The Student Room Group

Transfer between Maths and Engineering

I have been planning to apply to do Maths at university but have always had an interest in Engineering and am now not sure whether I'd be better off applying to do Engineering instead. If I were to do Maths, then say at the end of my first year (or before even) decided that I'd made the wrong decision would it be possible to transfer onto an Engineering course (or vice versa)?

Thanks in advance for any replies :smile:.
It doesn't sound very likely that you would be able to go onto the second year of the engineering course because you wouldn't have some basic knowledge from the first year - fluid dynamics, materials, thermodynamics, electrodynamics and so on.
Reply 2
How about between Engineering courses? My main problem is deciding which one I'd like to do. Is there much of a disadvantage doing a general Engineering degree?
I don't see any (my own son is about to start one), and they offer the opportunity to make the decision about specialising when you know more about the options, after a year or two of study.
Reply 4
Yea, if I can get into a general engineering course, I'll be very happy. As far as I know, Cambridge, Oxford, Durham and Warwick do general courses.
Reply 5
Thanks guys. So regarding job prospects a firm would be just as happy to employ someone with a General Engineering degree (who may have specialised in their field of engineering in their last year/two years) as someone with a degree specifically in that field of engineering?
Thanks guys. So regarding job prospects a firm would be just as happy to employ someone with a General Engineering degree (who may have specialised in their field of engineering in their last year/two years) as someone with a degree specifically in that field of engineering?


That's not a general engineering degree, that is a specialised one.
It doesn't matter, as long as you are accredited to the relevant engineering institution. All general engineering courses end up with you accredited to one or another. There are more similarities between the fields than people seem to think.
I went to University in 2006 to study maths. Found the lack of anything practical and tangible to be oppressive, and elected to swap to Engineering. Applied for both Civil and Mechanical, having passed my Jan modules in Maths. I was told because of the lack of commonality, and the fundamental nature of first year, I would have to start from Year 1. Am now going into my second year of Mechanical Engineering, and I still have the option to change programmes to Automotive, Aerospace, Medical etc. as the first year is virtually identical for these degrees. Civil is slightly different in content, though I imagine if I wanted to change, and could justify my choice, then it would be little problem!

In summary, if you are applying for Maths as you are unsure what engineering degree you are doing, you are shooting yourself in the foot! Good luck with whatever you choose though :smile:
Reply 9
I did my BSc in Mathematics and in September I will be starting an MSc in Aerospace Engineering. I had to do alot of applied mathematics modules though, differential equations, partials, fluid dynamics, complex mathematics/analysis oh and I elected to do an project (which no-one else in my year did) in aerofoil theory.

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