Hey I’ve recently been looking at University of Alabama and have come across their dual aerospace and mechanical engineering degrees. I think I want to go into aerospace but was wondering if it would be smarter to go with the double major or do an accelerated masters in aerospace engineering?
Thanks
Are you sure you aren’t confusing the Honors Aerospace and Mechanics program with being a dual in AE and ME? Mechanics are a component of many disciplines of engineering, AE and ME both included. I couldn’t find a curriculum for a dual.
Let’s say for argument though, there is a dual. There are only so many undergraduate hours you can take in a term. You’d likely forego some ME classes for the AE classes you add in, resulting in less depth in both disciplines. You’d get more aero than a typical ME, but less than an AE only major. Again, I couldn’t find a curriculum, so this is conjecture based on knowing that typical engineering curricula are packed, not leaving much room for other stuff.
A co-terminal BS/MS on the other hand will result in deeper knowledge. This has multiple benefits, including exposure to more jobs and higher pay.
Why do you want the ME degree if you want to be an AE? Are you fearful that AE might be too restrictive? There is a lot of overlap with ME. @boneh3ad would probably counsel you that those fears are overblown. There might be a third option though.
At my son’s school, MEs that are admitted to the 4+1 program can choose ME or AE for the MS component. Interestingly, the reverse is not true for AE undergraduates. They can only choose to do a masters in aerospace. You might check to see if that’s an option at Alabama.
Good luck!
I agree with @eyemgh completely. If there is a BS ME + MS AE that will give you the depth of preparation and advanced degree which will be a lot better for your job prospects.
My guess here is that OP sees the name of the department, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, and is confusing that with a dual degree in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering. In other words, the original question is sort of a false choice.