<p>Hi, this is somewhat a repost from the Science majors subforum, but it seems like the engineering community might also have some input. I'm leaning towards ChemE, anyways.</p>
<p>So, I'm a highschool upperclassmen (it's a long way, I know, but looking at my options for the future excites me) interested in research, particularly academia. </p>
<p>Major-wise, I'm interested in Chem topics, particularly O-chem, O-metallic chem and synthetics (I like the idea of "engineering" things at the molecular level), but I also prefer the idea of doing applied research and development in applied technologies that would fall in the ChemE world, rather than, say, enzymology (no offense to any biochemists). But, I also have a profound interest in nanotechnology, quantum mechanics, relativity (I know this doesn't have much engineering application yet) and other physics topics.</p>
<p>Assuming I enter college with about 12-14 AP courses taken (I understand AP Calc BC, AP Physics B, AP Chem and the like will probably not be credited) and plan to graduate in 4 years:</p>
<p>How interdisciplinary are research in these topics?
Would a double-major in Chem/ ChemE help me with research or REU/ grad school (PhD) programs?
How about the option of taking Chem/Physics classes as a ChemE major without a formal major/ minor? What might the advantages/ disadvantages be?
What about throwing in a minor in physics? Is there a convergence with ChemE/ Chem in research interest for QM and nanotechnology?
How much of a time commitment is UGrad research? Would I still be able to dedicate a healthy amount of time to research if I have a double-major + minor course load?
Would I have enough units left to take a course or 2 (with perhaps a certificate) in other topics that interest me, like Asian cultural studies or linguistics? </p>
<p>And, how feasible is such a course load for a highly motivated student? What am I getting myself into?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>It may be hard to fit a second major alongside a chemical engineering major, although some physics and chemistry courses can be taken as within-major technical electives in some cases (and the freshman and sophomore courses mostly overlap between the three majors). If you come in with usable AP credit* that the college accepts, you may get extra free elective space in your course plan, so you can take more additional courses. Check each college’s degree plan for more information. Some humanities and social studies breadth courses are required for chemical engineering majors, so you can take cultural studies and linguistics in that allotment of courses.</p>
<p>*AP Calculus BC is usually credited for one or two semesters of freshman calculus (sometimes depending on the score). AP Physics B should be considered as a good high school physics course and gives no credit for students who need a calculus-based physics course (including for any of the three subjects you mention). AP Chemistry may or may not be credited; in some cases, it may be credited against a chemistry course for non-majors (e.g. biology or other engineering), as opposed to one for chemistry or chemical engineering majors. Whether to use the AP credit to skip courses when allowed is likely a personal decision; try reviewing the college’s final exams for the courses that can be skipped to see how well you know the material in the college’s course.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply.</p>
<p>It seems like the course load would be possible, then, in a “perfect” scenario (8 semesters * 5 courses per), although, 8*4 seems to be more realistic.</p>
<p>Bump, I’m still wondering how interdisciplinary research is in these fields, and whether or not Physics/Chem/ChemE could all be useful in a single research project.</p>
<p>So there’s not really not a simple answer, but the short one is yes. Provided you go to a university with fairly large science and engineering departments, they generally collaborate on research. There’s definitely chemical engineering and chemistry involved in nanotechnology and QM, even though most of it is still in the developmental stage. </p>
<p>In regards to majors, I would recommend going for a single major, a minor or two in whatever interests you, and the rest of your time devoted to research. You can double major, but you likely won’t apply much of the curriculum from your secondary major. Just pick out some electives in physics and chem that are directly relevant to your interests, and if they count towards the minor, that’s a bonus. Research experience and possible publications are by far more important when applying to graduate programs, so make sure that comes first once you get past your chemical engineering requirements.</p>