Creating the Vehicles of the Future: Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Degree Information

Aerospace and aeronautical engineering involves the study of aircraft and spacecraft design in order to learn how to build, repair and maintain such craft. Students must have an aptitude for analytical and technical thinking. Students who receive degrees in aerospace and aeronautical engineering may find themselves involved in the design, testing, development and production of missiles, aircraft and spacecraft.

Areas Of Study In Aerospace And Aeronautics

Aerospace engineering students will study fluid mechanics, the study of the way fluids flow around objects, solid mechanics, avionics, the study of the systems which control the craft, mathematics, materials science, noise control and a variety of other areas related to the development of functional airborne vehicles.

Career Opportunities

Some of the careers available to those with aerospace and aeronautical engineering degrees include: Weapons Systems, Astronautical Engineering, Fighter Jet Production, Helicopter Production, Commercial Aircraft Maintenance, Guidance System Research and Aircraft Design. Aerospace engineers may find themselves working for crucial government institutions like the U.S. Air Force or NASA, or for commercial enterprises like Boeing or McDonnell-Douglas.

Earning Potential

Graduates with aerospace and aeronautical engineering degrees have a great opportunity to earn right out of the gate. The average starting salary for an aerospace engineer right out of college is over $50,000 a year, and some aerospace engineers make well into the six-figure range.

Study Options

Associate's degrees are not generally available for aerospace and aeronautics engineering, but some institutions will offer a Bachelor of Engineering in the field. A BE in Aerospace and Aeronautics Engineering can qualify individuals for some basic aerospace engineering positions, but most students will want to pursue a Masters of Engineering in Aerospace and Aeronautics. These programs generally take two or three years to complete and qualify the degree holder for most entry-level aeronautics engineering positions when earned at an accredited college or university.

Master Of Engineering Degree In Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering

The Master of Science in Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering provides specialized knowledge in all the aspects of designing viable aircraft and spacecraft, including the physics surrounding mechanical flight, the function, design and operation of guidance systems, and metal formation and other structural aspects of creating aircraft.

Further Education

Advancement in aerospace and aeronautical engineering fields relies largely on experience. Once one obtains the degree and gets his first job, he will want to continually study the up and coming literature on aeronautics. He will also want to get trained on as many different types of equipment as possible.

Choosing A Degree

High school students who excel in science and mathematics may want to pursue a career in aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Aerospace and aeronautical engineering is considered by many to be the most exciting and even glamorous of the math-based professions and can be extremely rewarding both personally and financially. Space shuttles, space stations, national defense and commercial transport are all impossible without the input of qualified aerospace and aeronautical engineers.

Getting Your Degree Online

While the complexities of learning to design and fully comprehend functional aircraft may seem too daunting for a distance learning program, this is not in fact the case. There are a number of accredited universities that allow you to take the aerospace and aeronautical engineering classes that you need to earn your degree. These programs can enable you to obtain a Bachelors or Masters of Engineering degree in only a few years.

Courses include video and comprehensive illustrations along with an easily available staff of professionals in the field, ensuring a quality learning experience. Earning an aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree through a distance-learning program online may be the only option for individuals who already have busy, active lives. Continuing education can improve oneís life dramatically, and if making scheduled classes is not possible, online distance learning may be the best way to go.

Getting Your Degree Offline

If you do have the opportunity to study aerospace and aeronautical engineering courses at an accredited traditional university, you should often take advantage of it. A top aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree program can open up a tremendous number of career doors, and the benefits of meeting others in the field and do hands-on research cannot be denied.

Choosing Your Degree Path

Whether you are pursuing a top aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree at a brick-and-mortar university or studying through an accredited online distance learning program, you should examine a few different education options before settling on the one you will attend.

Different aerospace degree programs will focus on different aspects of aeronautical science. Some may center on flight dynamics and other on structure and materials. Still others may focus on navigation and guidance systems.

While any program you undertake should give you a full, well-rounded education in all aspects of aeronautical engineering, if you have an idea which area you will be focusing on, it may help you decide which university degree program you will pursue.

Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Student Guide

Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Books

Students will study a number of aerospace engineering texts over the course of their studies. The instructor may provide these, or they may be available at the school library or online. Some important aerospace engineering books the student may be called upon to study include "Introduction to Flight" by John D. Anderson, "Engineering Mathematics" by Kenneth Stroud and the "Fundamentals of Thermodynamics" by Richard E. Sonntag.

Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Articles And Databases

New innovations in the field of aerospace and engineering are occurring all the time. It is important for new students to be able to stay on top of these advances. One way students can do this is by perusing the up-to-date aerospace and aeronautical engineering articles in popular databases. Some databases that all students can take advantage of include Advanced Topics in Aerodynamics (Aerodyn.org), Aerodynamics for Students (Aeromech.usyd.edu.au/aero/contents.html) and Aero Space Web (AeroSpaceWeb.org).

Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Online Journals

If you canít find the research or technical information you are looking for through aeronautical engineering books or databases, you may find them in aerospace journals online. Some of the more popular online aerospace journals are the Journal of Aerospace Engineering, the International Journal of Aerospace Engineering and the Aerospace Power Journal.

Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Research Tools

A nice additional resource for aerospace and aeronautical engineering students is the aeronautics page of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Aeronautics.NASA.gov). This page provides a wide assortment of useful technical information, links and news on the subject of aerospace and aeronautical engineering.