How to Get a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering

For more than half a century, aerospace engineering has been the epitome of cutting-edge science. As such, it is naturally a subject that lends itself to advance study, and if you have an interest in the field, a master's in aerospace engineering may be an important step in your education. People who are interested in aerospace engineering tend to have a healthy sense of curiosity: What makes things work? Why are they done a certain way? How could they be made better? Scientific curiosity is often a matter of asking important questions and then exploring possible answers. This guide is designed to help you explore the answers to a series of questions about earning a master's in aerospace engineering. The idea is that you should have a stronger sense of the possibilities and how they fit with your goals once you've considered the following questions:

• Why a master's in aerospace engineering? In deciding whether to pursue a master's in aerospace engineering, you may want to consider the various career paths in the field, and whether a master's will advance your qualification for one of those careers.
• How do you find out about graduate aerospace engineering programs? Aerospace engineering is a highly specialized field, so finding appropriate master's programs takes some focused searching. This guide points you toward some resources that could help in that search.
• What criteria should be used in choosing an MS in Aerospace Engineering? Once your research has identified some programs offering an MS in Aerospace Engineering, you should formulate a logical and orderly process for choosing where to apply. This guide suggests a list of criteria you can use to evaluate the pros and cons of different programs to help narrow down your choices.
• What should you expect when applying to graduate schools in aerospace engineering? These programs can be highly selective, so knowing what to expect in the application process could be useful in helping you create the best impression possible.
• What should you do besides earning your MS in Aerospace Engineering? Earning a master's in aerospace engineering may be an important step toward your desired career path, but it is not the only step you should take. This guide concludes by offering some suggestions of things you can do to improve your qualifications for employment in aerospace engineering.

The first question is the one on which all the others depend: why a master's in aerospace engineering?

Why a Master's in Aerospace Engineering?

To understand the importance of a master's in aerospace engineering, a good place to start is by examining some of the roles aerospace engineers play. Employers can include commercial airline manufacturers, satellite companies, the military, and government space agencies. The types of work involved include the following:

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How to Get a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering

For more than half a century, aerospace engineering has been the epitome of cutting-edge science. As such, it is naturally a subject that lends itself to advance study, and if you have an interest in the field, a master's in aerospace engineering may be an important step in your education. People who are interested in aerospace engineering tend to have a healthy sense of curiosity: What makes things work? Why are they done a certain way? How could they be made better? Scientific curiosity is often a matter of asking important questions and then exploring possible answers. This guide is designed to help you explore the answers to a series of questions about earning a master's in aerospace engineering. The idea is that you should have a stronger sense of the possibilities and how they fit with your goals once you've considered the following questions:

• Why a master's in aerospace engineering? In deciding whether to pursue a master's in aerospace engineering, you may want to consider the various career paths in the field, and whether a master's will advance your qualification for one of those careers.
• How do you find out about graduate aerospace engineering programs? Aerospace engineering is a highly specialized field, so finding appropriate master's programs takes some focused searching. This guide points you toward some resources that could help in that search.
• What criteria should be used in choosing an MS in Aerospace Engineering? Once your research has identified some programs offering an MS in Aerospace Engineering, you should formulate a logical and orderly process for choosing where to apply. This guide suggests a list of criteria you can use to evaluate the pros and cons of different programs to help narrow down your choices.
• What should you expect when applying to graduate schools in aerospace engineering? These programs can be highly selective, so knowing what to expect in the application process could be useful in helping you create the best impression possible.
• What should you do besides earning your MS in Aerospace Engineering? Earning a master's in aerospace engineering may be an important step toward your desired career path, but it is not the only step you should take. This guide concludes by offering some suggestions of things you can do to improve your qualifications for employment in aerospace engineering.

The first question is the one on which all the others depend: why a master's in aerospace engineering?

Why a Master's in Aerospace Engineering?

To understand the importance of a master's in aerospace engineering, a good place to start is by examining some of the roles aerospace engineers play. Employers can include commercial airline manufacturers, satellite companies, the military, and government space agencies. The types of work involved include the following:

• Engineering analysis. This comes down to using engineering principles to solve problems, with respect to existing products and projects and to new ventures.
• Design. Science and creativity blend when it comes to engineering design, as considerations such as speed, cost-efficiency, comfort, and safety all have to be carefully weighed.
• Materials composition and manufacture. Materials and the processes for dealing with them play a big role in aerospace engineering, as issues of durability, weight, and resistance to temperature extremes often come into play.
• Systems analysis. Air and space craft often consist of a series of different mechanical and computer systems which have to interact, and aerospace systems engineers help make sure everything is properly coordinated.
• Software engineering. Aerospace software is highly specialized, and plays an integral role in the operation of aerospace technology.
• Manufacturing. These days, all manufacturing processes tend to be complex, but because of the highly sensitive materials and systems involved in aerospace, manufacturing in this field requires especially advanced processes and know-how.
• Flight research. Aerospace researchers examine data from in-service and experimental flight craft, and may augment that data with computer models, all with the goal of detecting potential problems and finding new efficiencies.
• Field service. The inspection and maintenance of existing flight craft is an engineering role upon which lives may well depend.

As you can see, each of the above career disciplines within aerospace engineering is in itself a highly advanced field. Acquiring that type of knowledge usually goes beyond the scope of a more generalized, four-year bachelor's degree program. A master's in aerospace engineering can give you a good foundation for a career in one of the above fields, or it could be a stepping-stone toward a PhD if you are interested in an academic career.

How Do You Find Out About Graduate Aerospace Engineering Programs?

