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/sci/ - Science & Math

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5576907 No.5576907 [Reply] [Original]

/sci/, what subjects of science or engineering do you think are the most exciting, interesting, and "niche" (as in always job demand/good salaries)?
I've thought about getting into Nuclear Engineering or Aerospace Engineering but I'm not sure if I should look into anything else.

I really can't decide myself about what I should get into, I'm interested by everything yet I have no passions. My friends tell me that I should get into banking if I have no real interests and want money and an interesting job, should I?

>> No.5576908

To not make this a "personal blog thread", post your current majors and why they interest you.

>> No.5576945

Add to this petroleum engineering, or geology.

You really can rake in the dough with that, and if money isn't the only thing that interests you, you'll still have a good time, it's an interesting subject to study - unlike finance.
You can get in finance with engineering degrees anyway, they like that

>> No.5577008

>>5576945
I'll think about that, thanks
Yeah I'd like something that's interesting too

>> No.5577338

>>5577008
Aero, petrol, chemE, material physics, nuclear, etc etc etc
Also software engineering if you're into that

>> No.5577371

wtf biomedical engineering. WHY DO PEOPLE QUESTION TECHNOLOGY IT IS OOUR ONLY HOPE

>> No.5577384

>>5577371
>implying jobs

>> No.5578973

>>5577371
Biomedical engineering?
Lol does it even have career opportunities
Looks like some kind of very niche degree to me

>> No.5578983

>study nanotechnology
>laugh at the poorfags when you get a 300k starting job working on revolutionary stuff

Or you could just study aerospaceE

>> No.5579007

I did an MMath and went into finance (private equity, to be specific) - personally I love it and of course the money is extremely good, although expect hard work for long hours (I have friends who are EM surgeons and they get more sleep than I do!)

>> No.5579012

>>5578973

believe it or not nieche is good.

>> No.5579057
File: 54 KB, 448x489, nieche.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5579057

>>5579012
I thank you.

>> No.5579059

>>5578983
The job market for nanotech really is huge <sarcasm>

>> No.5579205

>>5579007
Math Master's?
>extremely good
As in, what starting salaries? What can you expect after a few years of experience?

Can you get in finance with other degrees? I like math, but I'd like to do something else, physics or engineering for example.

>> No.5579251

>>5579205
I'd say 80k + bonuses

>> No.5579253

Veterinary Medicine

Real doctors treat more than one species

>> No.5579352

>>5579253
>touching animal dicks and infections
Eeeeeew

>> No.5579356

>>5579205
I have a physics degree and am in finance money. Yes, the money is pretty good.

>> No.5579640

>>5579356
Interesting.
Do you think engineering is good too for those jobs?
What do you work on exactly? I'd like to get in a Hedge Fund

>> No.5579659

Become an expert in statistics and then contribute to research in pretty much any field of science. Don't forget to learn how to code too..

>> No.5579824

>>5579659
Tell me more

>> No.5579827

I've been so interested in particle physics my entire life but there's no way I could make any money in it. Can anyone point me on the best course, if possible?

>> No.5579837

>>5576945
This guy gets is.

Geology and geophysics for petroleum exploration. Huge money. Be prepared for a graduate degree though.

Petrophysics is in huge demand right now and should be for a few years. Pays handsomely.

If you're willing to go the distance (at least a PHD) basin modeling will make you bank and guarantee you a job. Not very many people have the skills and typically more than just a PHD to do it.

>> No.5579841

>>5579659
Lol statistics.

No one needs statisticians for their research.

>> No.5579849

>>5579837
>Huge money
How much can one expect starting?
>modeling
>bank
I assume you're talking about quants?
How much do they make?

>> No.5579852

Take your undergrad in w/e engineering you want. The first two years are all prereq classes anyway.

I'm a nuc eng senior, and it's awesome

>> No.5580024

>>5579852
>nuc eng
What's your salary bro

>> No.5581518

>>5580024
Nuclear engineers can pay that much because radiation

>> No.5581526

>pic

... is that a Topre switch pendant?

