Engineering Engineering vs B.Sc. for Quantum Mechanics & General Relativity

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Engineering programs typically focus on practical applications and vocational skills, with limited coverage of advanced topics like quantum mechanics and general relativity. While some universities may offer electives in these areas, they are generally not part of the core curriculum for engineering degrees. Students interested in a deeper understanding of these theories may benefit from pursuing a B.Sc. in Physics or considering postgraduate studies after completing an engineering degree. The extent of theoretical content can vary significantly between institutions, with research universities sometimes criticized for being too theoretical. Overall, engineering education emphasizes practical knowledge over theoretical physics, making it less likely to cover complex topics in depth.
Prem1998
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I'm interested in topics like quantum mechanics and general relativity. I want to do engineering but I doubt if these theories are taught to them in detail. I have a mechanical engineering 1st year physics book and it has basics of special relativity and quantum mechanics and just 2 pages on general relativity. But those books do not contain the math of these theories. So, will these theories be taught a little deeper in later years of engineering? I think engineers are only taught more practical things (mostly Newtonian mechanics).
Should I do BTech or BSc to get a deep understanding of these theories? OR Should I do post graduation courses on Physics after BTech to get into these theories?
 
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Prem1998 said:
I think engineers are only taught more practical things (mostly Newtonian mechanics)
Yes, QM or GR was not mentioned even once in the four years of my BE (mech.).

why not check for yourself? Most universities have all the course descriptions for all their degrees online.
 
Prem1998 said:
So, will these theories be taught a little deeper in later years of engineering?

I would be very surprised if they were.
 
Do you want to be an engineer and understand these theories better? I would be surprised if you couldn't just take some of these courses as electives.

I suppose the university might make a difference too. I go to one of those research universities, and I often hear criticism for being too theoretical for engineers.
 
You will learn about technology (the science behind it, how to create new ones, the skills needed for the systems) in engineering. Some basic science at the bachelor level and a decent amount of mathematics depending on the universities you attend but nothing compared to the level of physics in a pure physics degree... so such exotic physics topics will probably not be taught at the bachelor degree level unless you do the new degree known as "engineering physics".

Remember that engineering is a vocationally oriented degree. The skills and knowledge taught is very different.

Many students often don't know what engineering is, until they start studying it, and I believe so far I can say the above description has held true for me. It is fun but I would like to continue to something more theoretical after this :) I attend an average university but have never seen quantum mechanics as part of a mechanical/ electrical/chemical engineering bachelor.
 
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