<p>I've heard from a friend who recently graduated from college that mechanical engineering is not a very good engineering major because it is too generic. He told me that most of his MechE major friends are having trouble finding jobs. Is this true?</p>
<p>I would have to disagree. The fact that mechanical engineering is somewhat generic is its main strength. MechEs have a very diverse engineering knowledge and therefore they can work in many different fields. They work along side EE's, AE's, CheE's, CE's, IE's -- everything. Why? Because they too have the knowledge to work on planes, factories, manufacturing facilities, hardware development and much more. I would argue that mechanical engineers actually have the easiest time finding a job. </p>
<p>Check this out:
<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/08/pf/college/lucrative_degrees_winter07/index.htm%5B/url%5D">http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/08/pf/college/lucrative_degrees_winter07/index.htm</a></p>
<p>Mechanical engineering: Up 7.7 percent to $54,587</p>
<p>That's more then any other engineering specialty. </p>
<p>The engineering fields I would advise one to stay away from is aerospace and chemical.</p>
<p>The aerospace industry is currently in a slump, and historically they have had their radical ups and downs. Don't be fooled by ChemE's high salary. The chemical industry is ever shrinking in America, and it seems like that will continue in the foreseeable future. Unless you get your masters in ChemE, you?re guaranteed nothing after graduation.</p>
<p>would the slight raises in comp sci and electrical eng. mean a raise in comp eng as well?</p>
<p>
[quote]
The chemical industry is ever shrinking in America, and it seems like that will continue in the foreseeable future. Unless you get your masters in ChemE, you?re guaranteed nothing after graduation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I would have to emphatically disagree. The chemical industry is not shrinking - if anything, it's greatly expanding. To give you just one example, the huge boom for biofuels and ethanol production in the Midwest is a chemical engineering problem. In fact, as long as the price of oil stays higher than $30 a barrel, as it most likely will for at least the foreseeable future, chemE has a strong future, as the high price of oil tends to spur hiring not only by the large oil companies (who now have more money to hire) but also by alternative energy companies. </p>
<p>However, if I was to vote for one field that has the greatest long-term strength, it's probably EECS, and in particular CS. The truth is, the world is becoming more computerized, and mechanical processees are increasingly being replaced by computerization. As a case in point, almost no new car engines are being outfitted with (mechanical) carburetors anymore. Instead, they've been replaced by computerized fuel-injection systems where a microprocessor and a snippet of software code manages the fuel-air mixture. Internal electronics represent an increasingly large share of the budget of any car. </p>
<p>Granted, CS people have to deal with outsourcing (just like any other engineering discipline does). But from a long-term perspective, I think it's quite clear that mechanical (and chemical) processes are slowly being replaced by electrical/computer processes.</p>
<p>Mechanical engineering includes, heat and thermo, fluids, solids, and material sciences. This is why the crossover is so common to aerospace and biomedical for mechanical engineers. These areas are needed whether or not something is powered by a micro chip and electronics-- forces, motion, flow etc. A good mechanical backgrund especially on ewith a strong mathematical base offers many career options. Certainly having some coursework in electrical/cs only adds to the value of the degree.</p>
<p>I agree with old^2 dad. Mech engineering overlaps with so many cores of other engineering programs, such as Aero (fluid dynamics, structure) ChemE (fluid dynamics, heat/mass transfer) EE (dynamics & controls) Civil E(structures, materials) and BME (dynamics, fluids). So their degree can be widely applicable to many different types of industries. Further, many BSME students can easily switch and go onto other engineering programs like (AE/EE/ChemE) for their graduate studies, mainly because of their broad backgrounds in ME.</p>
<p>IMO, it is not too much say that ME is probably one of the best engineering majors for jobs. For example, </p>
<p>1) A director of one of the biggest Chemical factory in Japan has a mechanical engineering degree.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.kotobuki-ind.jp/%5B/url%5D">http://www.kotobuki-ind.jp/</a></p>
<p>2) Professor Pines, Department Chair of Aerospace Engineering at UMCP has a BSME degree from Berkeley, and a PhD in ME from MIT.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.enae.umd.edu/facstaff/chair.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.enae.umd.edu/facstaff/chair.html</a></p>
<p>3) Professor Yu, Professor of Aerospace Engineering Dept at UMCP has a BS and a PhD in ME from Berkeley.</p>
<p>ME definitely gives you the most opportunities, not the least. Perhaps your friends are searching from something specific in the ME field and not open to more than 1 narrow field?</p>
<p>ME is a great major because it is so broad. I've never seen ME graduates have a problem finding a job. I don't think there is a major more broad.</p>