Because there are more MEs working in aerospace than there are AEs. One doesn’t have to have an AE degree to be an AE, as long as they have the right coursework. In fact, at quite a few schools the path to AE is in the ME department. Having an AE degree is more restrictive than a ME degree. Kids change their minds.
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I honestly don’t think it matters, just check out past CEOs or current CEOs of big aerospace companies and you will see, it doesn’t matter very much. I happened to be in this field half of my 35 working years, hence my knowledge is not entirely from US news, it depends on the individuals, their strengths and such, not the undergraduate schools.
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Don’t know the stats of how many AE’s v. ME’s are in aerospace. Isn’t it possibly due to lack of programs which are now available? And it doesn’t change that if you go to school with people who have AE degrees your connections are related to aerospace and therefore likely to have better connection in AE field than some random ME who might or might not end up in AE. Both are good degrees I’d take the specific one. Degrees are only restrictive if you change interests.
Still doesn’t change that someone who KNOWS they are interested in a field would likely have better results than studying something more general that isn’t a strong interest.
Yep, and when they do they can change majors as well.
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I think you’re overdramatizing the difference between the degrees. I have had professors tell me straight up “they’re the same.” It’s simply a matter of application.
My son is a ME and he’s had more aerodynamics than the AEs at his school. In fact, his ME MS these is on aerodynamics.
It really depends what a person wants to do in the industry, and depends highly on what school they go to. At my son’s alma mater AEs focus more on system level problems, and they offer both aeronautical and astronautical. The heavier lifting fluids theory happens in the ME department though. That’s why I’m trying to get the OP to articulate what it is that their son wants to do. There are a lot of misconceptions around AE.
We actually hire more interns from state schools or Embry Riddle or Purdue or Huntsville than from any more prestigious schools. It is more where have we had luck hiring and the students staying and doing well. We hire a lot of self directed applicants not through the school
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You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I don’t feel any “drama” is inherent in any of this. Like most things, it’s a matter of choice and opinions as to which path is best for the OP.
That’s nice but likely not applicable to anyone but those attending those same schools. School curriculums vary. We all hope that everyone checks out the variations between schools and paths but some do and some don’t.
Or if the more specific one is tied closely to an industry that has its ups and downs. The aerospace industry appears quite willing to hire MEs as well as AEs. However, would other industries that normally hire MEs also be as willing to hire AEs if the aerospace industry is in a downturn?
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Now, THAT’s a really valid point. Being narrow when the industry dips can be a real issue. While someone with a general degree can switch industries.
The '22 kids I know who are going into AE are all really interested purely in aerospace. I actually thought of a third kid who is also doing AE. They all love aerospace and who knows if all three will land a job in the field. Two want to do air force stuff and both are ROTC and AE majors and one wants to work for NASA ( going to UT Austin). For two of them, I feel like they’d switch into another major before switching out of aeronautics interest. The third I don’t know as well.
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I have a more specific degree (not engineering) and believe that the more general one is better in most cases. Too many times early in my career I had to defend my degree. Assuming that the HR person doing the first scan knows that the degrees are somewhat interchangeable isn’t a good idea. I was even advised when I was considering a PhD to switch to the more general field by Professors because every job with the specific degree would still be open to me with the general degree. Plus I would be eligible for others.
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The point I’m trying to get across, albeit it unsuccessfully, is that you can be purely interested in aerospace and be poorly served with an aerospace degree. It depends on what you want to do.
My son knows multiple people at SpaceX and at JPL. They are are all MEs. He worked at an airforce test range that also supported NASA. Everyone in his group was a ME.
He was recently headhunted to do aeroacoustics for an EVTOL program. It doesn’t get more focussed or narrow than that when it comes to fluid mechanics. He’s a ME.
The aerospace industry is VERY broad. NASA employs 20 different types of engineers.
Again, it depends on what the OP’s son wants to do in the industry. It’s poor advice to point someone towards AE if they want to work in materials, antennas, robotics, etc. What they want to do matters.
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I think the"drama" you mentioned is coming from your inability to realize that there might be differences of opinion on the subject. Sounds like your son has a lot of experience and interest in that area. And that’s great.
It also doesn’t mean that there aren’t various paths.
Actually, I think it’s “poor advice” (your words) to think that everyone has to do ME, because you think it’s a better degree. I’m sure there are kids for whom either works or kids who prefer one or the other for various reasons, as I have pointed out.
Have to bow out as not to break TOS re: dialogue discussion v. argumentation. Which I feel is bordering with words like drama, poor advice, etc.
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It is hard to generalize across all possible choices between more general and more specific majors. But, for the choice between a more general major and a more specific major, this question is important: does the more specific major improve preparation and/or credentialing for the desired career path over the more general major? If yes, then choosing the more specific major may be desirable. If no, then the more specific major may be a (negative) signal to employers in other areas which you may have to seek jobs at if your favored area is in a downturn.
Example for someone who wants to do engineering work on aerospace projects:
| More general major | More specific major | More specific major advantage? |
|---|---|---|
| General Studies | ME or AE | Yes |
| General Studies | General Engineering | Yes |
| General Engineering | ME or AE | Probably Yes (but depends on ME or AE course work within the General Engineering major) |
| ME | AE | Probably No (could depend on AE electives in ME major) |
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@Buflea You mentioned you went to university abroad. Is your son a US citizen? I ask because some aeronautical jobs – NASA, military, etc. – may require a security clearance and US citizenship. If he is a citizen then there’s no issue.
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For the same reason that you mentioned, this will be my last response on the subject. I just want to be very clear. I am not in any way advocating that the OP’s son choose ME. What I am saying is that he needs to know what he wants to do within the industry to know what path to take. Too few actually understand what an AE degree entails, and assume that if they want to work with planes, rockets, satellites, etc, in any way shape or form, that they have to choose AE. Thus far, the OP hasn’t specified what their son sees himself doing in the industry. An AE degree may or may not be appropriate. Enjoy the rest of your 4th. 
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Aerospace, Mechanical,etc. should get your son where he needs to go if he does well . There are tons of schools out there. I would not overthink rankings . Cost, budget, fit, are important since you are looking at all good schools for engineering. Since you have mentioned loans, I would steer clear of schools that seem outside your budget.
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skill are important rather then normal qualification
bgbg4us - kudos to that kid, however not all kids know how to hustle at this age, not all kids hustle naturally …
As a parent, I would like the easier way for my kids. Hustling is not an easy way to start a career … it’s easier to attend a school with a large recruiting pool, where companies are coming and are trusting the students, because they are trusting the education program. That’s why I was asking about the job placement.
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“However, would other industries that normally hire MEs also be as willing to hire AEs if the aerospace industry is in a downturn?”
Excellent question … anybody any idea ?
Yes - my son is born in US.
The advice my D was given was to go to the career center the first week of school to learn how to do an “elevator pitch,” to clean up the resume, and do mock interviews. She was told to go to the very first career fair and talk to companies where with no lines just to practice. Basically take every opportunity to talk to companies to get more comfortable in having the conversations.
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