Engineering Straight Mechanical Engineering vs Dual Majors

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The discussion revolves around the consideration of dual major options for a BEng (Mechanical) student, specifically in Mechanical and Aerospace or Mechatronic engineering, alongside potential master's programs in Electrical Engineering, Electricity Market, or Systems Engineering. The student expresses a strong interest in mathematical and CAD aspects of their degree but lacks confidence in materials science. They seek intellectually challenging work in industries such as automotive, gas and oil, aeronautics, aerospace, robotics, or defense. Participants suggest conducting a cost-benefit analysis before committing to a double major, noting that it can significantly increase workload without proportional benefits, especially when pursuing similar engineering disciplines. One contributor recommends considering a minor instead of a double major for a more manageable workload with sufficient learning opportunities. Consulting with an academic adviser is also advised to optimize educational choices and align them with career goals without excessive time investment in undergraduate studies.
cambo86
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I'm currently studying a BEng (Mechanical) and was wondering about dual major options at my university. The two other majors that I'm looking at are Mechanical and Aerospace, and Mechatronic. I'm also considering doing a Masters of in either Electrical Engineering, Electricity Market or Systems Engineering.

I'm doing well and enjoy the mathematical and CAD parts of the degree but I'm not as strong at materials. For work, I don't care about the money as long as I'm getting challenged intellectually and I'm interested in the work that I'm doing. I'm interested in the car industry, gas and oil, aeronautical (e.g. scramjets), aerospace (e.g. Space-X), robotics or defence contractors.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
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When thinking about double-majoring it might be worth doing some sort of cost-benefit analysis. Adding a second major can add a LOT of extra work, and in many cases (especially when you're doing two similar degrees like two types of engineering) it's probably not going to give you enough future benefit to justify all that extra work. I'm not saying stick with purely Mechanical engineering, but you might find there's a better way to explore other areas than double-majoring. I personally settled on a minor rather than a double major because the major was way more work than the minor and would give me almost no extra benefit in the long term.

Maybe talk to an academic adviser at your school? They'll know the programs and can maybe help you figure out how to get the best bang for your buck in terms of learning the stuff you want to learn without spending a lot of time in undergrad.
 

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