<p>How do the following undergrad focused schools compare when it comes to engineering, and more specifically aerospace engineering? </p>
<p>Embry-Riddle (#1 USNWR in AE for schools without doctorate, AE major)
Rose-Hulman (#1 USNWR in engineering for schools w/o doctorate, AE minor)
Cal Poly SLO (AE major)
Olin (ME major)</p>
<p>etc…</p>
<p>I think you should look at the one’s that offer a doctorate and do your research to find which ones are more undergrad focused.</p>
<p>ClassicRockerDad, what’s wrong with CPSLO’s aero engineering major?</p>
<p>Probably nothing, but I just think that the notion that somehow not offering a doctorate, not having access to faculty who do cutting edge research in a field (with doctoral students) is somehow advantageous to undergrads is a fallacy for engineering. </p>
<p>I was suggesting that the OP broaden their search.</p>
<p>Totally agree CRD. Especially in aero. And let’s not forget that many of the better undergrads will have a fair number of graduate-level credits as well.</p>
<p>Air Force Academy.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses.</p>
<p>@ClassicRockerDad
Does anyone have any opinions on which engineering schools with AE that offer doctorate degrees are more undergrad focused?</p>
<p>Your list looks great cssounders.</p>
<p>In actuality (and I speak from experience here), a good non-Phd granting school will offer just as good of an education, if not better than a Phd granting school at the undergraduate level. I have personally attended both a non-Phd granting school (Embry-Riddle Prescott), and a Phd-granting school (USC), and felt well-prepared for my thesis-based Masters at USC. </p>
<p>Incidentally, Embry-Riddle is rapidly expanding its research involvement, and is expected to launch a [PhD</a> in Aerospace Engineering](<a href=“http://catalog.erau.edu/daytona-beach/engineering/phd/aerospace-engineering/]PhD”>Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering < Daytona Beach campus catalog, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) beginning in 2014. This is in addition to the the Engineering Physics PhD they added in 2010. Needless to say, the school is transforming from a non-Phd granting institution to a Phd-granting institution, which will likely take them out of the USNWR non-Phd granting school ranking.</p>
<p>In the case of Engineering, especially the more specialized fields such as Aerospace, the best undergraduate programs are probably going to be at universities that offer graduate degrees. The best undergraduate Aerospace programs are, in alphabetical order:</p>
<p>Georgia Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pennsylvania State University-University Park
Princeton University
Purdue University-West Lafayette
Texas A&M University-College Station
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
University of Colorado-Boulder
University of Maryland-College Park
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Texas-Austin</p>
<p>Embry Riddle is the only exception among non PhD granting institutions. Rose Hulman and Olin have very limited offerings in AE.</p>
<p>I prefer to display them in this order:</p>
<p>[Aerospace</a> / Aeronautical / Astronautical | Rankings | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-aerospace-aeronautical-astronautical]Aerospace”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-aerospace-aeronautical-astronautical)</p>
<p>I like it to rjkofnovi, but Caltech and Stanford do not offer AE as an undergraduate major.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody.
One more question: I am also somewhat interested in civil engineering, with a focus on transportation. From my research, I have seen that transportation engineering is never a major and only rarely a minor. However, it is sometimes a track of Civil. </p>
<p>Which schools, if any, offer strong Aerospace Engineering and good Transportation Engineering as well?</p>
<p>Michigan offers undergraduate research opportunities.</p>
<p>[Educational</a> Opportunities at UMTRI](<a href=“http://www.umtri.umich.edu/education.php]Educational”>http://www.umtri.umich.edu/education.php)</p>
<p>Thanks rjkofnovi. Would I still be able to do those research opportunities related to transportation if I majored in aerospace?</p>
<p>I would imagine that would not be a problem at all, providing you take the initiative of course. Take a look at this site. Michigan is very well known for its large and premier UROP:</p>
<p>[Undergraduate</a> Research Opportunity Program | University of Michigan](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/urop/]Undergraduate”>Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) | U-M LSA)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Those are graduate-focused schools for the most part, rjkofnovi.</p>
<p>The OP is asking about undergrad focused schools. Caltech, Stanford, MIT… great graduate schools brimming with cream of the crop research opportunties. Undergraduate teaching, however, is not what those schools specialize in.</p>
<p>Since I am a Cincinnati grad and still reside here, I know they have a very good under grad Aerospace program, and you can get a master’s and a PHD in Aerospace Engineering at UC.
Interesting item of note, after Neil Armstrong retired from the space program he became a Prof of Aerospace at UC.</p>
<p>It’s a fallacy to think that the teaching won’t be good at Caltech, Stanford and MIT.</p>
<p>fractalmstr, although research is one of the priorities at universities that offer research-intensive graduate programs, it does not mean that they do not take teaching seriously. Also, relevant research opportunities should not be so readily dismissed. They matter immensely to undergrads with graduate school and professional aspirations. Finally, undergrads at those large research universities are very heavily recruited by major Aerospace firms. For example, at Michigan-Ann Arbor, Lockheed Martin and Boeing recruit many undergrads from Michigan annually.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You are skirting around the main issue here which is: undergraduate focus. Some schools simply provide better support and teaching quality to undergraduate students. This is a fact. Just because a school is a top-ranked and research-heavy does not necessarily mean that they offer the best of everything… THAT would be a fallacy. The research-heavy schools have their strengths in, just that, research. Does this mean they provide a lousy environment for undergrads? In some cases, perhaps, but not always… it really depends on the needs of the student. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You are correct here - they shouldn’t be dismissed, and I wasn’t dismissing them. However, you’re sort of implying that non-research heavy schools don’t provide research opportunities for undergrads which is simply not true. Cal Poly, Rose Hulman, Harvey Mudd, Embry Riddle… all non-Phd granting schools, yet all offer research involvements for undergrads, including various undergraduate project competitions. Do they offer the breadth of research that research-heavy schools offer? Probably not, but this is undergrad… we’re still working on the foundation at this point.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Boeing, Lockheed, SpaceX, NASA, DoD, and other major aerospace firms recruit heavily from non-PhD granting schools as well. And the higher ranked schools get even more attention. </p>
<p>The bottom line here is that you can’t always assume that the biggest, most prestigious schools are a one-size-fits-all BEST school for everyone and everything. They, like everything else, have their strengths and weaknesses… and generally speaking, big research heavy schools will offer a weaker undergraduate environment compared to schools dedicated to undergraduates.</p>