Anyone care to discuss the limited internship and even more so coops of aerospace companies?
I see so many aerospace majors jumping ship to MechE but how strategic is that when there are more MechE out there looking?
Any parents of gainfully employed aerospace majors willing to share their kid’s path? Did they go for a Masters? When was their first internship? Is it true that aerospace companies don’t like to do coops?
Why do you feel like there are a large number of aerospace engineering students jumping ship to mechanical engineering? I feel like this is no more common than engineers switching in the other direction.
At the end of the day, sure there are more mechanical engineers, but there are also more “mechanical engineering jobs” out there. There isn’t likely a dramatic difference in terms of the number of applicants per job for these two degrees (though I don’t know where you’d even look to try to check out such a statistic). Additionally, there is a large degree of overlap between the two fields.
Just because my DS sees it happening in his circle of friends in large numbers and have had others tell us this. But he is determined to stay in aero. We believe there is large growth for the future in this industry plus it’s what he loves.
Well all I am saying is that I don’t see nearly as much of that as you seem to think there is. Given, I may be somewhat insulated because my department is a combined aerospace and mechanical department so it’s probably not super obvious when people switch in either direction. I will say that it seems to be much more common for mechanical engineers to apply to aerospace graduate programs than aerospace engineers to apply to mechanical graduate programs.
It’s because as an ME you can apply for both Aero and ME jobs, and as an Aero you are most likely going to be sticking to Aero jobs (You could apply to some ME jobs, but not all of them).
In addition, ME is much more flexible. You learn about fluids, thermodynamics, structures, rotary design, etc. Any industry would have at least one of these skills that you could apply. An ME for example could apply to the following: HVAC, roller-coaster engineering, biomedical, aerospace (planes/rockets), and even roller-coaster engineering!
Lastly, due to the flexibility, if you do go out of work as an ME there many other positions you can apply for. Some fields, such as HVAC, are very stable and won’t be going out of work soon.
Alot of people switch from ME to Aero because they are unsure if they want to do just aero which can limit their options.
All things considered, if you are dead set on Aero, then by all means go for it. But if you are at all hesitant, then ME is the more general/“jack of all trades” engineering path.
This right here is why there are so many MEs that end up doing AE graduate programs. They originally do ME for the above because they were waffling between the two and then when they decided to go to graduate school, they were more sure. This is essentially what happened to me.
Super helpful thanks. I will share with my DS.
Because of the cyclical nature of the aerospace industry, there is always a bit of concern around the job market.
ME students usually far out number AE’s on campus, and AE’s will often hear about a ME friend getting an internship/co-op, which makes them think maybe they should be an ME. Of course, a lot of ME are NOT getting those internships, but that’s not the impression they pick up on. ALL engineering students feel this anxiety, when they see friends getting internships, while they don’t. The fact is, most engineering students graduate without doing an internship or co-op, and they still find jobs. Another fact, is that most internships go to students who are much closer to graduation, which makes it tough for sophomores/juniors to land an internship.
I believe your DS is at Alabama? At UA (which awarded 33 BSAE in 2016), which unlike UIUC(95), Georgia Tech(162), or other much larger AE programs, isn’t as heavily recruited. That also would drive up anxiety and cause a greater number of students to switch to ME.
You can use the ASEE profile for the University of Alabama, to get a sense of how many students start off in AE vs how many graduate with a degree. You’ll notice how the enrollment number drops off from the 3rd year to the 4th/5th year for AE’s, but it increases for ME’s and the other engineering majors. Keep in mind that in general, you should have more 4th/5th year undergrads than 3rd, since engineering degrees usually take more than 120 credits (4.5 to 5 years) to graduate. It does look like some number of AE’s are switching out before their senior year, but still a significant number do stays with the program and graduate.
http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/7185/screen/20?school_name=The+University+of+Alabama
As a parent, all you can do is be supportive and help them deal with the anxiety. Help motivate them to apply for internships online/network, etc., deal with the expect rejections, keep up their grades, and if they do decide to stay with their major or switch, to support their decision.
Good Luck!
Thank you so much @Gator88NE. That was some very good insight. He is planning to stay the course. He has a nice Honors trip over May that will knock out the rest of his Honors credits and then will focus solely on AE and Astronomy his minor…I need to do some networking!!!
How much extra work is required to double major in ME/AE?
That really depends on the school and its respective programs.
@STEM2017 UF’s Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering degree programs have been designed to facilitate a double major. It usually takes 9 to 12 additional credits.
http://www.mae.ufl.edu/current/undergraduate/dual-me-ae-degrees
However, keep in mind that most colleges would recommend pursuing a master’s degree, over a dual ME/AE degree, especially at schools that offer a 4+1 program. Your undergraduate degree can be in AE, while your Masters is in ME (or vis versa). Of course, a Master’s program would delay graduation, and be competitive (GPA/GRE),
My husband started out as an aero engineering major and switched to mechanical engineering his junior year. He has worked in aerospace for most of his 25+ year career. We’ve both worked in the aerospace industry our whole careers at major companies like Boeing & General Electric, my father also FWIW, and it is very cyclical. As far as I’m concerned it’s always good to get a broader undergraduate engineering degree. As a mechanical engineer you can always concentrate your upper level courses in aerospace and pursue a masters - that you get your employer to pay for! - in your preferred field.
A dual ME/Aero should be very doable, the difference in the two degrees are the upper level courses are specialized for aero. Of course colleges would prefer you pay for a masters but in such closely related fields a dual aero/mech degree or getting A BSME with an aero minor/concentration would be the path I’d advise my child to take. I have a dual degree myself in bioengineering and electrical engineering. It’s a little easier to do if you come in with AP credits to clear some room but you are likely looking a number of 18 credit semesters. I added the EE degree very early on, first semester freshman year, and was able to graduate in 4 years while also working two co-op semesters.