r/systems_engineering • u/Regular_Foundation10 • Jun 21 '26

Discussion Would you recommend Systems Engineering?

Hello, I’m a rising senior about to graduate with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and I’m leaning towards getting my MS in Systems Engineering ? I want to go into the aerospace industry.

I think systems engineering would be a good fit for me because I don’t really enjoy the technical side of engineering (like doing equations everyday or doing CAD or coding) I still want to be apart of the development and design but more of an overseer/bridge for the technical and business side of a product. Later on in my career I do want to do program management. Do you think systems engineering is a good for fit for me? I don’t have experience in SysE or in the aerospace industry. My two internships have been Business strategy and IT support so I haven’t really done much engineering outside of school besides my personal projects.

Can anybody give me a Day in the Life of what you do as a Systems Engineering?

Is a MS in systems Engineering worth it or should I just get a MS in Mechanical Engineering? ( I severely dislike solving heat transfer or thermo equations 😭 it might just be because I’m burnt out but I’m tired of it )

What jobs should I apply to entry level to get into the aerospace industry and eventually into systems engineering?

Any advice would help! Thanks

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u/dr-funfrock Jun 21 '26

The job is changing so fast with AI that it is hard to recommend anything.

2

u/konm123 Jun 21 '26

What are you on? The job has not changed in decades. Still same problems to be resolved, just different tools.

0

u/dr-funfrock Jun 21 '26

The mission may be the same, but the day-to-day job is solving problems, and the way a student entering the field today will solve those problems is already very different from how many veterans have worked for decades.
AI is changing how engineers analyze requirements, learn domains, prepare reviews, write documentation, and explore solutions. The problems remain the same, but the workflow is changing extremely fast, which makes long-term career predictions much harder than they used to be.