Is Materials Science & Engineering a good major?
Recently, I've heard that it is easier to get into the major Materials Science & Engineering, and I was just wondering if that is because it is too niche, hence the job opportunities are more scarce, so nobody wants to apply to it. I'm really scared that I won't be able to find a job with this degree. Do you guys recommend that I get a materials engineer degree or do finance or electrical engineering? I currently do not know where my interests lie, so I am really open to all the majors and options.
The problem is if I choose to not study Materials Science & Engineering, I will have to decline the offer at Imperial and perhaps study at a mediocre school in a country not in the UK, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
The problem is if I choose to not study Materials Science & Engineering, I will have to decline the offer at Imperial and perhaps study at a mediocre school in a country not in the UK, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Reply 1
In general with engineering it’s in the UK not nationally over subscribed (a small number of universities are) but in general if you have strong academics you will have opportunities at a reputable institution.
Materials are certainly not a niche, their is probably less materials industry then the cumulative total jobs of mechanical engineering (which is many different types of jobs & industries), but material’s engineering & science is very much important to many many industries.
What should you pursue? Whatever you prefer to do you should choose, life is long, focus on the bit of technology you enjoy learning about the most. Materials science is really fascinating but personally i prefer more mechanical related science so went a different route, if specific materials science technology solutions is what you enjoy most then go for it…
Materials are certainly not a niche, their is probably less materials industry then the cumulative total jobs of mechanical engineering (which is many different types of jobs & industries), but material’s engineering & science is very much important to many many industries.
What should you pursue? Whatever you prefer to do you should choose, life is long, focus on the bit of technology you enjoy learning about the most. Materials science is really fascinating but personally i prefer more mechanical related science so went a different route, if specific materials science technology solutions is what you enjoy most then go for it…
Reply 2
20
Original post
by okokokok.okRecently, I've heard that it is easier to get into the major Materials Science & Engineering, and I was just wondering if that is because it is too niche, hence the job opportunities are more scarce, so nobody wants to apply to it. I'm really scared that I won't be able to find a job with this degree. Do you guys recommend that I get a materials engineer degree or do finance or electrical engineering? I currently do not know where my interests lie, so I am really open to all the majors and options.
The problem is if I choose to not study Materials Science & Engineering, I will have to decline the offer at Imperial and perhaps study at a mediocre school in a country not in the UK, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
The problem is if I choose to not study Materials Science & Engineering, I will have to decline the offer at Imperial and perhaps study at a mediocre school in a country not in the UK, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Materials is definitely a much smaller field than electrical - though there are also far less materials engineers too. I'm not sure how the ratio of grads to available graduate level jobs differs between the two. Electrical & electronics is certainly quite a good degree to have at the moment though. With materials it can be trickier to get a relevant job after graduation because a lot of companies don't have grad jobs for materials engineers, even though they can be found in virtually every industry and probably in most companies too.
Original post
by okokokok.okRecently, I've heard that it is easier to get into the major Materials Science & Engineering, and I was just wondering if that is because it is too niche, hence the job opportunities are more scarce, so nobody wants to apply to it. I'm really scared that I won't be able to find a job with this degree. Do you guys recommend that I get a materials engineer degree or do finance or electrical engineering? I currently do not know where my interests lie, so I am really open to all the majors and options.
The problem is if I choose to not study Materials Science & Engineering, I will have to decline the offer at Imperial and perhaps study at a mediocre school in a country not in the UK, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
The problem is if I choose to not study Materials Science & Engineering, I will have to decline the offer at Imperial and perhaps study at a mediocre school in a country not in the UK, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Hi there,
Materials science and engineering can be a great course if that's what you're interested in, and there are plenty of good universities in the UK that offer it.
You could also consider a couple other engineering courses with broader specs if you want to keep your options open such as mechanical of manufacturing engineering, both which have modules in electrical and materials.
Hope this helps
Amber
Coventry Uni Student Ambassador
Reply 4
Hey there !
I agree with what most of the sentiments shared above and 100% agree that its more important for you to pick the field that you are most interested in and keep in mind the mechanical engineering is probably one of the most broad engineering you can study and would allow you to get into varied industries . Alternatively you can study a general engineering degree and then narrow it down for your masters if you are interested in studying further .
I would also say that the engineering space is competitive regardless of which engineering you pursue , yes some area's offers more jobs but ultimately there are thousands of graduates and competent individuals for engineering and related roles. That's why it is important to study something you are interested in .
I hope this helps and good luck !
Cece
Energy engineering student
I agree with what most of the sentiments shared above and 100% agree that its more important for you to pick the field that you are most interested in and keep in mind the mechanical engineering is probably one of the most broad engineering you can study and would allow you to get into varied industries . Alternatively you can study a general engineering degree and then narrow it down for your masters if you are interested in studying further .
I would also say that the engineering space is competitive regardless of which engineering you pursue , yes some area's offers more jobs but ultimately there are thousands of graduates and competent individuals for engineering and related roles. That's why it is important to study something you are interested in .
