If you spent your childhood dreaming about working on airplanes and spacecraft, consider a career in aerospace engineering. This degree can prepare you for a variety of jobs within the field of engineering. It all starts with a great education. There is one school in Louisiana that allows you to earn a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in aerospace engineering—Louisiana Tech University. Tuition costs $2,312 per semester here for undergraduate residents and $4,540 per semester for non-residents. With over 13,000 students, Louisiana Tech University can give you a great social and educational experience.
Becoming an aerospace engineer requires a lot of knowledge and experience, and that’s reflected in the coursework required of you. This field requires so much knowledge that you cannot become licensed without at least a Bachelor’s degree. You’ll need to complete 120 or more credits over the course of four years.
In your four years, you have to take a huge variety of engineering courses that give you insight into the research, development, and design aspects of this field. You may take courses like Orbital Mechanics, Aerospace Systems, Aerospace Design, and Aerospace Flight Mechanics.
As a student, you may be expected to keep up with research in the field of aerospace engineering. There are always new technological advances being discovered and developed, and you’ll be expected to read about them and understand them if you want to succeed in this field. You may even conduct research in some of your classes.
You can plan on spending lots of time getting hands-on experience. Louisiana Tech University has lots of required lab classes; you can learn in the Dynamic System Lab, the Thermofluids Lab, and more.
Tuition may be one of the biggest factors in your school decision; after all, you may have to pay for tuition out-of-pocket or take on student loans to cover your tuition costs! At Louisiana Tech University, there are different tuition rates for residents and non-residents. Residents pay $2,312 per semester while earning an undergraduate degree and $2,436 per semester while earning a Master’s degree. Non-residents must pay $4,540 per semester, no matter what degree they are pursuing.
Thankfully, Louisiana is home to many different engineering grants and scholarships. Shreveport Scottish Rite awards the D. Walter Jessen Memorial Engineering Scholarship, which is worth $2,000. You can also look into the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Scholarship.
Completing a Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering is the most time-consuming part of becoming an engineer. Once you’ve completed this vital step, you can go on to earn your license from the Loisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. After paying the $50 examination fee, you can take the Professional Engineer exam. When you pass this exam, you can get licensed as a Professional Engineer.
It’s important to network with other engineers and always work on your educational growth. One easy way to do this is joining the Louisiana Engineering Society. They have a job board, professional development opportunities, and ongoing education courses.