How to Prepare For Aeronautical Engineering

Aeronautical engineering is a subset of the aerospace engineering field. Aerospace engineering works with spacecraft, aircraft and missiles, while aeronautical engineering focuses on just aircraft. If you are interested in going into the aeronautical engineering field, you will find that not many schools offer a degree in the field because it is specialized. However, you can find schools to study and earn a degree in the field. A bachelor's degree is required for entry-level jobs in the industry.

Take advanced-level math classes in high school, such as trigonometry, geometry and pre-calculus. According to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, most aeronautical engineering programs start you out in a calculus class for your first semester of math, which is why it is important to have a strong math foundation.

Fill your high school elective classes with extra classes in science. Just like math classes, science classes make up the rest of a solid foundation. This is because the aeronautical degree programs focus heavily on these types of classes. By taking the classes in high school, you are more prepared.

Determine which colleges offer degree programs in aeronautical engineering by using the College Board or UnivSource websites (see Resources). You can also ask your high school guidance counselor for assistance. If you cannot find a school with the program near you, it is possible to get a degree in mechanical engineering and transition over to aeronautical engineering when you get a job in the field. If you find a specific school that you are interested in attending, contact the school as soon as possible to learn about any pre-requisites, such as calculus classes, so that you can have everything in order to apply to the school later.