So I need to choose my major within the next week or so. Which major would be best suited to enable a person to create an ipod-touch or apple tv like device? I know its a group effort between engineers in various fields but which major would best allow me to accomplish such a feat on my own. Electronics engineering seems like it would be my best bet, but im not sure. Any input would be appreciated.
"On your own"? How low-level do you want it? Just putting the bits together? Hardest part would be to find the bits, I'm sure taking it apart (and by reversal, putting it together) is on the internet somewhere. But if you want to be good at "that sort of stuff", I'd say start electrical engineering. At the only university I remember electrical engineers from, you choose between high voltage (power transmission) and low voltage (circuitry, electronics) after a few years, but that might not be the case everywhere.
The answer to your question isn't easy... However, some solid advice if I may say so myself. The main developer behind the iPod, iPad, iMac, MacBook, iPhone is a British man called Jonathan Ive (click to visit his Wikipedia-page). I know that the American higher education system is entirely different than the one we have over here in Europe. Here, you really pick a "study field" ~ and majors and minors are only a really small part of our studies. For instance, every year a student in higher education needs to study for 60 ECTS (= European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) studypoints. If you for instance study "sociology" you get to pick a "minor" every year that is worth 12 studypoints... for example. Some people never get to pick a minor, and almost nobody gets to pick a major... Anyways, Jonathan Ive studied "Industrial Design" at Northumbria University. I checked out Google, and this is how that study at that university looks like nowadays: click. Anyways, some practical advice. I think if you get to choose a social science do so as well -- there is a lot of buzz of this "new profession" that I forgot the name of. But this is what they do: they are some sort of 21st century antropologists that study the lives of modern man and try to figure out what technology they need or that could facilitate their lives... Just studying "electronic engineering" is not enough I think ~ everybody can make his or her own PC. You'll need to have the skills to design as well. Good luck.
Philosophy degree. The amount of senior IT managers with that degree is uncanny. It will propell you far beyond electronics which will change in the coming years as the fads change.
