<p>I am between 2 schools, each with one of these majors. Also, which one would have a better salary and more opportunities for finding a job (or starting your own firm)?</p>
<p>If being able to start your own firm is important, go with structural engineering. There are plenty of engineers out there who are sole practitioners. The start-up costs are pretty low; the big ticket items are the computer, software, and professional liability insurance. You don’t need fancy machinery or anything.</p>
<p>I’m not even sure how you would start your own firm in materials engineering. I always thought materials engineers get hired by large firms trying to develop or manufacture a product.</p>