Aerospace Engineering
Cameron Cruz
What is Aerospace Engineering? Why That?
Aerospace Engineering is one of the primary fields of engineering. It is concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. I would be interested in pursuing a job in this field because I have always been fascinated with planes, and how humans figured out how to get such a heavy object to get off the ground and stay airborne for hours.
What does a typical day look like?
It is a little difficult to describe a full day, since there are many types of jobs an Aerospace engineer might have. However most Aerospace engineers are in an office environment at a desk performing their jobs. In one way or another all Aerospace engineers use a computer and here are some of the typical tasks that they might have to do. Create a computer model of a vehicle, test a design using a computer simulation, design software that controls how a vehicle moves or flies, attend group meetings to collaborate with other engineers and also write essays and reports. There are many other things, but that was just a few.
Starting Salary
According to an annual salary survey, Aerospace engineers that graduated with a bachelors degree had an annual starting salary of $69,600 in 2011. With a masters degree in 2009 the annual starting salary was $62,459, while with a Ph.D. it was $78,814.
What education is required?
To be an aerospace engineer you must complete a bachelor's degree program in aerospace or aeronautical engineering. A program accredited by (ABET) may also be required later to earn a licence. This takes about 4 to 5 years to complete. They have core classes like math, chemistry and physics. Later then they move to more specific classes like aerodynamics and electrical systems. Then senior year they participate in lab and design courses.
Sources
1. http://study.com/articles/Aeronautical_Engineer_Educational_Requirements.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospace_engineering
3. www.aerospaceweb.org/questions/careers/q0096a.shtml
4. everydaylife.globalpost.com/average-starting-salaries-aerospace-engineers-7168.html
5. Google Images