Hi all,
I was considering majoring in Computational Engineering in the University of Texas at Austin. This major of engineering is described as using math and computer algorithms to solve 21st century engineering problems on a computer by creating simulations etc. However, I wanted to know the profitability of this major in the Austin area (some people will say I should be willing to stretch my boundaries, but for very lengthy reasons I am bound to Austin). I know Trump’s policies will make finding jobs in the future harder, because people will be laid off and we will have to compete with those experienced individuals for jobs. I was thinking Austin hosts a lot of engineering firms like IBM, Apple, and Google, so this major would pay off. Also, I know someone at National Instruments who said that the major title means little to nothing when you are applying for jobs, it only shows that you show proficiency in some skills (ie civil engineers won’t only get jobs designing buildings, their knowledge of physics will be sure to get them in less restrained areas). Because of this, I was hoping the proficiency of math, computer science, physics, and engineering gained from the computational engineering program would lead to a lot of job opportunities.
I may be completely wrong on everything I said above, so feel free to correct me. However, given these bits of information, how profitable will a computational engineering degree from UT Austin mean in the future in Austin?
I am having a hard time unpacking this post because there is a lot of strangeness.
Who knows? How do you define “profitability”? Any engineering flavor will have a good salary.
I am not sure where you are getting this. Leaving politics aside here for a moment, it is unlikely that Trump will have much impact on the overall jobs outlook. Sure, tariffs (if they happen) could have an impact, and we certainly wouldn’t want to end up in a war, which would affect things, but Congress will have much more potential impact on the economy than the President, since Congress actually makes laws. At any rate, Congress will look entirely different before you graduate, and the White House might as well.
These are (largely) not the companies that are hiring “computational engineers”. The computational engineering degree is setting you up to work at more traditional engineering firms (Boeing, Ford, etc.) using computers to solve physics problems in fluids, combustion, materials, and the like. It isn’t a CS degree.
Who is telling you this stuff? The tech industry is generally unregulated and it’s mostly unaffected by politics. Economic downturns are a normal part of the supply/demand cycle, nothing more. Trump doesn’t have that kind of power. All politicians are good for is taking credit for a good economy, and pinning blame on someone else for a recession. In both cases, political leaders are powerless to affect either one. Sometimes NOT watching the news leads to more happiness.
If you’re interested in computers or tech, you’re better off majoring in CS or IT. You get the most overlap in computers. In fact, most CS or CE majors end-up getting IT jobs and they never look at a math problem their entire career…and make 6 figure salaries.
Austin has a very strong tech job market and it’s been growing for years. If there was any worry about Trump’s policies causing mass layoffs, then the growth would have stopped by now. Business owners are smart. If there was a worry about bad policy affecting their companies, they would start a hiring freeze and hoard cash until the uncertainty is over. If Austin is your choice of place to live, it’s a great place to be.
I feel the need to reiterate here that “computational engineering” is not a computer science degree and the strength of tech companies in a given region is largely irrelevant for that degree.