Although many of the larger engineering schools tend to specialize in their programs and emphasize graduate school research and development, there exists today a demand for training in basic engineering skills. Since the technology graduate is the general practitioner of engineering, the School of Technology assumes particular importance.
In the aerospace or aviation industry, the qualified graduate should be able to find employment in the areas of design, manufacturing, or operations. Design includes preliminary layout, stress analysis, test engineering, or materials engineering; manufacturing encompasses quality control, production process, scheduling and planning, liaison and field engineering, or perhaps personnel; and operations includes actual piloting or flight instruction, airport operation and management, aircraft maintenance, and traffic control.
The well-planned aerospace technology program is designed to serve the interests of the student and industry in these three general areas. The graduate is not so constrained that he must specialize in any one area, but has sufficient background to enter into, and be competent in, any of them. It is assumed, of course, that on-the-job training is available to develop a maximum competence in any one area.
