Two degrees in one year at the universities of Bordeaux and Cincinnati

An article by Lindsey Osterfeld, with the courtesy of the University of Cincinnati

Will Mnich has family members who work in the industry as pilots and in the military, so aerospace and defense were always on his radar. The Aero-System Operations (AESOP) Programme is a collaborative degree programme between the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the University of Bordeaux Evering Institute (UBx) wherein students are awarded a dual diploma by the two universities. A Master of Engineering degree from UC and a Diplôme universitaire international from Bordeaux. 

"The AESOP programme is a signature programme of CEAS as it provides unique opportunities for our students. There are very few programmes nationally preparing students to lead and manage aviation repair and maintenance organisations. Couple that with the time spent in France learning from both faculty and practitioners and you have a programme to be very proud of," said Eugene Rutz, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at CEAS. 

The university's top-ranked cooperative education (co-op) programme drew Will to UC, and the rewarding experience he had here is what led him to stay for graduate school. Will chose mechanical engineering technology for his undergraduate degree because of the hands-on nature of the programme. The AESOP programme was an ideal next step to expand his knowledge and skills. 

"My whole life I've worked on cars and dirt bikes and stuff like that, so the hands-on portion of mechanical engineering technology was really valuable to me," Will said. 

Will first heard about the AESOP programme during his fourth year at UC. During the spring semester, Eugene Rutz, associate dean of graduate studies, came to his class to share details about the programme with the students. Will's interest was piqued. After connecting with several students who had completed the programme and hearing about their experiences and the benefits of AESOP, his decision was made. 

"It's not only a resume boost, but a chance to spend a semester abroad and experience a new way of life," Will said. 

Students spend the fall semester of the dual degree programme in Bordeaux studying aeronautical maintenance, the spring semester in Cincinnati studying aerospace engineering, and the summer semester completing an internship. When Will arrived in France, he spoke little to no French and had not yet met any of his classmates, but he embraced the unknown adventure in front of him. 

"I moved over there and didn't speak French at all. I just threw myself into it", Will said. 

The curriculum for the semester in France centres around preparing students to lead and manage aeronautical maintenance operations. Students can choose to focus their studies in one of two specialisations: structural or avionics maintenance. Will chose structural maintenance because the coursework better aligned with his undergraduate experience. In the structural specialisation, students analyse how different aircraft components behave and why they are made of certain materials. 

Unlike a typical semester in the U.S., the course schedule at Bordeaux varied each week, in part because many professors within the programme are currently working in industry. The course structure was also different than what Will was accustomed to in the U.S.

In France, he took two core classes as part of his structural maintenance curriculum (composite materials and non-destructive testing). Each of these two courses had three different types of class sessions. For instance, Will explained that first, they would have the core session for the course, which was lecture based instruction. Following that, they had the travaux dirigés (TD) and travaux pratiques (TP) sessions. 

"After the core session, we'd have the TD session which was applying the concept and the math behind it, and then we'd have the TP session which was all lab work," Will said. 

During the semester, Will took one avionics course that focused on the instruments found in the cockpit of an aircraft. In the course, students of varying education levels were able to use aircraft simulators to use and test different components within the cockpit to further understand the material in class. 

"They had some really high-level equipment that we used," Will said. "We could see everything in the cockpit and hook up different things to simulate the aircraft at 5,000 feet moving 200 knots, for example." 

This experience with the cockpit and flight simulators was invaluable to Will, whose goal is to become a pilot and fly planes. His MET undergraduate experience paired with his time in France learning more about the structural maintenance of aircraft is quickly preparing him to achieve this goal. 

The AESOP experience had a major personal impact on Will and he encourages anyone who is interested in the programme to take the leap and go for it. He shared that there is such a positive outlook for the commercial aviation industry domestically and globally, making this programme ideal for professional growth. 

"I would tell anyone to do it because you learn so much about yourself. It's a big opportunity for self-growth because you are so disconnected from the world you know," he said. "You get to learn a lot about different cultures, different people, and I still talk to people I met from all over the world. My biggest piece of advice is to try and learn French before you go." 

The AESOP programme is a great opportunity for anyone who enjoys combining their engineering knowledge with hands-on applications.