If you have an interest in one of the careers in aerospace engineering described above, you may want to start researching aerospace engineering programs. According to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, while aerospace programs do rank in the top ten of accredited engineering program disciplines in the U.S., the number of aerospace programs is much smaller than that of programs in more common areas of engineering such as electrical and mechanical engineering.

Fortunately, with part-time master's programs and the ability to earn a master's degree online, you have more options than ever for taking advantage of the aerospace engineering programs that do exist. To find out more about these programs, try the following resources:

• Online guides and directories. Online college guides and directories such as WorldWideLearn.com do not only cater for people who plan to earn a master's degree online. Whether you are interested in on-campus or online master's degree programs, you should check out what is available on WorldWideLearn.com. This Web site is also a resource for topics related to applying to master's programs, such as standardized test preparation and financial aid.
• Published rankings and reviews. Periodicals such as U.S. News & World Report and Kiplinger's regularly publish extensive college guides.
• U.S. Department of Education. The Department of Education's Web site can be a handy resource for information on important topics such as accreditation and applying for federal financial aid.
• Individual school Web sites. If you envision your research into master's programs as taking a funnel approach, as your search becomes narrower you can start to look in depth at Web sites of individual schools and their aerospace engineering programs.

With your research sources at the ready, you should be able to move on to the analytical phase of the search process.

What Criteria Should Be Used in Choosing an MS in Aerospace Engineering?

Given the important role that your MS in Aerospace Engineering is likely to play in your career, the choice of which program to attend could have a big impact on your future. However, without having evaluated master's programs previously, what basis do you have for making such a momentous decision?

The best approach is to make a list of relevant criteria. You may want to rank the list according to what factors are most important to you, but in any event, working systematically through a list of relevant selection criteria can help you be sure to weigh all the factors that you want to be involved in your decision.

Some of the factors you may want to consider are:

• Accreditation status. Accreditation of a program by a widely-recognized accreditation agency should be an absolute requirement of your selection process. Visit the U.S. Department of Education Web site for more information on accreditation.
• Admissions standards. Either on their Web sites or via their admissions departments, schools generally make available statistics on the undergraduate grades and test scores of their student bodies. An aerospace engineering program may have especially high standards. Find out all you can about the admissions standards of the programs that interest you, so you can make a realistic assessment of how your qualifications stack up.
• Cost. You can manage costs if you attend school part time or earn a master's degree online, but ultimately affordability may be a major determinant of which master's programs make your application list. Still, don't make any final decisions based on cost until you have also researched your financial aid possibilities.
• Location. Having a relevant program nearby can be a real benefit, but if this is not the case you could earn a master's degree online as one way of overcoming location issues.
• Scheduling. It can be tough to fit graduate school around work or family obligations, and if this is an issue for you, focus on schools with part-time, evening, or weekend programs, or earn a master's degree online to increase your scheduling flexibility.
• Program resources. Because of the advanced nature of aerospace engineering, you may want to make sure that the program you choose has the specialized resources (e.g., wind tunnels, computer models, etc.) for a full exploration of the topic.
• Faculty. Be sure to focus on the aerospace engineering program itself when evaluating faculty, and consider factors such as the academic, professional, and publishing histories of faculty members, as well as the student/teacher ratio.
• Placement record. The relevancy and reputation of a program are often reflected in the placement record of its graduates. Look for indicators such as the percentage of graduates placed within aerospace professions, and the average starting salaries of those graduates.
• Campus environment. Campus environment can be a big part of a student's bachelor degree experience, but by the time you go for your master's degree you may be less interested in campus life. If you have a specific type of campus environment in mind, you might want to make that a factor, but at the other extreme, you can bypass this issue altogether by choosing an online master's program.

After you've considered the strengths and weaknesses of various programs based on the above criteria, you should be able to narrow your search down to a short list of programs to which you want to apply.

What Should You Expect When Applying to Graduate Schools in Aerospace Engineering?

Because master's programs in aerospace engineering are relatively scarce, these programs may be highly selective about who they admit. To make sure you do everything you can to improve your chances of being selected, you should prepare for the application process carefully. Here are some of the things you can expect to have to submit:

• Standardized test scores. Be sure you check out the schedule for any required tests so you can sign up soon enough to get your results in time for the application deadlines. If possible, you may want to try taking a test early enough that you would have enough time to re-take it if necessary.
• Prior academic record. Before submitting your transcripts, be sure to review them for completeness and accuracy.
• Letters of recommendation. For best results, give the people writing letters on your behalf plenty of lead time, and some ideas about what issues might be relevant to address in the letters.
• Application forms. Whether you end up doing these on paper or online, consider preparing a draft version first so you can complete your final applications neatly and thoroughly.
• Financial aid applications. Since financial aid may affect your choice of schools, or whether or not you can afford to attend graduate school at all, try to secure financial aid commitments as early as you can in the process.

Not only might each of these requirements have a different due date, but the process becomes more complicated if you are applying to multiple schools. To manage all the individual tasks, make a calendar of all the due dates, and schedule yourself enough lead time before each due date to allow for the amount of work or advance preparation each item requires.

What Should You Do Besides Earning Your MS in Aerospace Engineering?

As you work toward your master's degree, and beyond, there are other things you can do enhance your job prospects and overall knowledge of the field of aerospace engineering:

• Read scientific journals
• Write or assist with articles for publication in scientific journals
• Gain relevant experience through jobs or internships
• Join a professional society such as American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics

As long as people look to the skies for exploration, transportation, recreation, or national defense, there figures to be a future for aerospace engineering. With the right preparation, including earning an MS in Aerospace Engineering as the centerpiece of that preparation, you could be a part of that future.

Sources

• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
• American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics
• California Institute of Technology
• Florida Institute of Technology
• NASA
• Sloan Career Cornerstone Center
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education

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