<p>bgensprint,</p>
<pre><code>The best thing you can do is talk to some faculty there. Talk to an EE professor and an ME professor. Tell them just what you are saying here. They can tell you about the master's programs and how you can get coursework/research related to what you want to do.
</code></pre>
<p>Well, i got into all but harvard, Princeton, and Columbia. Waitlisted at Stanford and Cornell. also got honors at usc</p>
<p>I've talked to a our EE professor chair and he thinks ME/EE degree is an outstanding and great idea. He is very systems engineering oriented and believes both degrees are good for that. He thinks anytime someone can get more than 1 degree is a good idea. I am familiar with both graduate degrees in EE and ME. EE specializes in fuel cell development, power systems and wireless development. Our ME department does alot of vibrations, material science and gas turbine development. Which strays away from orbital mechanics/formation flying, trajectory analysis (my optimal goal). I would say only a hand full of professors make excellent graduate advisors (out of the 20 or so graduates I know, only 5 would ever recommend their advisor. An example, two professors, one being a chair, left our school in a semester's notice, leaving the students to find other advisors...). My thoughts are is that I can be pretty versatile as a engineer later on. I can work on data system analysis, signal processing, orbit determination, or aerothermodynamics, flight control, or propulsion design from the two degrees I have. But since I'm far enough along where it would make sense to do 2 (no matter what it will take me 2 years to finish, so by having a second degree and finishing in 2 years) its not too bad of an idea. If I were to do it again as a freshman, I probably would of went somewhere else to study aerospace engineering.</p>
<p>I graduated from GA Tech in Aerospace Engineering. Excellent program!!!! It is considered the best undergrad AE program by practicing engineers. I actually transferred in from UIUC and i can definitely tell you that although UIUC is slightly ahead in the rankings, GA Tech Aerospace was much much harder than UIUC. As for being a physics major and doing an AE grad degree, i know quite a few professors who did this. Coincidentally most of them went to Stanford and ALL OF THEM majored in Dynamics and Control which is also my specialty. I considered doing a BS in physics, not because i liked it but because i could've graduated a year earlier and gotten a head start on grad school in Aero/Astro. However, I decided against it because as many have pointed at a degree in physics will not prepare as well for a grad degree in Aerospace Engineering. I recommend you start out with whatever major you like but make sure you take the following courses if you're interesed in dyn. and control.</p>
<p>1 course on Aerodyamics (Generation of lift, thin airfoil theory, source panel methods..)</p>
<p>1 course in Dynamics (Kinematics, Dynamics of Rigid Bodies, Euler's Equations of motion, Euler angles, possibly Lagrange's equations)</p>
<p>1 course in Feedback control (Nyquist, Bode plots, PID, Root-Locus, Design techniques)</p>
<p>2 courses in Flight Dynamics (Aircraft Performance, Longitudinal and Lateral Static Stabiliy and Control, Dynamic eqns. of motion, Astrodynamics, Spin Stabilization, Gravity gradient stabilization, stability in torque free motion, )</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>The only thing is that I am concerned about getting into a reputable graduate program after my undergrad degree. I have a friend who goes to GaTech really enjoys it. Thing is my grades have never been stellar or over the top, therefore I believe graduate schools will overlook me. Although I do have quite a bit of research experience (and several professional conference publications) under my belt. The problem is no graduate school will ever see that. I would like to go to Georgia Tech. Dr. Braun is an excellent instructor at the SSDL. I met him momentarily while at the Mars Directorate at JPL.</p>
<p>Perhaps that is why I believe two majors (ME / EE) will give me a boost in my credibility. I think it will give me more than the background requirement for aerospace engineering. Honestly, I really wish I went to another school to study aerospace engineering or astronautical engineering. So I always feel a bit put down by that. The great thing about having a dual major is from the course selection you presented below, I basically fulfill everyone (except aerodyamics and stability).</p>
<p>I know someone at Caltech who got his BS/MS in Physics over in England. But majors in aeronautics at Caltech. Which is interesting to think about it.</p>
<p>Every time I get on here I repeatedly see the big schools mentioned over and over again. I will admit, about two years ago when I was looking at schools I nearly overlooked the smaller schools and as a result would not have ended up where I am now. I applied and was accepted to Purdue, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech, Embry-Riddle, Florida Tech and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Rose-Hulman and UAH did not offer AE programs at the time but offered an aerospace concentration within their ME program which can actually be a very versatile degree to have. I narrowed the list down to Purdue and UAH eventually deciding to attend UAH. I heard that we recently received our Aerospace accredidation from ABET so hopefully we will begin offering straight aero degrees soon. I have been extremely pleased with the school this year. UAH is not nearly as well known nationwide, but if you talk to people within the engineering field they more than likely know it. Our Dean of the College of Engineering is a former Purdue Professor and our faculty consists of graduates from many of the so called "top" engineering schools. I love the one on one attention I get from professors and for the most part they are truly concerned about us as people.</p>
<p>UAH is just one example of what the smaller universities have to offer. So much emphasis is put on how well known a school is nationally, but what really matters is how well known the school is within your particular field of study. I would encourage you to look outside what the rankings say.</p>