<p>I know that this is all relative, so can someone compare the difficulties of the various engineering disciplines based on the subject material as well as at VT in particular? Most specifically, I'm interested in a comparison between Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and Civil Engineering. As well, could you tell what your discipline was (so I can get a more accurate interpretation of your relative view).</p>
<p>Would you agree with:
1. Chemical Engineering
2. Aerospace Engineering
3. Mechanical Engineering
4. Civil Engineering</p>
<p>I'd really appreciate someone to numerically rank them - I understand it's all relative (and the rest of the cliches that go along with engineering advising).</p>
<p>Besides ISE being easier and ESM being harder I really can’t say much as to the relative difficulties of engineering programs. Of the ones you listed I really don’t think any are going to be generally easier or harder, although depending on what you’re good at you’ll obviously be better at one than the others.</p>
<p>You won’t find any rankings and someone who gives you a definite list isn’t being realistic.</p>
<p>There’s no real way to rank them other than very broad and general groupings. I’d put ESM,EE+CPE,ME,maybe BSE towards the top…and ISE+Civil towards the bottom. </p>
<p>Out of that top tier, it really depends on the person’s skill set as to which is more difficult.</p>
<p>In any case…if you’re picking specialty based on difficulty or if it even factors in at all, I’d get out sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>Picking based on difficulty is like picking your college based on sports teams or voting in elections by looks. I think voting based on looks actually does have some merits…but that’s another discussion :-)</p>
<p>I understand that such a ranking isn’t definite and that it’s all relative, that’s why I asked also for the major pursued so I could understand better why they think one major is harder than another. I’m not picking major based on difficulty - I’m already picking engineering period. </p>
<p>Actually, what I’d really like is not the ranking of each major, but the difference between each major. Ranking the major would facilitate that thought process - i.e. this major is harder than that because it has so much more information that you have to account for in a single problem; this major is harder than that because of the complex integration/derivation involved with/necessary for this major; this major is harder because it’s purely math and no concept so it’s harder for me to understand topics and solve problems; this major is harder because it’s all conceptual and my brain is not good with visualizing things; etc. </p>
<p>If someone could give me a thought process like that ^ to go along with their ranking, then I’d be able to really understand the differences between majors and be able to choose more wisely.</p>