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Permalink Reply by Jeff on November 19, 2011 at 12:36pm

It was interesting to see you equating a degree with the job you will get. Sorry, but you are more likely to find that your degree will have nothing to do with what you do to make a living. I think there have been a couple surveys done at this site that would back me up on this too.

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Permalink Reply by Joseph R. on November 19, 2011 at 5:13pm

If this comment was directed at me, then I agree and disagree. Certain degrees can lead to jobs that use the degree more than others and some degrees (psychology included) usually do not lead to jobs where you use the degree.

 

-Joseph

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Permalink Reply by Umar Mansuri on December 19, 2011 at 5:51pm

Not sure, but you may wish to add bio[chemistry/technology] and astronomy to that list of most valued majors. Just a thought

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Permalink Reply by Umar Mansuri on December 19, 2011 at 11:46pm

Oh, sorry sir, my mistake.

Yeah, I guess astronomy isn't too in demand, but still.

Definitely see what you're saying about the liberal arts. I have to say something about English though: my cousins majored in English and are now relatively successful in the business arena. Guess that goes to show just how separated a major can be from a profession.

Cheers

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Permalink Reply by Mark G. on November 21, 2011 at 1:49am

I'm still not sure about dual credit, but I'm guessing it won't count (I didn't see anything about it online, and I'm sure the registrar's office is closed for Thanksgiving like the rest of the school).

 

I just thought i'd mention that I talked to my dad (he's an engineering manager) after I got home Friday night for Thanksgiving break. He mentioned two things that especially stood out to me/I was unaware of. First, at least where he works, basic computer literacy is a must (kind of obvious). Furthermore, it puts you at a distinct advantage to have at least a basic knowledge of computer programming. This isn't unique to computer science or electrical engineers - he is a mechanical engineer in the nuclear field. Second, and this may seem obvious to some, but I was unaware of it, managers/other people hiring will look not only at your major, GPA, and minor(s), but also at the individual classes you took. So it's not necessary to have a minor - if you focused your electives on a specific subject, or took more rigorous and thorough classes, or classes outside your major still pertaining to your field, they will still be seen even if you don't get a minor.

With this information I'm thinking I'll probably minor in CS and have the other electives to play around with, or take fewer classes later. Anyways, I just thought I would post this in case anyone is interested.

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Permalink Reply by Seth Langford on December 13, 2011 at 8:01pm

Greetings to a fellow future engineer. I currently a sophomore in Nuclear Engineering over at the University of Tennessee and I too have tossed around the validity of getting a minor. As an engineer im sure you will find that a math minor would not take too much additional effort.. but blah, who would wana do that? Have you considered a foreign language? Many engineering companies now days work around the world and if traveling abroad is something that really internist you, it could be worth it to study one.  Of course this is coming from someone who is considering minoring in Russian.

не пуха не пера!

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Permalink Reply by Will on December 16, 2011 at 12:41am

I'm puzzled as to how you can get an engineering degree in reasonable time and have time left over for anything else!

I will say:  these minors are different from history or Spanish.  If you get a minor in CS (say), you've shown you can program.  It's worth it.  Go for it.  (For that matter, go for a history or Spanish minor if it motivates you... just don't expect an employer to care.)

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Gaston on December 16, 2011 at 8:29am

Add me to the "Depends on the Major and Minor" crowd for whether they are useful or not. Minors in a technical or science field tend to be viewed more favourably in most contexts, especially the fields you would be looking at, than a minor in history. By all means take some history courses as electives for personal interest and for the sake of having a broad education, but structuring it in to a minor is probably a waste of time.

In most cases, taking some courses and doing well on them is enough, but a minor in computer science or mathematics can look good and show a level of expertise beyond that.

I did a double-major myself, but my school had a specific interdisciplinary double-major (honours) program in Biology and Chemistry instead of a Biochemistry program. Now I'm finishing my PhD in biochemistry.

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Permalink Reply by Umar Mansuri on December 19, 2011 at 5:52pm

If you don't mind me asking Mr. Gaston, what exactly are you writing your dissertation on?

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Permalink Reply by Umar Mansuri on December 19, 2011 at 5:55pm

I applied to all of my colleges as undeclared, but if I get in, I hope to switch from undecided to either chemistry or chemical engineering.

I've heard that engineering majors are difficult to switch into because of the high competition for those classes, but we will see. About minors, I've always had a strong passion for history, and I've taken Spanish for five years now as a senior in high school. It makes sense to me to minor in one of these, but meh. We'll see what happens

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Permalink Reply by Seth Langford on December 19, 2011 at 11:51pm

you yet still have alot of time to decide then.. As for minors i think the best thing as far as carreer wise would be a minor in business that you could later turn into a masters.

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