You should interview third and fourth year students at the university you want. All the mechanicals in my undergrad were required to take what is essentially power engineering (E&M), where as EE's we weren't! As of May 2012, average income for an electrical engineer was $91,810, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The electrical engineers I work with get to design circuits and things like that within the physical bounds that we give them. A bit of background about myself: ... help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_mechanics. What are the similarities/differences/pros/cons between the two? Mechanical Engineering VS Electrical Engineering. So I've been putting off deciding this for a while now and now I'm at a "fork road" in my university studies in deciding on a major to continue on. I'd assume at a bare minimum you'd want to have some understanding of basic solid mechanics. Jobs for mechanical engineers are expected to increase 9 percent between 2010 and 2020, states the BLS. For "seeing" forces acting on a body, that's probably bullshit in all but the most trivial cases. So I've been putting off deciding this for a while now and now I'm at a "fork road" in my university studies in deciding on a major to continue on. There's no wrong answer above, there's a place for everyone as long as your skills are adequate. ME scope tends to be wider and can be applied to a wider range of sectors and has a higher degree of variably in the types of jobs available. First, there are many kinds of engineering such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and biomedical engineering. Were you lured by the money? That goes especially in cases where your representation does not accurately match reality. On the other hand EE uses more math overall. Take a look at some online lectures for EE and ME as well. Computer engineering is more a flavor of the day field and vulnerable to outsourcing. There doesn't seem to be an equivalent for mechanical engineering, so maybe drop the first year advisor a note and mention that you aren't sure which one you want to go into. Close. I found it was helpful to talk to professors in relevant fields and ask questions about it (sometimes people with PHD's have good answers). Mechanical Engineering VS Electrical Engineering. I'm in a weird position. Item 2 may be done by electrical engineers but also by physicists. For your decision making "toolbox", It seems like, in my job searches (that all failed), that there’s a way higher demand for EE’s (in my area) over a more versatile range of industries, especially relative to how many do EE. There's a lot more to mechanical engineering than cars, and there is a lot more to electrical engineering than batteries and resistors. Also, some people have a harder time grasping electromagnetism concepts because they are not as physically tangible like mechanical engineering concepts are, but I also think there's some correlation why there are usually far more mechanical engineering students than electrical engineering students in many colleges. Aerospace engineers and mechanical engineers both work on the development and construction of equipment and devices. If you dual major in ME and EE, areas such as Robotics, Mechatronics, Process Engineering and Industrial Engineering become options for you that will further expand the types of jobs you would be qualified for. Mechanical Engineering is a broad and versatile field, incorporating aspects of engineering, physics, and materials science to create, design, analyze, develop, and maintain mechanical systems. Mechanical Engineering Degree vs Electrical Engineering: What they are? One promising development for mechanical engineers is the rise of the Internet of Things, the vast network of interconnected devices and sensors. To be able to good at accounting and engineering, you need to be a person who is detail-oriented, loves numbers and can be creative enough think beyond the general conception of theories. I'm not an ME so I can't say, but I would say that getting good at anything involves "seeing" what you're looking at. Engineers apply the knowledge of math & science to design and manufacture maintainable systems used to solve specific problems. "; EE's ask "Does this shit have a current?". Both are very employable and in high demand. My electrical friends generally work in those three fields in the link and don't leave it (not to say it isn't possible, they just really like those fields and have little interest in moving around). But in these cases I would still suggest your primary focus be Electrical. Think about what you love about science and engineering now, and what you dream to be (do not be practical), and then take steps in that direction. Engineers apply the knowledge of math & science to design and manufacture maintainable systems used to solve specific problems. In school, applied e&m and RFµwave classes were the only math intensive classes. I get to shape what a product looks like, how parts go together, what they're made of, and all of that other "physical world" stuff. Taking engineering introduction classes is a good way to go. More than 14,000 such jobs are expected to be added to that total by 2024. That said, from both undergrad and grad school, the mechanical treatment of controls is much less rigorous than in