Many students pursue Mechanical and Electrical Engineering rather than

[redgoat]

Many students pursue Mechanical and Electrical Engineering rather than Aerospace Engineering. Only a few student takes Aerospace Enginerring. Do you know why?

 

[chroot]

Mechanical and electrical engineering have much wider domains of applicability in industry.

- Warren

 

[supersix2]

I would actually like to know whether or not that is the real reason. What are the upper level course's Mechs take? I've heard thousands of times that ME and EE have wider applicability but I don't know wheter or not that's true. For comparison, here are the courses I take as AE starting with year 2 because that's when we start taking engineering classes.
Engineering Sciences: Statics,Solid Mechanics,Dynamics,Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electrical Engineering I and II. Those are the general engineering classes that everyone has to take and understand.
Now specifically AE classes are Aerodynamics I and II, Aircraft Structures I and II and then depending on the area of focus you have the choices of classes like Stability and Control, Control Systems Analysis, Space Mechanics, Turbine and Rocket Engine Structures and Instrumentation, and of course design classes.

Now those classes sound pretty specific but you can take many of the concepts in them and apply them to other fields. I would personally like to know what the detailed type classes ME and EE take to see if they are really more versatile like everyone says. If you look at most of the upper level classes they contain more complex aspects of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and dynamics, solid mechanics, and general dynamics, and even electrical systems. I would assume that ME would take classes that are similar in nature. Plus EE would be focused more on electrical systems and not focus and the other aspects I mentioned above.

 

[FredGarvin]

Now those classes sound pretty specific but you can take many of the concepts in them and apply them to other fields. I would personally like to know what the detailed type classes ME and EE take to see if they are really more versatile like everyone says. If you look at most of the upper level classes they contain more complex aspects of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and dynamics, solid mechanics, and general dynamics, and even electrical systems. I would assume that ME would take classes that are similar in nature. Plus EE would be focused more on electrical systems and not focus and the other aspects I mentioned above.

What you said is true mostly. My 3rd and 4th years were more general design related. Half were more advanced versions of classes already taken. I think that (around me anyways) if you had an AE degree, you wouldn't be hurting yourself. However you would have to work a bit harder to prove that you had the versatility of an ME. I think the most important part is to have the mindset and practical skills of engineering, not so much your course background. You'll have so much learning to do in your profession that the college courses you took will take a back seat to how you actually conduct yourself on the job.

The hardest part for an AE would be getting by the resume scanners that do the quick, 2 second scan to get the major points. If they're looking for an ME and they see AE, you may need a little something-something to get you by that first hump.