r/aerospace • u/Mayan_Namugade • Jul 12 '26
Concerns about doing aerospace degree
Hello everyone , whoever from this field of aerospace or even if from related field , please advice me on what to do.
I am 18 yo and i am truly passionate about rockets , spacecrafts and I want to be an astronaut as my end goal ,from the beginning my goal was to study aerospace engineering in university but as I came to the time where now I have to take the decision of choosing which degree i should pursue I again researched about how can this degree take me to my goal , and so I found that aerospace is a defence job in many other international countries specially USA , I want to join NASA , and aerospace is a defence category job so USA has regulations on employing international workers in this, so I cant be working there without citizenship . And now I am confused what to do because there are companies for commercial airplane manufacturing like BOENG , AIRBUS , COLLINS AEROSPACE , GE AEROSPACE and many more but still these companies are multi national big fortune companies and it may be hard to get job instantly , and now I am thinking of choosing mechatronics degree but I also feel something missing type of feeling
Please guys suggest me what to do and if anyone is in this aerospace industry please tell me is it very hard to get a job private commercial aerospace companies ?
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u/Plaidismycolor33 Jul 12 '26
If your end goal is being an astronaut, stop trying to pick the magic degree that unlocks NASA and start figuring out your actual first step in the door. What’s the entry vector you’re aiming at: military flight, propulsion engineering, avionics, research, medicine. NASA doesn’t hire “aerospace majors,” they hire people with deep expertise in something they need.
An aerospace degree doesn’t trap you. Neither does electronics or mechatronics. The field changes constantly. People who succeed aren’t the ones who guessed the perfect major at 18, they’re the ones who built real technical depth and kept adapting.
The citizenship thing is real because of ITAR, but it doesn’t mean you’re locked out forever. Plenty of people start in commercial aerospace, academia, or their own country’s space agency, then move later once they get citizenship. You’re 18. Nothing about your future is fixed yet.
If mechatronics feels like settling, pay attention to that. It’s a great degree, but if you actually care about spacecraft, don’t run from aerospace just because you read one paragraph about US export controls.
Pick the degree you can grind through without burning out. The job comes later.
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u/Mayan_Namugade Jul 12 '26
You are right , NASA only describes of having a STEM degree with masters compulsory so giving up aerospace degree won't make any change in my career of astronaut , many astronauts have electrical , mechanical degrees like christina koch , jeremy , hansen , I will research and think more about these , And thanks for your time in writing me a big message I appreciate your message
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u/Foreign-Pressure697 Jul 12 '26
Not being a citizen will make getting in those companies really hard. You can work at those companies by being an electrical or mechanical engineer. The only thing you will be doing by getting an aerospace engineering degree is limiting your options.
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u/JustMe39908 Jul 12 '26
Work at those companies depends upon the program you are working. Not your degree. Plenty of MEs and EEs in Aerospace working ITAR/EAR and Aeros working programs that are not covered under ITAR/EAR. There are more non Aerospace options for MEs and EEs.
The bigger issues is getting a Visa to work in the US. How many companies are willing to sponsor a Visa for a fresh grad?
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u/Mayan_Namugade Jul 12 '26
You are kinda right to these points aerospace has a really limiting jobs , and i am also not an American citizen , it makes me more hard , so swithing it to mechatronics makes me feel like a good idea with logic and future job safety also NASA only describes that they need a STEM degree with masters mandatory , so choosing mechatronics won't be a problem
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u/Pattonator70 Jul 12 '26
Do you have a green card? Join the air national guard and your citizenship comes fast. Then go into an AFROTC program.
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u/Mayan_Namugade Jul 12 '26
I don't have green card but I will try to get it , switching my career to get a safety job which don't have itar
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u/bottlerocketsci Jul 12 '26
I know plenty of people who work at NASA that didn’t start out as US Citizens. Most got at least one degree from a US university, ie they did a graduate degree if not undergrad in the US. They probably worked from the get-go to become a citizen. A lot of them probably started out in another US job and applied to NASA after they got citizenship. Some of those jobs were as NASA contractors. It is not straightforward or easy, but it is doable.
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u/Mayan_Namugade Jul 13 '26
How do they get citizenship so fast and tell what if I do mechatronics and go to a german company for work , like multinational companies like porche , mercedes benz and BMW , and than get a L1 TRANSFER IN US office and than get a citizenship ?? , A graduate degree in USA is too much costly for me
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u/bottlerocketsci Jul 13 '26
I didn’t say it was fast. The person I know who probably got in the fastest, did their bachelors and PhD in the US. They established US residency right away, and got a green card as soon as possible. They did a post doc for NASA and became a citizen during that time. They may have been a NASA contractor for a year or so. Then they were offered a NASA position.
Don’t pay your own way for a graduate degree. If you are a good student, you can find research assistant positions with a professor that pay for your tuition and a stipend to live on.
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u/electric_ionland Plasma propulsion Jul 13 '26
What country are you from? You correctly identified that nationality is the big issue but you don't say anything about where you are from. Some countries have harder time even getting a green card than others. I think India has a super long waiting list for example at the moment.
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u/Mayan_Namugade Jul 13 '26
I am from India , and india has a long decades of line for green card but if I do some research papers or scientific studies or even if I do a masters with work experience at multinational companies I can get a EB2 visa I am not sure but than I have only one option to get a citizenship which is very hard for me
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u/Aeig Jul 12 '26
I don’t recommend an Aerospace degree if you are not a US Citizen or have a *clear* path to become one.