EVERYTHING You Need to Know About Studying Aerospace Engineering (incl. Survey)

Aerospace Engineering sure sounds very interesting and something, which is complex. In fact, if you asked somebody on the street what it was, they probably wouldn't know and could hazard a guess and say something like 'Ummm, Astronauts?'.

Whilst not everybody who studies Aerospace Engineering will become an Astronaut, so don't get those space boots on order just yet, there could be a career in Aerospace Engineering for those who are passionate about how things work and the miracle of flight and outer space!

This article will look to explore the trials, tribulations and hard work that is required in order to successfully become an Aerospace Engineer, as well as the rewards, opportunities, benefits, career prospects and salary one may like to achieve in pursuing Aerospace Engineering.

Education & Study

Why Study Aerospace Engineering?

First off, Aerospace Engineers really will have a sense of superiority over other students. It is perhaps one of the only course where you can’t be patronised by anybody saying ‘well it’s not rocket science is it’, because well, the course does involve some aspects of rocket science.

Apart from permission to condescend, what else can a degree or even a career in Aerospace Engineering offer you?

Aerospace Engineering and Engineering in general, really is considered to be one of the elite careers that are available for prospective high achieving students, up there with studying medicine and law, with fantastic job opportunities and a huge job market out there for anybody who is looking to study and pursue a career in the subject.

Great Career Prospects in the Aerospace Industry

The Aerospace industry as a whole is one that is continually growing and growing, so there are great job prospects to be expected because well, there is never likely to be a time where Aeroplanes aren’t required and the demand for air travel is now higher than ever and indeed more affordable than ever, with new and emerging Airlines opening and more and more Aeroplanes being manufactured, keeping Aerospace Engineers and potential future Aerospace Engineers in a job! (Phew)

The motivation for many is that it really is interesting. Flight really is one of man kinds best achievements and studying this is highly rewarding.

It is a chance to be a part of some of the most cutting edge, state of the art and innovative design, manufacturing and processes that exist in the modern world. On top of this, the degree is also highly versatile. In studying Aerospace Engineering, there is not just one opportunity in the Aviation sector.

Due to the diverse range of subjects studied, jobs can be found in all manner of different disciplines as many of the skills learned in studying this subject apply to a number of other industries. Aerospace engineers can work for Google, Apple, other software companies, automotive industries and many will even move over to the banking industry. Yes, the skills picked up during study will mean that a student will pick up highly logical thought processes that can translate well into the banking industries and indeed many others as well.

This means, for a successful graduate in the subject, the career prospects are amongst the highest of any subject you could study at University.

How To Study Aerospace Engineering

Part Time vs. Full Time Study

One thing that is different is that often and perhaps even more common is the part time study of Aerospace Engineering, which can be done by the means of an apprenticeship. This means that you can get all of the same qualifications of a University degree, whilst a sponsoring company may pay you to do this part time.

That's right, if being a student, struggling to get by, eating beans out the tin whilst you study isn't for you, a more hands on experience could be available where you actually earn whilst you learn. The disadvantage of this is that the amount of opportunities and the size of the job market may not quite be so large as somebody with a generic Engineering degree as your skills will be more specialised to suit that sponsoring company.

Of course, a full time degree will see a student immerse themselves more in the field and this can be one of the hardest degrees there are to complete. In addition, it is also one of the most intensive courses, in that there are normally much more lectures and hours required for a student to attend university.

So if you were picturing your years at University mostly consisting of you binge watching Netflix and popping in to University for an hour every week, then you should probably think again, because with great reward, comes great hard work and Aerospace Engineering sure is hard work!

However, the professors are normally super passionate about all things Aerospace and this is sure to rub off on the students. Besides, with the prices of tuition fees, at least you can say you’re getting your moneys worth in studying Aerospace Engineering.

How To Become a Chartered Engineer

Of course, the very pinnacle of Aerospace Engineering and all engineering, is to become what is known as a ‘Chartered Engineer.’ This accolade should be worn like a badge of honour if achieved and it comprises of two main parts in order to become a chartered Aerospace engineer. A chartered Aerospace engineer will unlock a huge amount more jobs and more high profile career moves could open up, not to mention an hefty increase in pay!

The first part is the education. The minimum Education requirements are of course a Masters Degree in Engineering. Therefore, for anybody who is looking to study the course full time, if their ambition is to eventually become chartered, then it makes sense to complete an integrated Masters degree before entering the world of work, to prevent the need for further study later on.

The best places to study Aerospace Engineering are of course the prestigious MIT and Stanford, as well as Oxford and Cambridge and Caltech. These are the most elite universities in the world to study the subject at. Other top class international institutions include the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and Imperial College London.

The second part of the criteria that needs to be fulfilled in order to become chartered is to gain the relevant experience working as a professional engineer. This process normally takes at least a minimum of 4 years experience, after gaining a Masters degree and in most cases, much longer.

