General

I am torn whether to pursue a mechanical engineer degree or a specific degree which is ocean engineering.

I know a ME degree has a lot to offer. However, I've heard the latter degree gets your foot in the door if you want to work on the shore. I have read one comment where someone with a ME degree had troubles finding jobs involving the ocean.

At the same time though I am also interested in aviation. I guess this post is pointless and it's obvious I should just stick to a general degree. But I would like to hear thoughts on the matter from those that have experience.

I am not an engineer but my husband is. He has a mechanical engineering degree. His first job was at rolls Royce with cars. He was not there very long before they trained him for nuclear power. He did that for 8 years before switching to a controls engineer person at a steel plant.

Most engineering jobs will train you to their specific needs and desires. And there’s many post grad certifications you can get if you’re struggling to get a specific job. Ex. The ocean job your thinking of,


My husband said his experience was his best selling point to get to where he is. So I’d recommend to start out broad and then to specialize when you know you’ll be at a job site for awhile.

Engineer here. My recommendation is that a ME degree would be much more useful and versatile than an ocean engineering degree. A ME would also help with aviation as well. I started working my first engineering job after college about a year ago, and the job market SUCKS. It's super hard to get a job, and mechanical would give you more options for jobs compared to ocean engineering.

Ocean engineering sounds nice, but my guess is that it's a niche industry and therefore there won't be as many available job compared to an engineering degree. It took me 8 months to get my FIRST interview after applying to a bunch of jobs during that time, and that's how I landed my current job.

The problem with current jobs is that they expect experience for an try level job, which makes it very difficult to start working. I also highly recommend you get at least 6 months of internship experience before graduation, because the job market is a struggle.

I hope this info helps you make a decision

Others have already answered well, but as an engineer with experience in automotive and now energy, a mechanical engineering degree is very versatile and well accepted between industries. Aeronautical engineering is also very broad, however is still quite specialised. I would recommend a bachelord in mechanical and choose some subjects in the areas youre interested in. Try to get short-term work experience in those fields and then, if desired, finish a masters specialising in the field you most enjoy.

Ive been working for 10 years, across continents. You'll find a job, dont worry.