the EE department. AskEngineers is a forum for questions about the technologies, standards, and processes used to design & build these systems, as well as for questions about the engineering profession and its many disciplines. But two of these categories, engineering and engineering technology, are widely misunderstood. This income is just above that of civil engineers, but well below electrical engineers. So beware you might need a connection for that first or second job. However electrical engineers make even worse mechanical engineers. Electrical, it's more difficult and thus more prestigious. In all fairness, plenty of good and good paying job opportunities exist in both fields, but, IMO ME offers a broader road and more secure future. Electrical engineers examine issues related to electronics, control systems, signal processing, and telecommunications. Mechanical engineers plan, design, research and test new machines, equipment and devices used by households and businesses. Within the engineering profession there are several different categories, each with its own purposes and attributes. You'll be using complex numbers quickly, learning Fourier and Laplace transforms, amd just generally using more math overall. They'll have the answers you need. The basic role and responsibility of mechanical engineers are to make sure that they properly research, design, develop, build, and test the different mechanical aspects of the devices and sensors. First a little background: I'm 27 years old. In electrical it's not intuitive but after you solve enough complex analysis problems you start learning how to visualize and see your problems, or at least chunks of them, and know how to chain those chunks together. Things that many uni's require both to take: Calc 1,2, and multi Variable; Classical Physics 1&2, Chemistry 1&2; gen eds are just that so you'll have the same english classes to take and what not. As far as degrees, ME seems the most from what I’ve read “your degree is irrelevant and it’s all on the job learning”. All your coursework in the first year will essentially be the same. Hope that helps! Mechanical Engineering Demand. As far as math, The math in control systems will align across both undergraduate pathways (Stuff in frequency domain, s-domain, z-domain, ) and vibrations. I am really leaning toward electrical, but there are some things about mechanical that are very appealing to me as well. The large size of the field, however, will result in numerous jobs added during these 10 years: 21,300. Recently I’ve been eyeing some internships at motor and aerospace companies (hoping I get one ). As a MEP mechanical engineer, i dont use much of what i learned in college. Hello and welcome to AskEngineers! Chemical engineers concentrate on developing equipment or processing products using chemicals and other substances. There were 277,500 mechanical engineers in 2014, making an average of $83,590 per year. Difficulty is subjective. I returned to school two years ago and have done very well at my local community college. Mechanical Engineer Pay. But, I'm not sure I'm really torn between the two. I vaguely remember my statics teacher saying, don't try to visualize the forces acting on a structure because your intuition can be misleading. You don't get to do your first year before you have to stick with one program? The median annual salary for mechanical engineers was $84,190 in 2016. You need to expose yourself to both and see which one you're passionate about (it might not be either!). I'm having second thoughts and I'm considering switching into mechanical engineering (if the University even allows me). On the flip side you have to work harder to specialise if that’s what you want to do. i learned everything while working. AskEngineers is a forum for questions about the technologies, standards, and processes used to design & build these systems, as well as for questions about the engineering profession and its many disciplines. Can’t say I’ve met a mechanical engineer who went into electrical design. It’s considered the largest branch of the engineering fields. Press J to jump to the feed. I've heard from recent graduates that electrical engineering is quite math intensive as it progresses, whereas from mechanical engineering graduates that mechanical is quite conceptual in terms of "seeing" the forces acting on a body. That's because EEs don't like the amount of error MEs are willing to tolerate! Mechanical networks like springs, dampers, and masses are analogues to electrical networks (inductors, resistors, and capacitors respectively). This gives you the cofidence to become self-taught in almost any field or project. They have some overlap in "controls", but usually that falls under electrical engineering. Mechanical engineers make bad electrical engineers. There's probably more stuff you can visualize in MechE as far as dynamics and structures, though. Item 1 above can be the task of physicists, chemists, chemical engineers, or manufacturing engineers, as well as electrical engineers. Everything else was just an extension of algebra. Please read this announcement for some helpful info: https://redd.it/axv804. These kinds of engineers are also the architects of the system being built and so require a very broad training in most areas of EE and CS. FEA is something I can never