Is it doable to do a double major in engineering plus either astronomy/astrophysics and graduate in 4 yrs? For engineering, I am most likely to pursue aerospace engineering (or mechanical, still deciding) plus either astrophysics or astronomy. I have a real interest in both of these fields, but I would rather not spend an additional year doing work to graduate. Is this double major doable? Would I have to take a ton of summer classes or could I get by on just a regular 2 semesters a year? How hard would it be and about how much work would go into each major?
It would be very unlikely at most schools because the engineering curricula is so packed. Look at schools you are interested in and pull the curriculum maps. Then, see if you can mesh them. Below are the maps of a single example, Iowa State.
http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofliberalartsandsciences/physicsandastronomy/
http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofengineering/aerospaceengineering/#undergraduatetext
You might want to look at schools that offer a BSE in Engineering Physics.
At CWRU, for example, the Engineering Physics degree requires a concentration in one engineering discipline, which can be aerospace: http://physics.case.edu/undergraduate-programs/undergrad-degree-programs/bsdegree-engrphys/
Try mapping that degree out and seeing how much astronomy you could add to it. The astronomy department offers a BS, a BA, and a minor; and a lot of the physics requirements overlap. http://astronomy.case.edu/academic-programs/undergraduate-program/ (The mapping will depend in part on the rules about how many courses you can double-count… but if you have to take extra classes for that reason, they may be classes you’d want to take anyway.)
Compare the way that maps out to @eyemgh 's example, and see what the differences are in terms of depth in each subject area. It depends what you hope to do and how much background you’ll need to do it.
In many schools, physics or astronomy are in the college of Arts and Sciences, so would be a BA. Engineering is a BS. Different core requirements. Might be easier to get a minor in physics.
But the question is why would you need to double major?
I too had the thought that @twoinanddone had…why?
If you want to be an engineer, but are fascinated by astronomy, you can meet the second goal without paying a bunch of money for college classes. Look up Astronomy or astrophysics MOOC (massive open online course) and you’ll find lots of options. Below is one example.
That said, the engineering curriculum is HARD. Nothing you’ve done in high school can prepare you for the complexity and rigor that stands in front of you. High school Calculus (AB/BC) and Calculus based Physics (C) are just the rudimentary foundation for mechanics and dynamics. You might not have time for the other stuff.
The thing that most high school students don’t know when they get all excited about mashing things together is that anything you say yes to, means saying no to something else. By taking ANY classes towards a minor (that doesn’t double-count as @aquapt mentioned) you have less capacity for depth in your primary degree. When employers look at your resume, they’ll see a student who simply has less coursework in the areas they want experience in. It is VERY unlikely that the minor will have any relevance to them.
Food for thought. Good luck!
Also, I have no idea what competitiveness level of schools you’re targeting, but Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy all live within one department at Dartmouth: https://physics.dartmouth.edu/undergraduate/major/engineering-physics There’s no aerospace engineering available there… but as others have pointed out, you can’t maximize both breadth and depth in the same undergrad program. It really depends on your goals. If you plan on grad school and will get your depth there, then by all means find or create an undergrad program that gives you all the breadth you crave, just making sure that you have the necessary background to target the kind of grad programs you want. If you want to be competitive for employment in an engineering specialty area with your bachelor’s degree, then sacrificing depth for breadth could put you at a disadvantage.
Thank guys! What you said really helped! And to answer your questions, the types of colleges I am looking at are Lehigh, UVA, mid tier.etc. And I don’t need to get a double major, but I’ve always been really interested in astronomy, so if it seemed feasible I was planning to go for it. Might end up just becoming a minor from how hard engineering seems now but I guess it really just depends on how I can handle the engineering curriculum in my first year haha. And engineering physics seems cool, I had never really heard of it till now but I’ll consider it!
Well, Case is in the same competitiveness ballpark with UVA and Lehigh - one notch more competitive but not in a whole different category. They have so much of what you’re interested in, and so much more flexibility than most schools to move among majors and programs however you choose to, that it might be worth adding to your list. Good luck!