>> No.5581905

>>5581526
Yes it is my nigger

>> No.5581956

>>5581518
Not as bad a deal as you think

>> No.5581962
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5581962

>>5579205
>MMath
>300k starting

>> No.5581990
File: 81 KB, 1024x682, Obama-with-Secret-Service-12-10-12-AP.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5581990

> President
> 400 K a year
> any job he wants
> team of killers that follow you around beatng up anybody you say

Nice gig if you can kiss ass

>> No.5582002

>>5581990
>400k
What?

>> No.5582016 [DELETED] 

>>5581990

lol our president makes more than your president

>> No.5582021

>trader
>from 40k (if you're shit) to 2 billion if you're at the right place at the right time
>great work hours
>competitive yet fun
>very prestigious job, pussygetter

>> No.5582046

>>5582021
>2 bil
I think you mean hedge fund managers here, not traders
>inb4 HURR the sky is the limit, not it's not

>> No.5582119

>>5581518
are you saying its hazard pay because they are exposed? radiation limit workers can be exposed to in US per year is a fraction of what it takes to have increased disease rates

>> No.5582134

>>5582021
Yah exept day traders are the punch line to every professional jokr

>> No.5582334

>>5582134
What? What do you mean

>> No.5582349

>>5579253 >Veterinary Medicine

You can be the goto guy for mafia related problems. They pay big money and will let you drive really cool cars.

>> No.5582362

>>5579841 >No one needs statisticians for their research.

When everyone realises how fucking useless biologists/psychologists etc are being with their numbers it's going to take a small army of statisticians to correct all their work.

>> No.5582393

Can someone please tell me the use of a Maths Degree?

I don't see why somone would want one, we have computers that can do the number crunching for us.

>> No.5582408

>>5582393
do computers create their own theorems?

>> No.5582426

>>5582408 >do computers create their own theorems?

Funny you should mention that, yes, apparently they do.


Was reading this two minutes ago.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402143457.htm
> If Isaac Newton had access to a supercomputer, he'd have had it watch apples fall – and let it figure out the physical matters. But the computer would have needed to run an algorithm, just developed by Cornell researchers, which can derive natural laws from observed data.
>The researchers have taught a computer to find regularities in the natural world that become established laws – yet without any prior scientific knowledge on the part of the computer. They have tested their method, or algorithm, on simple mechanical systems and believe it could be applied to more complex systems ranging from biology to cosmology and be useful in analyzing the mountains of data generated by modern experiments that use electronic data collection.

>> No.5582436

>>5582393 >we have computers that can do the number crunching for us.

Mathematicians don't crunch numbers.

Computers and women do that.

http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Women_Computers_in_World_War_II

>> No.5583024

>>5582436
>women
>math
pick one

>> No.5583040
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5583040

Planning on majoring in microbiology or getting more specific and going toxicology or maybe even genetics. I looked at salaries and they were all pretty abysmal but I mean that's pretty interesting stuff. Is is possible to make a nice salary in any of those?

Does anyone have any recommendations on which majors are "better" in that area? Also I assume a PhD is pretty necessary.

>> No.5583043

>>5581990
>President
>400K

IIRC, President always gets 200K in full

Unless he bumped up the fucking limit, which I haven't heard of

>> No.5583070

>>5579253
Real doctors don't spay their patients.

>> No.5583075

What fields of medicine pay the most?
What fields of medicine are the most specialized/niche?

>> No.5583077

>>5583070
real doctors kill their old and infirm patients

>> No.5583097

>>5583040
Genetics. With exomic sequencing getting so much quicker so quickly, study of the exome is going to be a major task in the next few years, requiring an army of geneticists, statisticians (significance of gene in disease determination) and programmers (trust me, a whole new system needs to be put in place...)

In addition, epigenetics is taking off like a motherfucker; recently at a lecture on diet/environment and methylation of cytosine (and effects on animal behaviour and phenotype) and I've rarely been that excited.

>> No.5583106

>/sci/, what subjects of science or engineering do you think are the most exciting, interesting, and "niche" (as in always job demand/good salaries)?

Biotechnology, but I'm really surprised no one in this thread mentioned that yet.

