Missy Cummings

Missy Cummings

Title
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineer
Organization
MIT
Location
MA
Missy Cummings
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Biography

Missy Cummings received her B.S. in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy in 1988 and her M.S. in Space Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994. She spent ten years in the Navy and was one of the Navy's first female fighter pilots. While in the Navy, she also worked as an assistant program manager in a Navy industrial engineering plant. Her previous teaching experience includes instructing for the U.S. Navy at Pennsylvania State University, and most recently as an assistant professor for the Virginia Tech Engineering Fundamentals Division.

Education
I completed my Ph.D. degree in Systems Engineering in 2003 at the University of Virginia.
Answers by Missy Cummings
More Questions
Dear Mam, since childhood my daughter used to see the discovery channel and was very much impressed by the Aeronautical Engineers. Now she has completed her schooling and is likely to join college for Mechanical Engineering. After that she wants to do her masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering. I am a little bit confused about her decision regading the job prospects. Can you please help me? Its urgent.

I think your daughters plan is an excellent one. Mechanical Engineering is a more general degree than Aerospace Engineering, with significant overlap in many of the courses. In fact, in the US, many departments are combined Mechanical and Aerospace. As far as job prospects, both degrees open many doors and one degree will not likely be better than the other. In the US, companies like the fact that engineers know how to work hard, focus, and develop evidenced-based solutions for problems. At MIT, many Aerospace Engineers actually get hired by financial companies because of their mathematical abilities! So you should not worry too much about her desire to choose Mechanical Aerospace, both will provide her an excellent foundation. Mary (Missy) Cummings

More Questions
Hi, I am a junior in High School and will be graduating with my associates degree and high school diploma next year. I am trying to figure what I engineering major I should do for my Bachelors, I want to go into the engineering field because I want to sign up with the Navy as an Officer (Which you need a bachelors degree for.)My main dilemma is I want to become a Biomedical Engineer and like I said above I also have a dream of joining the Navy, but the Navy will not accept you into their engineering field with a Biomedical engineering degree. So I have to choose another branch of engineering to major in so I can join the Navy.I've decided to minor in Biomedical engineering and later get a Masters in it, but what engineering field should I get my Bachelors in that would prepare me or be good with Biomedical engineering? Thanks in advance for your help

The Navy's officer program will accept you if you already have a biomedical engineering degree into one of their direct entry programs (like Officer Candidate School), but if you want to go to college on a Navy scholarship, then they only provide scholarships for those areas they have the most need. I would recommend getting a mechanical engineering degree, which is one of these areas. Many people minor in biomedical fields while getting a BS in Mechanical Engineering,and there is a lot of overlap in topics. Good Luck!

Mary (Missy) Cummings
Director, MIT Humans and Automation Laboratory