I am not sure what you mean by “theory”. Engineers will have to take a lot of math, basic science, and grind classes that are math heavy (my son is taking dynamics now and it is a beast). Programs vary greatly in how much hands on “engineering” work students do. Some schools assign projects where students apply their engineering knowledge and problem solving skills early in the curriculum. Some, not so much. We know an engineering hiring manager who won’t interview UofM students because the program is long on theory and short on hands-on engineering problem solving. Instead, she hires from Purdue, largely because the curriculum includes hands-on engineering.
In short, an engineering student cannot avoid difficult, math heavy classes, but some programs have more emphasis on practical engineering skills than others.