What's the stronger major in Mac, engineering or life science?
Thanks for your help!!!

I've always wondered which of those faculties could bench press more too.

You seem to have a tendency of asking questions that have no proper answer...

What do you mean by "stronger"?

Originally Posted by MarkA

You seem to have a tendency of asking questions that have no proper answer...

What do you mean by "stronger"?

my definition is reputation, education quality, profs and facilities.

From an outsiders point of view, engineering seems to be more focused on. I don't know really, kids in engineering seem to brag that they're in that program, but life sci kids not so much. Not sure if that means anything. =P

The facilities needed for life sci aren't anywhere near as complicated as some of the ones needed for Eng. How does a classroom for a psych class compare to a lab where you use dangerous chemicals?

I don't really think they're comparable.

I'm using a very vague definition of the word "stronger."

IMO, the first year of both majors is very broad and probably not geared to any of your specific interests. They do this for a lot of first year programs, becuase a lot of people change their minds about what they want to do after first year.

First year Eng (or actually any year of Eng) is probably one of the most challenging programs at Mac, just in terms of the numbers of hours of class and the course material. Mac Eng has a really great reputation (we may be#3 in Canada? I heard that somewhere, not sure where...) and its a program well worth your time. In terms of facilities... well first year labs are pretty much all the same. You have chem and physics labs that are very similar to if not identical with first year life sci labs. You also use the computer labs for your software based courses but these arent particularly spectacular either.

In any faculty, I'd imagine that the facilities improve as you move into upper years becuase you have more experience and specialization and can be trusted to use all that complicated equipment! Mac has some of the best facilities for Eng in Canada, but I don't know much about life sci. Considering that it is a research based university, I'd guess that they would be comparable.

Profs... well, same deal: they all improve after first year, as you pick your specialization and are working in areas closer to their specific research areas. If you pick a specialization you're interested in, I can almost guarantee that your profs will be equally passionate and eager to help you learn, thus making your own learning experience that much more enjoyable, whether its Eng or Life Sci.

So to some it up, I'd say Mac Eng has the better reputation, but don't let that stop you from choosing Life Sci. You'll enjoy your program so much more if you pick it for your interests and not for its reputation.

what will you do in the future if your major is engineering? Can you give me some examples?

Wow, I really don't even know where to start with this. It really depends on what field of engineering you're planning on doing.
Narrow it down for me and I'll see what I can find

If you mean for me, personally, well I'm sure I'll end up being in school for a long long time, so finding a "real" job is a while away and I'm pretty happy about that.

My two cents...

Ask yourself what you want to do.

When you answer that, then go and do it.

Don't get into a program just because you think it has something to offer you.

Anyways, if you want to end up in a job where you create and design things, then engineering is the place to be.

McMaster offers the following engineering specializations each with several sub-fields:

Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computing and Software
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Engineering Physics
Materials Science and Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

http://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/index.html

Originally Posted by Geek

Wow, I really don't even know where to start with this. It really depends on what field of engineering you're planning on doing.
Narrow it down for me and I'll see what I can find

If you mean for me, personally, well I'm sure I'll end up being in school for a long long time, so finding a "real" job is a while away and I'm pretty happy about that.

Okay! How about chemical engineering? Is it easy to find a job in Canada and US? How about the salary?

With an undergrad degree alone, engineering hands down.

Wow, I typed out this long response and for some reason the website wouldn't let me post it. I'm too lazy to ype it out again, but in essence, I suggest you check out this page:

http://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/prospecti...dfirstyear.htm

They have info on each field of engineering and the kind of jobs available to graduates. Another thing I find really useful is to Google Engineering firms around you or that you've heard of and see what kind of work they do that you'd be interested in. If you're considering engineering, you may also want to consider co-op, as this will give you a much better idea about what you can do with your degree and how much employers will pay you in the future.

I hope this helps!

Also, keep in mind that people switch in and out of programs all of the time. I was in psychology but I learned that it wasn't for me. Then I switched into Philosophy... and then I switched into hons. phil and rel stud. You don't need to have your entire life mapped out quite yet. First focus on where your passion lies then get into it. Test the waters before diving into the deep end. You can always apply your degree to a job of some sort. People think you can't get anywhere in life with a Philosophy degree and I'm proving them wrong. Both life sci and eng are good programs. If you need career help in the future, career services is where its at. Don't join a program based on how prestige it is. Do it for love.