Question for engineers in training/qualified engineers from NUIG

Mr Rhode Island Red

I'm looking into doing engineering in NUIG when I finish school. I have a few questions about the different degrees.

I've been told that the mechanical engineering degree and the biomedical engineering degree are almost identical in content, with the exception that the biomeds do a module or two on tissue engineering/ biomechanics etc.

On top of this I read in a prospectus that there's an inbuilt masters programme if you do mechanical engineering. It adds 1 year onto the end of the course but you come out with a masters degree at the end of it. I don't think this is available to the biomeds but I could be wrong, if anybody knows whether a 1 year masters is built into the biomedical engineering degree as well I'd be happy to hear.

So would I be better off doing mechanical instead of biomedical? People have told me that a mechanical engineer has much more open job prospects, and that a mechanical engineer can do the work of a biomedical engineer, but a biomedical engineer may not be able to work in a post of a mechanical engineer. In other words is a mechanical degree a better degree in the eyes of employers etc. ?

Also is there any harsh truths about doing engineering in college that I should know about before I jump in?

Any and all advice appreciated

king_of_inismac

Yes - they are highly related courses but both are strong.

Some argue that older management in industry who did mechanical engineering themselves know the course and know what the graduates should know, so are more likely to hire mech eng grads. However, biomedical engineering is now very well established so I can't see it being a disadvantage any longer (if it ever was!).

To be honest, the strength of the student is MUCH more of an important factor for employers. A good mech graduate is the same as a good biomed graduate; and neither will find difficulty getting work.

If you are interested in medical devices, do biomed. If not choose the mech eng course. Both are related and both are very strong in NUIG.

Best of luck!

challengemaster

There's a 1 year MSc in biomedical science anyway in NUIG, so even if you did the mechanical engineering undergrad and decided later you wanted to pursue biomed... there's always that option