The Student Room Group

Engineering -- Oxford or Cambridge?

ok. here goes:
i want to study engineering because i enjoy it as a subject and think it offers many transferrable skills for many careers. in the future, however, i intend to work in finance. right now i'm stuck on where to apply (oxford or cambridge). both departments have 5* ratings but i think cambridge has the slightly upper hand in terms of engineering (not quite sure about this argument though, just a rumour i heard). however, oxford offer EEM (engineering, economics and manegement) which is supposed to be oxford's best course (again, based on rumours).

so for someone in my position, which do you think i should go for? (i already have A grades in maths, further maths and physics and was on a 2 year gap year.)
Reply 1
One of my friend went for Oxford for the atmosphere, people, and the food (weird).
And he got in....

But I think the main reason is because he knows Oxford like people to reflect their otherr abilities outside their chosen subject in someway, and he can. :biggrin:

It really depends on you as an individual though!
But I think, if you are someone who just want to go to uni > study hard > get the best marks you can > and zoom off, then probably go for cambridge.
Reply 2
In my opinion if you want to go into finance then go for the Oxford's EEM course. Cambridge's course is aimed more at people who just want to be engineers, whereas Oxford seem to offer a larger variety of subjects in their engineering courses. Check out both of their prospectuses as this is only a personal opinion.
Reply 3
Oxford's Engineering Program seems like the best program in the entire Universe..If I would have been accepted to Cambridge and an Ivy league school I would just reject Cambridge without any doubts but Oxford's Eng. program rocks..I have read tons about them and Cambridge seems like engineering for ordinary engineers and academics.(where Imperial seems to be better within the Island) but Oxford's program seems to give you the freedom within Engineering so that you can use those skills that you will earn wherever you want to.(Finance and Consulting just so name some)
matthew_mi
Oxford's Engineering Program seems like the best program in the entire Universe..If I would have been accepted to Cambridge and an Ivy league school I would just reject Cambridge without any doubts but Oxford's Eng. program rocks..I have read tons about them and Cambridge seems like engineering for ordinary engineers and academics.(where Imperial seems to be better within the Island) but Oxford's program seems to give you the freedom within Engineering so that you can use those skills that you will earn wherever you want to.(Finance and Consulting just so name some)


Wow there are quite a few fallacies in your above statement. 'The best program in the entire universe' hardly so (MIT,Stanford, UC Berkley, Caltech, ETH Zurich - are way better for engineering). 'Cambridge is for ordinary engineers' ? Cambridge' is more engineering based than Oxford EEM (obviously) and Imperials even more so [if you know what you want to do] because they don't do general engineering. This can all be summed up in: If you want to do engineering go to Cambridge if you're looking to get a degree without any form of direction in it go for Oxford - which will invariably help you into finance because of the economics and finance wove into the structure of EEM.
Reply 5
Master Polhem
Wow there are quite a few fallacies in your above statement. 'The best program in the entire universe' hardly so (MIT,Stanford, UC Berkley, Caltech, ETH Zurich - are way better for engineering). 'Cambridge is for ordinary engineers' ? Cambridge' is more engineering based than Oxford EEM (obviously) and Imperials even more so [if you know what you want to do] because they don't do general engineering. This can all be summed up in: If you want to do engineering go to Cambridge if you're looking to get a degree without any form of direction in it go for Oxford - which will invariably help you into finance because of the economics and finance wove into the structure of EEM.


