<p>My daughter is undecided between Chemical engineering and Electrical engineering.
How easy or hard to switch from one engineering major to other at the end of first year of undergrad year? For example from Chemical engineering to either to EE or CS. </p>
<p>Thanks much!!</p>
<p>I think for engineers, you’re supposed to “declare” your major by second semester. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, EE and CS and the two toughest schools to get into. It would depend on the classes she’s already taken. I’d recommend looking up the freshman year requirements for both EE and CS and seeing what requirements she’s already fulfilled, and how many classes/units she would need to do second semester as to not fall behind. </p>
<p>Because EE and CS are typically the most rigorous majors, if it’s something absurd like 60 units I’d advise against it, but it may still “technically” be possible after having a conversation with her advisor (though he/she would probably tell her the same thing I’m telling you). </p>
<p>However, switching from ChemE to another CIT major shouldn’t be that difficult as I believe all freshman requirements for CIT (besides EE) are the same, and don’t really differ until sophomore year.</p>
<p>All freshmen in CIT are required to take two Introduction to Engineering classes. If your daughter isn’t decided, then she should definitely choose those two. One exception is ECE is a separate admissions requirement from CIT, and she would find out after applying if she was accepted into CIT with ECE or not. Even if you’re not I believe the requirement is you take Intro to ECE and get an A in it.</p>
<p>HeJind touched on the difficulties of switching to CS at CMU.</p>
<p>If your daughter is interested in EE and ChemE, she might also want to take a look at Materials Science & Engineering. About half of the MSE class generally comes to college planning on doing ChemE when they realize the major isn’t anything what they were interested in. They then take Intro to Materials and find out it’s what they actually wanted.</p>
<p>As RacinReaver said above all CIT freshmen are required to take two Intro to Engineering classes. My S entered for ChemE but also took the Intro to EE (he was not limited in his CIT acceptance) but many in his class were and still got into the EE program. </p>
<p>If your D is truly interested in EE have her talk to her advisor early in the year and find out what she would have to do to continue in EE.</p>