All you need for that field however is a Masters and reputable/useful/needed experience within the field in real life (at a university "hands on" or at a company). Again to repeat, you need a MS. Do NOT go for the PhD unless you want to strictly be a go into academia/be a professor. You'll be wasting your time like the rest of the guys (who also get turned down might I add) without learning the needed skills and time for yourself out there in comparison to the guy that did get the MS.

Knowing a thing or two about business/finance in correlation to Biotech is a huge plus; since the industry needs people who can link those two factors, provide solutions/ideas/plans/etc, and translate them into a " common language" in which those not so well versed in the field could understand (both to business guys, science guys, and "commoners")

And just in case somebody mentions it, for fucks sake don't go into pharma. The industry is carpet bombing itself due to its fuckups and lack of having more than half a fucking brain. Loads a people are getting laid off and very few are even getting hired. Even those that do get hired become so fucking miserable, they end up quitting and becoming a associate prof. Those that don't, well you can expect what kind of quality of life they will have.

>> No.5583114

>topre realforce keychain
Ew...

>> No.5583115

>>5583114
Pleb detected

>> No.5583121

>>5583115
Glorius MX Green God Race

>> No.5583140

>>5583121
>MX Green
>not plebeian as fuck
Topre > Blacks > Reds > Browns > shit > Blues > * > Greens

>> No.5583153

>>5583140
I'm typing on Blacks right now.

clicky > tactile > linear > rubber domes

>> No.5583174

>>5583121
greens are garbage, did you know that greens only purpose is to serve as spacebar switches in some keyboards? it should be Topre > Ergo-Clears > Clears > all

>> No.5583182

>>5583174
>ergo clears
lol babby fingers

Buckling Springs are for real men.

>> No.5583384

>>5583106
Biotech?
I didn't even know that had career opportunities

I'm going to go for petrol engineering (I'm not OP anyway) for the money, if I don't like it I'll think about biotech

>> No.5583445
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5583445

Aerospace is pretty interesting. It seems like in industry there's not a lot of "crunchin' numbers" jobs if you're into that though. Seems like people usually go one of three routes:

1. Academic - Get doctorate or two, stay at a University, teach classes, write papers, get massive grants, write textbook. improve existing thermodynamic models

2. Project / IPT Lead - Management, meetings, high-level design, initial design, meetings, tracking key requirements, yelling at people, yelling at people in meetings

3. Test engineer - Fly in planes or be part of ground team, record data, manipulate data, log data, write test cases, statistics, throw up in the backseat of an F-18 doing barrel rolls to test a new wingtip design.

So far I seem to be headed down route #2 but I'm small fry so I don't get to yell a lot.

>> No.5583458

Chem E or Mech E because they have their own niches, but learn about other subjects also.

I have taken everything from circuits, E&M to probability+statistics, dynamics, materials along with my own chem E classes.

Electrical E, if you like getting ass fucked.

>> No.5583720

>>5579837

A master's is required for both PE and geology/geophysics?

>> No.5584720

>>5583720
A master's is required for everything nowadays

>> No.5584824

>>5584720
>Master's in women's studies
>any job I want
>600k + bonuses starting

>> No.5584878

>>5584824
lol'd

>> No.5585462

What field pays the most
finance?

>> No.5585469

Organized crime.

>> No.5585710

build funcional zero-point energy converter.

>> No.5585727

I just switched from Nuclear Engineering to Computer Science. If you want to get into reactor management or medicine, University of Wisconsin/Georgia Tech have really good programs. I was trying to do fusion research and there's only one undergraduate elective class at tech, but MIT has an entire major devoted to it

>> No.5585863

>>5585710
Let's do it /sci/

>> No.5585987

>>5585863
/sci/ doesn't actually know shit about science though.

>> No.5586076
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5586076

>>5585469

>> No.5586108

>>5579827

study particle physics.

get a job as a high class prostitute.

$100-$300/hr depending on how hot you are. Very good hours. No degree required.

>> No.5586111

>>5579827

1)study particle physics.

2)get a job as a high class prostitute.

$100-$300/hr depending on how hot you are. Very good hours. No degree required.

