<p>I've asked this question before but I feel like I haven't given enough information to get a full answer. I am a high school senior with strong academics (4.7 gpa, 1520 sat, etc.). I have passed 10 ap tests and am taking 5 this year. I got into MIT and Caltech but have opted to go to an instate school with a full scholarship in addition to a private scholarship from Northrop Grumman (it comes with a summer internship). I want to go to Caltech for grad school after UCF. Is a double major in Physics and Mechanical engineering going to help me reach my goal or will it be more useful to pick a major and do research in that field in addition to my internship?</p>
<p>Physics + ME would not do anything for you. It’s very, very common to find Physics + ME Dual degree (not just double majors) from 3+2 programs. What will set you apart and put you in a position for a top grad school is having promising research.</p>
<p>I want to get my masters in aerospace engineering. Of the two majors I mentioned before, which would you recommend?</p>
<p>Aerospace Engineering</p>
<p>Could you tell me your reasoning? I was told that I should do mechanical engineering as an undergrad so as not to limit my job prospects by specializing.</p>
<p>Aerospace Engineering is not a specialization, it is a discipline. If your goal is to pursue a career in AE, pursue AE for undergrad and grad, research in the AE department, and intern in AE positions. </p>
<p>Now if you specialized in something very specific (i.e. pursue a degree in orbital mechanics) then you risk being too narrow. But AE is a broad field.</p>
<p>General engineers have better job opportunities than AE or other specialized engineers… </p>
<p>Don’t double major. It’s a waste of time, and won’t help you get into grad school. </p>
<p>Why do you want to do a graduate degree? Engineering jobs are unlike most other jobs, in that you learn most of what you will be doing on the job. In most engineering firms, experience is what matters, a Masters degree (while helpful) will probably not be as useful as 2 years of experience.</p>
<p>EDIT: You’d be better off doing additional internships during the summers than doing research if you want to get a good paying job after your undergrad.</p>
<p>I want to go to caltech for grad school so that I have the label of a top notch school. I chose not to go into debt for my undergrad degree and I want to make sure that I have the opportunities that a caltech grad has.</p>
<p>Is there real-world benefit to double majoring (or minoring) in a business field (marketing, econ, etc.) in addition to engineering?</p>
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<p>Not really, because a popular career flow is: graduate with engineering degree ~> work a few years towards leadership/management ~> go for grad degree.</p>
<p>The graduate degree can either be 1) a M.S/M.Eng with some technical management courses 2) a joint MBA/M.S./M.Eng or 3) (less common but growing) a M.S. in Engineering Management</p>
<p>Taking the core business courses MAY reduce the amount of credits needed for the MBA.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of an undergrad class reducing the requirements for an MBA. </p>
<p>For some reason, students seem to think that if they double major, it makes them a better job candidate than someone with a single major. There are very, very, very few cases in which that is true. If you want to be perceived as being better than the other students, focus on your GPA, work experience, and research, not the number of majors and minors you can rack up.</p>
<p>^I agree with BanjoHitter. I’ve never understood the fascination with multiple majors/minors. Ha, I started college thinking I might minor in piano. Yeah, right. I dropped that idea before I even signed up for first semester classes.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. How would this sound from an employers perspective:</p>
<p>Major in Physics with some engineering classes where I cab fit them, loads of research and 3 summer internships at an engineering company?</p>
<p>I am going to be partial here and say the mathematics/computer science area is one for dual (not double) majoring. There are much more computer science related positions than just pure math so getting a sound concentration in CS is not a bad idea. It’s a good backup and/or fallback plan.</p>
<p>When you factor in pay + supply/demand + less competition + just overall stress, adding CS is not a bad idea.</p>
<p>Honestly, you are better off doing engineering, and here is why: If/when you get to grad school, they will assume you have a certain amount of knowledge ahead of time. There are plenty of concepts that physicists never see in undergrad - like stress and strain - that an engineer would just be expected to know right off the bat. I know plenty of physics majors who went on to engineering graduate school, and while most of them get by just fine, every single one of them has talked to me about how there is this list of topics that they have no knowledge of that has caused them to do extra work to get caught up with everyone. This is doubly important if you are getting a Ph.D. and have to take a qualifying exam.</p>
<p>In other words, do an engineering undergraduate degree if you can (and clearly, you can). Mechanical or aerospace would be the best choice given your goals. If you are dead set on graduate school, then there is nothing to be lost by just doing an aerospace degree for undergrad. If you are still a bit iffy, then mechanical does give you a larger range of career choices, but if you are set on aerospace anyway, then there is again no reason to not do aerospace.</p>
<p>The other problem is that engineering companies are not going to hire many physics majors to fill engineering internship positions. It is rare because it isn’t generally what they are looking for, so why handicap yourself? For graduate school, your most important factors are going to be grades, research and recommendations. Grades you can get in any major, but the more relevant your research is to your graduate program and the more known your professor recommendations are within the field in which you want your graduate degree, the more helpful they will be. Again, why handicap yourself by doing physics?</p>
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If you received two resumes, both saying that but one with a major of Aerospace Engineering, who would you hire? Employers can be picky, and they are, especially when you’re coming out of UCF. </p>
<p>I don’t understand the irrationality here. You’re concerned about limiting your job prospects so you’re going to pursue Physics? Does your scholarship not allow you to major in AE?</p>
<p>I can major in anything math or science related but engineering is encouraged. I’m just deeply interested in physics but want to be an engineer too.</p>
<p>So do engineering, which has a lot of physics, and then take extra physics classes and maybe minor in it just for you own personal enrichment.</p>
<p>I’m seeing you guys discouraging a double major. Why not double major in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering if it takes an extra semester to get both? (Which it is, in a lot of schools).</p>
<p>Because it is useless. There really isn’t an advantage. For example, I got offered jobs at aerospace companies and am now getting a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering despite my undergrad being mechanical engineering without any kind of aerospace double major or minor.</p>