College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech)
• Stanford University

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
• Purdue University
• University of Illinois

Classes in the Major

Math & Physics: These are the building blocks of any engineering major, and unlike your poli sci or English lit major buddies, these classes are not of the single-digit variety. If you catch our drift. Be prepared to take a dedicated math course each semester from freshman year up until your junior year. Even when the actual math classes stop, the math itself does not. Math never sleeps…

Also, that physics class you took in high school isn't over yet. Even if you transfer in some AP credits. This time it's calculus-based, lasts a few semesters, and takes things in very specific, very complicated directions.

Computer Programming: Gone are the days of the Wright brothers, when all you needed to do was build a model, fly it, crash it, rinse, and repeat in order to learn whether they worked or not. Fortunately, in recent years, flight simulators have come a long way. As such, most colleges require at least a basic programming class where you learn about various programming languages and other programs, like MatLab.

General Engineering Mechanics: Most engineering majors share the same core mechanics classes, which are usually taken during sophomore year. Solid Dynamics and Statics are classes that deal with forces and moments in mechanical systems. Then there's Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, which deal with dynamic systems of fluid and heat flow behavior. Where civil engineers focus more on how these principles apply to roads and bridges, aerospace engineers will focus on aircraft and aerodynamics.

Aerodynamics & Aircraft Structure: Now this is what puts the "aero" in "aerospace engineering." Sometime late sophomore and early junior year, aerospace students split from the other engineering disciplines and take classes dedicated to the complicated nature of fluid flow behavior when applied to objects, like wings. These classes really are the "meat and potatoes" of the major, and often are the most difficult.

Propulsion & Orbital Mechanics: Classes in propulsion go beyond basic engineering thermodynamics and introduce students to the various types of aircraft propulsion systems, like internal combustion engines, jet engines, turboprops, and, of course, rockets. Orbital mechanics (sometimes called astrodynamics) studies how rockets and other projectiles, like satellites, move in outer space, often when paired with propulsive maneuvers. After finishing these classes, you'd truly be able to call yourself a rocket scientist. Next up: brain surgery.