Aerospace Engineering Career Guide: Courses, Admission, Syllabus, Fee, Scope and Salary
Aerospace engineering: Are you one of those space wonderers?
Are Space and universal objects your area of interest?
Have you ever thought of really having a career in the aerospace field?
Yes! You can have a job in the aerospace sector and be a part of the universe’s discoveries and space missions.
Aerospace engineering gives you the ability to enter a space research organization and be a part of the research studies. You can chase your dream with courses in aerospace engineering.
Aerospace Engineering is an engineering branch that offers experience and information in designing, manufacturing, and maintaining spacecraft, aircraft, missiles, and weapons systems. Most of Aerospace Engineering is made up of mechanical engineering that encompasses a broad variety of topics including computer applications, systems, mathematics, physics, drafting, electricity, robotics, aeronautics, etc.
Aerospace Engineering is the toughest engineering branch that has been popular among the students. After this course has been completed, however, it gives your career ‘wings’ which take it to new heights.
Here is an overview of Aerospace Engineering for aspirants pursuing a career in this field.
What is Aerospace Engineering?
Aerospace engineering includes two main fields-Aeronautical Engineering and Astronautical Engineering. An aerospace engineer studies everything from building a small propeller, to working on rockets and space shuttles. It involves the study of various planes and spaceships. Aerospace engineers are in-flight research specialists. Aircraft are used in flying, transportation, war, recon, or any other research activities in today’s world.
For the last few decades, the demand for aerospace engineers has been steadily on the rise. With the rising demand, students are becoming increasingly interested in this area.
The profession, Aeronautical Engineering is the area with the best career orientation. It is among the demanding engineering fields. The aeronautical engineering deals with the aviation, security, and exploration device technology and development.
Let us explore the courses that one can enroll for a career in Aerospace engineering.
What are the Courses for a Career in Aerospace Engineering?
Aeronautical Engineering is a new engineering area of study. The basic criteria for the course are that the students should have a strong command over math, physics, and chemistry. The students have an option to select the field with a good percentage after class 12th. There are also Diploma courses that one can apply for right after class 10th.
Diploma Courses
The duration of the Polytechnic or Diploma in Aerospace Engineering is 3 years. One can who has an excellent percentage of marks in the science subjects in class 10th from a recognized board or university can apply for admission. There is no entrance test for the Polytechnic course in Aerospace Engineering.
- Diploma in Aerospace engineering
- Polytechnic course in Aerospace Engineering
Bachelor’s Courses
This is an undergraduate course in engineering. the duration of the course is 4 years. After completion, one gets a B.Tech degree in Aerospace engineering. There are several engineering entrance examinations for admission to this course. The entrance test and cut off depends on the college you choose. The best engineering colleges in India release a very high cut off marks for admission to B.Tech in Aerospace engineering. A student is required to be class 12th pass to be eligible to apply for the degree program.
- Bachelor of Technology in Aerospace engineering
- Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace
- Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautical engineering
- Integrated B.Tech in Aerospace engineering
Masters Course
The duration of M.Tech in Aerospace engineering is 2 years. One has to write the GATE exam to be eligible for admission to a postgraduate course in Aerospace engineering. Only students with a B.Tech degree in Aerospace engineering or a related field can apply for the M.Tech program.
- Masters of Technology in Aerospace engineering
- M.Tech in Aerodynamics engineering
Doctoral Degree Courses
Those who wish to pursue research and analysis in the aerospace field can opt for a Ph.D. degree in the same after completing the postgraduation program. Individuals who are interested in a career as scientists usually apply for a Ph.D. in Aerospace engineering.
The areas of specializations in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering for M.Tech and Ph.D. courses
- Electronic Systems
- Aerospace Propulsion
- Ground Vehicle Systems
- Aircraft Structures and Materials
- Structural Analysis
- Transportation Systems
- Aerodynamics and Fluid Dynamics
- Structural Design and Engineering
- Instrumentation And Communication
- Navigational Guidance and Control Systems
Admission Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility for aerospace engineering is the same as that of engineering courses. The only difference is that being a highly difficult course study the cut off is equally high for admission. Only the top cream layer students make it to the best colleges for Aerospace engineering. The common eligibility criteria depend on the course one chooses.
The eligibility criteria for admission to Aerospace engineering are:
- One must have a passing certificate of class 12th from a recognized board or university for admission to B.Tech courses.
- In the case of Polytechnic or Diploma courses, students should have qualified class 10th with a science background.
- Physics, Chemistry, and Maths are the compulsory subjects of study in class 10 and 12th.
- One must have scored 60% marks in maths in class 12th and 10th as well.
- The minimum marks in class 10th passing certificate must be 60%.
- The minimum aggregate marks scored in class 12th must be 60% or above.
- For admission to a postgraduate course, one must have appeared in the GATE exam and should have scored decent marks above the set cut off.
Skills Required for an Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace Engineering is a highly specialized area of technology requiring overall excellence in analytical, calculative, and observational abilities. Work in this field therefore takes years to complete, resilience and persistence are essential. Here are a few important qualities/skills to be a good Aerospace Engineer you will need:
- He/she must have an excellent academic background in the science stream.
- The aspirant must have an eye for detail.
- He should be very hard working.
- Intelligence is one of the most favorable skills in this sector.
- One must be able to work under pressure.
- He should be ready to work for long hours continuously.
- Teamwork and leadership qualities are also appreciable.
- Strong maths and analytical ability is a necessity.
- He/she must be creative and should always encourage innovative techniques in his work.
