<p>I will be starting Chemical Eng at UT Austin in this Fall. </p>
<p>Since I am interested to work in Petro-chem industry, and both Chemical Eng and Petroleum Eng are in the same building at UT Austin, I wonder whether it is a good idea to do double majoring. Regarding my strength and interest, I am strong in math and sciences (physics and chemistry but don't like bio though), and also like geology and environments.</p>
<p>By the way, I am aware that the two disciplines are not closely related other than they work in the same industry..</p>
<p>I had a classmate of mine who’s brother did what you are talking about. He did both petrol and chem e. He also managed to finish with a pretty high gpa. When he was doing interviewing some companies considered it positive and others negatively. I remember asking how her brother did in an interview he had with a supermajor the semester before his graduation. She said the recruiter didnt know how to take him. The recruiter basically got the impression that he didnt know how to make up his mind and considered it a weakness. Messed up I know. Plus, I feel that anyone who can do chem and petrol should be a major asset. Since chem can really fall into the production side of the industry very easily. If you can do it I say go for it, however be prepared for some rejection come interview time. It is an odd and crazy world we live in sometimes.</p>
<p>If you want to work in a refinery, major in Chem E. Save yourself some trouble and take speech and business English courses to build your communication skills. If you want to work offshore, in the field drilling or working for a service company, do petroleum. Still go ahead and take more communication oriented courses. I can’t tell you how much communication plays a role in your value to a company. Nearly every engineer I’ve talked to barely remembers any of the math or physics they learned in school. Most of them can’t do an integral or derivative to save their life. I know a guy who has been working for over 30 years and he said he hasn’t used calculus once. He is a Mech E for the largest oil field connection company in the world. Statistics is what he has used the most and he has been refreshing himself on that. Your technical role will only be a small part of your contribution to a company. Also, 10-15 years in, it won’t matter what type of engineering you majored in. The only thing what will matter is your training, experience, and communication skills.</p>
<p>Bruthaman is correct. If you want to work downstream, do chemical. If you want upstream, petroleum. After you get industry experience, the degree matters less and less.</p>
<p>^^ You both are probably right so as my dad. My dad (a civil engineer in a big refinery construction company) always says - focus in one field of engineering in undergrad.</p>
<p>The old man says - If I want to work in industry, I should intern and co-op in the industries during summers and a semester, respectively. After two to three years of working in industry, I should do a MBA. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if I want to do graduate studies then I should do research even in undergraduate level. Do summer research in UT and where possible in other research universities also. </p>
<p>He thinks doing double majors would not be effective; it is just a waste of time. </p>
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