<p>I'm going to be an undergraduate freshman next year and am leaning towards a dual engineering and business degree. Initially, I was convinced that I wanted to go into computer science, but I'm no longer sure if that is the best choice. For one, I don't like working on computers (programming/coding) and wouldn't like long nights of doing so. I'm not a gamer or a "tech-guy" and after seeing the students I'd be working with at UCLA's open house yesterday, I'm considering a new type of engineering.
First, what do you guys recommend for someone stronger in math, wanting to go into a non-science engineering field?
I don't know if there is one, but I'd enjoy the most social, active, fulfilling type.</p>
<p>On another note, what does the future of engineering hold? What are the major fields and high paying jobs going to be?</p>
<p>Finally, do you guys know of the standard salaries that engineers make? Is one type of engineer the most lucrative?</p>
<p>First-off I wouldn’t judge a major based on who youll be working with, moreso if you like it or not. You seem to not be a fit for Comp Sci.</p>
<p>Second I would never go into ANY engineering just for the money. pick the engineering that you’re going to like to do the most. Chances are, the more you like it, the harder youll work on it, the higher grades youll get, and the better stance you’ll be for jobs and a higher starting salary.</p>
<p>Just about all engineering majors have a high starting salary and a good job outlook as of now. What you’ll want to do no matter which major you pick is find ways to set yourself apart from the pack of other students in your major. Leadership experience within organizations is one big way and one thing a lot of companies look for.</p>
<p>Please don’t go into an engineering major just for the money…the retention rate among engineering is low enough ;).</p>
<p>IMO, there’s a big push going on in the alternative energy arena. Read some Thomas Friedman books to get an idea. From what I’ve read on here, most engineering majors can end up in the alternative energy field, just different parts of it. As for your peers, think about it this way. When it comes to getting a job, you’re going to be hired for the positions that require more than technical knowledge, and they will be the ones grinding out long nights of coding and debugging. An engineer with social skills can go into a lot of things, whether that be consulting or engineering manager positions.</p>
<p>The only other engineering branch that isn’t so heavy in the area of science (physics, chemistry, etc.) is Industrial Engineering. All the others will use lots of physical or life science.</p>
<p>Is that a reality more often than not - that there isn’t much money in engineering?</p>
<p>And I was thinking of majoring in business and either majoring or minoring in engineering as well? With a business degree, which type of engineering would be best to further my entrepreneurial pursuits?</p>
<p>That entirely depends on what your entrepreneurial interests are.</p>
<p>I don’t think a lot of places allow you to minor in engineering though, so you might find it a little tough to work that out.</p>
<p>Honestly though, you need to reexamine why you are considering engineering. Everything you have said leads me to believe that you are only interested in it for the money. You don’t like the hard sciences so you thought of doing CS. You don’t like programming, so you decided not to do CS. Someone mentioned Industrial Engineering, which is lighter on hard sciences, but still has plenty of it. I think you need to consider other career paths. Look at actuarial science or something. They make a lot of money, don’t use hard sciences, and would be more useful for a business guy in your situation.</p>
<p>To answer your question straight up, Petroleum Engineering is by far the most lucrative engineering gig, although you need to come from an esteemed program and it is also very competitive.</p>
I think you guys misunderstood. When I said a type of engineering that non-scientific, I misspoke, and rather meant not biochem-engineering. But, I’m not resistant of the hard sciences, like physics for example.