I hope this helps and good luck !
Cece
Energy engineering student
Reply 5
Hey, Materials Science and Engineering student here.
People generally have no idea what materials engineering is, but, it relates to every single engineering field. In fact, every engineering field needs materials engineers to make their ideas possible. What we really do is a lot of research, materials selection and enhancement, manufacturing and optimisation.
We typically do a lot of aerospace, energy, cars, F1, nuclear, ceramics etc. The cohorts are small in the UK, and there is only a handful of universities that offer the course, but this comes with great advantages in the job market. The grad market at the moment is terrible, engineering students are having a tough time finding jobs etc, but every single person in my MEng cohort has a job for next year lined up already, all with massive companies, good salaries and real prospects.
The great thing about materials is the funding. There is so much research that all materials departments in the country work together and are not struggling financially and therefore can support students and give them opportunities to use vast amounts of laboratory equipment that you don't find in other degrees. There are opportunities to do internships, take up research positions and get involved in the IOM3. In fact, over half of my cohort is a scientifically published author, we have all worked with major companies throughout our degree, and honestly wish more people knew about our field. 🤣
The other plus is that the IOM3s process for becoming a chartered engineer is simpler than other professional bodies in engineering as they have moved away from these very long essays and instead ask for a presentation and competency-based interview.
People generally have no idea what materials engineering is, but, it relates to every single engineering field. In fact, every engineering field needs materials engineers to make their ideas possible. What we really do is a lot of research, materials selection and enhancement, manufacturing and optimisation.
We typically do a lot of aerospace, energy, cars, F1, nuclear, ceramics etc. The cohorts are small in the UK, and there is only a handful of universities that offer the course, but this comes with great advantages in the job market. The grad market at the moment is terrible, engineering students are having a tough time finding jobs etc, but every single person in my MEng cohort has a job for next year lined up already, all with massive companies, good salaries and real prospects.
The great thing about materials is the funding. There is so much research that all materials departments in the country work together and are not struggling financially and therefore can support students and give them opportunities to use vast amounts of laboratory equipment that you don't find in other degrees. There are opportunities to do internships, take up research positions and get involved in the IOM3. In fact, over half of my cohort is a scientifically published author, we have all worked with major companies throughout our degree, and honestly wish more people knew about our field. 🤣
The other plus is that the IOM3s process for becoming a chartered engineer is simpler than other professional bodies in engineering as they have moved away from these very long essays and instead ask for a presentation and competency-based interview.
Reply 6
Original post
by MaterialsEngHey, Materials Science and Engineering student here.
People generally have no idea what materials engineering is, but, it relates to every single engineering field. In fact, every engineering field needs materials engineers to make their ideas possible. What we really do is a lot of research, materials selection and enhancement, manufacturing and optimisation.
We typically do a lot of aerospace, energy, cars, F1, nuclear, ceramics etc. The cohorts are small in the UK, and there is only a handful of universities that offer the course, but this comes with great advantages in the job market. The grad market at the moment is terrible, engineering students are having a tough time finding jobs etc, but every single person in my MEng cohort has a job for next year lined up already, all with massive companies, good salaries and real prospects.
The great thing about materials is the funding. There is so much research that all materials departments in the country work together and are not struggling financially and therefore can support students and give them opportunities to use vast amounts of laboratory equipment that you don't find in other degrees. There are opportunities to do internships, take up research positions and get involved in the IOM3. In fact, over half of my cohort is a scientifically published author, we have all worked with major companies throughout our degree, and honestly wish more people knew about our field. 🤣
The other plus is that the IOM3s process for becoming a chartered engineer is simpler than other professional bodies in engineering as they have moved away from these very long essays and instead ask for a presentation and competency-based interview.
People generally have no idea what materials engineering is, but, it relates to every single engineering field. In fact, every engineering field needs materials engineers to make their ideas possible. What we really do is a lot of research, materials selection and enhancement, manufacturing and optimisation.
We typically do a lot of aerospace, energy, cars, F1, nuclear, ceramics etc. The cohorts are small in the UK, and there is only a handful of universities that offer the course, but this comes with great advantages in the job market. The grad market at the moment is terrible, engineering students are having a tough time finding jobs etc, but every single person in my MEng cohort has a job for next year lined up already, all with massive companies, good salaries and real prospects.
The great thing about materials is the funding. There is so much research that all materials departments in the country work together and are not struggling financially and therefore can support students and give them opportunities to use vast amounts of laboratory equipment that you don't find in other degrees. There are opportunities to do internships, take up research positions and get involved in the IOM3. In fact, over half of my cohort is a scientifically published author, we have all worked with major companies throughout our degree, and honestly wish more people knew about our field. 🤣
The other plus is that the IOM3s process for becoming a chartered engineer is simpler than other professional bodies in engineering as they have moved away from these very long essays and instead ask for a presentation and competency-based interview.
Hi, couple questions. what uni do you go to? and do you know what the salary progression for a materials scientist/engineer is like?
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