Aerospace engineering admission process
There are several popular engineering entrance exams to get admission to the top and reputed colleges of India. These exams are:
- JEE mains and advanced – conducted by NTA for admission to IITs, NITs, and IIITs.
- VITEEE – Vellore technological University
- BITSAT – Birla institute of science and technology, Pilani
- MU-OET – Manipal university
- KIITEE – Kalinga Institute of technology
- ComedK – for admission to engineering colleges in Karnataka.
To get admission into these colleges one must apply and write these exams for the respective engineering college. To submit an online application form you must follow the below-mentioned steps.
- Registration – students have to enter their phone number and email address on the official website to register.
- After one has successfully registered on the website, he/she will receive a confirmation mail and message with login details.
- Students have to use the email id and password to log in and fill the online application form.
- Candidates have to fill name, parent’s name, address, and education qualifications of class 10th and 12th in the form.
- After submitting the above mentioned details applicants need to scan and upload some documents.
- The required documents are photo id proof ( Aadhar card, pan card, driver license or passport), class 10th certificate, class 12 admit card or mark sheet, passport size photograph, postcard size photograph, and signature.
- The last step is registration fee payment. Students can pay the fee online through net banking, credit card, debit card, or UPI methods.
Important points while applying online
- Always apply from the official college or exam website.
- Never forget to check your payment status.
- Always download and print the application form and payment receipt after submission.
- The uploaded documents should be clear and accurate.
- Always be in touch with the respective college and exam official websites for any notification on cut off, scorecard, admit card, and counseling dates.
What is the Course Fee for Admission to Aerospace engineering courses?
The course depends on the following:
- The college you choose – Government or private
- Course you apply for
- Hostel and mess facilities as you select.
The complete details on the course fee are given on the respective college prospectus for any course. You must carefully read and check before applying. The average course fee for an Aerospace engineering program are:
- B.tech courses
Government colleges course fee – Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 16,00,000
Private colleges course fee – Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 20,00,000
- BE courses
Government colleges course fee – Rs. 1,34,000 to Rs. 7,00,000
Private colleges course fee – Rs. 2,00,000 to Rs. 20,00,000
- M.Tech courses
Government colleges course fee – Rs. 10000 to Rs. 2,40,000
Private colleges course fee – Rs. 1,00,000 to Rs. 3,00,000
Top Colleges for Aerospace engineering
The top reputed engineering colleges in India are:
- Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
- Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
- Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
- Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai
- Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology-Thiruvananthapuram
- Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
- Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai
- Birla Insitute of Technology, Ranchi.
- Defense Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune
- Feroze Gandhi Insitute Of Engineering And Technology, Rai Bareli
Aerospace engineering Syllabus
The syllabus for B.Teh or BE program is divided into 8 semesters to train students in all subjects of aerospace and aeronautics. The subjects of study are:
- Elements of Aeronautics.
- Aero-Fluid Mechanics.
- Mechanics of Solids.
- Aircraft Component Drawing.
- Aerodynamics
- Machines and Mechanisms.
- Aircraft Systems and Instruments.
- Air-breathing Propulsion.
- Aerodynamics Laboratory.
- Introduction to Space Tech.
- Aircraft Structure Designing and Building.
- Flight Dynamics.
- Heat Transfer.
- Total Quality Management and Reliability engineering.
- Rocket Propulsion.
- Vibrations and Elements of Aeroelasticity.
- Helicopter Aerodynamics.
- Rockets and Missiles.
- Combustion Engineering.
- Theory of Plates and Shells.
- Computer-aided design and analysis.
- Automatic Control System.
- Spacecraft technology.
- Aircraft Materials.
- Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics.
The M.Tech program is divided into 4 semesters over 2 years. This gives the students to research into the depths of aerospace dynamics. The subjects taught are:
- Engineering Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics.
- Elements of Gas Dynamics and Propulsion.
- Aerodynamic Design.
- Advanced aerodynamics.
- Helicopter Aerodynamics.
- Numerical Methods in Gas Dynamics.
- Grid Generation.
- Hypersonic Air-Breathing Propulsion.
- Thermal Stress Analysis.
- Mechanics of Damage Tolerance.
- Aero Elasticity.
- Elastic Stability.
- Non-Linear Behavior of Plates and Shells.
Job Prospects
Several companies are hiring aeronautical engineers. With the increasing technologies around the world, the work fields of aeronautical engineers are becoming broader.
All government and private aviation agencies, and manufacturing and testing units for aircraft and spacecraft typically need the candidates qualified.
The aeronautical engineering profession is extremely respectable, polite, and demanding, and it is also very nice for the beautiful paying work.
After completing your degree in aeronautical engineering, you are qualified not only for aircraft and spacecraft design and development but also for the turbine, high-speed trains (bullet trains), flying devices, and turbine development & design.
One can be hired as:
- Thermal Design Engineer
- Consultants
- Mechanical Design Engineer
- Aerospace Designer Checker
- Graduate Engineer Trainees
- Assistant Technical Officers
- Assistant Aircraft Engineers
- Aircraft Production Manager
Top Recruiters for Aerospace engineers
The reputed companies that hire aerospace and aeronautical engineers are:
- HAL
- DRDO
- ISRO
- Air India
- Indian Airlines
- Helicopter Corporation of India
- DRDL
- NAL
- ADE
- Civil Aviation department
- Private airlines
- Flight clubs
What is the Salary given to Aerospace Engineers in India?
An aeronautical engineer receives an average salary of between 5lakh and 6 lakh per annum in India. It has a great opportunity for the government to work in this field. Public sector wages are determined according to the pay scale for the specific post.
Touch not only the sky but the universe with a magnificent career in Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering.