Hello. I am new and just signed up on this forum today. I recently have gotten an interest in the Engineering field. I am currently 21 and going to college soon and trying to decide on which branch of engineering to study. I’m most interested in working in the Aerospace field. I’ve always dreamed of building aircraft and spacecraft. I want to major in Mechanical over Aerospace Engineering because I heard that Mechanical is a more broader study and gives you a wider range of backup plans. My unrealistic and major goal is to eventually set myself up to apply to companies like Space X, NASA, or Virgin Galactic to become an Astronaut. I’m not sure which way to go. I wouldn’t mind double majoring but would that take up more credits and cost more money? Which degree deals more closely with the Aerospace Field? Should I just major in Mechanical Engineering? Both degrees are very fascinating. I’m in a dilemma.
You can work in aerospace with almost any degree, even civil. Wanting to work for SpaceX or NASA or Virgin Galactic (very much a small mom and pop biz compared to the other two) is not unreasonable. They are very competitive though. You’ll need great grades, experience, and a bit of luck, but it’s certainly doable. The astronaut gig is a little more unlikely. It doesn’t get much more competitive than that. As for doubling, most curricula are so packed with so little overlap that it isn’t possible. It’s not really desirable either as you’d dilute the depth of your knowledge.
Thanks a lot! Which deals more closely to Aerospace engineering though?
Can you clarify what you’re asking? The question is vague and can be read, and thus responded to, in several ways.
Mechanical engineering is the closest to the degree of “aerospace engineering”, as the two are effectively the same science with different example problems. However, aerospace systems require all manner of engineers, so it really depends on what aspect of those systems you hope to work on.
My snarky response was going to be Aerospace Engineering deals most closely with aerospace engineering.
If you’re asking “what’s the closest thing to AE?” then @boneh3ad has you covered. He should know, he’s both. Another way to think about it is that AE is like a wholly owned subsidiary of ME, like HVAC or Mechatronics or Controls. It’s one specialized way to use ME skills. It’s just big enough that about 60 schools have spun it out as its own entity.
If however, you simply want to work in the industry, all sorts of majors are germane. @HPuck35 is a civil who spent his career in aerospace. He could probably give you the whole rundown of the types of engineers he worked around.
An engineering degree is just the tip of the iceberg if you want to be an astronaut. Many candidates have advanced degrees, even PhDs in technical fields. You also have to have LOTS of hours as a pilot, I think 1000 hours minimum, last I looked. It’s possible to do it as a civilian, but you’d have an advantage with a military background. Getting an aircraft assignment is competitive. Getting the front seat is competitive. Getting a jet is competitive. Getting into Test Pilot School is competitive. Then there’s the physical requirements.
By the time you get out, there MIGHT be other options besides NASA. SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are all working on it. The road though is steep. Neither SpaceX or Blue Origin have put humans on their machines yet, and Virgin Galactic lost their last mission to an engineering oversite, causing a mass exodus of their technical talent over leadership concerns.
It’s all a lot of words to say this…have a back up plan. Good luck!
Thanks @eyemgh although you were a bit rough at first.
I am currently enlisted in the Air National Guard. I hope to become a pilot, hopefully f35 pilot( I’m getting a little too old though so that’s a physical requirement I’m keeping my fingers crossed on). I’m also working on internships at these companies.
There is another degree at my college, which offers flight training. Someone had told me that it takes up a lot of credits and money though if I attempt to double major in ME and this one. The degree is called Flight Education. You can have a look at it in the link below. If I am not a rockstar in math right now, should I just concentrate all of my focus on my getting better at math and my ME degree instead? I was wondering about additionaly using FAFSA along with the GI bill to help out. If I double major, is it likely that I will use too much of my G.I bill(because of the Flight Education taking up a lot of credits) and fail? Or should I just go to a flight school when I have the money? Someone said I would be better off going that way.
What would you personally do in this situation?
