Investigating the reasons for choosing a major among the engineering students in Qatar

Abstract

The selection of an engineering major is a decision that can influence the career of young students, and possibly their entire fife. The purpose of this study is to understand the factors affecting the selection of an engineering major in Qatar, a developing country in the Guff region. Responses were collected from commencing engineering students, and an inventory of reasons stated for electing to study engineering was developed. The research was conducted using face to face interviews with students who were enrolled in seven engineering majors at Qatar University as full time. The students were asked to provide their primary reason for choosing their particular engineering major. The results indicated that the primary reason for selecting an engineering major is having a passion for the subjects associated with the major during high school The second reason mentioned was the family advice, or being inspired by the parents or a family member followed by having better job opportunities after graduation. When considering the indicated proportions for each of the reasons stated by gender and nationality, it was found that the main reasons for selecting a major remained the same among the different groups. 2016 IEEE.