I strongly disaggree with you. There aren't any fallacies in my opinion. Oxford's EEM can be the best program in the entire universe as a combination of all the "cool" stuff. Who cares technical programs as MIT, Stanford, Berkeley adn CalTech? Oxford engineering website states that 1/3 of the work load is for Management and Economics at EEM. If that is true that means that within the solid and strict British system you are given freedom (around different concetrations) that you can't really have in the liberal American schools. I would suggest anyone concerned to check ABET's website. Abet has strict accreditation rules for Engineering programs. As a result it is not quite possible to study Econ and Management as well as Engineering . Where at EEM 1/3 is Econ and Management.
In the US, the most flexible top school would be Brown University, with no core curriculum, you may study whatever you want without limits. Even in there, for engineering (Abet-accredited) you have to take "21" Engineering courses out of 30 total courses. If you would like to have an Engineering/Econ double major. You have to fix 21+8 = 29 course of your 4 years. What about Management? No space for that. As a result, EEM is a great course for those who plan to use their Engineering just as a base to have an edge over those who studied Economics or Management (or Both).
In the US, Economics (and the rare Management) degrees are non-professional degrees. One would call himself/herself as a Econ major or Management major but Engineering is one of the two Undegraduate Professional degrees (The other one is Architecture) . You wouldn't become an Engineering major but an "Engineer" instead.
In conclusion, I strongly think that Oxford's EEM is a phenamonal joint school program where you get a Professional degree in Engineering and a pretty strong foundation in Economics and Management. (EEMers study all the first year topics of the EMers (since it is 3 years in total that means 1/3 of what they do) PLUS they work in business for 6 months during their 4th year and write something like a thesis on that so that means some respectable knowledge about EM) )
I hope that this helps...=))
matthew_mi
I strongly disaggree with you. There aren't any fallacies in my opinion. Oxford's EEM can be the best program in the entire universe as a combination of all the "cool" stuff. Who cares technical programs as MIT, Stanford, Berkeley adn CalTech?


Possibly the people who care about engineering and not economics and management. But that discussion is not suitable for this thread.

And further you made your argument based on the person wanting to study arts subject along with engineering. My knowledge only revolves straight engineering degrees without any arts elements. I just wanted to point out that your view of universal superiority of Oxford's engineering course was false (you did say only engineering I did not assume that you meant the management courses and economics courses as well).
Reply 7
but with EEM you can become accredited in a field AND still have an economics and management element. surely that makes it more appealing?
Reply 8
The__Bait
but with EEM you can become accredited in a field AND still have an economics and management element. surely that makes it more appealing?


Depends on whether you actually want to do economics and management. Personally I would want to avoid economics and stuff like that as much as possible in an engineering course, although I think even at Cambridge its compulsory to go through a module or two on economics.
turgon
Depends on whether you actually want to do economics and management. Personally I would want to avoid economics and stuff like that as much as possible in an engineering course, although I think even at Cambridge its compulsory to go through a module or two on economics.


Yes we have to do that scheit at Imperial as well... not happy about that.
Reply 10
matthew_mi
Oxford's Engineering Program seems like the best program in the entire Universe..If I would have been accepted to Cambridge and an Ivy league school I would just reject Cambridge without any doubts but Oxford's Eng. program rocks..I have read tons about them and Cambridge seems like engineering for ordinary engineers and academics.(where Imperial seems to be better within the Island) but Oxford's program seems to give you the freedom within Engineering so that you can use those skills that you will earn wherever you want to.(Finance and Consulting just so name some)



Thats just the inpression I got, but lets clear somthing up they are both world class departments, however I got a better impression of Oxford from the go.

In your case I would go for Oxfords EEM. :cool:
I'm in the same situation and I've chosen Oxford. That was also due to me loving the open day at Oxford, while finding Cambridge depressing though. And I got in, while never stating I wanted to be an engineer. I just said I loved the way of thought, and repeated that in my interviews. I'll try for EEM next year.
Original post by Donald Duck
I'm in the same situation and I've chosen Oxford. That was also due to me loving the open day at Oxford, while finding Cambridge depressing though. And I got in, while never stating I wanted to be an engineer. I just said I loved the way of thought, and repeated that in my interviews. I'll try for EEM next year.


Sorry - what did you mean when you said 'I just said I loved the way of thought, and repeated that in my interviews.' Could you elaborate on it please?
Original post by tobias.k
Sorry - what did you mean when you said 'I just said I loved the way of thought, and repeated that in my interviews.' Could you elaborate on it please?


This user hasn't been active for 3 years now, you may find better responses by creating a new thread than bumping a nearly 10 year old one!
Original post by artful_lounger
This user hasn't been active for 3 years now, you may find better responses by creating a new thread than bumping a nearly 10 year old one!


ah! sorry my bad, i'm new to the interface
Reply 15
And we've closed the thread now :smile: