<p>I'm kinda stuck right now and can't decide which one I would like to major in. I'm really interested in the aerospace field, but mech seems like there is more stability. I also like the idea of a higher starting salary in aero. What would you choose if you were in my situation? If I really like the aero field, what are the chances of getting a job in that field with a BA in mechE? If I REALLY can't decide, would it be a good idea to double major in these two fields?</p>
<p>First, throw out money as a factor in choosing a major. That is a terrible way to decide. Second, just an FYI, you will be getting a BS in MechE or Aero, not a BA unless your school is just strange.</p>
<p>Anyway, here is the thing, the two majors are very similar, and the major difference is the context in which Aero is taught. I was kind of in the same situation as you when I was trying to decide what to do in college, and I ended up going with Mechanical and then switching to Aerospace for graduate school. If you want to get into the aerospace field, then AeroE will certainly get you there, but so can MechE. In fact, there are more MechE’s that work at Boeing than their are Aero’s.</p>
<p>Really, you can’t go wrong either way. If you do Mechanical, just use your electives to take extra fluids classes and other Aero classes depending on your area of interest and you will be nearly on a level playing field with Aeros for most positions (though there are admittedly some positions that only an Aero can really fill). That is the path I took, and I worked several internships at Rolls-Royce and got into grad school fully funded in Aero. The biggest upside for MechE is that if you do lose your Aero job for one reason or another (like a bad economy), then MechE is much more marketable in other industries. On the other hand, Aero would have a bit less of a learning curve once you get into industry, and sometimes does get paid a tiny bit higher.</p>
<p>Really, it is your choice. You can’t really go wrong with either.</p>
<p>I’m in the same position as you. What I decided is that I’m going to major in Aero if I end up going to a top ranked school (probably top 20 or better). If I end up going to a school that is not very highly ranked, I will major in Mech. The reason I chose to do this was because I don’t think it will be too hard to get an Aero job with a degree from a top tier school. But if I go to a school that’s not as good, I would like to have the more broad Mech. degree for the job security. I’m not really sure if this is a good idea because I haven’t heard anyone else suggest it, but it makes sense to me.</p>
<p>First–you are getting a B.A in MechE? Unless your school exclusively gives out B.As, you should be earning a B.S in an engineering program.</p>
<p>Second, bon3head is right, throw out any salary concerns. Salaries vary cyclically and you’ll never know what the market rate is until you graduate. Also, if you perform well in your major your salary will follow.</p>
<p>Now, I’m of the philosophy that a UG major should be broad and give you a core foundation. I prefer MechE/ChemE/CivilE/EE UG majors to more specialized ones such as BME/NuclearE/PetroE/ASE because I feel that once you know the basics, the specialized training can easily be completed with a Masters. Furthermore while the economy cycles, your generalized UG major will help ensure that you can get a job and in most cases compete for the same specialized jobs. </p>
<p>Personally, I would go with MechE. From a physics stand point the only difference between MechE and ASE is that you can’t ignore your density in the NS equations. A MechE UG major will ensure that you can still get a job when you graduate and if you take a few elective ASE courses or get a MS, you’ll be able to compete for the same ASE jobs.</p>