So you want to be an aerospace engineer..

Lakshmi SankarRegents Professor and Associate Chair

School of Aerospace Engineeringlsankar@ae.gatech.edu

404-894-3014

Daurette JosephAcademic Advisor

daurette.joseph@ae.gatech.edu404-385-1595

Some Useful Web Sites and Contacts

• Our School: www.ae.gatech.edu• This presentation: www.ae.gatech.edu/~lsankar/FASET

• AE Academic Office: – Phone: 404-894-3001– Daurette Joseph daurette.joseph@ae.gatech.edu

• Academic Advisor, 404-385-1595

– Rebekah Trout rebekah.trout@ae.gatech.edu– Lakshmi Sankar lsankar@ae.gatech.edu

Overview

• What do aerospace engineers do?• Where do they work?• How much do they make? (I want a

Corvette when I grow up..)• What are the classes will I take?• Will I get to do research?• Do you have a honors program? • What are the Study Abroad Opportunities?

What do aerospace engineers do?

• We design, build, or analyze systems and components.– Aircraft, helicopters, engines, satellites, rockets,

unmanned vehicles, etc.

• We work in related areas. – Automotive, power generation, bio-engineering, wind

energy, environmental engineering, etc.

• We serve mankind by making improvements to the state of the art in aerospace vehicles– Cheaper, quieter, faster, lighter, environmentally

friendly applications.

We make improvements to all theParts of an Airplane

• Low drag airfoils• Quieter, fuel-efficient

propellers or jet engines• Composites and

advanced aluminum alloy materials that are strong and light

• Fly by wire controls that reduce pilot’s work load, and lead to a safe and enjoyable flight.

We make improvements to rockets and space vehicles

• High energy, high density fuels

• Computers and software for guidance and control of rockets

• Optimum trajectories from earth to Mars and other places, that take the least amount of energy or time.

We make improvements to engines

• Fans that produce a lot of thrust, but require less power

• Compressors that increase the pressure with the least amount of power expenditure

• Turbines that extract the maximum amount of energy from the hot gases

• Nozzles that produce thrust, without excessive noise

• Combustors that burn fuel efficiently, without pollution such as Carbon Monoxide or Nitrous Oxide

Where do aerospace engineers work?

• Aircraft manufacturers (Lockheed, Boeing, Airbus, Cessna, Gulfstream, and others)

• Engine Manufacturers (GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Turbomeca, ..)

• Helicopter Manufacturers (Bell, Boeing, Sikorsky, Robinson..)• NASA Research Centers (Langley, Ames, Glenn, Johnson)• Power Systems (GE, Pratt & Whitney, Regional Power

Companies)• Airlines Industries (Delta, United, American, ..)• Government Agencies and Labs (Air Force Labs, Navy labs,

DARPA, Department of Energy)• Hundreds of small businesses and suppliers that cater to the

needs of the aerospace industries and the government.

How much do they make?

Major Number Reporting Salary Median High LowMedian Bonus Total Reporting Bonus

Aerospace Engineering 13 $62,500.00 $75,000.00 $39,000.00 $7,000.00 7Biomedical Engineering 9 $60,000.00 $65,000.00 $30,000.00 $4,500.00 5Chemical Engineering 25 $67,000.00 $91,000.00 $59,500.00 $5,000.00 19Civil Engineering 15 $58,000.00 $105,000.00 $20,000.00 $1,750.00 8Computer Engineering 12 $63,000.00 $75,600.00 $58,000.00 $3,000.00 7Electrical Engineering 40 $63,500.00 $77,000.00 $24,000.00 $5,000.00 23Environmental Engineering ** ** ** ** ** **Industrial Engineering 63 $63,000.00 $74,000.00 $30,000.00 $5,000.00 40Materials Science & Engineering ** ** ** ** ** **Mechanical Engineering 38 $60,000.00 $95,000.00 $20,000.00 $5,000.00 22Nuclear & Radiological Engineering 5 $62,000.00 $65,000.00 $55,000.00 $5,000.00 5Polymer & Fiber Engineering 2 $57,000.00 $59,000.00 $55,000.00 * *

2011 Career & Salary Survey (Spring)Salary Offer Bonus

What are the courses like?

• 132 semester hours (four years)• Plenty of opportunities for internship and co-op

work.• A combination of technical courses (Math,

Physics, sciences, computer science, EE, materials engineering), humanities and social sciences (English, History, languages), and advanced AE courses.

• Please see our web site for more details: www.ae.gatech.edu/undergraduate

Portfolios

• Free electives (10 hours), technical elective (3 hours), humanities electives (6 hours), and social sciences electives (3 hours) may be used to build a well-rounded portfolio of accomplishments:– Certificates (12 hours)– Minors (18 hours)– Design Competition Courses– U/G Research– U/G thesis– International Plan

Do I get to do research and design?

• Research and development is an essential part of being an engineer.

• As engineers, we are constantly searching for ways to do things better, cheaper, more efficiently, and with less impact on the environment.

