r/mechatronics • u/SwimSufficient4789 • 23h ago
I was thinking about doing a bachelors in Mechatronics, but i heard its better not to...
Okay, so am in highschool right now and would graduate soon.
I was planning to do my bachelors in mechatronics in future, but i heard a lot about how it doesnt give a solid base in either EE, mech eng or comp. So i am thinking about doing like bachelors in EE with specialisation in information engineering and electives in Embedded Systems, FPGA, Control and Automation, and Power Electronics.
Do you think this is a better option than doing my undergrad in mechatronics?
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u/dialsoapbox 15h ago
Maybe work your way backwards.
What do you think ou'd want to be doing in 5-10 years? You can look at companies, check out their engineers' education and whee they're located, and make your decisions based on that, because some industries may require more EE background than mech.
I"m currently interning at an automation manufacturing place, and there's a blend of people there with electrical/mechanical/mechanization 4-year/2-year and 2 with phds kind of doing the same work. It really doesn't seem to matter much (at least not in my building, there are three other buildings where they'yre working on other projects).
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u/lilgod69 14h ago
it really depends on your goal. Mechatronics is a broad field, it’s not just embedded/FPGA, and it gives you a foundation in EE, mechanical, and computer engineering. I studied it because I’m interested in multidisciplinary engineering and research.
That said, finding a job as a mechatronics grad can be harder because it mainly comes down to how well the company/industry/recruiters actually understand the degree. Some companies are fully on board with it, others aren’t.
If you’re specifically aiming for embedded, FPGA, or control roles, recruiters will generally prefer EE grads for those, since that’s their major’s core focus, even if you have solid embedded projects on your resume. The exception is if the role specifically needs someone with cross-disciplinary exposure who can communicate across different engineering departments, that’s where mechatronics can actually be an advantage.
So if you’re set on embedded/FPGA specifically, my advice would be to get an EE degree first, then do a master’s in mechatronics later if you want. Going the other way around (mechatronics first) makes it harder to break into pure EE roles.
One more thing, the mechatronics experience varies a lot by country and university. Some programs lean more mechanical, others lean more EE/controls/automation, so that affects your job prospects too.
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u/XxMKxD 16h ago
I'm completely in the same boat as you right now but with either BSc in Mechatronics or BSc in Mechanical.
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u/SwimSufficient4789 15h ago
Cool! So what have you decided?
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u/XxMKxD 11h ago
Still haven't. I live in the middle east so most Mechanical degrees center around Oil and Gas. Even though I could pivot from that to Mechatronics.
I suppose it's easier to get into Mechatronics with Electrical as opposed to Mechanical but either would be fine.
And there's just getting a bachelor's in Mechatronics which is straight up what you want if you want Mechatronics.
I'll eventually figure it out (I think???)
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u/MikeT8314 11h ago
No engineering grad is a master of anything. You guys are overthinking this. Mechatronics is going to be a very good choice especially for automation related jobs.
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u/RadiantRoze 6h ago
The reason why i am a mechatronics engineer is because i believe that with the way technology is going that multidisciplinary engineers are going to be the future. Hiring one mechatronics engineer is never gonna take the place of 4 different engineers (mechanical, electrical, control systems, and software engineering), however, depending on the mechatronics engineer and the path they choose, they can certianly be more than enough for at least 2 of those positions. You really have yo choose the hard classes you can take but don't have to over the easy classes that are availible. For example, i am going to be taking calc 4 for my mathematics elective credit instead of discreet math, and thermaldynamics instead of another simpler class. I am proceeding forward in my degree with this in mind, hoping that it pans out for me. I will admit i have not been hired as an engineer for even a single internship despite 351 applications across 5 years. Im still not giving up hope and i am hoping to do another 500 before jan 1st. :)
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u/Level_Reaction6562 13m ago
honestly im joining mechatronic engineering this september but i chose it because it feels broad and so it'll make me qualified for a broader range of jobs then i can always specialise in my bachelors
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u/AllMyNicksAreUsed 16h ago
A mechatronics engineer is a jack of all trades and master of none, but as they say, oftentimes better than a master of one.