The school is Hampton University
http://aviation.set.hamptonu.edu/page/Flight-Education
What if I want to work on aerodynamics and propulsion?
I’m not sure what was rough about asking for clarification. I’m sorry you took it harshly. As you can see from my long answer, there is more than one answer to your question based completely on one’s interpretation of what you were asking.
The person you want to ask for further clarification who has also already replied is @boneh3ad. Until he chimes in, I’ll do my best.
Aerodynamics can be studied in ME or AE. Unfortunately Hampton has neither.
Propulsion has lots of components. Certainly EEs and CSs are involved in propulsion systems. They are both available at Hampton. There might also be an angle into propulsion through Chem E, also available at Hampton.
As for the flight stuff, and I have a very limited background on this, so certainly seek more qualified advice…I’m not sure the paid academic route is worth the time and cost if you’re already in the guard. You are effectively buying seat time, but the question is, do you need to. If you consider the average NASA astronaut candidate age is 34, there’s plenty of time for you to get hours IF you get to fly in the guard and especially if you elect to go into active duty after you graduate and can continue to fly. If you are only flying to have a shot at being an astronaut, I’d probably counsel against spending money on flight time since the odds are so long. If, however, you might be interested in commercial aviation, it might make sense.
Good luck.
Pure aerodynamics is really the purview of aerospace engineering. Mechanical engineers usually gloss over most of that.
Propulsion could be mechanical, aerospace, electrical, or materials. They’re all very important.
Double majoring is going to take a toll on your mental health if you intend to finish in the minimum amount of time possible. Engineering courses are often very time consuming. Credit wise, you might be able to put together a schedule that allows you to finish on time, but actually taking that many engineering courses at once will be too overwhelming. Should you take additional semesters, the extra tuition that you pay is unlikely to result in a greater return once you find a job.
It is true that ME is more broad, and you have more industries to choose from should you change your mind. There is quite a lot of overlap between ME and aerospace. As a ME, you should also be able to take some aerospace electives to count toward your degree.
First, let me say that double-majoring is almost always a bad idea from a career perspective. It consumes substantial resources (especially time and money) and has little or no benefit in either industry or academia. The effort spent on the double major would yield higher returns if it was spent getting better in either field.
Second, double majoring however unwise, is definitely possible… if you are willing to pay the price. Any given second major will require X additional credits to complete, and depending on how many credits you start with (from AP exams, IB courses, etc), how many credits you successfully take a semester, and how many summers you are able to take classes, X will correspond to Y additional semesters. It is possible for Y to be zero, if exceedingly rare in engineering, but it is more likely to be at least one (for closely related BAs) up to 5 or 6 (for BS programs with minimal overlap). I’ve known people who completed double engineering majors, and hard-chargers that they were they completed their undergraduate degrees within 5 years, but, and this is important, they are the exception. As others have noted already, engineering is a tough field of study, and adding additional stresses by overloading courses and studying over the summer just make it unrealistic for most people in a reasonable amount of time. Plus, as previously mentioned, just not a good use of resources if your goal is a career.
You mention the Flight Education program at Hampton, and it bears some further discussion. Double majoring this program with engineering would be one of the MORE prohibitive combinations. The program as shown is relatively rigid, has little overlap with engineering, and has a long and specific sequence of required courses. If you go this route, expect to spend 6-7 years as an undergrad with little advantage over those who spent 4 years and got a single degree.
If your goal is to become a military pilot, the military will train you. If your goal is to become an engineer, the flight degree is relatively worthless. If your goal is to become an airline pilot, the engineering degree is relatively worthless. If your goal is to become an astronaut, engineering is better preparation (you can get the flight hours elsewhere), and you should bear in mind that you will almost certainly NOT* become an astronaut and should have a very solid backup plan.
**: Nothing personal here, just statistics! *
"If I am not a rockstar in math right now, "… is there a way for you to take some online classes to catch up on the basics and try some calc? Math is really important in engineering classes.