know what area of aero you wanted to study before you came to college? Or did you figure it out just being exposed to lots of things in the engineering dept itself? My son doesn’t really know what he wants to do but he knows his interests are in airplanes and military weapontry. He loves that darn military channel. When we visited wit Dr. Jones we were shown his ballistics lab and he talked on and on about his work. It was really interesting and quite cool. I think that was one of the highlights of my sons day along with the fried chicken from the Ferg. I don’t want everyone here to think we are gun nuts, don’t even own one. My son just likes this military weapons thing. Do you think he is at a disadvantage going aerospace instead of doing what you are doing?</p>
<p>Another question. Is the mechanical and/or aero going to move into Shelby? I cannot believe I sent 2 days there and no one mentioned that building. And of course, I was so taken by the beauty of the campus I forgot to ask.</p>
<p>Thanks again, gosh you are so helpful and I am so thankful. Good day.</p>
<p>Really I just picked it up through reading and such before college and throughout this year. My dad got me a subscription to popular mechanics for Christmas. Art was always one of my strong suits, so design fits me well. Airplanes, space shuttles and military weaponry simply fascinate me to no end. Your son and I have a lot in common. Bama didn’t really do a whole lot of “here are all the possibilities in engineering” - that was one of the failures of the GES class. I really feel that this new freshman plan is gonna change that and help a lot of students that dont know what they want to do in engineering. </p>
<p>Aerospace is a rather focused field to go into for weaponry, as it would focus really only on missiles/rockets and the shell/propulsion/flying part of it. If he wants to design the inside (the part that explodes), thats for MEs and EEs. For airplanes, its perfectly fine. But if he really REALLY wants to go aero undergrad, I think that he would have a slightly smaller field of vision for his career, but not by much. In the end after some years, a lot of engineers don’t even end up working in the fields they got their degrees in. One speaker at one of the ASME meetings noted that people hire engineers not just for their degrees, but because of the way they think. That’s why a lot of engineers end up in management. And your son can always change his major without losing many credits for the first two years. The aero department has a lot of neat labs/experiments/research going on. I hope to get involved in some this coming year. </p>
<p>From what I understand about the new buildings, aero and me are both going to be moving some of their facilities into the new labs in shelby and the engineering complex. I’ve been told some of the buildings should be ready by fall 2011, but we will see. One of the things about this campus is that there is always construction going on. </p>
<p>Oh and the fried chicken - every thursday in fresh foods. I never miss it, its divine!!</p>
<p>Any input on where the majority of the Computer Science classes are going to be held? Are they moving to Shelby?</p>
<p>Not sure about the CS dept. Right now they are in Houser I believe. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the classes moved to the new SEC in the coming years.</p>