Is a mechanical engineering background required for aerospace engineering?

[LazyLlama]

Hi. I am becoming very interested in taking an Aerospace Engineering course at University in a couple of years. I am wondering if to be Knowledgeable and Successful in Aero-Eng, is a degree in, or at least some knowledge in Mechanical Engineering required or reccommended at least? I ask because from what I have read so far, Mechanical Engineering seems to be base of Aero-Eng, as in, you take Mechanical Engineering, and then expand into Aerospace Engineering. Is that true? Thanks.

 

[Cyrus]

No, but they are very similar majors. You take some of the same courses but with different applications. One is not "based" of the other.

 

[LazyLlama]

Thanks, that's what I was wanting to know. Regarding Schools, which Universities in Canada offer good Aerospace Engineering courses? This Course at U of T sparked my attention: http://www.prospective.engineering.utoronto.ca/skule/undergraduate/engsci.htm basically it's 2 years of general engineering study, then 2 years of your choice, I would choose Aero-Eng. Is that the kind of course I should be looking into?

 

[D H]

The answer to your first question is "it depends". Aerospace engineering is but a discipline within mechanical engineering at some colleges, joined at the hip with mechanical (e.g., School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) in some more, and a completely separate from mechanical at other colleges. As far as Canadian schools go, McGill has a very well-regarded aero program. I don't know about U of T.