Double Major in Mechanical and Chemical Engineering?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

I am really interested in Engineering and developing alternative energy solutions to the energy crisis. I feel like both Mechanical and Chemical engineering could be useful in this field. But I don’t want to pick either one. Mechanical Engineering would allow me to work on designing new energy-efficient machines while Chemical Engineering would allow me work on biofuels and solar fuels. It seems as if Mechanical Engineering would lock me away from the Life Sciences and Chemical Engineering would lock me away from Mechanics.

Both these fields seem highly interesting so I am wondering if it is possible to double major in both Chemical and Mechanical Engineering(btw I am planning to go to University of Texas at Austin). Is this commonly done? Is it feasible? Or is there another way to experience the benefits of both majors?

As a high schooler, I am trying to maximize my college credits by taking as many APs as possible. By the time I graduate, I will have taken AP Physics C, AP Chem, AP Bio, AP Lang, APUSH, AP CS, AP Calc BC, and AP US Gov. Will having all these college credits make double majoring more reasonable?

2

There really is no reason to double major. Companies and institutions working on energy will have need for all kinds of engineers and will tend to have very few (if any) jobs that require the full range of skills of both degrees. Just pick one and take a few electives in the areas you fee deficient based on how your interests evolve in the future.

3

I agree with above. I am a MechE and know many MechE and ChemE. None would have benefited with that double major.

4

Seems very unnecessary to me. Lake Jr. is a ChE and has not found any limitations thus far in becoming involved in sustainable energy research for undergraduates. Last semester he was part of the team that built his school’s alternative energy car.

5

Your AP list is impressive, could get you one or two semesters in calc, physics, chem, which is the freshman core engineering classes. Bio would allow you to go to med school or go into biomedical or biochemical engineering. You also are getting a check mark under academic rigor.

The history, english, etc classes depend a lot on your college and their scheme of general ed requirements for engineers. You may have other options than UT-Austin, although that is a great school.

I do agree that most people would not double major, engineering is really a team sport (project teams are interdisciplinary and anything more complex than a doorknob requires more than one specialty) and you do not need to play both offense and goalie, just do one well and other teammates will take care of the rest. So you are looking for your niche. Really, that is much easier to understand at college after more background classes.

A minor or just extra chemistry or mechanics classes, sure … pre-med would require another set of classes.

So alternative energy and almost every aspect of it is a team sport. Electric cars = mechanical + chem (battery) + electrical + material science. Biofuels = chem (manufacture) + mech (engine aspects ?). Windmills (mech+elect). Etc.

Also if you want 40 years of career, think beyond the alternative energy current industry. What is hot now may be completely obsolete in 10 years.

What are solar fuels ?

Not sure how life sciences fits in … Growing plants is agricultural engineering, biofuels implies some biochemical engineering (enzymes, vats, etc) to break down those plants.

I am actually a ChemE (biochem option) engineer who has worked in Aerospace for 20+ years (Chem E was slow so Aerospace company took top chemEs) and now have a masters in ME. The only things I really was missing as a ChemE was aerodynamics, advanced mechanics, and material science (Solids not “chemical” mostly fluids) classes. My chemistry and biology are not used that much … but I am more fluids oriented than some peers.

Grad school is another opportunity to take classes, but they are much harder than undergraduate classes.

Common elements are the core (1st two years) engineering classes, fluids, heat transfer/thermodynamics,

Some ChemE programs have statics and dynamics requirements. Most have years of chemistry. Fluid, heat and mass flow are important, mostly pipe flow of fluids and gases. Many senior level classes are really chemical plant design classes. There is not much chemistry involved in Chemical engineering, you just need the classes to work in the field. Jobs would mostly be in chemical companies or fuel companies (bio or petro) or in the production of biological products (pharma, food, etc).

ME has fluids mostly external flow, heat transfer, mechanical design, mechanics of materials (solids). Jobs are broadly scattered in all industries and all products. Specialties are stress, dynamics, thermal, mechanical design, machining (how do you design to manufacture), etc. Lots of solids + fluids.

I would see if UT-Austin or other engineering schools in your area have programs for high school students I think you could get a lot more insight into both fields by touring facilities and talking to professors and students about their particular interests. Also, if there are companies you are interested in, see who they mostly hire and maybe try to ask for a tour or something.

6

Well that’s not true. Most undergraduate ME programs overwhelmingly favor internal flows unless you take more advanced electives. The exception might be when you have a mixed mechanical and aerospace department.