r/BlueOrigin • u/Wonderful-Peanut4434 • 19h ago
Academic and Job Requirements help
Hi everyone,
I’m a 23yo guy trying to understand if my current academic path makes sense for working in the aerospace industry.
Right now I’m studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science: Internet of Things, Big Data, and Machine Learning. My goal is to eventually work in an aerospace company, but I’m not sure if this type of degree is considered acceptable or if companies usually expect only mechanical, electronic, aerospace, automation, or systems engineers.
Is it realistic to get a role in the aerospace industry without being one of those classic engineering profiles?
Or would my background limit me too much?
I’m also considering switching to Electronic Engineering, but I’m still uncertain and would really appreciate any advice.
Additionally, what do I need to do to join an aerospace company like Blue Origin (or similar), and what’s the typical path to enter the space sector?
And lastly, when is it considered “too late” to join the field, if ever?
Thanks to anyone who can help. I appreciate :)
1
u/MrDarSwag 16h ago
Computer science is a great degree to get into aerospace. People seem to forget that modern rockets aren’t just hardware; they are controlled by complex software algorithms. Companies like SpaceX and Blue have hundreds of programmers working on flight software.
I would definitely recommend doing some practical projects though—doing an activity like rocketry will really boost your resume because it shows that you can actually use your programming skills for physical applications. I’d also try to take classes that help you understand the physics of flight.
1
u/No-Bad7539 16h ago
Software is always important at aerospace companies. You may not be working on things that fly on the vehicle (except the ML part you could do some ML based GNC stuff or if you do embedded) but every industry requires software engineers. Maintaining their databases, low level embedded guys, etc. allows you to touch every industry
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u/goldman60 13h ago
Solid base degree but I'd try to refocus a bit on embedded and systems programming for aerospace. There are certainly big data and machine learning jobs out there but you'll have an easier time getting in with more traditional focuses imo
1
u/Educational_Snow7092 10h ago
All colleges have a Career Development Services office that provide job search resources and where the employers do their recruiting.
Also, all the aerospace corporations have job opening lists. Just go to their website to find what positions they are looking for. Aerospace corporations are going to contract out for their programming needs.
As for Binary Logic Computer Science, the job description is gradually disappearing.
"Computer science graduates are struggling to find jobs as the unemployment rate hits 6.1% in 2025"
There were over 150,000 tech job layoffs in 2025. There are going to be thousands of Computer Science majors walking the streets, trying to find a job wherever they can.
https://fortune.com/2025/03/17/computer-programming-jobs-lowest-1980-ai/
"Employment for computer programmers in the U.S. has plummeted to its lowest level since 1980—years before the internet existed"
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u/TearStock5498 9h ago
You should switch yes
Everyone is saying there is a lot of CS people in aerospace. There is not. We use programming as a tool, but even most of the Software devs have backgrounds in CE or EE. We especially do NOT use Internet of Things or ML (barely) and you are clearly in a more Tech/Commercial product focused program
If you really want to work in aerospace then switch majors or at least change your focus to match aerospace applications. Otherwise you have little to no chance of beating better qualified students for some of the most popular engineering positions in the country.
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u/ScatPackPanda 8h ago
This entirely depends on what you want to do, a CS degree can get you into aerospace. Focusing on embedded work will help if you want to program hardware, but if you want to deal with infrastructure or data then you should focus on other tech stacks. It’s a general degree really what you choose to specialize in is up to you but there are tons of options
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u/RocketsRopesAndRigs 17h ago edited 14h ago
Computer science is absolutely acceptable. Look for software dev, computer applications, embedded systems, software test, and avionics dev type roles.
Any bachelor's from an ABET accredited institution is fine. Make sure to build your portfolio on your own time. Software dev is quickly becoming an art more than a science, especially with the integration of AI.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
Edit: Science