Mechanical or Electronics and Communications?

[Natcu]

As I want to do higher studies in physics ( and unable to get a good Bsc (hons.) physics program) which Engineering should I choose Mechanical or Electronics and communications?

From what I hear ECE guys end up doing software jobs after their graduation and Mech has better chance of doing actual Engineering and R&D (In which my interest lies), ECE on the other hand has good programs at master's level, VLSI, Embedded systems and the main thing is that a physics degree will actually help me with my electronics career as well.

As of my interests: I find both Mechanical and electronics interesting, though I am slightly leaned towards electronics only because of the physics it offers and the fact that most inventions are done in electronics related things these days.

As a mechanical engineer I don't think my physics education will help and I will probably wind up leaving mechanical engineering for Physics

Another thing I could do is to go with Mechanical and then Mechatronics to gain sufficient knowledge in electronics or I could just get a master's in electronics after clearing some exams, (it is possible and people have done it)

Another thing is that my girlfriend lives in Norway and I want to live there with her, so which is in demand there? (I know it's not the perfect way to choose career but still! )

What do I do!.. ?

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Mechanical.

 

[analogdesign]

Electrical.

 

[Natcu]

Electrical.

care to elaborate? :P

 

[analogdesign]

care to elaborate? :P

haha I was being snarky because Dr. Courtney was being snarky. :)

I'm an EE and none of my EE friends have software jobs (I mean a job where software is the focus). We all do R&D and some of us do research. That said, writing programs is an important tool in EE. I write hardware descriptions of digital circuits in Verilog, write programs to communicate with ICs in python, write scripts in bash and TCL to control simulators, that type of thing. I'm not sure if you hate programming or you just didn't want it to be your focus.

I have one friend who is an ME and he really enjoys his job as well, so I think both EE and ME are good choices. They have a very different "flavor" though. Have you taken any engineering classes yet? Typically the first couple of years are foundation years where all engineers take some classes in statics and dynamics, circuits, thermodynamics, that type of thing. After two years of that you will know much better if you love EE and hate ME or vice versa.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

haha I was being snarky because Dr. Courtney was being snarky. :)

Not being snarky. Just concise. I honestly believe Mechanical would be the better path to graduate work in Physics.

Electronics and communications would leave one well short on the PGRE and likely in math as well.

 

[OldEngr63]

Do what interests you most. Both ME and EE have good job prospects, so quit worrying about that and do what your heart tells you to do.