Why do people want to study aerospace engineering?:
How about taking a really different academic course? Studies that can take you to the stars, to the planets, to the immense universe. One that will help you search for some of the hardest answers and study some of the world’s brightest minds. By studying engineering so deeply to design machines capable of making the most extraordinary journeys possible. We are talking about Space Engineering!
Have you ever, while traveling in an airplane or admiring a trail of smoke in the sky, stopped to think about the tremendous evolution that has taken place in aircraft design over the last 30 years? And what will these aircraft look like in the future?
What is Aerospace Engineering?
The world’s smartest professionals are working to solve problems like finite fossil resources and global warming, while creating bigger, faster and more efficient aircraft. The challenge is not easy at all and time is of the essence.
In response to the concerns of today’s society, engineering, innovation and design are leading the field of aviation into a new generation of air travel. The market is hungry for extremely qualified and specialized engineers. How to become one of them?
Take a look below and see if any of the qualities describe your personality:
- Ambition and creativity
- Problem solving and technical thinking
- Likes to analyze parts and discover how things work, even the most complex ones possible
- Likes to travel
- Interested in state-of-the-art machines and technologies
- Interested in computer models and design
- I would like to know more about air traffic control and the logistics of aircraft production
This set of characteristics can be an indication that you will find yourself in Aerospace Engineering.
Aerospace Engineering X Aeronautical Engineering
First, let’s understand the differences between some areas of study and professionals with many similarities and interdisciplinarity. Broadly speaking, both courses prepare students to design and work with aircraft. The biggest distinction between them is that Aerospace focuses on spaceflight and Aeronautics on airflight.
Aeronautics is actually a field of Aerospace Engineering. Therefore, although there are specific courses in the area, it is often taught in disciplines of the curriculum of an Aerospace Engineering degree or as a specialization in postgraduate courses.
Divisions of Aerospace Engineering:
- Aeronautical Engineering that focuses only on vehicles that fly within the Earth’s atmosphere;
- Astronautical Engineering that designs aircraft.
Typically, an Aerospace Engineering course will include the study of both areas, but the student can specialize in one of them later, in a master’s degree or postgraduate certificate, to deepen their knowledge and skills.
In fact, some universities in the United States, for example, only offer Aerospace Engineering as a graduate degree! Thus, the student needs an adequate previous degree in another field of engineering to gain admission.
The challenge
Due to government pressure and the weight of public opinion in relation to sustainability, aircraft manufacturers are now developing machines with a large fuel storage capacity and that reduce the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere. Advances in aircraft design mean that the goal of reducing energy consumption by 70% by 2035 is very likely to be met.
In recent years, there have been several diversions in air traffic due to volcanic ash clouds, costing the aviation industry billions of dollars. This is due to safety issues such as silicone particles melting in the ash and the deformation of silicone compounds in the engine that can damage the turbines. How can this problem be resolved? This is where Aerospace Engineering comes in.
Aerospace engineering course
Aerospace Engineering courses were created in response to the current workforce demand in this area. The program is recent compared to electrical, mechanical or chemical engineering. If you want to study Aeronautical Engineering abroad, we have information on related courses and undergraduate and postgraduate institutions for you.
The first thing you should consider is that to be admitted and to be able to keep up with the academic load of the course, you need to have a strong foundation in mathematics, physics and chemistry. This is a basic factor that will help you to stand out among the candidates in the foreign university. In general, institutions are already looking for the most talented young people, with potential for the area; in the case of Aerospace Engineering, selection tends to be even more rigid and competitive due to the complexity of the course and also the limited number of courses in the area.
A Space Engineering course will cover disciplines focusing on the design, construction and maintenance of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and weapons systems; as well as flight safety, fuel efficiency, operating costs and environmental impact.
They are very technology-oriented courses and also include practical modules in workshops, hangars and laboratories, to learn, for example, how to repair the machine or how to use computer-aided design software.
The curriculum of the Aerospace Engineering course
There are countless possibilities of subjects in the curriculum of Aerospace Engineering graduations, which vary according to the country, university, department and proposal of the academic program. In general, courses start with more general compulsory core subjects in engineering and physics, for example:
- Engineering Mechanics and Dynamics
- Statistics
- Materials
- Calculation
- Systems Analysis and Control
- Mathematics
- Aerodynamics and Propulsion
- Classic Physics
There are different introductory courses, such as Introduction to Aerospace Design, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Properties and Electrical Circuits, which prepare students for more in-depth and specialized topics to come in the coming semesters.
Specific subjects of Aerospace Engineering
- Astrodynamics
- Aircraft Flight Dynamics and Control
- Aerospace Vehicle Propulsion
- Aerospace Systems Design
- Flight Mechanics
- Specialization in Aeronautics
- Aerospace Structures
- Selection and Process of Aerospace Materials
Universities also often offer internship or professional engagement modules that introduce the student to the sector, providing hands-on experience and, in some cases, can lead to a permanent position during studies or after graduation.
Most courses require completion of a Completion Work, Practical or Research Project, or a Thesis in order to successfully graduate.
Admission in Aerospace Engineering
Admission largely depends on the country and university you choose to apply to. As already mentioned above, applicants need to have excellent school performance and academic potential in the field of engineering to have a chance to be selected.
In general, Brazilian candidates will need to prove their English proficiency with a test approved by the university, such as IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge English, Pearson Test of English Academic, among others. Several international institutions also ask that the Brazilian student has already completed the first year of a degree at a recognized university with an adequate average.
Aerospace Engineering Courses Abroad
We separate a list of foreign universities that offer undergraduate courses in Aerospace Engineering – click on the link to learn more about each one of them and the study programs available:
- Sheffield Hallam University , UK
- University of Bristol , UK
- University of New South Wales (UNSW) , Australia
- The University of Queensland , Australia
- Iowa State University , United States
- Carleton University , Canada
Aerospace engineer career
Recent graduates can expect to find a job easily and equally meteoric growth opportunities, compared to other more conventional courses. In response to the need for new professionals with innovative ideas, airlines and manufacturers are creating new academic opportunities for students around the world so that they can be properly trained to fill this gap, especially by keeping in touch with the industry during the entire course, in order to graduate with broad technical experience and fundamental professional contacts.
And it is for these and other reasons that international and multinational companies have been looking for qualified labor from all over the world, facilitating the entry of foreigners abroad, in countries where Aerospace Engineering has a strong presence.
If you study Aerospace Engineering in the US, these programs are included in the list of STEM programs, which allow you to extend your stay in the US after you have completed your studies, by applying for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) Visa. This means that you can stay in the country for an additional period in order to find professional opportunities, train on the job and, who knows, maybe get hired and get a work visa.
If you think you have a vocation for a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, we recommend that you take this aspiration forward.
There are several factors why you might want to do this:
- Excellent job opportunities right after graduation and numerous career options
- Conquest of a detailed knowledge in aeronautics or astronautics
- Work with aircraft
- Have an interest in becoming an astronaut
Aeronautical Engineering can take you on a journey you never thought possible. We could say that the sky is the limit, but considering that many aeronauts actually become astronauts, this would not be entirely true.