get a grasp on what you should be learning about. It is the closest degree to "General Science and Engineering" that you can get. Done all the "basic" maths (calculus, linear algebra, etc) and have even done a fair bit of coding (Java, C, Python), not so much on MatLab. I know EE’s also take signal processing classes that I’m not too familiar with but I assume is similar. Many undergrad ME's I've talked to don't really have a grasp of core Controls topics. Agricultural engineers are tasked with combining elements of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, and civil engineering in an effort to achieve agricultural–that is, farming and food production–goals. I had a blast in Mechanical Engineering, both on my co-op terms and in my classes. Or so the story goes. Mechanical engineering. The math in the EE path does get more challenging imo. If you pick up those skills along with a decent personality, you'll probably have a solid future. I highly recommend you check out the threads for ME and EE, and edit your original post to include followup questions. When you're going through these courses, you probably get told about an equation and how to apply it, and you memorize it. The Difference Between Mechanical Engineering & Mechanical Engineering Technology. Another area of overlap is power engineering. Mech E's ask "How does this shit move? Also the dynamics and kinematics you learn in MechE will help you when you take Controls. Annoyed that I had to spend another 4 years at uni only to never really use it, but the important part is more the thought process you learn at uni. I'd say the vast majority of useful knowledge for my job came from my trade than my degree tbh. Mechanical is the "generalist engineer." As you can see, Mechanical and Electrical both have three options in terms of how the world views you. Could you give some examples on this? Robotics, or “mechatronics,” needs not only mechanical and electrical engineers, but also computer engineers! Yes, you are right – a… In this section, we will discuss the perspective of these two careers so that you can get a glimpse of what to expect from each of them.Ask any businessman, who they depend upon most? So Mechanical engineering vs Electrical engineering – the debate goes on. First thought: Just pick one and change after a year. Electrical engineering deals with the design of different types of electrical systems. These two fields of science and technology are both very similar, yet very different from one another. Ah yes, the never ending battle between Physics and Engineering. In my experience it is much easier for a EE to understand and support the ME perspective than the other way around. Ultimately, with an engineering degree, you learn critical thinking, research skills, math fundamentals, and being unflinching in the face of a problem you don't understand. And, from what I've read, upper division classes seem to be exclusively mathematics based (on both FEA & CFD), but then I hear a lot of downtalk on the whole "in theory" and "purely mathematics based" learning styles from people who practice in industry as useless. They're two very different areas of expertise and require different tools. Meanwhile ME math is more complicated because you need to understand PDEs. Mechanical engineering is a traditional discipline with persistent demand in the job market. A lot of MEs have trouble with electrical stuff because they can't visualize it. EEs take thermo where I went to school so it's not like you'll be far behind there either. Before everyone starts chatting about how it is ultimately my decision, I want to give a little context about what interests me and where I want to work in the future: 1. If you don't know who that is then try emailing the dean of engineering or equivalent to get you pointed in the right direction. Hell, I have a PhD in EE and have no clue how to solve a PDE. But EEs tend to have higher starting salaries. Also I feel like it’s a good deal easier to build up personal projects for a portfolio for EE than ME. And not sure what level you should be learning the content (compressible flows, heat transfer (especially convection), viscous flows, etc. My college experience: I also couldn't decide between mechanical and electrical engineering, so I took "Intro to Statics" and "Intro to Circuits" at a local community college and knew, without a doubt, that mechanical was the right path for me. First year is general and will expose you to most of the concepts for all disciplines. Also on the flip side realize you will get shot down by HR departments that don't know what the fuck mechatronics is, or mechatronics engineering is, and don't make the connection between your skills and the functions of the jobs. It’s always a question people normally ask to engineers: “ Are you good at Math?”But for civil engineers and electronics engineers, they are also often asked, “Are you better at math than engineers in other engineering fields?”