Choosing which engineering program to specialize in can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re looking at more than a dozen options and trying to figure out which is most aligned with your strengths and interests.
However, when you look more closely at UBC’s engineering programs, you’ll start seeing some interesting patterns. Each discipline builds on the same foundational skills but applies them in different contexts, whether that’s designing sustainable infrastructure that can withstand earthquakes and climate change or developing biomedical technologies to transform health care.
You might also notice that there’s a lot of overlap and similarities between some programs – like between mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering and materials engineering – that reflect shared approaches to design and innovation. This means that there is almost always more than one program that would be a good fit and enable you to work in your ideal career.
Let’s look at this more closely.
EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS AT UBC ENGINEERING
All engineering programs are built on common core competencies
No matter which engineering program you choose, you will develop core competencies in problem solving, design thinking, professional practice, teamwork and communication. These are the foundational skills that make engineering such a versatile profession and rewarding career and that will set you up to succeed whether you are designing bridges, developing autonomous robots or advancing carbon-neutral technologies.
At UBC Engineering, all students take a foundational first-year curriculum where they begin developing their core engineering competencies. This common starting point means that no matter which discipline you choose, you’ll graduate with an approach to thinking and problem-solving that will enable you to develop innovative solutions and work collaboratively with engineers from other fields.
How your courses change after first year
At the end of first year, you’ll decide what direction you want to take your engineering degree.
At UBC Vancouver, you’ll choose from one of 14 programs and at UBC Okanagan you’ll choose from one of five programs.
Your courses in second, third and fourth year will grow your knowledge base and expertise in your chosen discipline. If you take a look through the program course lists, for example, you’ll see that mechanical engineering courses often focus on how things move; many electrical engineering courses explore how systems communicate; civil engineering courses often investigate how structures stand; and many biomedical engineering courses investigate how technology interacts with the human body.
Keep in mind that each discipline itself contains multitudes!
Some electrical engineers design nanoscale sensors to measure changes in electrical signals in the human body while others find ways to integrate renewable energy into power grids. Some civil engineers design climate-resilient stormwater networks while others construct soaring skyscrapers. Mechanical engineers might work on energy-efficient engines or industrial robots.
Within each program, you’ll be required to take core required courses so that you have foundational knowledge. You can also take electives that will enable you to gain deeper expertise in specific areas of interest, choose to include a minor, or pursue a program like integrated engineering, where you specialize in two engineering disciplines.
If you study at UBC Okanagan, you can pursue concentrations such as the following within the primary programs and your area of concentration will be shown on your transcript:
- Civil: Concentrations in environmental engineering or resilient infrastructure management
- Electrical: Concentration in biomedical or mechatronics
- Mechanical: Concentration in aerospace, biomedical or mechatronics
Multiple pathways to a desired career
When you start looking at engineering programs through the lens of clusters, it becomes clear that there is more than one route to a specific career. Want to work in robotics? You can get there by choosing mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering or engineering physics. Want to advance sustainability? Civil, chemical, environmental could be great choices, as could mining or electrical.
Within your program, you could then choose elective courses that focus on your particular interest. You can gain important hands-on experience through co-op positions, joining an engineering design team in your area of interest and through the capstone project you pursue.
Our article Engineering solutions for global challenges provides some examples of how different engineering disciplines work together to address some of the most pressing issues of our time, including sustainable AI and the push to electrification.
UBC Engineering Co-op: Experience That Counts
Make an informed decision
At UBC, we teach our engineering students that the first steps of the design cycle – defining the problem and gathering data – are critical to creating effective solutions.
That same mindset applies when choosing an engineering program.
The foundational first-year program gives you the time to explore, learn about each of the programs, test your interests and gather the information you need to make the best choice for you.
This makes choosing an engineering program an empowering experience because you are making the decision from a place of knowledge and confidence, and with a much better understanding of the opportunities that lie ahead.
Check out our article Want to keep as many options open as possible? Choose UBC Engineering for the top four ways that UBC empowers students to succeed.