The charter ship process is something that is governed by the Engineering councils, an Aerospace Engineer can join either the Royal Aeronautical Engineering Society or the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, a better choice than other engineering disciplines receive, as they are normally associated with only one professional Engineering institution.

Is a PhD Worth It?

Of course, for those who want to move further and further up the rankings of being an Engineer, beyond being chartered, it is expected that a PhD in the subject will be taken. A PhD is not necessary for advancement, however it can be an interesting way to really change the world and the aviation sector.

What the Studies of Aerospace Engineering Involve

The studies involve a great deal of maths and physics around the miracle that is flight. Prospective students should be very proficient in Maths and Science and should have a passion for applying them to real world problems. At times, the Maths can get very advanced, however the one redeeming feature on all aspects of studying Aerospace Engineering is that it is beautifully interesting and fun to learn about a range of different things.

As technology develops, there will be more and more emphasis on the use of software to simulate real life flight, such as Computational Fluid Dynamics and 3D design. With this in mind, those who struggle with Maths do not need to worry, as they can still excel in Aerospace Engineering, however, being good at Maths is a major help in studying the subject.

A student of the course will learn all about how to apply different aspects of engineering and make calculations on every single aspect that is involved in an aircraft. This includes, the aerodynamics, the electronic systems, the engine fuel consumption, a holistic approach is given to all students. This means, the level of diversity gained in terms of engineering disciplines is perhaps greater than any other engineering discipline.

The course will draw on elements of Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, Computer Science and of course, Mechanical Engineering, which Aerospace Engineering evolved from.

Post Study

Job Prospect for Aerospace Engineer is great

A career as an Aerospace Engineer will be incredibly varied.

The job prospects for an Aerospace Engineering are very wide and varied, with opportunities doing many different jobs within the aviation sector. There are a number of subdivisions for Aerospace Engineers, all of which are in demand and a highly sought after occupation, these can include:

• Airworthiness Engineer
• Aerodynamicist
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Design Engineer
• Software Engineer

An airworthiness Engineer, for example will be in charge of making sure an aircraft is worthy to fly and complies with the relevant safety standards that are set out by the Aviation authorities. Depending on country, the authority will either by the FAA (USA) or the EASA (European), which will all have certain standards to adhere to.

An airworthiness engineer should have a great eye for detail and plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of passengers during flight.

An Aerodynamicist will look in detail at the design and performance of a certain component of an aircraft and how this shape contributes to reducing the drag and or increasing the lift needed for efficient flight.

A Manufacturing Engineer will govern the manufacturing processes that are used to produce components that will eventually fit onto an aircraft. They are again, critical in ensuring and meeting safety regulations and a key part of the whole process of making and maintaining an aircraft.

A design engineer will apply their Engineering skills into designing components of future planes, or improving the design of current planes. This can be a very exciting job and can see the Engineer using state of the art technologies in order to create the designs of the future!

A software Aerospace Engineer will be in charge of making sure the Aircraft control systems are working well in order to help the pilot during flight. This job market is starting to increase in size as Aircraft make more and more technological advances and need more and more software on board!

Did you know for example, some Aeroplanes, such as the Harrier fighter plane simply can’t take off without help from the on board computer because of the complexity that now goes into the control systems.

Unemployment is Not Common Among Aerospace Engineers

An unsaturated job market means that Aerospace Engineers are currently in demand and the demand and need for them will continue to grow. This is great news for those considering a career in it as it probably means it is harder to become unemployed as an Aerospace Engineer.

Recent statistics show that once Aerospace Engineering graduates finish at University, only 8.3% are unemployed after 6 months. This statistic is fantastic when compared to other degrees. The number of employed people after graduation is around 70%, whilst a further 18% will go into further study.

Of those graduates that are employed, it is estimated that 43% will go to work in the Engineering and building services businesses, some will work as technicians and other professionals (12%), whilst many others can go into other areas such as Business, HR, financial banking etc. This really does represent the high level of skills that are picked up through doing an Aerospace Engineering degree and shows how unlikely it is that an Aerospace Engineering graduate will remain unemployed.

Salary and Benefits

An Aerospace Engineer can expect some great monetary benefits as one of the top University degrees in terms of starting salary. The starting salary for an Aerospace Engineer is normally around the £30,000 mark and the earning potential after this can be extremely high. For a student with a Masters degree, higher starting salaries can be achieved, however, most will start on a similar level.

For an Aerospace Engineer who starts their career after a PhD, a long career could be achieved as a researcher at the forefront of the latest technologies and starting salaries could even be up to £40,000. In general, a researcher will typically earn less than an industrial professional, but it can be a rewarding and interesting career for those who are more academically inclined.

As aforementioned, Aerospace Engineers are also sought after by many other industries. One example of this is the banking and finance industry, Aerospace Engineering graduates have a strong grounding in Maths and their logical thought processes are sought after by banks.