Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineers develop extraordinary machines, from airplanes that weigh over half a million pounds to spacecraft that travel over 17,000 miles an hour. They design, develop and test aircraft, missiles and oversee manufacturing. They are usually categorized as either aeronautical engineers, who work with aircraft, or astronautical engineers, who work with spacecraft.

Aerospace engineers specialize in areas such as structural design, propulsion, guidance, navigation and control, instrumentation and communication or product methods. They develop new technologies for use in aviation, defense systems and space exploration. Aerospace engineers may be skilled in areas such as aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics or guidance and control systems.

Career Opportunities
Analytical Engineer Computer Fluid Dynamics Engineer Cost Analysis Engineer Design Engineer Field Service Engineer Flight Test Engineer	Management Manufacturing Engineer Marketing Materials and Processes Engineer Systems Software Engineer

Related Skills

• Technical leadership
• Good written and verbal skills
• Works well unsupervised and in groups
• Aptitude for accuracy and detail
• Make sound decisions to solve quantitative problems
• Creative thinking
• Analytical and logical thinking

Hiring Institutions

• Aircraft and Spacecraft Manufacturers
• Air Transport Carriers
• Government
• Educational Institutions
• Research Institutions
• Commercial Airlines

Personal Attributes

• High degree of personal integrity
• High work ethic
• Creative thinking
• Innovative
• Ensures safety and performance
• Encourages teamwork
• Independence
• Analytical and logical thinking
• Capacity for precision, detail and order
• Thoroughness
• Achievement

Career Paths of Recent Graduates

Related Websites

Job Listings:

National Index of Engineering Jobs and Resources
Engineering Central
EngineerJobs.com
Just Engineers
NationJob Network
Biotech Jobs
TopEngineeringJobs.com
OK Job Match

Career Planning:

What You Need to Know About
Occupational Outlook Handbook

Organizations and Associations:

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Society of Women Engineers
National Society of Black Engineers
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
American Indian Science & Engineering Society

Miscellaneous:

Aerospace Engineering at the University of Oklahoma