So I am an incoming senior who is interested in the engineering field. I heard the ChemE and EECS are the hardest majors to major in. I just want to make a few clarifications. In EECS is it more focused on programming, physics, or building (I’m just confused because I heard people talking about building stuff and got confused). In ChemE is it more focused on chemistry (like buffers and reactions), programming, or physics? Also what are the main differences between EECS and ME (like what subject is more emphasized in ME compared to EECS)? Thanks! I just need some insight before deciding what to major in.
Major topics like heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mass balances, and thermo are more physics+math. You will still have to take chemistry (general, organic, and physical), so it’s good to like chemistry, but there’s less of it than you would expect from the name of the discipline.
ME is fairly comprehensive - classes like thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer are related subject from the ChemE, although ChemE classes would tend to teach literally at more molecular level, so you have the right idea that ChemE is more focused on chemistry. Another branch which includes controls, automation, microelectromechanical systems are shared with the EECS, although I noticed a inclination for EECS students to focus on the CS side than the EE. And the traditional dynamics classes which all starts at F=ma are shared with the physics department.
There’s other overlaps with the Material Science and Civil Engineering (and architecture!) and I could go on, but I suggest looking at the research areas defined by the ME webpage (http://www.me.berkeley.edu/research/research-areas-and-major-fields) and browse through which areas interest you. You can also discuss about which industry sounds interesting, or just a general discussion what made you choose engineering in the first place and I can give you more customized recommendations.