<p>Hi, so I have been admitted to BC CAS, Nova Engineering, and plan on being admitted to other engineering programs as well. I am no more interested in engineering than I am in science in general. However, I am afraid to attend a school such as BC, where I may only major in a science. My fear is that I will have poor job prospects and pay upon graduation if I were to go to BC and get a bachelors in say, physics. Could someone explain to me the dangers, or lack of danger, in going to BC and getting a degree in physics as opposed to getting an engineering degree somewhere else? Thanks so much!!!</p>
<p>By BC I’m assuming you mean Boston College and you’re concerned that it does not have an engineering program. </p>
<p>Here are some employment statistics for physics degrees: <a href=“Latest employment data for physicists, astronomers and related scientists | American Institute of Physics”>http://www.aip.org/statistics/employment</a>
A BS in physics does not immediately translate directly to a professional field, however it can lead to a number of careers including those in engineering (especially if you take classes that focus on application). The degree is only as good as how you use it.</p>
<p>I recommend you think more about what interests you most. If you go into engineering, you will be dealing with the applications of physics and other sciences to designing, building, fixing, and improving things. There will be emphasis on how to use the principles of science rather than how the principles actually work. You will often treat things as black boxes because they aren’t pertinent to your design and calculations. It is an important distinction that students often don’t realize since they conflate science and engineering.</p>
<p>Unless you have a sudden epiphany and decide that there is no way you’ll do engineering then you probably shouldn’t enroll at BC. The school is hardly a fit if it doesn’t even offer a degree you want. You would be better off going to one of the many schools that offer sciences and engineering.</p>
<p>Go to a school with both - Try out an Engineering class and then make a decision - Truth is most high school students don’t really have enough information about what engineering entails to make a decision about it. I’ve got no real data to support it but my guess is there are quite a few kids who say they are going to major in Engineering that take that first class and realize it isn’t at all what they expected.</p>
Pick a school that offers everything you might be interested in and choose later. I’m an engineer, and I can’t even tell you how many different kinds of engineering there are. Changing majors is very common. There is plenty to explore.
If you’re interested in engineering, you should go to a school where you would have the option of majoring in engineering, if you decide to.