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Aeronautical Engineering Degree - Worth it or not?

I have a few years until uni, but I am looking at the options. I am doing Engineering in College, would be happy to do some more academic A Levels and have always had an interest in aviation and have a PPL Private Pilots License. It an Aeronautical Engineering degree worth it?
Reply 1
Only worth it if you are interesting in Fluid Dynamics (with obviously the predominant focus on Aerodynamics). Otherwise choose Mechanical. That is my general rule of thumb. Just because you like planes doesn't necessarily mean you'll enjoy learning about the theory behind them. Read the course modules to get a better idea of what they'll teach and compare it with other engineering specializations.
Reply 2
Original post by djpailo
Only worth it if you are interesting in Fluid Dynamics (with obviously the predominant focus on Aerodynamics). Otherwise choose Mechanical. That is my general rule of thumb. Just because you like planes doesn't necessarily mean you'll enjoy learning about the theory behind them. Read the course modules to get a better idea of what they'll teach and compare it with other engineering specializations.


I will be honest, the science stuff scares me slightly, I didn't do well in physics, and I won't lie, at the time I didn't have any respect for the teacher and didn't see a use for the topic. It's not that I'm stupid, I have the ability to learn, I just chose not to.

I have almost 3 years until uni anyway, so in theory I could finish my level 2 Engineering, do level 3 engineering, Maths A Level, Physics GCSE resit (followed by A Level) and be on track for an Aeronautical Engineering
Degree.

Science aside, I do enjoy learning about the mechanics and tech behind planes, and I'm not some random idiot saying that, I have a genuine interest. Having looked through several uni websites, the course modules look incredibly interesting too.

I'm guessing Mechanical Engineering would involve a total change in career path?
Original post by rowlaj02
I'm guessing Mechanical Engineering would involve a total change in career path?


Aero and mechanical aren't too different from each other. Obviously in aero you'll do more aerodynamics, and the degree will be biased towards the aerospace side of things, but it's not something that will constrain you outside of some narrow minded employers who cannot see past the name, or understand how close it is the mechanical.
Reply 4
Original post by Smack
Aero and mechanical aren't too different from each other. Obviously in aero you'll do more aerodynamics, and the degree will be biased towards the aerospace side of things, but it's not something that will constrain you outside of some narrow minded employers who cannot see past the name, or understand how close it is the mechanical.


Thanks for that, I was thinking about the possibility of doing Mechanical Engineering at Level 5 and then progressing to Aeronautical so it is good to know :yy::yy::yy:
Reply 5
Original post by rowlaj02


I'm guessing Mechanical Engineering would involve a total change in career path?


Original post by Smack
Aero and mechanical aren't too different from each other. Obviously in aero you'll do more aerodynamics, and the degree will be biased towards the aerospace side of things, but it's not something that will constrain you outside of some narrow minded employers who cannot see past the name, or understand how close it is the mechanical.


Sorry but that isn't quite true.

It strongly depends on the university you attend. Some universities will have many common units. Others won't and will strongly specialise in Aircraft from the off.

I can give examples:
- I lack lots of Thermodynamics that Mechanical students attained
- I lack lots of CAD work/ a bit more design work that they attained
- I've gained more knowledge in Aerodynamics (at the expense of some general Fluid Dynamics)
- I've gained knowledge in advanced flight mechanics which is transferable.

You've got to look at the university and compare the modules. In industry, no one wlil care but the differences are there and obvious.
Original post by djpailo
Sorry but that isn't quite true.

It strongly depends on the university you attend. Some universities will have many common units. Others won't and will strongly specialise in Aircraft from the off.

I can give examples:
- I lack lots of Thermodynamics that Mechanical students attained
- I lack lots of CAD work/ a bit more design work that they attained
- I've gained more knowledge in Aerodynamics (at the expense of some general Fluid Dynamics)
- I've gained knowledge in advanced flight mechanics which is transferable.

You've got to look at the university and compare the modules. In industry, no one wlil care but the differences are there and obvious.


So basically you've done a bit less CAD and thermo and done more aerodynamics and some flight mechanics...
Original post by djpailo
I can give examples:
- I lack lots of Thermodynamics that Mechanical students attained
- I lack lots of CAD work/ a bit more design work that they attained

u mad?

:tongue:
Reply 8
Original post by Smack
So basically you've done a bit less CAD and thermo and done more aerodynamics and some flight mechanics...


So basically in MY uni yes, I did practically no CAD and did one Thermo unit when the mechanical students did three. I also clearly stated it would vary uni to uni so there could be a wider gap.

My original point was to highlight that there are discrepancies and they can be quite large in some case and this can come back to haunt someone, particularly with job applications/ research so its important to recognize that from the start and choose carefully. Having done an aero degree and now doing some research in mechanical, I feel I am adequately placed to give a more detailed answer than the industry answer of "mechanical is the same as aero".
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by + polarity -
u mad?

:tongue:


I'm only mad at the rubbish education received at university. It truly is rubbish and that applies to all universities. Yes, we can only learn so much, but looking back on things, it felt like A-Levels all over, just remembering things for an exam and not being given the time to fully appreciate much, if anything. If I could turn back the clock, I'd have chosen mathematics and than self-taught myself any of the remaining engineering content, although I would probably have got a medium 2:2 if I'd have done maths.

I can only talk about Engineering of course...
Reply 10
Just throwing this out there, but does anyone know a good uni for aeronautical engineering? Was looking at the imperial college london
Original post by djpailo
So basically in MY uni yes, I did practically no CAD and did one Thermo unit when the mechanical students did three. I also clearly stated it would vary uni to uni so there could be a wider gap.

My original point was to highlight that there are discrepancies and they can be quite large in some case and this can come back to haunt someone, particularly with job applications/ research so its important to recognize that from the start and choose carefully. Having done an aero degree and now doing some research in mechanical, I feel I am adequately placed to give a more detailed answer than the industry answer of "mechanical is the same as aero".


Surely the discrepancies cannot be that large given that industry, in general, views the two degrees as very similar, and you yourself have managed to do some research in mechanical. In the grand scheme of things, a few module differences amounts to very little, especially if you go into industry where the chances of you using large amounts of the content covered during most of your modules is quite slim.

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