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<blockquote> <p>Physics in an LAC then Mech engg in a graduate school OR ME all the way</p> </blockquote>
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<p>I know for sure ME is going to be my major. So it seems obvious that the second choice is better...
But my parents think I should do my undergraduate at an LAC (eg Colgate) instead of at an 'out of the top 25' undergraduate university for ME. Can you give me advantages/disadvantages of each route to help me decide? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Yea, Mechanical Engineers get jobs...</p>
<p>Physicists don't ;)</p>
<p>If you want to go to ME grad school, then do ME all the way. You will be at a severe disadvantage with just a physics degree.</p>
<p>I'm taking a finite element class this summer and my prof said engineers get paid more than physicists and mathematicians because while people in those professions may argue with each other over formulas and concepts, the engineers have to take that high-level stuff and break it down for use in the real world. If you want to be a mechanical engineer, a full major in physics would be a waste of time.</p>
<p>My daughter's a mech eng student. After her freshman year, she had a summer internship w/ GE Power Systems. One of the other interns was someone who had just finished her grad degree in physics, and was still looking for a job.</p>
<p>I'm going to double major in physics and electrical engineering. EE is my primary passion, the physics is just because I enjoy it and want to continue it...definately go Mech. all the way</p>
<p>An overbroad, generalized distinction between physics and engineering is that engineering is about applying ideas, while physics is about understanding ideas. For example, a thermodynamics course in the mechanical engineering department will often tend to teach about how to manage heat in an engine and how to make a heat pump more efficient using some equations that are given to you. In contrast, a statistical mechanics (this is what physicists often call thermodynamics--the terms aren't equivalent as thermodynamics is technically a subset of statistical mechanics, but the fields are closely related enough that it's meaningful to compare them) course in the physics department will tend to talk more about the experimental evidence for and the mathematical derivation of the equations. </p>
<p>With judicious selection of electives to include some key engineering courses (design elective, certain important engineering courses like control theory), a physics degree in undergrad can be just as good as or better than an engineering degree for engineering graduate school. This is because graduate school is much more about theory than practice--while understanding the many nitty gritty details and tricks in engineering problems is tremendously useful for students looking to get jobs right after graduation, advanced mathematics and understanding fundamental theory is more important in graduate school. </p>
<p>For example, a major field of research in mechanical engineering is fluid mechanics. The physics major who actually has a full understanding of the theory behind fluid mechanics would be better poised to do research in fluid mechanics than the engineering major who learned how to apply fluid mechanics to minimize friction on an airframe, but doesn't necessarily understand the theory behind it.</p>
<p>If your liberal arts college doesn't have any engineering or applied physics courses in its curriculum, that could be an issue but it certainly is possible to go to engineering graduate school from a pure physics (and even math or chemistry, though these are less common) background.</p>
<p>That said, graduate school admissions is heavily dependent on perceived "research potential"--so wherever you end up going, make sure to get involved in undergraduate research in order to get good recommendations, or even your name on a paper. (The physicist can learn how to apply the science and the engineer can learn the theory and the math.) For graduate school, research and recommendations matter much more than the exact words on the diploma.</p>
<p>That said, it's important to note that the engineer with weak grades has a better chance of landing a good job than the physicist with weak grades. Whether physics is harder than engineering depends on the kind of person you are.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies people... Seems like I should take ME through undergrad and grad then.
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That said, it's important to note that the engineer with weak grades has a better chance of landing a good job than the physicist with weak grades. Whether physics is harder than engineering depends on the kind of person you are.
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ME graduates have a better chance at landing jobs then. I love to understand theories just as much as putting them into application. But I don't see myself as a researcher so I guess I'll stick with ME throughout. Thanks. I just need to convince my parents now... :)</p>