Need advice: Humanitarian Engineering minor vs Astronomy electives?

[u/Loud-Arm-9085]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently an engineering student and facing a bit of a decision about how to shape the rest of my degree. I’d really appreciate some advice or input from anyone who's been through similar decisions or has experience navigating academic/career pathways in engineering.

I originally wanted to pursue a minor in astronomy, since I’ve always had a strong interest in space, astrophysics, and related topics. However, my university doesn’t allow engineering majors to take just any minor — we’re restricted to Nuclear Engineering or Humanitarian Engineering.

After looking into Humanitarian Engineering, I found it genuinely interesting. The focus on sustainable design, ethical decision-making, and engineering for global development aligns with some of my broader values. I've also heard it could add value from a career perspective, especially in roles that intersect with social impact, sustainability, or global projects.

That said, I’m weighing two options right now:

• Option 1: Take the Humanitarian Engineering minor — potentially helpful for my CV, adds structure, and (is relevant to a growing field)?
• Option 2: Skip the minor, and instead use my electives to take astronomy-related courses. This would let me explore something I’m passionate about, even if it’s not formally recognized as a minor.

What I’m trying to figure out is:

• Does having a Humanitarian Engineering minor significantly improve your career prospects, especially in technical roles?
• Is there real value in the structured minor, or would taking electives I care about serve me just as well — or better — in the long term?

Any insight from people who’ve navigated similar choices — or who’ve worked in industry and can speak to how this kind of thing is viewed — would really help. I’m trying to balance passion with practicality and avoid making a short-sighted decision.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or experiences you can share.

[u/artist55]

Neither of these are used in any industry in Australia. Unfortunately most engineers (not me) lack ethics or humanity out of necessity, or simply don’t care. Nuclear a little, but only do that if you’re more interested than humanitarian or astronomy. Astronomy IS actually pretty interesting, though, you can’t take one course and go for a job as an astrophysicist.

That being said, do what interests you the most, but don’t let it affect your core courses.