Switch Out of Engineering?

xraymancs
Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:06:42 +0000

I am sure you will get posts from students who have gone through the same experience but i will be happy to provide you with advice from a faculty member who has seen many students pass through this kind of crisis. I am a professor of physics at Illinois Institute of Technology and over the years I have been an undergraduate advisor, i have spoken to many students who are wrestling with just these questions. I also have two sons, one of whom is an engineer and the other a scientist and they definitely have different world views. The bottom line is that you need to decide if an engineering career is really what you want. It takes a very special kind of individual to be an engineer. You are training to design and make “things” with the typical undergraduate engineering curriculum.

Depending on your answer to the above question, it seems that you have 2 choices:


Change to a science major that appeals to you more. You mention Chemistry or Biology. I am sure that at Notre Dame, as at IIT, these departments will try to accommodate you in such a way that you don’t lose any time toward graduation. These programs will often also have more free electives which will give you the opportunity to minor in philosophy and take writing courses. An engineering curriculum, is usually not that flexible. A science degree can prepare you for a research career as well as a job after graduation. You might not be able to compete as well for an “engineering” position but if you have decided that it is not the career for you, then that should not be an issue.
If you are not certain whether to pursue graduate school or a job after college and you think you still might like engineering, tough it out. It is certainly possible to do research as an engineer and at the Ph.D. level there is much less difference between an engineering and scientist than at the undergraduate level. In addition, with an engineering degree, you are not limited to being an engineer in the workforce. You have a solid technical education and have been trained in problem solving. These are good skills which translate to many types of jobs and form an excellent foundation for a career in business. As an engineer, you can probably learn the other skills you need to be successful, either on the job or with an MBA later. The analytical skills you get with an engineering or science degree cannot be duplicated and will serve you well.


Whatever you decide, make sure you are happy with the courses you are taking and those which you have planned in the future. If college is not challenging but fun, then you definitely need to rethink what you are doing.

Good Luck!