Switch majors from ME to material science?

[materialise]

Hey,

I’m kinda of in a crisis in my head here. I’m in the US to pursue my masters in mechanical engineering. After the introductory material science course, I believe I’ve got a greater interest towards materials than mechanical engineering.

Would transferring to Material Science be a good option career-wise? Or would you rather suggest I continue up my current Major(Mechanical Engineering).

I just feel that the current mechanical coursework is maybe a little dry (elasticity theory) very math heavy, and not motivating/interesting enough for me personally.

How radical of a switch do you think it is to switch from a Mechanical Engineering background to material science?

Is it a good move career-wise?? ( I’m worried about that bit since I’m an international student, and landing a job after the course is a priority too.)

 

[fresh_42]

Hey,

I’m kinda of in a crisis in my head here. I’m in the US to pursue my masters in mechanical engineering. After the introductory material science course, I believe I’ve got a greater interest towards materials than mechanical engineering.

Would transferring to Material Science be a good option career-wise? Or would you rather suggest I continue up my current Major(Mechanical Engineering).

I just feel that the current mechanical coursework is maybe a little dry (elasticity theory) very math heavy, and not motivating/interesting enough for me personally.

How radical of a switch do you think it is to switch from a Mechanical Engineering background to material science?

Is it a good move career-wise?? ( I’m worried about that bit since I’m an international student, and landing a job after the course is a priority too.)

Such considerations are in my experience always a sure sign for a deeper underlying problem that has nothing to do with neither field. People often switch jobs / locations / studies etc. and fail to realize, that they carry their actual problems with them. My bet is: if you find mechanical engineering boring and "too" mathematical, you will find similar reasons to dislike material science, too, in a while. Furthermore your description sounds as if you were only interested in a permanent visa resp. a green card for the US rather than any science, in which case your questions are obsolete.

I could be wrong, but that is what my experience with such questions tell me.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hey,

I’m kinda of in a crisis in my head here. I’m in the US to pursue my masters in mechanical engineering. After the introductory material science course, I believe I’ve got a greater interest towards materials than mechanical engineering.

Would transferring to Material Science be a good option career-wise? Or would you rather suggest I continue up my current Major(Mechanical Engineering).

I just feel that the current mechanical coursework is maybe a little dry (elasticity theory) very math heavy, and not motivating/interesting enough for me personally.

How radical of a switch do you think it is to switch from a Mechanical Engineering background to material science?

Is it a good move career-wise?? ( I’m worried about that bit since I’m an international student, and landing a job after the course is a priority too.)

There are a lot of pieces of information that you had omitted here.

1. What was your undergraduate major?

2. Presumably, you wish to change major at the same institution. What are the requirements for admission into Material Science at your school? Do you have those requirements, especially if you have to pass a qualifying exam for your Masters degree in that field?

3. Have you talked to an advisor from the Material Science dept. to evaluate whether you have the necessary credentials to not only be accepted into the program, but also to be able to graduate in time?

4. Is getting your M.Sc. your terminal goal, i.e. you're not intending to purse a Ph.D in that field?

5. How much do you know about Material Science in general? Have you had significant amount of Chemistry and Quantum Mechanics? This is related to #2.

Zz.

 

[materialise]

Such considerations are in my experience always a sure sign for a deeper underlying problem that has nothing to do with neither field. People often switch jobs / locations / studies etc. and fail to realize, that they carry their actual problems with them.

My bet is: if you find mechanical engineering boring and "too" mathematical, you will find similar reasons to dislike material science, too, in a while. Furthermore your description sounds as if you were only interested in a permanent visa resp. a green card for the US rather than any science, in which case your questions are obsolete.

I could be wrong, but that is what my experience with such questions tell me.

Thanks a lot for your comments.

The point you mention about “an underlying problem” was what I was wondering too. I think it’s just me, and I’d keep changing focus regardlesss.

And no, I’m not running behind a PR, I came to US just coz I knew I couldn’t get a similar education at the universities I got into back home.

Heck, I’m open to going back home for a PhD if I can continue in a better university that has the facilities for me to progress my research.

My end goal is to be happy pursuing a career in a subject I’m good at, and enjoy doing. And hopefully I could make a contribution for the better.

I guess it just got into my head that I would be a pretty average mechanical engineer( and maybe so for material science too, that fact that I don’t know enough about the field might be what is tricking me into seeing “greener pastures”)

The “masters” was for me to find out where I would like to work on if I want to go for a PhD afterwards, but I guess I’m falling into a spiral of over thinking and not doing much.

So figured I’d ask you guys here, since having it all in my head is not doing me any good.