Among all the major engineering courses, Aeronautical Engineering is a niche field and is only available in a select few universities in each country. The course content is specialised; therefore the fee is slightly higher than other courses. Following are some of the countries which have the best universities for aeronautical engineering:

USA

Stanford University | Purdue University | Ohio State University | Arizona State University | University of Washington

UK

Loughborough University | University of Brighton | Sheffield Hallam University | University of Glasgow | City University London

AUSTRALIA

University of New South Wales |University of Sydney | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |University of Adelaide | University of South Australia

INDIA

Anna University, Chennai | Manipal Institute of Technology | PEC University of Technology | Acharya Institute of Technology

Aeronautical engineering in India

In India, you can pursue Aeronautical Engineering at the undergraduate level and also at the post graduate level. The basic eligibility criteria for the undergraduate level programme in aeronautical engineering is 10+2 with science subjects, (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics), or equivalent examination. You should secure at least 60% marks in aggregate. It is also mandatory to qualify in the IIT Joint Entrance Examinations (IIT - JEE). Although there are other institutes which conduct their respective entrance examinations for offering admission to students. But most colleges which offer engineering courses in aeronautics consider JEE score as the qualifying grade. Diploma courses are also available in aeronautical engineering. Besides the ones mentioned above, some of the other colleges which offer Aeronautical engineering courses in India include PEC University of Technology, Manipal Institute of Technology,Sathyabama University, Acharya Institute of Technology and M.V.J. College of Engineering.

There can be no doubt about how exciting a career as an aeronautical engineer will be. You will be trained in many aspects of engineering like aerodynamics, aircraft structure and air traffic control. You can also specialise in aeronautical products like commercial transport, military fighter jets, helicopters, spacecrafts, missiles or rockets. Alternatively, you could specialise on a particular product such as a war plane or space missile etc. If you are computer savvy, then you can learn to draw project plans using computer aided design (CAD) software. Aircraft maintenance is also another field which requires aeronautical engineers. You can join the ‘Air accidents Investigation Bureau’ which is responsible for finding out the cause of air mishaps.

Unlike a common perception, most aeronautical engineers work in office buildings or industrial plants. Others spend time outdoors at production sites, where they monitor or direct operations or solve onsite problems. Some engineers travel extensively to plants or worksites.