What Are the Differences Between Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering?

[member 428835]

hello all

i am looking into grad school for aerospace engineering because it seems fun. as ridiculous of a reason as that sounds, its true. can anyone tell me how aerospace or mechanical engineering compares to the academics?

i really like the theory and all the problem solving but what is the real world actually like?

thanks

josh

 

[carlgrace]

I think they overlap quite a bit, like Electrical Engineer and Computer Engineering.

If it's anything like Electrical, you do a lot less math and a lot more practical engineering (and sitting on your butt in front of a computer) in the real world compared to academia.

 

[JakeBrodskyPE]

My brother got a Masters degree in Mechanical engineering and ended up working on a space program project as soon as he graduated.

My best guess is that Aerospace engineering has more emphasis on fluid dynamics than a typical Mechanical Engineering curriculum. But otherwise, it is probably much as carlgrace says: lots of common ground

 

[jlefevre76]

I attended Brigham Young University in Provo. I got an MS in mechanical engineering. My graduate chair was an aeronautical engineer PhD who likes to teach aerodynamics (MechEng 415 is the course number) and a solar airplane project class (MechEng 595R). Point is, we don't have an aerospace or aeronautical engineering program. However, there is enough similarity between mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering that it's safe to say, one is usually qualified to do the job of the other.

If you know you want to do stuff with aircraft or spacecraft , go the aerospace engineering route. If you're not sure what you want to do, get a mechanical engineering degree and you can transition to aerospace stuff later.