. It’s a multidisciplinary application, so don’t worry if your school doesn’t offer a “robotics” or “mechatronics” class. Started off programming CNCs, and somehow found his way into manufacturing and product design ( engine manufacturing). Since many engineering fields involve similar duties, those interested in being an electrical or a mechanical engineer may also want to consider becoming an electronics or industrial engineer. My advice: Expose yourself to both and you should be able to tell which you prefer. I was accepted to Mechanical Engineering and off I went. So one is not necessarily better than the other. There seems to be an introductory course for all of engineering in ECE there, but with an electrical slant - ECE 100B. Some universities have mechatronics if you wish to combine. Is there something that you regularly work on that's mechanical or electrical? With that said, I would argue that transitioning into the other options (Civil, Petroleum, etc.) And in mechanical, I've done FEA on a simple body, looked at joints, etc. This is lower than the anticipated 11 percent for all engineers and 14 percent for all professions. The aerospace sector offered the highest average at just over six figures. So in electrical, I've done circuit analysis of basic components such as capacitors and inductors, etc. I think at this stage I’m hoping to get into a more “hands-on” as opposed to consulting (which is quite common here in Australia). It is primarily a branch of mechanical engineering but it also includes electronic & Electrical. If you like Elecrical I reccommend Computer or Software Engieering. and if you're really torn between the two pick one and have the other apply during grad school, if thats your thing. One plus to electrical is that it will teach you some really powerful, foundational math that you can apply across disciplines. At least from my undergrad, it was easier to start in electrical, then switch to Mechanical if you wanted. My work experience: I've been a product design engineer for a few years now and I work really closely with electrical engineers. Mechanical is great, ( I am a Mech myself). I disagree that mechanical is "wider". I majored in ME, and I kind of wish I studied EE or CompSci, but much of what I need I picked up on my own, so there's no harm done really. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Electrical and mechanical engineering are two different streams in the field of engineering that is a broad term encompassing many other disciplines such as computer, telecommunication, civil, mining, information technology, and so on. Posted by 3 years ago. Okay so I'm in gr. Not sure how intense the math is in other subjects for EE though, but that was obviously the most intensive math in ME (talking exclusively about undergraduate content). As an aside the course tracks for both seem pretty good. Pays the same in the generation sector with about equal vacancies year over year. From what i know based on my own experience and many others close to me, they are very very similar but slightly different, hence, ENGINEERING, but different in THEORY or PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 12 and I've been accepted into electrical engineering at my first choice University (University of Waterloo in Ontario) for fall 2016. The old director of engineering at my internship was an EE by degree. Mechanical vs Electrical Engineering. If you're really smart or have an excellent teacher, maybe you'll build a solid intuition about the math while you're still in school. Here I would like to present a more logical difference between these two disciplines of engineering and I hope it will help all young students and prospective students to get to know about these two branches of engineering. This is obviously different for each type of engineer. Otherwise, that intuition will come with time and repetition if you have the desire to build it. I have read some of the comments on Reddit forums between engineering technology VS traditional engineering. I really want to study the physical but I also want to work with sensors and programming to make these machines come alive. any idea on what kind of job you would like post-grad? Wait, what? Don't settle. It's all just physics and math when you start. There seems to be an introductory course for all of engineering in ECE there, but with an electrical slant - ECE 100B. Electrical engineer pay is a bit lower on average to computer engineer pay, though. Mechanical engineering is an expansive discipline that a variety of industries use to optimize manufacturing processes, improve efficiency and resolve problems. Hello everyone. Mechanical Engineering vs. Electrical Engineering The Job Role Of Mechanical Engineers. What have you enjoyed the most so far, and why are you getting an engineering degree to begin with? However, I would not recommend pursuing a specialized degree in these areas, stick to EE or ME. If you're passionate about math and like designing and simulating things in a software environment, Electrical Engineering might be for you. Provided me with the ability to apply an analytical process to testing and resolving problems I have this image that mechanical engineers design the machine and the electrical engineers bring it to life. If all else fails, consider these differences between the two. Just to add, there is nothing even remotely intuitive about compressible flows, convection (thinking in terms of using dimensionless parameters and stuff) or modes of vibration, control systems, etc. