Why NOT Engineering? The Process of Career Choice amongst South African Female Students

This paper seeks to inform current initiatives to attract more women to study engineering. The pool of suitably qualified students at UCT was investigated, and from this group an interviewee sample was drawn of top achievers in school mathematics and physical science who had elected to study courses other than engineering. The interviews yielded information on the process of career choice amongst these students. Findings concerned the universality of medicine as an initial choice, and the current attraction towards commerce. Engineering was only considered by students who ultimately chose B.Sc. degrees, and these were the only students who had a positive experience of school physical science.