From commercial aviation to deep space exploration, aerospace engineers drive the future of technology and innovation. At Rose-Hulman, mechanical engineering majors can specialize in aerospace engineering, gaining the skills and experiences needed to design, analyze, and improve aircraft and spacecraft systems — while also earning a versatile mechanical engineering degree that opens doors across industries.
Why Aerospace at Rose-Hulman?
Choosing the aerospace concentration allows students to apply mechanical engineering fundamentals to advanced aerospace challenges. Our ME curriculum—with aerospace-focused electives—shares more than 90% of its content with full aerospace engineering programs at peer institutions, preparing students exceptionally well for both industry and graduate study.
That remaining 10% difference has not limited career or graduate-school outcomes:
- 43% of aerospace concentration graduates enter the aerospace industry
- 19% pursue graduate studies, military commissioning, or other opportunities outside of engineering fields
- 38% launch careers in other engineering fields, supported by the flexibility fo an ME degree
Employers consistently recognize Rose-Hulman graduates for their technical excellence, problem-solving skills, and ability to contribute immediately in the workplace.
Industry-Ready Opportunities
Students leave Rose-Hulman with proven experience and meaningful connections—supported by a nationally respected ME program with aerospace depth.
- Internships & Co-ops: 94% complete at least one; 70%+ complete two or more.
- Placement Success: 99% overall placement rate for mechanical engineering graduates (Class of 2024).
- Starting Salary: Average of $78,815, with top offers above $115,000.
- Employers Include: Boeing, SpaceX, GE Aerospace, Collins Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Spirit AeroSystems, Republic Airways, and more.
Aerospace companies value our graduates because they gain both aerospace-specific experience and the broader flexibility of a mechanical engineering education—a combination that a standalone aerospace degree can’t always match.
Student Teams & Research
Learning goes far beyond the classroom. Students interested in aerospace have the chance to join competitive design teams and research projects that rival graduate-level work:
- Design/Build/Fly: International competition building remote-controlled aircraft.
- NASA Cube Satellite Launch Initiative: Development of small satellites with novel technologies for astronomy research.
- NASA Student Launch: Annual rocket design and payload competition in partnership with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
- Rose Propulsion Laboratory: Collegiate Propulsive Lander Challenge — developing vehicles powered by liquid rocket engines.
- Hobby Rocketry Club: Hands-on entry into high-powered rocketry, including certification and independent projects.
Hands-On Experience that Stands Out
At Rose-Hulman, students learn by doing—often using facilities and equipment reserved for graduate programs at larger universities.
- Wind Tunnel Labs: Rose-Hulman maintains two wind tunnels dedicated entirely to undergraduate use. Every ME major completes at least five wind tunnel experiments, and aerospace concentration students may complete more through electives or independent study.
- Helicopter Engine Lab: A donated Rolls-Royce helicopter engine—disassembled, reassembled, and color-mapped by students—anchors propulsion courses. Students gain direct experience with real aerospace systems.
- Flight Training Option: A local flight school just three miles from campus—where one of our professors is also an instructor—offers students the chance to earn flight hours and gain firsthand understanding of the systems they study.
- Advanced Facilities: Access to propulsion labs, instrumented wind tunnels, structural testing labs, CNC machines, 3D printers, and more.
Faculty Mentorship
Rose-Hulman’s faculty bring real-world experience directly into the classroom and lab. With 96% of all faculty holding a PhD, an 11:1 overall student-to-faculty ratio, and an average class size of just 20, Rose-Hulman students benefit from unmatched access to professors and personalized mentorship.
Take Flight with Rose-Hulman
Whether you aspire to design aircraft, build rockets, or pursue cutting-edge aerospace research, Rose-Hulman’s aerospace concentration provides the foundation, flexibility, and experiential depth you need to succeed.
