Where do you see your career going in the future? How would you like to work with aircraft and spacecraft, some of the most important and expensive equipment in the country? You can do just that by earning an aerospace engineering degree from a Michigan school. There are two schools that offer this degree—one in Ann Arbor and one in Kalamazoo. Both schools offer Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s degrees in this field, giving you the chance to take your education as far as you want. The average cost of tuition in Michigan is $10,900 per year, which is more affordable than in many other states.
Aerospace engineering is a very educationally rigorous program, and it’s known for its demanding curriculum. Since you’ll be responsible for building and researching very expensive vehicles, it’s important to get a thorough education! In order to earn a Bachelor’s degree, you have to study full-time for four years. By the end of your degree, you’ll have completed 120 or more credits.
As you take a look at your engineering curriculum, you may notice that you take classes in many different fields of aerospace engineering. You can learn about the research, testing, and construction of aerospace vehicles. Your curriculum may include courses like Mechanics of Materials, Flight Dynamics, Orbital Mechanics, and Compressible Flow.
Your aerospace engineering curriculum won’t just keep you in the lecture hall with your books cracked open. Instead, you’ll be expected to work in the engineering laboratory for several hours per week. You’ll learn about materials and how they work separately, and then you can learn about how they work together.
Research is an essential component of aerospace engineering, since researchers are responsible for finding new technological advantages in the field. At the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, you can research gas dynamics, space systems, and structures & materials.
There are many different tuition rates in Michigan, so it’s important to look at your educational costs before settling on a school. In general, tuition in Michigan is very affordable. For example, at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, tuition is $6,933 for residents and $20,217 for non-residents. At Western Michigan University, tuition is $5,292 per semester for residents and $12,169 per semester for non-residents.
There are many excellent scholarships and grants that you can apply for, including school-specific, local, and national scholarships. The Gloria Wille Bell and Carlos R. Bell Scholarship awards up to $40,000 to University of Michigan Ann Arbor students. The Michigan Society of Professional Engineers awards scholarships to student members.
Completing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in aerospace engineering is the hardest step of your career path, so you only have a few more steps to take after graduating! You have to get your license from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. You have to pay a $35 examination fee. You can sit for the Professional Engineer exam; passing this exam can get you licensed as a Professional Engineer.
There’s more to being an engineer than just working. Professional development and networking are both extremely important. One of the best ways to tackle both of these goals is joining the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers. You can get legislative updates, attend exclusive education courses, and search their job board.