Imperial or U of T for Aerospace Engineering Studies?

[Ranul P]

Hi guys. I am doing my final A level exams (UK system) this May and I plan to study aerospace engineering. I am mostly interested in the astronautical side of aerospace. I would like to work later in life in the US. However I did not apply to the US for undergraduate studies.
Currently my options include Imperial College London UK and the University of Toronto Canada. The course at Imperial is Aeronautical Engineering and from the course modules, it seems there's hardly any emphasis on the astronautical side of things. I emailed Imperial to verify this and they seem to agree. The degree I would get is a MEng in Aeronautical Engineeering. Is there a way of working in the space industry with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering? Do I need to study further and specialise in a space related field? If so, is doing a PhD the only option for study after a MEng?
My other option, the University of Toronto, offers a BASc in engineering. According to their website, they have students going off to very good universities in the US for masters. My understanding is that having a masters degree in aerospace engineering (space related) from a reputed US university would boost my career prospects in the space industry. However, U of T is generally ranked many places lower for engineering than Imperial College.
Is it a better idea to study at Imperial College? Imperial is ranked higher on all the ranking systems, but does ranking really matter? And in general, is it more difficult to get an aerospace job in the US with a UK degree, compared to an equivalent US or Canadian degree?

 

[markkrebs]

I think the Aero/Astro are generally combined at many schools, although they specialize as you've noted.
Space is heavily focused on electronics, physics and mechanical.
Aero is heavily focused on fluids, thermodynamics, also mechanical.

Of course there's a lot of overlap but you might think about where your skills fit best? There are plenty of US schools: maybe you should go in the states? I agree it's good to be "local" to increase job prospects.

 

[Ranul P]

I think the Aero/Astro are generally combined at many schools, although they specialize as you've noted.
Space is heavily focused on electronics, physics and mechanical.
Aero is heavily focused on fluids, thermodynamics, also mechanical.

Of course there's a lot of overlap but you might think about where your skills fit best? There are plenty of US schools: maybe you should go in the states? I agree it's good to be "local" to increase job prospects.

Hey, thanks for the quick reply. I've pretty much made up my mind about doing astronautics in the future. I'm far more interested in satellites and rockets than I am in helicopters and planes. This is why I am sceptical about Imperial's Aeronautics course. I am worried that if I choose to go to Imperial and study aeronautics, I might not be very suited for space engineering. Afterall the degree I would get is a masters so I don't think there's much room for further studies to specialise in space related things later, apart from doing a PhD which I am not sure I'd want. On the other hand, Imperial really is a great school and is amongst the best in the world for aeronautical engineering. So really, my question is, would studying a (strictly) aeronautics course seriously affect my future chances of working as an astronautical engineer. Is the overlap in course content that you mentioned sufficient for the two degrees to be treated equally by an employer in the space industry? Thanks again.