Which Major/Concentration is best? Is it too late to switch majors?

College Majors
1

I am currently a supply chain major at a top supply chain school.
Since supply chain is new, but evolving, I am not sure how much success I would have by getting a supply chain degree. This has led me to think about switching majors to say pre med or engineering. However, if I decide to stay, should I:

  1. Major in supply chain, get a concentration in international business - this road is if I decide to join the honors business at my college. If I do this, I will have study abroads and honors classes but I must set my concentration in international business. Is this a good degree that looks pleasing in the future and offer success? (Considering I have a good GPA)
  2. Major in supply chain, get a concentration in engineering - I will have a business degree, and I will work with engineering students to learn about the engineering fundamentals in business. This is not a double major and only shows up as a concentration in engineering. This program is super new and no one has graduated from this program yet at my school, but I have heard that many employers are impressed with resumes that have this. If I choose this route, will I have a good degree that offers good jobs and more opportunities even though it is only a concentration in engineering?
  3. Switch majors to engineering (most likely mechanical), get a concentration in business - If I choose this route, I will be behind and will have to work harder to catch up in engineering. I initially applied as an engineering major but switched to supply chain due to my schools prestige in it, the fact that supply chain is similar to engineering (is this right?), and that chemistry and physics were hard to me in high school but calculus and math were my strongest subjects. I am taking Calculus right now (not required for business but required for engineers) so I would not be too far behind compared to others who switch. I am not entirely sure what a day in an engineer vs a supply chain is like, so I do not know which one I would enjoy better. However, I was interested in supply chain after some research, switched last second, but I have doubts only because I have read that engineering degrees offer more opportunities compared to business majors. While I have heard supply chain is good, there are many supply chain openings offered to engineering degrees. While I have read supply chain is a growing field (with Amazon and online shipping becoming more and more important), it is somewhat of a newer major, so I can not find too much research.

When would it be considered too late to switch majors? I am currently a freshman in my second semester, but I do not want to fall too far behind. I don’t want to mess up choosing a major that I will regret in the future. Salary is a big factor, but I want to enjoy what I am doing as well. I am a hands on person, love designing and building things, but science is usually one of my weakest subjects. Does supply chain satisfy that?

2

As a freshman, it’s not technically too late to switch majors. But in most normal liberal arts majors, you’ll have to plan carefully if you want to complete a major in essentially three years. In an engineering major, if you haven’t already taken a lot of prerequisite and intro classes, chances are you’ll have to take another semester or two. Even engineering majors who start out that way often take 4.5-5 years to graduate from college. So you will likely be a bit behind - most of the people who will be sophomore engineering majors will be a couple classes ahead of you, unless your supply chain management major had enough overlapping intro classes to help.

Do you actually want to major in engineering or business, or are you just afraid of the job market? You’ve been told in other threads that SCM majors have pretty good prospects and high salaries, since that area is an in-demand area with some engineering principles to it. Minoring in engineering won’t hurt - especially if you do SCM for a technology or engineering company, or want to apply your knowledge to something like industrial engineering or operations research.

It also looks like you are looking for something that will “guarantee” you a good job and salary - but no degree can do that. You can increase your chances by pursuing internships, building in-demand skills, and networking.

3

thank you for answering. i just want to find something that is a good paying career but also something that i enjoy. i cant imagine doing something i do not like. I understand that I will be able to find a job in both but I do not know what a day in the life of a supply chain vs an engineer is like.

Also, should I choose mechanical or biomedical engineering? They are both interesting to me but is it true that biomed is too specific? I also worry that supply chain degree is too specific?

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5

What about Industrial Engineering? Sounds like it combines your engineering/business needs.

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