>> No.5587428

>>5586108
>>5586111
Or he could work at the CERN, alternatively
It pays well

>> No.5587582

>>5587428
>CERN
>well paid
Pick one.

The only well paid research jobs are in the government.
And most of them are in the IT field, not really in the physics field. Even NASA doesn't pay that well if I recall

>> No.5587604

>>5587582
what about financial engineers?

>> No.5588101

>>5587604
... No.
Most boring stuff ever

>> No.5590053

In my opinion there are currently ALOT of high paying jobs in the IT sector but everyone's flocking towards them, so in a few years I think it will be über hard to toget high paying jobs.

>> No.5590068

>>5587604

You mean jews?

>> No.5590085

>>5590068
>being mad because they make more in one day than you make in a decade
Stay classy

>> No.5590115

>>5590053
Like what?
And by "high paying" what salaries are you talking about

Some people consider high paying to be in the 80k range, others in the 200k range

>> No.5590150

>>5576945
Just please for the love of christ: if you go Petroleum Engineering, please learn your goddamn shit. I run into a constant stream of fucktarded PEs who can are basically just shitty businessmen with marginal engineering knowledge.

>> No.5590152
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5590152

>>5582362
>implying biologists/psychologists are actual scientists anyway

>> No.5590153

>>5590085
Why exactly would that not make me mad ?

>> No.5590154
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5590154

>>5576908
> majoring in engineering. Concentration in mech. Engineering
> double minor in biology, and sports medicine/physical therapy.

I want to make a large push in human augmentation. Also, maybe look into doing more genetic research. A couple of friends and I, in the long run, want to open our own research/augmentation labs.

>tfw I want to turn the world into Deus Ex.

>> No.5590157

>>5590150
Just look at my marginal typing skills. Awesome.

>> No.5590162

>>5590154
I'd double major if I hadn't been set back by having fucking cancer. Christ, I feel like I've missed so much time, and I had a full ride to abuse, too.

Basically what I'm saying is, I'm mad jelly.

>> No.5590187

>>5590162
I'm sorry to hear about that man. One day, lets hope that cancer will be about as serious as a cold through treatments.

>> No.5590196
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5590196

>>5590154
>tfw someone else has the same career interests as myself
>my nigga
Too bad I'm only majoring M.E. at the moment, so I'll just be working on robots or something like that after college.

>> No.5590410

>>5590153
Because those people have worked to get to this level. You don't think the Hedge Fund managers who get 150M a year stay in their basement all day right?

>> No.5591203

>>5590410
>Worked hard
Hahaha
No

Daddy's money and cocksucking, that's how finance works

>> No.5591304

>>5590154
I really want to do this. Argumentation is one of the main reasons why I want to major in engineering.
That or Psychology

>> No.5592221

Why is niche good?

>> No.5592268

OP whatever you do don't major in something that is not S.T.E.M. for too many reasons worth listing.

Find something you like in S.T.E.M. that isn't biology or whatever and your chances of making decent money after university will be pretty good.

Engineerfags, Mathfags, Physicfags can get into Finance so I don't see a point in studying Finance. Hell I hear Finance degrees from no-name schools can't really get you anywhere anyways but Engineering degrees can still get you Engineering jobs and Finance jobs so what's the point.

>> No.5593276

Is finance still alive?

>> No.5594090

>>5593276
Yes, and it's still the field that pays the most.
Go for it if you like money.

>> No.5594206

>>5583458
Why don't you recommend EE?

>> No.5595104

>>5594206
Because lolnojobs

>> No.5595107

>>5590154
remember to study micro / nanosystems somehow
it's kinda good to have i've heard

>> No.5595116

>>5576907 >(as in always job demand/good salaries)?

>all of them

Seriously. Pick a field, excel in it and be successful. There are always jobs available but relocation may be necessary.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/422014.article

>The UK needs to double the annual number of graduates in engineering by 2020 if it is to meet the expected demand for such skills, the government was told today.

