****Want the quick version, read the 1st paragraph and Last paragraph and answer the questions
Hello. I’m a Junior in high school who wants to go to Texas A&M. I want to go into mechanical engineering for a degree so and I want to design technology (preferably in CAD). Rather then choose something like Industrial Design, I want a Mechanical Engineering degree because it allows me to design and have many alternatives
…That being said…
I know I will be coming into college with about 30+ dual credit (not to mention AP & IB credit) hour. I verified that the credits transfer. So I was building a degree plan for a Mechanical Engineering major, but I noticed that because of all the strict pre required courses you need to take before you can take another class, I can only take a few hours sometimes each semester. Sometimes 10, or 8 or 3. All while graduating in 3 1/2 years. I intend on earning a masters in engineering as well (Civil most likely), and with TAMU’s fast track BS/MS program it will take 4 1/2 years (with a 32 week Co Op).
I can’t do that major because a (if I earn any) most merit aid scholarships at TAMU, require the student take 12+ hours each semester.
Because I have so much free space during my graduate and undergraduate degrees my school counselor told me that normally her students in my situation do a double major and still get out in time. So my film teacher recommended I try TAMU’s Visualization program… a combination between drawing / 2D art / 3D Art / Game Designing / Film Making. It sounds scattered but with their electives you can create pretty much anything. Besides the art classes, they both have some cross over science classes(like Engineering Calculus and Physics) .
If I take 2 classes in visualization each semester, I will be taking about 15-17 hours each semester. (which is the average for TAMU engineering students). When I wrote a plan that incorporated the double major I saw that Visualization will take 5 years to complete along side my BS and MS in engineering. If i do the double major I can graduate in 5(maybe 5 1/2 if they change the requirements) years, with a BS in Visualization (20 week Intern) and Mechanical Engineering, and a Masters in (Civil) Engineering (10 week Co Op)
5 - 5 1/2 year plan
- Double major BS
- 20 weeks of Co Ops in Visual
- 10+ weeks of Co Ops in Engineering
- Keeps me eligible for scholarships
4 1/2 year plan
- I can drop the masters and graduate in 3 1/2 years if i choose to later
- 32+ weeks of Co Ops in Engineering
- I could double major in something else and still graduate in the same time.
- Easier engineering curriculum
Questions
- Is the double major worth it? (keeping in mind that I want to design technology in my future)
- Do you think I could moonlight/freelance the Visualization major and make my day job be an Engineering job?
- What would you choose, 5 year plan or 4 1/2 year plan