Expert: Mark Janus - 1/17/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi Mark,
    
  May I wish you the best for the New year. Impressive profile you have. Permit me to approach you on these topics. I know so many here write off people from asking on aerospace careers  but I thought I can approach you seeing that you're a professor.

  I do hold a MAsters of Aerospace Engineering degree from England but my career hasnt really taken off. I am presently with a Caribbean airline working as a line engineer doing maintenance work etc. Its interesting and good hands on experience but I will definitely like to get back into the real stuff that aerospace engineers do with desigining, testing and R&D. I dont want to be a grease monkey for the rest of my life.

Thus, I am considering applying to Purdue or another similar US graduate school to pursue a M Sc in Aerospace Engineering or relevant MSc program to boost my marketability in the industry, be it North America or Europe.  It will generally be much more econonmical than going to Delta Piloting Academy which is a next option. I will imagine an aerospace degree/ commercial piloting can go well.

I do have my GRE scores etc and did my homework on the pre requiisites required by most of the schools and how one should go about selecting a school.

From an expert like yourself, what are some key points I should keep in mind as I go about plotting my aerospace career?

I have ideas on various projects I will like to do but i really just need to get into some form of study so i can have a scope to select a speciality that I like , whether it be on aero structures or materials or propulsion... Being in aviation is stagnating.


Regards
Niven ( From Trinidad)


ANSWER: Hi Niven,

Sounds like you have an interesting line of work that is surely a valuable experience..  As for going to grad school, I would suggest that you home in on where your interests lie as approaching departments with an open slate often times is not productive.  Keep in mind that grad school has a way of continuing to focus your academic training (and often times limits your marketability)...  more advanced degrees like a PhD further limits marketability...  That said, material science is presently a big area...  my background and chosen field is turbomachinery and computational methods.  You may consider a program that is multidisciplinary as that has become popular at universities...the benefit being you can get an advanced degree while still maintaining some breadth in the job market...

Hope this helps a bit..

Regards,
mj

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Mark,

Thank you very much for the reply. Being in aviation is a bit very unchallenging, because its not alot of deep thinking.  However, it give me alot of hands on experience from an aircraft operator's point of view.   Can you explain the mutli disciplinary degree?

That is the key, I need to know what I want to research.   I dont want all my eggs in one basket but at the same time, I reckon the graduate schools propose various research work they do and you pick an area that is desirable to you.

I really do love material science and aerospace strutures and aerodynamics. However, my experience in CFD and Finite Element Analysis really needs alot more growth. I also plan to become very proficient in AUTOCAD solid modelling while I still am working . I will rather not start post grad studies without a very good proficiency in these software tools.

I am forecasting to start studies in 18 months time.  That is the intent. Gaining employment, whether it is overseas or stateside in research, design or testing. The research and development side of aerospace is very fascinating to me.. Eg. the research projects at NASA.  There is simply no scope for aerospace industries in the Caribbean.

Again, may i thank you so much for your guidance and assistance and may I wish you a very good weekend. Your patience is very appreciated.  

Regards

Answer
The multidisciplinary degree basically requires the student to take courses in eg. mathematics, computer science, and a physical application area...  Computational engineering is a degree field where the students are trained not only in the use of simulation software, but also in what makes it work....

It is a growing area since simulation software is becoming the mainstay of engineering design...

mj