Over the last couple weeks i’ve been having an undergraduate engineering identity crisis. Im currently a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware, but over the past year i’ve fallen in love with anything and everything aerospace. While we have an “Aerospace Concentration” at UD for MechE, it’s not true Aerospace Engineering and i’ve given the idea of transferring a lot of thought. Moreover since there isn’t a college in Delaware that does AeroE, I can go to neighboring colleges that participate in the Academic Common market for instate tuition.
Mississippi State University
University of Oklahoma
West Virginia University
Auburn University
University of Alabama
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Old Dominion University
(I can also apply for other programs in GA, SC, LA, AR, KY, VA, MD and ask for acceptance. FL and TX only accept graduates)
I’ve done research on those universities and it seems like they all have decent engineering programs, but there’s not much information on aerospace. They are ABET accredited and I kind of like Auburn. I understand that MechE highly relates to AeroE, and that’s what’s keeping me at UD, but how are the programs at Auburn, WVU, and Alabama? Do you guys have an opinion on what I should do or have any solutions/alternative schools? Also would transferring be hard considering I have a 3.5 in my current engineering program?
Thanks for the time and any guidance you all can give me. I definitely appreciate it!
University of Maryland - College Park is the one you want to go to, high ranked program, collaborations with NASA Goddard. Here is a ranking of programs, I think transferring well into your college years, you should be thinking of graduate and research offerings. UDel seems to have a good number of aero courses too, and you should certainly approach faculty to see if they let you work on their projects, some may be NASA or aircraft funded work.
Auburn is on this list too … not too many other DE area schools
You should decide between aero- planes or space too, different coursework and interests.
And since aerospace hiring and opportunities are a bit well … cyclical … a ME degree does give you options … employment even when those jobs get scarce or you get laid off … or when you are mid-career and finding it hard to find those dream jobs in aerospace but other mechanical work exists in other fields that needs experience.
There is lots of ME work in aerospace … the only reason to leave might be if you don’t want to specialize in mechanical area of aerospace, structures, stress, dynamics, airflow, etc and want broader variety of aerospace specific courses.
Might I ask for any tips on how to keep a 3.5 in Mech/Aero engineering? Besides obviously studying hard and doing well on tests. That’s a good GPA, and I need to keep a 3.5 for a full ride scholarship I’m going to be on while majoring in AeroE.
Would all your courses transfer and would your graduation be delayed?
@TheReg, are you a Delaware resident? If so, you need to calculate how much more it would cost you to attend one of these out-of-state options. It might make more sense to earn that ME degree (which could allow you to work in aerospace anyway) and to consider getting a graduate degree in aero if you want to specialize more post-graduation.
Alabama is good for aero, but it would be crazy to transfer there now, since the great scholarships are only offered to incoming freshmen. My son is an ME major at Alabama and has developed a bit of an interest in aero, but he’s never considered switching majors because he doesn’t want to limit his options. It seems that for Bama students, getting ME co-ops and internships is easier than for aero. I have no idea if Auburn students have more luck in that regard. Huntsville is a great city for looking for work in aero and from what I’ve read on the UAH forum, they have more internships than students to fill them, so if you’re willing to go further away for one, that might be an option.
@albert69, for students who have to maintain high GPAs to preserve their scholarships, it’s best to be conservative in course selection. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Did you place out of calculus, chemistry or physics? Consider retaking the honors sections to get a firm grounding for future studies and to ensure higher grades.
" I need to keep a 3.5 for a full ride scholarship I’m going to be on while majoring in AeroE." - Do your research carefully. Typically scholarships are geared toward incoming freshman, NOT transfer students
@colorado_mom I am an incoming freshman, it’s a NMF scholarship. I’m already admitted to the engineering college for the field I want. (The school doesn’t have competitive admissions, so they let everyone into whatever degree track they want as long as they meet the entrance requirements.) I’m just impressed by OP’s GPA in MechE.
Here’s the other thing about maintaining a high GPA, even if it means having to repeat a course you already studied in high school–it may really set you apart when it comes time to apply for co-ops or internships.
My kid had no choice repeating calculus 1 & 2, chemistry, or physics because his high school did away with AP classes and he wasn’t about to prep on his own for the tests at the end of his senior year. He took the honors versions of the classes freshman year, but it still ended up being quite a bit of review (plenty of kids who got 5’s on their AP tests retook them too–and many struggled). My kid fortunately aced the classes and his perfect GPA allowed him to apply to co-op positions for some companies that would only consider kids with high (3.7+) GPAs. He landed one even though he was just completing his freshman year. So while he may be “behind” some of his classmates in class standing, he has already reaped the rewards of having a high GPA. And having all those A’s gives him some GPA protection in the future should he stumble in upper-level classes.
@LucieTheLakie That is a good point; I figure that a high GPA can only help when applying for internships/co-ops. I think that may be one reason the school has set the GPA requirement so high. They really emphasize that stuff - I have to have 2 summer internships or a 6-month one to graduate.
Sorry to hijack the thread here, other posters - please focus on OP’s questions.