Which degree is better Science or Engineering?

Which field should I pair my biology degree with, mechanical engineering or computer science?

• I currently work in one of the largest microbiology labs in my state, at a large hospital. I recently graduated with a bachelors degree in biology, but I realize that a biology degree alone does not provide enough opportunity. I am looking at obtaining a minor in mechanical engineering or computer science; and then eventually following the minor up with a masters degree. I want to utilize my biology experience in either field, whether it be biomedical engineering, bioinformatics, or something else. I would really appreciate advice on which field I should pair my biology degree with and why. Thanks for the help!

• Answer:

  I think given your experience and background, you are probably the best person to answer your own question. Maybe not the answer you're looking for, but you're uniquely more qualified than a lot of the people on this forum! Both degrees help lead to jobs that should still be available and well paying. Does your interest still lie in biology? Most biomedical engineering is at its core, engineering, not biology. Computational biology/bioinformatics...is at its core, biology. But it is often taught more as computer science than biology at the undergraduate level, even though it *should* be taught as biology with computer science (which many graduate level labs do rightly). By the way, you should be able to go straight into a MS program. Definitely for bioinformatics, and certainly at least some biological engineering programs do not require an engineering major/minor. Having a biology background would make computational biology the easier transition, and would constitute a job involving a lot of analysis. Engineering involves a bit more direct application.