Aerospace engineering: worth it, or not? good colleges?

sakky
Sat, 28 Jan 2006 21:06:16 +0000

Since the aerospace indsutry isn’t so spectacular right now, I’m a little worried about the job outlook. It’ll be quite a blow when I get my major and my doctorate down the road and realize that all that’s left is an aging and arteriosclerotic aerospace industry. I realize that I could still find teaching positions, etc. But, I’m mostly interested in working as an engineer in the industry.



I don’t want to discourage you, but if you think the aerospace industry isn’t so spectacular right now (or as of July 2005 when you wrote your post), then I’m afraid I have to tell you that your expectations may not be in order. The fact is, aerospace has actually been going through something of a golden period for the last 3-4 years or so. After all, the War on Terror and the Iraq war resulted in major increases in defense expenditures, especially for aerospace technology (i.e. missiles, satellites, radar systems, fighters, helicopters, unmanned drones, etc.) Military aerospace companies like Raytheon, UTC, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grunman, the military division of Boeing, Bell Helicopter, the aircraft engine division of GE, Rolls Royce (which now makes aircraft engines), etc. have all been hiring like mad. The civilian aerospace companies like Boeing and Airbus have also been booming because of huge orders for jetliners, especially from Asian airline companies.

So if you’re saying that aerospace doesn’t look spectacular right now during one of its golden periods, then I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t want to discourage you, but I would say that aerospace is lucky to have it as good as it has it right now.