>According to a report from EngineeringUK, engineering companies are projected to have 2.74 million job openings from 2010 to 2020, and of these approximately 87,000 per year will require people with degree qualifications. Currently the UK produces only 46,000 engineering graduates each year.

http://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/engineering

I'm doing Mechanical and will say it is one of the most versatile with jobs available in almost every sector.

>> No.5595121

>>5595116
Some fields have better salaries than others.
For instance, finance is the way to go for money.

>> No.5596142

>>5595121
No, surgery is.
You have 1/100000000 chances to make more than 300k in finance, while 300k is the avg salary for a surgeon.

>> No.5597804

>>5596142
>surgery
sure if you wanna study 16 years and be deep in debt

>> No.5597867

>>5583114
Oh God. Tripfag pleb.

>> No.5597889

>>5595121
>For instance, finance is the way to go for money.

Lots of engineers are welcome in finance.

I don't know why or what they do but there are jobs. Engineering degrees always have a professional studies module and some universities offer additional finance courses.

>> No.5598026

I wouldn't worry too much about not heading into finance, as others have already stated.

Engineers are welcome in quite a lot of financial positions, there are some though where they're underqualified.

Physicists on the other hand got access to pretty much every financial position.

>> No.5598398

Anyone know if someone with a general chemistry degree can go into chem engineering?

>> No.5600700

>>5598398
Get a minor in chemE if that's possible

>> No.5600713

>>5598398

you can't 'go into' Engineering without an Engineering DEGREE

>> No.5600790

Not OP but might as well ask: How about CivEn?

I know it's not the most glamorous job, but it interests me.

>> No.5600798

>>5583097

Epigenetics is a pretty awesome field. If you are interested in it, read this http://genomebiology.com/2012/13/10/R91

Also interestingly some epigenetic diseases have been linked to water which is really wtf moment.

>> No.5600801

>>5600790
It's the easiest form of engineering (besides the bullshit "engineering" courses).

From my personal anecdotal evidence it has the highest concentration of douchebags of the engineering courses. I think a lot of people take it as a cop out. They hear that engineering pays well, so they go and take the easiest one.

Prepare to sit around for 4 years hearing about nothing but concrete and dirt (but mainly concrete).

>> No.5600810

In nuclear engineering program right now. Knew a bit before I got in.

Field is one of the faster growing in the engineering field. Extremely easy to get a job is american. (Most Americans are too stupid to understand what taking a derivative means.)

Im extremely interested in research studies, specifically thorium research, but there are a wide range of fields from medical to of course weapons.
>inb4 thorium sucks dick and will never be profitable

>> No.5600811

What is your opinion on civil E, there's a 50/50 chance between going into more civil or mechE for me when i reach 2nd year college and I'm torn between the two.

>> No.5600812

>>5600801
Eesh.

I was looking at doing water system infrastructure. Would there be a better major for that, then?

>> No.5600817

>>5600811
Definitely Mech. Pays better, can be applied more broadly to more fields, more variance in job opportunities, the course itself tends to be a lot less dry, you won't be the laughing stock of other engineers.

>> No.5600826

>>5600817
Alrighty, I'll just stay on the MechE path. It gets a huge rep for being tough in the later years but I'm sure if I study enough it'll be fine. Any recommended things to do to ease how tough it'll be?

>> No.5600830

>>5600812
Nah, I'd say Civil would be your best bet for that. I mean, if that's what you want to do, go for it. Just be wary of all the bull shit.

>> No.5600837

>>5600790
>>5600812
You should be warned that Civil is on the downslope at the moment due to the fact that no one is building anything.

>> No.5600838

>>5600830
I should probably note that water sciences in general interest me. It doesn't technically have to CivEn, I just thought that seemed like a good place to start.

I'm sort of stuck in the "what the fuck am I supposed to do with my life" spiral.

>>5600837
Duly noted.

>> No.5600849

>>5600838
Maybe hydro would be the best, get a civil E or something with concrete then work at a dam. I took a tour of the Hoover Dam and its 30 bucks hourly starting (double and triple on some days) and they pay to go into the grad college for more hydro E schooling

>> No.5601027
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5601027

>>5600849
I'll certainly look into it.

Thanks.