So, that leaves many types of engineering, like electrical and civil and environmental. I hope to get an MBA, so would any one type of engineering be more advantageous with the business degree?</p>
<p>Petroleum engineering is also the most stressful if you are doing drilling and it is also the most time consuming. Get ready to work odd schedules and deal with the ups and downs of the oil industry. If you consider working 21 on and 14 off the ideal working conditions then it may be for you. Remember you will be on a rig in the gulf, in the north sea, on the slopes of Alaska or in some foreign land, or in the US miles from the nearest town. The petroleum engineer of the future will be the one who will be going to the far reaches of the earth. Even the oil we are extracting today won’t be around 4-5 years down the road. You will be exploring uncharted territory. The first 10 years are your training years. Get ready for odd schedule, long hours, and don’t plan on having a family. Eventually you move up, or get into a more supervisory position. Petroleum engineers who make a nice pay check are the ones who spend large amounts of time away from home and dedicate their lives to the profession. Remember you don’t get experience as a petrol engineering sitting in an office or working in a lab. You’ll never move up then, and your buddies in mech E, Chem E, and others will pass you up as far as salary is concerned. I suggest anyone considering a career to find a person who is already practicing and interview them, see how it really is and then make a decision. I’m reading too many posts where people want to do engineering or just petroleum engineering for money, or whatever reasons, but they have false assumptions. Also, getting a petroleum engineering degree does not gurantee a high salary, just like making it into the NBA doesn’t guarantee you 25 mil a year. You have to prove yourself, and be good at what you do to make the high salaries. Don’t expect to get rich either. All engineering salaries cap off at some point, and don’t expect for your salaries to increase exponentially year after year. This is even more true working for corporations. Look for employee approval ratings for companies like chevron or exxonmobil, you’ll see a lot of unsatisfied people. Another thing is with the increasing number of people considering petroleum engineering, competition will be fierce. I received an SPE newsletter email just the other day, and the report showed that the amount of people in petroleum engineering programs enrolled has more than surpassed the amount of jobs that will be available in the future. So, the industry called out for help, and the people have answered. Now that leaves a few things to consider. If the market is flooded with petroleum engineers the salaries will drop considerably and their will be fierce competition for jobs. The fact is though that most of these people have mislead assumptions about what petroleum engineering is or how a petroleum engineers job is conducted. So, you better hope some people end up failing out, or you are just better than the majority of the bunch. What this will also lead to is competition for internships increasing and becoming scarce. I suggest anyone, if they are really looking for money, not to consider engineering, this is not the career for money hungry people. It is a career for people who love what they do, and do it because they wouldn’t want to do anything else. </p>
<p>If you don’t like what you are doing, and are just seeking a job for the salary, you will be competing for jobs against people who love what they do, and take it personally and to heart. And trust me, you don’t want to compete against the guy who likes staring at mud cakes formed by drilling mud all day long, or considers the metamorphic processes that occure miles below the earths surface to be fascinating or awe inspiring. Because that will be the guy who will love kicking your ass at whatever you do, lol.</p>
<p>compacttuner: sorry, but you’re an idiot. I just feel like throwing you for some odd reason… </p>
<p>…but yes you are VERY correct, oil companies only recruit from the top schools, like HYP and the rest of the Ivies. Now, however, schools for other idiots, like Stanford, Duke, UChicago, etc, are too low class for oil companies. “Our” point is, if you don’t come from a top school that requires a 34+/1500 test score; NEED NOT APPLY. Those Ivy Leaguers really know how to work a shaft delicatelty to produce enough oil and natural gas to flow through those pipelines. </p>
<p>But yeah, we CCers, look very down apon borderline ■■■■■■■■ people with GPA’s lower than a modest 3.8999999999 repeating and below 32 ACT test scores. We should start banning people below those scores immediately! but lol, I’m surprised you guys haven’t started a holocaust or pull a Joseph Stalin for those poor, ■■■■■■■■ souls.</p>
<p>EDIT: Maine Longhorn: I applaud you for you making more money than all of your friends, you deserve a real pat on the back… I hope with all that travel small businesses in the middle of nowhere, your woman will remain faithful. She probably wouldn’t if she saw me… And please say high to all my friends at McKinsey and Boston.</p>
<p>And Mr. Payne, i wouldn’t expect that kind of immature response from such a prominent natural gas, some oil engineer representing Bakersfield. I am beginning to wonder about you.</p>
<p>HoustonOilers27, maybe you and I are reading different posts, or maybe you see things more negative and I see things more positive, but…</p>
<p>Re:compactrunner
I took that post to mean esteemed petroleum engineering programs, and not prestigious schools in the eyes of the general population. Don’t oil companies target certain schools for recruitment? LSU, NMT? You know PetE schools much better than I do.</p>
<p>Re:MaineLonghorn
MaineLonghorn is a structural engineering consultant, not a management consultant. MaineLonghorn is a woman, not a man. I also remember her saying that she works out of her home, with her husband. They ARE the small business, lol.</p>
<p>Re:Mr. Payne
I didn’t see how that response was immature. He was simply countering the notion that engineers don’t make much money with anecdotal evidence.</p>
<p>compact runner: now if you were talking about non PE schools, than it is ALL ABOUT THE LOCATION! For instance, someone from Mississip State would be far better recruited than any Ivy grad or some pencil pouch from a Big 10 school, like Illinois. If you don’t want to major in PE due to the highs and lows, you need to be in a MAJOR oil prodcuing state, like TX, LA, southern Miss, etc. There are not many more… However, you can go anywhere and be in some refinery, provided a 3.5+ in CE or ME. However, I would recommend a good psychatrist before you even walk into one of those hell holes.</p>
<p>“I suggest anyone, if they are really looking for money, not to consider engineering, this is not the career for money hungry people. It is a career for people who love what they do, and do it because they wouldn’t want to do anything else.”</p>
<p>Just curious, but what career would you suggest for “money hungry people”? All careers require you to work hard and love what your doing, just like in engineering. Right?..</p>
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