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Doing something you hate is going to make any class tougher if you’re not motivated to Lear. Electrical and mechanical engineers both earned their highest salaries from the oil and gas extraction industry with mechanical engineers earning the most with an annual mean salary of $128,650 and $106,780 for electrical engineers. Not really sure what else you want to know. MEP electrical consulting engineer here, and totally agree. Outside of general principles, the only math I use daily is the same stuff I learnt at trade school as an electrician. My understanding is that mechanical is more spatial (essensial to visualize forces and three dimensional structures) and electrical is more numbers/logics (imaginary numbers and shit). IEEE projects net 0 growth for Electrical Engineering in the coming years. for CFD for example) before you make any meaningful analysis, Pick what you enjoy the most. I have taken both mechanical and electrical subjects during my time at university, but both at foundational levels. Imo it's easier to teach yourself the mechanical side after you've been through an EE program than the other way around. Of course, no one really knows who is better than who but some would justify why their field is harder than the others and why they’re often better at math. This question is answered in our Frequently Asked Questions page where people talk about their work experiences. How did you get your first full time position as a design engineer? EE topics are rarely intuitive. If you can continue to do that, you won't have a problem. If you switch majors within engineering in your first two semesters, it probably won't cause any delay in graduation. Responsibilities of a Civil Engineer vs. an Electrical Engineer Engineers design ways to fix problems. I would say don't worry about the math. Mechanical Engineering degree vs Mechatronics degree The target of Mechanical Engineering undergraduate studies is to train you to find mechanical solutions and become an innovative thinker. Thanks! It should be noted, however, that the hardest ME classes (like fluid dynamics) use much more difficult math than you will see in EE. Dilemma: Engineering vs. Electrical engineers work with electrical equipment, while network engineers configure systems that allow computers to interact, access data and perform other tasks. I study Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Bath and it is a great course. Was the best thing I ever did, have the me the flexibility to cross functionally solve problems where I would be comfortable in any engineering role. You realistically have a whole year before it will really matter, so in that time just make sure you have a GPA> 3.0. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. ( are your hobbies more in line with mechanical components or do you like working with electronics/computers more?). CS is the easiest, but I’m certain EE is better than ME in that realm. Ten percent of all electrical engineers made at or above $136,690. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Study mechatronics (mechanical electrical and software engineering). I ended up making Mechanical Engineering (UW Co-op) my first choice, followed by Computer Science (a math degree at UW). Pay wise, electrical engineers get payed significantly more on average. Press J to jump to the feed. Electrical, mechanical, chemical, programming, stats, etc you really do get a basis for it all. For more information, please visit gcu.edu. At the end of the day, I would say - do something that you could feel passionate about. Archived. We study everything from both sides of the course only skipping repetition and useless modules like lab techniques or if mec does solid mechanics 1,2,3,4 we only do 1 and 2 for example. Mechanical engineering seems interesting to me because I want to design robots and automated machines. Mechanical tends to be more hands-on where you're working with concepts you can visualize and verify through direct measurement. There is probably some type of intro to engineering class as well, which would be a good place to ask questions to pick one. Seems like 97% of ME pathways outside of academia (so not much less than that) can be replaced with apprenticeships (in theory) and the degree in practice is kind of useless, FEA is tons of math down the road, if you ever investigate more complex topics like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_mechanics, you'll never really be a high level thinking engineer (aka a promotion beyond entry - mid level) if you dont understand what is going on, EE can be intensive as well of course, the RF group sits next to me and im sure its all partial differential equations, just like everything else in life is described by. Mechanical vs Electrical Engineering . I also know a lot of FEA textbooks will cover shape functions and stuff, that I'm not sure if its worth learning and if its important to get more of a grasp of what goes on during meshing, or if you should just learn the different mesh methods/elements and their compromises/assumptions/ ultimate determination on results. What interests you the most right now? At the end of the day, take some time to explore both fields. However, when considering aerospace engineering vs. mechanical engineering, keep in mind that the former is a relatively narrow fiel , focusing on airplanes and other aerospace-related machines.
electrical engineering vs mechanical engineering reddit