Is an aerospace engineering major limitting

fractalmstr
Tue, 28 May 2013 13:56:15 +0000

If an ME applies for Aero jobs that’s cool, works out pretty well. What about if an AE major applies for general ME type jobs…does it work “in reverse”. Am considering undergrad in Aero, don’t want to be limited in the job market. Also, thoughts on getting a Masters vs. PhD for Aerospace?



Aero and Mechanical are, in many cases, interchangable degrees. Within the aerospace industry, your job search will unlikely be affected having either degree. Outside of aerospace, you may find an aero degree slightly more limiting. For example, if you want to work for Rain Bird making sprinkler systems, you may have a harder time selling yourself with an Aero background. However, many engineering positions these days, if not the majority, have broad engineering requirements… that means that many will only require an “engineering” degree, or in some cases “engineering or science” degree. Some positions even state multiple engineering disciplines (i.e. “Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical engineering”).

As for Masters vs PhD, I think Masters is the way to go for the highest number of job prospects. The PhD market is a bit saturated at the moment, and may be for years to come. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go into a PhD program, especially if you feel strongly about doing strictly research and/or teaching… just be aware of the relatively weak market for PhD’s right now.