<p>I'm currently a mechanical engineering major, recently switched from biomedical engineering, as after doing some research, I hear the job opportunities for BME majors are relatively low, as it seems that one must have a graduate degree/masters in BME for a better chance in the industry, and that's primarily the reason I switched. However, I'm still interested in the field, mostly in the prosthesis/artifical organ aspect of it and that's why I switched to mechanical engineering as my major lets you take classes where you learn about biomechanics. However, I'm also considering adding biology as my second major? Is it practical? Yes, I know it will be tougher, more semester hours and I might even graduate a year or two later than the norm, but I want to know if it's practical to have a double major in both biology and mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>If not biology, should I consider adding a second major at all? If I do, should it be physics? computer science?</p>
<p>Or am I better off graduating with a BS in mechanical engineering and work with a company willing to pay for graduate school so I can get a Masters in biomedical engineering?</p>
<p>Double majors are useless. If there are specific biology courses that are relevant to your desired specialization, then take those. There is no way that EVERY course in the biology major requirements is useful. Double majors are usually jokers who think they’re impressing others (which may be true, but they’re only be impressing average people, not anyone worth impressing like employers and grad schools).</p>
<p>For example, I’m an EE specializing in solid state devices. I’ve taken senior level physics courses in quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, condensed matter physics, and even a grad level course on semiconductor theory. It would be trivial to finish the physics degree because what’s left are the easy lower level courses (because I already have those upper-level physics electives as well as the math/physics core, which overlaps between EE and physics). It’s doable within 4 years too. Am I going to do it? No, because those courses are in mechanics, relativity, E&M, circuits, etc. that are useless to me or already covered in EE. What’s the point? Graduate early, study abroad, take an internship, or take more useful courses. These alternatives will serve you better.</p>
<p>While knowledge in another field could be useful/necessary, there are NO cases in which ALL of another major’s graduation requirements will be useful to you, down to the last course. Majors are meant to be broad and intersections between them will always be small. Just take the ones that you desire and ignore the rest because, in the end, no one is going to care that you have two degrees.</p>
<p>You should consider mechanical for now, and go to graduate school for BME if you still want to pursue career in biology field (and it’s engineering) IMO.</p>
<p>You should only major in physics if you want to pursue graduate physics degree (as a double major). That’s what my physics advisor told us.
If it only meant a year more to earn double major in one of the engineerings and plus the physics major, and one has decided to do graduate physics - it’s totally worth it.
A major in CS is too much. A minor is reasonable if you want to learn CS through classes. Some people are good software engineers by experience and reading. I am definitely not.
I can only learn through classes and doing the work. </p>
<p>All engineers take at least one intro computer class. Try it and see if you like it or not.
You can sign up for one more cs classes and maybe you will like it.
It’s actually quite helpful to have background in computer science these days.</p>