<p>im interested in aerospace, but will consider mechanical also</p>
<p>For some engineering internships the hiring companies are building a recruitment pool for themselves of candidates to hire in the future and thus are looking for serious engineering majors. Many engineering interns also do 'real work' as opposed to internships for some majors which do trivial tasks and many engineering internships are paid positions. I don't know what internship opportunities and requirements might be like for aerospace/mechanical but you should be able to get an idea by visiting the websites of some major companies in this area like Boeing, Northrup Grumman, etc.</p>
<p>Regardless, I think you should discuss your considerations with an academic advisor and try to understand what your courseload would be like from this point forward and the likelihood (probably unlikelihood) of graduating in 4 years.</p>
<p>well i attended the info session for lockheed martin the other day and they said that about 4% of their employees had applied math degrees...</p>
<p>so if its really unlikely that i'll get an engineering internship, what should i do during the summer, if i dont know much about actual engineering? since i'm also thinking about being an actuary, are my chances of getting an internship related to that much higher?</p>
<p>so far, i've applied to companies like boeing, lockheed martin, etc and gotten no offers</p>
<p>It's still early for internship offers to be rolling in so you may still get one. Keep going to any job fairs your college might hold and see if there are additional opportunities. If you're on a quarter system you might want to take an engineering course this year. if it's too late for this year, then you can still sign yo for the beginning of next year but you really should discuss all of this with an academic advisor so you can get an idea of the courses you might be facing. Engineers typically have to take a lot of very specific courses and it takes time to get through them all. If you don't have a problem putting in a 5th year then you should be okay.</p>
<p>hey thanks for the advice</p>
<p>too bad my academic advisors for applied math and engineering dont really give good advice about classes and dont really care about their students</p>
<p>As a current engineer at Lockheed who sometimes helps with interviews, I know that we do consider applied math and physics majors (for permanent hire and internships). If you are looking for some courses that might make you more attractive to our 'engineering' type positions, consider a computer programming class, a modelling/simulation class, a probability or random processes class, a signal processing class (some math classes teach Fourier transforms, etc.) or an introductory electrical/mechanical engineering class (circuit theory, statics & dynamics). You may already have some of these classes as part of your major.
Your probability of being hired as an engineer depends on the local economy - how many positions are available and how many engineering majors are applying. But I would consider a math/physics major with a high GPA and applicable courses over a low GPA engineering major.</p>
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too bad my academic advisors for applied math and engineering dont really give good advice about classes and dont really care about their students
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Can't you meet with an academic advisor for the engineering department? You really need to get an idea of what schedule impact switching to a particular engineering major at this point would have. For example, if it meant you'd have to stay a fifth year to get it, you might decide not to.</p>
<p>Don't worry too much. Just apply to schools that have strong fields in many disciplines - you can start off as an engineering major and then switch to something else if you don't enjoy it. There's not much experience you can get as a highschool student that will give you a clear picture on what it is like to become an engineer. If you have relatives who are already engineers, try talking to them and ask them what they like about their job.</p>
<p>"Can't you meet with an academic advisor for the engineering department? You really need to get an idea of what schedule impact switching to a particular engineering major at this point would have. For example, if it meant you'd have to stay a fifth year to get it, you might decide not to."</p>
<p>i know its too late to switch into engineering major at this point. my school doesnt offer engineering minors, so i wonder how many engineering classes in total i should take. i plan on just taking 1 this quarter to see if i like it or not</p>
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[quote]
i'm in a similar position: confused if engineering is right for me. im an applied math major and enjoyed the few physics courses i've taken. but im a junior in college now. should i take engineering classes now? or wait til the summer to experience an engineering internship? thats if i can even get an engineering internship
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm curious ... why do you think you should go into engineering? Presumably, you chose applied math for some reason, and you like your physics courses. I'm not saying you shouldn't go into engineering, but I'm wondering why you have doubts about your current career plan.</p>
<p>As others have said, it's possible to get engineering jobs with non-engineering degrees such as applied math. You just have to make sure you work on projects that the engineering companies think are important. Talk to your professors about doing independent study and/or a senior project with an engineering focus.</p>
<p>"I'm curious ... why do you think you should go into engineering? Presumably, you chose applied math for some reason, and you like your physics courses. I'm not saying you shouldn't go into engineering, but I'm wondering why you have doubts about your current career plan.</p>
<p>As others have said, it's possible to get engineering jobs with non-engineering degrees such as applied math. You just have to make sure you work on projects that the engineering companies think are important. Talk to your professors about doing independent study and/or a senior project with an engineering focus."</p>
<p>i chose applied math since i like the classes, and it leads to lots of options. im just having dobuts about my career plan because i've always been in interested in aerospace engineering, but i know nothing about it. finance, stats, etc doesnt sound as great</p>
<p>oh, i went to the engineering career fair a few days ago and submitted my resume to a few companies, but they mostly just told me to apply online. none of them have responded back to me</p>
<p>"As others have said, it's possible to get engineering jobs with non-engineering degrees such as applied math. You just have to make sure you work on projects that the engineering companies think are important. Talk to your professors about doing independent study and/or a senior project with an engineering focus. "</p>
<p>i only signed up for 1 engineering course this quarter and this is the only engineering class i've ever taken</p>
<p>i think at this point i may give up on engineering. since i have an applied math background, will i have better chances of getting an actuary related internship? i have taken no econ related classes</p>