• We have plenty of opportunities in our program (10 hours of free electives) you may use to satisfy your creative urges.

• Here are some examples..

Design, build, and fly your own airplane..

• Our students compete nationally against other universities.

• They design, build, and fly a vehicle that will meet the specifications.

• They develop team skills, oral and written communication skills, and a strong work ethic.

Fly on the Vomit Comet..

• Design experiments to study how gravity affects materials, fire, manufacturing processes, or human tissues.

• Test your experiment on a specially equipped airplane.

• Try not to P..ke

Cadmushttp://pweb.ae.gatech.edu/people/rbraun/

classes/ae4803b/Proposals/index.html

A Europa Scout Mission Proposal, April 21, 2015Team Cadmus won the 2004 RASC-AL undergraduate design

competition and was invited to present its study at the AIAA Space 2004 Conference and Exposition in San Diego

on September 28-30, 2004.

CADMUS Lander Configuration

Main thruster (1 of 3)

Propellant tank

LGA

RTG

Hybrid inflatable HGAPancam

Science

arm3.7 m

0.85 m

2.5 m

AE Honors Program • This program was implemented in the Fall

of 2002.• Goal

– provide AE undergraduates who have an interest in graduate studies and research with opportunities that will prepare them to excel academically and in research.

• Outcomes– research experience– chance to explore specialties– joint B.S./M.S. AE program

Student Benefits• Automatically admitted to AE MS program

after completion of BS – streamlined application, no GRE requirement

• Count up to 6 hours of appropriate courses to both BS and MS degrees– able to complete MS degree 9-12 months after

finishing BS degree

• 3 semesters of UG research experience• Preference for Undergraduate AE

Research Fellowships

International/Study Abroad Options

• The evolution of technology (e.g. high-speed aircraft) is bringing the world to our footsteps.

• Tomorrow’s aerospace endeavors will require collaboration among nations, and international business partners.

• US citizens should be trained to meet the changing global environment.

• They should be aware of international trade/business practices, corporate laws and regulations, and environmental issues.

• Fluency in a foreign language is a business requirement, not a luxury.

• We offer a variety of study abroad programs.• Beginning in the fall of 2005, we offer a new BSAE

(International Option) program.

Elements of the Bachelor of Science

(International Option) Program

http://www.oie.gatech.edu/internationalplan.html

• Two or more years of college level study in a foreign language.

• Three or more courses in a global or comparative international studies (e.g. economics, law, politics).

• Two or more terms of residential foreign experience, of which one must be a full term experience (15 weeks).

• The second term may involve study, internship, or work.• Capstone design experience (or a senior elective) must

incorporate issues relevant to the discipline, from an international perspective.

• Student receives an international designation on the transcript and diploma.

AE Program Elective Hours Easily Meet These Requirements

• 6 hours of humanities may be used to take language courses

• 6 hours of social science electives

• 3 hours of science electives

• 10 hours of free electives.

• These 25 hours make up approximately 20% of our total program hours (132).

BSAE (Thesis Option)

• Requires 9 hours of research for pay or credit.– The free elective hours may be applied

toward this requirement.

• Requires documenting the work in the form of an undergraduate thesis

• Requires taking a thesis writing class in place of a technical writing class.

U.S. News & World Reports Surveys

Undergrad Programs (Among Schools w/Ph.D. Programs)

9/02 9/03 9/04 9/05 9/06 9/07

MIT MIT MIT MIT MIT MIT Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech U. of Michigan U. of Michigan U. of Michigan U. of Michigan U. of Michigan U. of Michigan

Graduate Programs 02 03 04 05 06 07

MIT MIT MIT MIT Stanford Stanford

Stanford Stanford Stanford Stanford MIT MIT

Georgia Tech Cal Tech Cal Tech Cal Tech Cal Tech Cal Tech

U. of Michigan Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech

Cal Tech U. of Michigan U. of Michigan U. of Michigan U. of Michigan U. Michigan

Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace EngineeringGeorgia Tech

• 696 undergraduate students• 477 graduate students • $22.8 Mio in sponsored research

expenditures in FY '07• $ 7.7 Mio in state support in FY '07• USN&WR rankings, in US:

#2 undergrad. program

#4 graduate program

Attributes of a Successful Aerospace Engineer

• Do you enjoy math and science?Do you have an inquisitive and searching mind?Are you interested in knowing what makes things work?Do you like to solve problems and puzzles?Do you like to create things?Do you enjoy learning?Do you enjoy working with computers?Do you like to build things?Are you prepared to study hard and do homework?Do you achieve good grades?

Concluding Remarks

• Aerospace engineering is an interesting field.• You will never have a dull day in your life.• It does take a lot of hard work and dedication to be

successful.• We offer

– Faculty advising/mentorship– Undergraduate Research and Design/Build/Fly Opportunities

that fit into your 132 hour curriculum– Study Abroad and BSAE (International Option), BSAE

(Research Option) Opportunities– Co-Op and Internship Opportunities– A honors program leading to a fast-track BS/ME dual-degree

• We look forward to working with you as you pursue your dreams.