<p>I am a freshman in college and I am stuck deciding between MatSci Eng and ChemE (and really I should include Chem). I think my problem is that I'm not sure of what I want as a career.</p>
<p>I think I am interested in alternative energy such as fuel cells and solar cells or something more biochem like working for a pharmaceutical company, but how do you know for sure? I have been taking intro classes but they don't provide any clues into the specific things I am interested in.</p>
<p>Maybe someone can give me information about what it's like to work in these fields. Also, what should I concentrate on next year to help me decide?</p>
<p>Well, if you're leaning towards the possibility of pharmaceuticals, then ChemE is probably the way to go. If you're interested in semiconductors and the more physics side of things on fuel cells and solar cells, then Materials might be a better choice.</p>
<p>For example, a few of my friends here in materials are working on fuel cells; mostly in developing new electrolyte materials (better transport/durability than current materials) and materials for proton storage (ie hydrogen storage).</p>
<p>You might want to try looking at research topics that professors in each department are involved in and see if anything strikes your fancy. If you're still not sure, try talking with the professor that teaches the intro class for each. You can also try talking with the TAs for each course. They're usually more than willing to talk about their own research.</p>
<p>Also, as a note, here at Caltech, our number of applicants for the Materials program doubled this past year (we're a fairly small department with only 4-6 professors), with almost all the new interest being in alternative energy. From what I heard of professors I'm friends with at my undergrad school, CMU experienced the same thing.</p>
<p>There is certainly a movement towards alternative energy in MatSci. Talk to a couple professors wherever you're going in the MatSci program and ask if there are classes and research related to that. You'll probably be aiming for the "electronic materials" track.</p>
<p>You are a freshmen so it is perfectly fine to have no clue what you want to do. Remember, your major doesn't decide your career--you do.</p>
<p>I'd advise you take more ChemE classes and supplement your electives with MatSci or BioChem classes and see what you like. Talk to professors or research with them to get to know what the subject is really about.</p>
<p>Now if you want simply major advice--go ChemE. ChemE is very broad and you can easily go into the pharm industry or matsci industry.</p>
<p>Oh, I misread your post as saying you wanted to stay AWAY from biochem and pharm. Yeah, ChemE would probably suit you well. See if you can take some electives in MatSci for the energy stuff you're in to. Or vice versa I suppose.</p>
<p>Actually, I know a couple of guys in MatSci who went onto pharmaceutical careers. Drug encapsulation design etc. Choosing either one won't really close any doors.</p>
<p>But if you are thinking about working more with fluids, ChemE is the way to go.</p>
<p>If you seriously want to consider fuel cell/ alternative energy based careers, MatSci is definitely a good fit.</p>
<p>Yeah, there is biomaterials which could fit the bill. ChemE is a more traditional door opener for pharm, but to be honest not a lot of engineering jobs are restricted to one or even a few majors. </p>
<p>It reminds me of a questions a highschool senior asked at a Materials Science open house. He said he wanted to build an alternative energy car that got X miles per charge, or something like that. What type of engineering should he go in to? Well, the answer is, any type. Materials fits in for both energy and the actual materials used to build the car (come up with something lighter and cheaper and you get better mileage.) Mechanical fits in some pretty obvious ways. Chemical could factor into the energy. Industrial for if the car was going to be feasible to actually make. Electrical for the energy, wiring, etc. The list goes on and on. You see, you don't design a car. No one person sits down and makes a whole car. One group works on the engine, one group works on electronics, one group works on aerodynamics, and it all plays into the bigger picture, which is the car. What all of this mean is that there is a need for most types of engineers for most projects. So theres no one answer as to "what's the best way to get into X industry" in most cases.</p>
<p>Materials sci & engineering has loads of applications into biology. I would say the two hottest fields in MSE are alternative energy and biomaterials. Biological applications focus on implants, nerve regeneration, drug delivery, (nano)biological machines, etc.</p>
<p>All of the biotech companies hire MSE's. BME (biomedical engineering) is quite close to MSE in many aspects.</p>
<p>Also, I just saw you said "pharmaceutical." If you want to design new drugs, probably chemistry (organic synthesis) will give you the best options as pharmaceutical companies love hiring organic synth. chemists. But with chemistry you are quite limited if you decide not to do a PhD. With the engineerings you definitely have more versatility about not going PhD.</p>
<p>The reason I like alternative energy and pharm so much is because of the chemistry related to it. I loved chem in high school and my chem classes in college were my favorite. I guess what I'm really trying to ask is will an engineering degree suit me better going into pharm or alternative energy or should I just just stick with chemistry something I know I enjoy?</p>
<p>From what I've heard, chemE gets less and less chemistry focused and more like ME which bothers me a little. I guess what I really don't understand is how the engineering part (like fluids, etc) relates to pharm and alternative energy. Also, I'm not sure about the material ChemE and matsciE's study and how that relates to the fields in which they work, specifically the fields in which I am interested in.</p>
<p>I took an intro matsci class and I liked the beginning which was about crystal structure and electronic properties of metals, semiconductors, etc (the stuff that was chemistry related), but I didn't like the mechanical properties as much. Mech prop seemed a lot like civil which I don't really have any interest in. I've taken physics so far and it's ok. I'm definitely more of a chem person.</p>
<p>One thing I am worried about is job opportunities. I don't want to limit myself.
I think what I'm getting is that I don't have enough experience yet, so I should wait take more classes and do research so that I can get a better idea of what I want to do.</p>
<p>In materials, you can generally avoid most of the mechanical properties stuff if you want. You'll still have to learn a few fundamentals of materials properties, but it's generally on the micro-scale and it's more about the mechanics of the actual material than how they'd behave as a cantilever or structural support.</p>
<p>As you get into higher-level materials classes, the things you liked about it will probably start to have more and more of a physics style to it, though.</p>