<p>if you want to later get a phd. in mechanical engineering? If you have any other suggestions, please post them.</p>
<p>Double Bachelors
- Applied Mathematics and Environmental Science
- Earth System Science and Environmental Engineering
- Interdisciplinary Studies ( humanities, geography, international studies, philosophy, ethics, psychology, space studies, environmental studies and human factors) and Aerospace engineering
- Environmental Science and Mathematics
- Environmental Studies and Space Physics
- Engineering Technologies and Humanities
- Environmental Engineering and Science and Technology Studies
- Environmental Engineering and Science, technology and society BS
- Aerospace Engineering and Environmental Engineering</p>
<p>Bachelors plus minors
- Electrical Engineering Technologies, minor: applied probability and statistics
- Electrical Engineering Technologies, minor: environmental science
- Environmental Science and engineering, minor: aerospace</p>
<p>thanks for your imput!</p>
<p>Other suggestion: Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering.</p>
<p>Seriously, if your intention is to get a PhD in ME, then I am not sure why you are set on starting anywhere else. Indeed, without knowing what you specifically want to research as a PhD I cannot even recommend another path! Taking one of the options you list might prepare you just fine for A PhD program, but might not prepare you for THE PhD program you actually want to attend.</p>
<p>A few quick notes, however:</p>
<p>1) Double majors add breadth, grad programs and most employers care mainly or even exclusively about depth. In other words, a double major will not help in your stated quest.</p>
<p>2) Minors are basically the same, although there is less of a cost and commitment involved. A minor CAN help if there is some specialty in grad ME that cannot be addressed in undergrad ME classes, but even then you can get the same result just by taking a few extra courses - not the full series required for a minor.</p>
<p>3) For a minor or double major to help, both programs must overlap in a particular research area, otherwise they are a drag on your application since they suggest an undecided interest (and PhD programs want FOCUS!!). I cannot reconcile combining many of the program combinations you list.</p>
<p>4) “Technology” provide enhanced practical applications at the expense of theory - as a result many programs explicitly or tacitly reject Technology degree holders from their graduate programs. If you want a PhD, getting a Technology degree starts you at a huge disadvantage.</p>
<p>I’m just curious as to why you chose these particular combinations to list? </p>
<p>I agree with cosmicfish. Why not just mechanical engineering? </p>
<p>My suggestion would be (if your school doesn’t offer mechanical engineering) to just major in aerospace engineering by itself. Aerospace engineering is a large part of mechanical engineering at some schools, and extensive knowledge in that field could get you into mechanical engineering PhD programs.</p>
<p>Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, with or without a second major or minor.</p>
<p>Why all of the other options?</p>
<p>But wouldn’t being well rounded be better?</p>
<p>My opinion in general can best be summed up in this figure of speech: “jack of all trades, master of none.”</p>
<p>PhD admissions are nothing like undergraduate admissions. This is not high school. The most uniquely weird applicant is not usually the best one. Aside from having a high GPA, the best candidates are those that have published research in the field they are planning to study in graduate school. Obviously mechE undergrads are more likely to publish mechE research than undergrads in the combinations you suggested.</p>
<p>
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<p>At the Ph.D. level, no one gives a rat’s behind about being well rounded. The object is to absolutely master your field so you can make original contributions to it. Adding environmental science or electrical engineering technologies or humanities to that is just a waste of time when you should be trying to keep your undergrad GPA up and doing research.</p>
<p>So, what do I suggest?</p>
<p>Get your B.S. in mechanical engineering. Don’t bother with a second major. If you want to add a minor, you can always do something like applied mathematics or straight mathematics; it won’t necessarily help you for graduate admissions, but it could definitely help some as far as developing your math skills. You don’t have to do an official minor to get this benefit though.</p>
<p>Above all else, get involved in undergraduate research. I cannot stress that enough. That helps you out for graduate school in two ways: it gives you the research experience (whether you publish or not) that graduate schools love to see and it gets you close with at least one professor. Aside from that, just keep your GPA decent and you should be fine.</p>
<p>Of course, if you aren’t even in college yet, saying you for sure want to do a Ph.D. in anything is essentially ludicrous since you don’t likely have a clue what branch of mechanical engineering you will really enjoy, if any at all.</p>
<p>Take one major, kill it. /thread</p>
<p>O.K., thanks for all of your opinions. :)</p>